Ever have the sound guy...
- Thread starter ForgotenWarrior6
- Start date
digitaldeath
Member
I've a few positive and negative stories.
Positive:
We learned that it's best to have your own sound guy. We always had the best sound.
I learned quickly that if you are nice to the FOH engineer, they have no problem assisting you with anything. I've tipped and bought drinks for engineers who have done great jobs when our own engineer was unavailable.
The more gear a band has themselves to get "their" sound, the better. Engineers always complimented my professionalism and I've even assisted younger engineers who weren't accustomed to kick triggers etc. I always had my own DI box too, just in case.
Lack of soundchecks is normally the fault of the headliners/backline providers.
I do hate turning up un-necessarily early and not even getting a line-check.
I once fucked a new FOH guy outta it for talking to me like a piece of shit at my local venue, when he was clearly wrong, as I'd assisted countless bands at this venue and often did FOH when I had to. Promotor knew I was right and that FOH guy was never hired to work that venue again.
Positive:
We learned that it's best to have your own sound guy. We always had the best sound.
I learned quickly that if you are nice to the FOH engineer, they have no problem assisting you with anything. I've tipped and bought drinks for engineers who have done great jobs when our own engineer was unavailable.
The more gear a band has themselves to get "their" sound, the better. Engineers always complimented my professionalism and I've even assisted younger engineers who weren't accustomed to kick triggers etc. I always had my own DI box too, just in case.
Lack of soundchecks is normally the fault of the headliners/backline providers.
I do hate turning up un-necessarily early and not even getting a line-check.
I once fucked a new FOH guy outta it for talking to me like a piece of shit at my local venue, when he was clearly wrong, as I'd assisted countless bands at this venue and often did FOH when I had to. Promotor knew I was right and that FOH guy was never hired to work that venue again.
Joshua Wickman
Yes Sir!
PhilR
Studio Scapegoat
Similar thing happened here at a local venue (The Old Angel), but actually a bit worse. It was some ska-punk band who's fans were already apparently notorious for trashing venues. Anyway, said fans turned up with buckets of whitewash which they started throwing EVERYWHERE.
The venue ended up having to replace damn near all the FOH rig. Console, processor rack, the works. As well as the carpeting, and having to repaint the entire room. They couldn't chase the band for any of it, as it was the fans that did the damage.
PhilR
Studio Scapegoat
Don't assume the FOH guy always knows what he's doing, especially if the venue habitually lets local AE college students run sound without any shadowing or mentoring process beforehand.
Case in point: My band played a HC gig where the venue owners had co-booked it with some works function in an upstairs room (!). The landlord was ranting about keeping the noise levels down so as not to disturb them (!!) resulting in the soundguy being forbidden to close-mic the whole drumkit (!!!). He only had ONE guitar cab miked because he couldn't figure out how to get the other one working (!!!!) and he actually suggested to one of our guitarists; "Do you want me to run some of your amp through your monitor? That was you won't have to turn it up too loud on stage". The reply, after we had all looked at each other and engaged in some collective telepathic facepalming, consisted of; Um, what's the point? You only have one cab miked, so if I'm louder on stage than he is he'll just turn his amp up even louder to compensate. His response; "Oh yeah, I suppose that's true isn't it?. (!!!!!)
Soooo thats a 5 (!) event already. And I haven't even mentioned how it took him nearly half an our just to figure out how to turn on the FOH amplifiers.
Case in point: My band played a HC gig where the venue owners had co-booked it with some works function in an upstairs room (!). The landlord was ranting about keeping the noise levels down so as not to disturb them (!!) resulting in the soundguy being forbidden to close-mic the whole drumkit (!!!). He only had ONE guitar cab miked because he couldn't figure out how to get the other one working (!!!!) and he actually suggested to one of our guitarists; "Do you want me to run some of your amp through your monitor? That was you won't have to turn it up too loud on stage". The reply, after we had all looked at each other and engaged in some collective telepathic facepalming, consisted of; Um, what's the point? You only have one cab miked, so if I'm louder on stage than he is he'll just turn his amp up even louder to compensate. His response; "Oh yeah, I suppose that's true isn't it?. (!!!!!)
Soooo thats a 5 (!) event already. And I haven't even mentioned how it took him nearly half an our just to figure out how to turn on the FOH amplifiers.
Trevoire520
Member
These stories are making me cringe. Can't believe some of the people that get let behind the board at gigs.
If anyone's ever playing in Scotland and needing a soundman give me a buzz, I promise you'll not have any horror stories from me
If anyone's ever playing in Scotland and needing a soundman give me a buzz, I promise you'll not have any horror stories from me
jangoux
Member
- May 9, 2006
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Well, unfortunately, my voice is quieter than the P.A. and after trying to speak to him a couple times, I had to make myself heard. the guy had 15 minutes breaks between bands where he could take a dump, drink a beer, fuck a hooker, do whatever the fuck he wants. imho, on the first couple songs the sound guy just needs to pay attention to the stage. He's there to make the band sound good and hear itself good. If you don't agree, translate that to an AE: try starting a conversation at the same time your client is doing his tracking. Will it be professional? No. Will it help him at all? Of course, not. Will it sound polite? No.
