THE GIG THREAD

[liquidsmoke]

Because some of us are virgins!

What is the best instrument cable length when you are singing and have your guitar going into a pedalboard which is near the vocal mic? How about those coiled ones? What is the best cable length to run from a pedalboard into your amp?

Do venue/sound people freak if you use your own vocal mic and run a vocal effects unit? Where do you put the house mic during your set?

Do drunk idiots sometimes spill beer on floor pedals that are close to the edge of the stage/on the floor near the crowd? If this happens mid song do you just keep going and then try to clean it up after the song is over?

Is it now the norm to give all of your gig money to the touring band(assuming you are a local band on a bill)?

Tips on how to save/spend gig money for broke musicians?

Tips on how not to have gear stolen at gigs?

[Metal and Beer]

What is the best instrument cable length when you are singing and have your guitar going into a pedalboard which is near the vocal mic? How about those coiled ones? What is the best cable length to run from a pedalboard into your amp?

Long enough to reach and not be in the way, that's all that matters in my long experience (you may hear differently)


Do venue/sound people freak if you use your own vocal mic and run a vocal effects unit? Where do you put the house mic during your set?

95% won't mind and just tell the soundguy you have your own mic, he'll probably appreciate that actually, and he'll take his or tell you where to set it... Some soundguys might trip if your vocal effects unit is elaborate and requires extra setup, especially if you hit him with "Hey man, I dunno how this thing works or sounds through your PA". Basically just get with him first, it'll be fine if he knows whats up beforehand


Do drunk idiots sometimes spill beer on floor pedals that are close to the edge of the stage/on the floor near the crowd? If this happens mid song do you just keep going and then try to clean it up after the song is over?

Yes, this happens, and you'll notice that experienced players never put the pedalbox within beer range. Six feet min. is usually a safe distance, but obviously some dumps have small stages or other restrictions (like, no stage). NEVER stop a song midway through unless an assassin shot a poisoned dart in your singer's eye. Actually, if it's just the singer, keep going 



Is it now the norm to give all of your gig money to the touring band(assuming you are a local band on a bill)?

Yes, it's the general rule. Exceptions would be if there's a giant pile of money at the end of the night (rare) and there's enough to spread around. Ex: If there's one touring band, two locals and there's 350 bucks...250 to the road band and fifty each for the locals isn't shitty, but if there's 200 then it's shitty for the locals to keep anything. Rough guidelines there, it's flexible depending on different things (bigger national acts may have a preset guarantee separate from the door intake which locals can then fight over



Tips on how to save/spend gig money for broke musicians?

Dump gig money into merch, be wise on the merch purchases you make, be willing to spend a little of your own where necessary (if your t-shirt run is gonna be 200 buckas, and the band fund has 170, get the balance happening if you know the shirts will sell, etc.)...Seahag has operated in the black its entire existence but we were lucky, learned from others, and paid attention to everything...

Cheers Maze \m/

[Hemisaurus]

and never leave your gear unwatched, ever. Don't load it out if you're going back in to watch the show, don't leave your backups in the car.

[justinhedrick]

and never leave your gear unwatched, ever. Don't load it out if you're going back in to watch the show, don't leave your backups in the car.

i agree with everything that's been said so far. if you have one of those pedals made specifically for vocals, no sound guy should have a problem with that, unless of course you settings sound really outlandish or something.

also, be sure to thank the sound guy after the show personally (not over the pa).

[Hemisaurus]

Don't go to STL then, you'll be dissappointed, the sound guy at the show we played with Bulletwolf, refused to take my DI for bass, despite the fact I need effects in the sound, after some discussion he was told to fuck off, and I didn't need his PA (but more politely), I was louder than his PA was anyways

Bastard also took the first $75 of the door, if that place had stayed open, we'd never play there again

Oh and don't play Springfield either, had a soundguy once offer to tell me how to setup my bass rig properly BEFORE I had even turned it on, the guy hadn't heard it yet, but already knew how to get my sound better than me

[RAGER]

Bastard also took the first $75 of the door

That's pretty common.  The cost of putting on the show has to be covered first.  that's nothing new or dickish to me.

[Hemisaurus]

I wouldn't have objected if he hadn't been a dick in the first place. Usually the venue gets the first cut of the door, not the sound guy.

I object, strongly, to untrained, tin eared guys with too much money, who buy a bunch of gear and call themselves sound engineers, and then proceed to inflict their ill-informed views on the rest of the musical society.

I think it's probably coming from the UK where PA is generally better.

There are some great guys over here, and some well meaning guys who bought some gear and setup clubs, and I salute them for that. It's just the ones that think their gods gift because they own the PA, and have no clue how to use it, that tick me off.

[Discö Rice]

All of these questions were expertly answered. I love this place.

[Metal and Beer]

Doormen, bartenders, bouncerdouches, janitors, soundguy, parking lotbeercansmasher...these people are employed by the bar and thus should be handled by the bar separately and away from bands....pulling this "I gotta pay ______before you guys" is an age-old scamtrick that sucks. "Oh sorry, my light bill went up, here's eight bucks". Because a practice is commonplace doesn't make it okay. We all know how much alcohol costs vs. how much drinks cost across a bar...

^ my tew scents ^

[Hemisaurus]

Well we knew about the $75 going in, we didn't know all the other asshattery though.

