Thinking of throwing in the towel

[Jeztone]

Last night I arrived with my band to soundcheck for a gig at 7pm.

The Sound Engineer arrived at 9pm, the promoter at 9:15pm

We were supposed to be onstage at 9:15pm

We got onstage around 10:25pm with no soundcheck

I wouldnt mind if this was a one off, but it seems that all the "local" gigs I play are utter clusterfucks.

Yet local gigs are scarce for us even though we've generated more national press than most of our peers this year, so we have to take what we can get, but its wearing me down. Were in London on Thursday and the London gigs are usually ok. But I'm just burnt out. Whats the point in being as proffessional as possible when everyone around the band (promoters/venues/soundguys) acts like a fucking retard.

Answers on a postcard please

[stevefingers]

Yep, get the same feeling myself sometimes. Especially when you're told to be at soundcheck for 6.30 and you rush from work (or finish early) only to get to the venue and there's nobody organising anything.

Then the time for soundcheck passes so you have to line check in front of the audience after waiting around for hours (resisting the temptation to get drunk) and YOU end up looking like the unprofessional ones. Just think, if you'd have known there wasn't going to be a soundcheck you could have had a proper dinner at home instead of a Ginsters pastie from the petrol station, had a shower and got to the gig before your set.

Or when the support band (or even headlining band) can't be arsed bringing their own amps/drum kit and you end up having to lend them yours. Because 'if you don't they wont be able to play' and YOU end up looking like a dick.

Still, when a gig goes well then it makes all the hassle worth it. When all 6 audience members go wild!

[Danny1969]

I think it's worth having your own FOH guy, as part of the band and on an equal cut. He's the one who can make you sound good ... or bad, and he knows when to turn which instrument up as he knows the songs and the arrangments. I know thats not always possible as a lot of venues have their own install PA and won't let anyone else touch it but whenever possible use your own PA and own FOH guy.

It's annoying that some venues consider themselves professional but yet think a simple line check is enough to get going. It's enough to prove a mic is plugged into the right hole and that's about it. It's no wonder so much live music sounds terrible!

[fretmeister]

Everyone goes through this at some point.

You get totally fed up with a regular venue or a band member. I haven't done a proper gig for 2 years and I hate that - even though my last band had 1 member that I was getting homicidally annoyed with.

I really miss it.

[Lixarto]

Originally Posted by fretmeister

You get totally fed up with a regular venue or a band member.

Yes.

Zap

[fretmeister]

I have a few knob end band members.

A singer who kept diving into the crowd and getting into fights when said crowd didn't catch him.

A drummer who refused to come to rehearsals until the rest of the band were tight AND then openly said "I'll give you 1 year to make me famous and then I'm off"

A guitarist who would turn up not having even listened to the songs let alone tried to learn them AND then got rid of a Marshall 8080 (nowt wrong with them) bought a Line 6 Spider "because the lights looked cool", didn;t like it so got a Boss GT8 to run into it and spent twice as much as the suggestions that I had given (HRD and a couple of pedals) AND then played a whole song in the wrong key at a paying gig.


Time for me to buy a looping unit I think....

[arrowheadguitars]

Originally Posted by fretmeister

A guitarist who would turn up not having even listened to the songs let alone tried to learn them AND then got rid of a Marshall 8080 (nowt wrong with them) bought a Line 6 Spider "because the lights looked cool", didn;t like it so got a Boss GT8 to run into it and spent twice as much as the suggestions that I had given (HRD and a couple of pedals) AND then played a whole song in the wrong key at a paying gig.

nice legs though

[fretmeister]

True dat!

[thereformant]

Originally Posted by Danny1969

I think it's worth having your own FOH guy, as part of the band and on an equal cut. He's the one who can make you sound good ... or bad, and he knows when to turn which instrument up as he knows the songs and the arrangments. I know thats not always possible as a lot of venues have their own install PA and won't let anyone else touch it but whenever possible use your own PA and own FOH guy.

It's annoying that some venues consider themselves professional but yet think a simple line check is enough to get going. It's enough to prove a mic is plugged into the right hole and that's about it. It's no wonder so much live music sounds terrible!

No-one'll let you touch their PA. We had a a guy interested in doing this for us but no-one would let him on their PA. It wasnt some numpty either he had experience, qualifications, references...still the venues just werent interested.

Last night I arrived with my band to soundcheck for a gig at 7pm.

The Sound Engineer arrived at 9pm, the promoter at 9:15pm

We were supposed to be onstage at 9:15pm

We got onstage around 10:25pm with no soundcheck

I wouldnt mind if this was a one off, but it seems that all the "local" gigs I play are utter clusterfucks.

Yet local gigs are scarce for us even though we've generated more national press than most of our peers this year, so we have to take what we can get, but its wearing me down. Were in London on Thursday and the London gigs are usually ok. But I'm just burnt out. Whats the point in being as proffessional as possible when everyone around the band (promoters/venues/soundguys) acts like a fucking retard.

Answers on a postcard please

Par for the course unfortunately. The most organised (and profitable) gig we ever did was a launch party where we hired the venue and sound man ourselves and basically ran the show. Even then one band turned up 2 hours late, complained about not soundchecking before the first band on (who were on time). Broke a bass string in the middle of the set etc etc.

[retroman]

My first posting ever in here so that's the cherry gone! Anyway, on the gig front. My fave (NOT!) was the time I rolled my gear in and the prat in the hat who was running the show said "you're not playing throught that". I bit my tongue as I wanted to do the gig, but ever tried doing an unplugged gig using an electric guitar! Ain't floating that boat. As for roadies never let a mate talk loudly about the sound guy being a c%$£. Not good. An yep turning up early just so I can setup, soundcheck on time and then chill gets screwed by some smalltime prawn thinking they're some kind of local gig Kingpin. My ass. So it's good to read that I am not the only guy who has suffered at the hands of the numpty brigade. Keep on rockin' as Neil would say.