GarethSE
New Metal Member
- Jul 5, 2008
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My old band played a gig in a local bar that is (well, more of a 'was' now,) one of the last refuges for metal bands in the shitty scene down here.
Sound guy was 2 hours late and didn't bring any mic stands with us then went around all the bands asking if we had mic stands with us to which we replied "no, isn't that supposed to be the sound guy's responsibility" (which I don't think is an unfair assumption?)
we then learned the guy lives in the flat above the bar itself, which makes the 2 hour lateness and lack of mic stands even more mind boggling.
So he takes some 57's and hangs them over the cab in front of the speakers.
soundcheck sounded like total ass, of course
ended up just having kick and snare and everything else just coming from the amps, and had we not taken the time to work on a mix that worked without anything being miced that show would've been a total failure, it went pretty well though in the end, no thanks to the sound guy \o/
Sound guy was 2 hours late and didn't bring any mic stands with us then went around all the bands asking if we had mic stands with us to which we replied "no, isn't that supposed to be the sound guy's responsibility" (which I don't think is an unfair assumption?)
we then learned the guy lives in the flat above the bar itself, which makes the 2 hour lateness and lack of mic stands even more mind boggling.
So he takes some 57's and hangs them over the cab in front of the speakers.
soundcheck sounded like total ass, of course
ended up just having kick and snare and everything else just coming from the amps, and had we not taken the time to work on a mix that worked without anything being miced that show would've been a total failure, it went pretty well though in the end, no thanks to the sound guy \o/
drew_drummer
Dancefap
I really hate that whole 'hang the microphone from the top of the amp/cab' thing. The fucking diaphragm of the microphone isn't even pointing at the cab at that point... so what is the fucking point!?!
I don't mind relying on the monitor for the bulk of my guitar sound, as long as the PA setup can cope - generally the sort of venues we end up playing, the PA's aren't up to the task.
I don't mind relying on the monitor for the bulk of my guitar sound, as long as the PA setup can cope - generally the sort of venues we end up playing, the PA's aren't up to the task.
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Naw man, just a general statement. Sorry, I'm not trying to start a pissing match here.
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
Loren Littlejohn
Lover of all boobage.
I don't if it's a 609/906. But yeah I can't stand it when it's a 57 (99% of the time it is...)
GarethSE
New Metal Member
- Jul 5, 2008
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arv_foh
Brian K
Actually during the 15 minute "breaks" between bands, the engineer is on stage, pulling the mics off the drumkit, getting the band's gear off the stage, making sure the next band is ready to go on stage, etc
I wasn't defending dude for not doing his job when he should have clearly been mixing, which I said in a later post; my point was being a rude asshole to the sound engineer at the show is not the way to get things done
but it's become pretty apparent to me in this thread that I work at a venue that is a real venue and I think a lot of these places with shitty engineers that you guys are talking about are dive bars.. so maybe I should just shut my mouth lol
Harry Hughes
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- Apr 25, 2009
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This.
Seriously, you have to be a seriously arrogant cunt to think you're so good that you feel it's okay to just come into a venue and wreck shit. How about just being modest and humble, and having a bit of fucking respect for the equipment, geezus.
A lot of metalheads may be idiots, but at least you don't get this shit happening at a metal gig.
You don't get that 'hardcore dancing' shit either. Don't understand why you'd want to swing your arms and legs around like you're a fucking retard, but according to some 'hardcore' kids, it's a form of 'self expression'.
arv_foh
Brian K
death before dishonor played recently at my place, and some hardcore "crew" that was at the show thought it would be a good idea to jump one of our security dudes and give him a five man beatdown in the pit
well... our security made sure to beat the fuck out of them while they were dragging them out the door to the parking lot lol
idiots I tell you.. hardcore kids, not our security obviously.. there are ALWAYS fights when any of that hardcore dancing bullshit starts in the pit
well... our security made sure to beat the fuck out of them while they were dragging them out the door to the parking lot lol
idiots I tell you.. hardcore kids, not our security obviously.. there are ALWAYS fights when any of that hardcore dancing bullshit starts in the pit
Harry Hughes
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- Apr 25, 2009
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^That's fucked up man, good to hear some of those wankers got fucked up though.
When I went to see Meshuggah, there were two opening bands, Whitechapel (on first) and this other band that was on second (some really shit metalcore band that just seemed like a big joke compared to Meshuggah).
During Whitechapel and the second band, there were these wankers that suddenly just started pulling out the hardcore dancing shit. It was the first time I had seen it in real life and it was by far the most retarded thing I've seen at a gig in my life.
Some of the guys that had come to see Meshuggah, but were also WC fans were just staring at the hardcore dancers with this big "WTF is this stupid shit?" look on their faces.
When I went to see Meshuggah, there were two opening bands, Whitechapel (on first) and this other band that was on second (some really shit metalcore band that just seemed like a big joke compared to Meshuggah).
During Whitechapel and the second band, there were these wankers that suddenly just started pulling out the hardcore dancing shit. It was the first time I had seen it in real life and it was by far the most retarded thing I've seen at a gig in my life.
Some of the guys that had come to see Meshuggah, but were also WC fans were just staring at the hardcore dancers with this big "WTF is this stupid shit?" look on their faces.