[Metal and Beer]

Also, +666 on Hemi's take re: the gear. Get one of those circular locks that can't be easily cut off w/ cutters, back the trailer against a wall or fence whenever possible so the trailer doors can't open, that kinda thing. Keep one cat watching shit if you're gonna go watch the other bands. If the singer got his eye shot out by a ninja assassin, make him "keep an eye on" the merch table 
   Re: soundmen. We always made sure our set was workable with NO P.A., just amps, just in case. That'll serve you well if you get to some dump and A) the PA is broken/lame/beer-spilt from prior band...B) Soundman drank two bottles of Robitussin, never did sound in his life except last Thursday when he and Normal Soundguy What Quit did rails in the booth during the Battle of the Bands, and now thinks the board is a giant spaceship control module C) any combo of A and B.

[Chalupacabra]

Hahahaha, this place is awesome, great questions and answers.

[VOLVO)))]

Transporting equipment:

Be as diligent with your pack, as you can. I transport all of the shit for Lowe in a Ford Ranger with a camper top. Two 4x12s, a 2x15, JCM800/Model T, Acoustic 370, two guitars, bass, two pedalboards and a large drum kit. Everything is stacked neatly and precisely, no dicking around figuring out where to put shit. I was the grand packmaster when we were playing a bunch. I have that load-in/load-out planned to the fuckin' teeth. Takes us ten minutes to unload all of that shit into the venue. 15-20 to load it all back into the truck. I'm a major dick about the pack, my bandmates had to learn it in the event of me not being available to load it back in. It's all my fuckin' equipment, if they want to use it, they can put it in the truck how it's supposed to be. Ain't too much to ask, IMO.

Dealing with venues:

We never ask for money, I do this shit for fun, and I'm not going to be all indignant about money. I'm glad I've been able to open for a bunch of bands that I fuckin' love and I didn't have to pay to seem. Payment enough. If money is involved, unless you're the touring band, be happy you got anything. Most of us get nothin'.

Sound guys:

Some suck, some rule. Most of the local guys know not to even bother micing my band, save for the drums in places big enough to mic them. We usually play houses, and tiny bars, or DIY venues. So, RAW POWER is a good policy.

People fucking your shit up:

I'm a HUGE dick when people don't respect my equipment. I've had people spill beers onto my pedal board twice, once it shorted the power strip out, and I almost punched him in the jaw. Second time nothing happened, but he ran and grabbed a towel really fast, and got most of it up. He was a nice dude. I've had people walk up and lean on my rig, one guy almost leaned my Marshall to the floor, and I promptly told him to fuck off.

Moshing kids, too. I LOVE moshing, I mosh every fuckin' chance I get, but I'm respectful as fuck. Braveyoung came through with the Body, and they left their equipment set up so they didn't have to waste a bunch of time, so the Body could go right on. They have a crazy elaborate setup, and when kids and I were moshing for the Body, I noticed they were slamming into that vibraphone, and the merch table. So, I just hopped up on stage between songs, and made a very loud announcement to mind your moshing. The bands were super appreciative of that.

I'm not always aggressive, only after a night of dealing with drunk assholes telling me their life stories about how they used to be in a band and how they got burned out on music, but they still consider themselves ROCK N ROLLERS, that's when I start being terse with people...

[liquidsmoke]

Thanks for all of the info peoples. I would like to invite others to ask questions in this thread whenever you need to. I will have more at a later date I'm sure.

[liquidsmoke]

Re: soundmen. We always made sure our set was workable with NO P.A., just amps, just in case. That'll serve you well if you get to some dump and A) the PA is broken/lame/beer-spilt from prior band...B) Soundman drank two bottles of Robitussin, never did sound in his life except last Thursday when he and Normal Soundguy What Quit did rails in the booth during the Battle of the Bands, and now thinks the board is a giant spaceship control module C) any combo of A and B.

HAHA!

[RAGER]

Bring a couple sheets and throw over your gear when it's stowed against the wall before and after you play.  People are less inclined to lean against or put their beer on something that's covered in a sheet.  nearly been in fights because I told somebody to stop leaning on my shit or putting their drinks on my shit.  Stupid fuckers

[clockwork green]

Extra extension cords, extra power cords and extra power strips are all crucial...I've never needed one but I've had to loan them to my singer and bass player and backups for your backups won't hurt either...I even keep an extra strap in my suitcase along with tools, strings and a few tubes and of course, cables (instrument, cable and patch)

[liquidsmoke]

Bring a couple sheets and throw over your gear when it's stowed against the wall before and after you play.  People are less inclined to lean against or put their beer on something that's covered in a sheet.  nearly been in fights because I told somebody to stop leaning on my shit or putting their drinks on my shit.  Stupid fuckers

Yowza. I think I'd be ratting them out to venue staff before things got too heated. I don't think be able to play guitar and sing if I had just nearly been in a fight with some idiot.

[Discö Rice]

Please... With the proper amount of bass in your voice people will get the point. If they're real assholes about it, get kuh-razy. Get your band mates in on the situation (remember, this is about protecting your gear, not personal honor), pick up a bottle and be "assertive+" or just throw it about neck high if you think it's gonna be a real fight.  

[Metal and Beer]

As you get more gigs under your belt, you'll instinctively scout the safest (driest, least traffic/beer spilling dipshits) corners of the venues (the soundguys will often know where the "good" spots are, too ); it becomes second nature after a while.

[liquidsmoke]

I'm assuming that bands are usually told how much time they have for their set or at least what time they need to be done at but in all the years of going to shows I've never thought to actually time any sets. When playing with 2 or 3 other bands is it normal to get about 30 minutes?

[khoomeizhi]

generally, do no more than 35 unless you're the last band. anything more is self-aggrandizement. 'about 30' should usually be fine.

[bass sic]

40 to 45 was the norm here. Sometimes we would be cut short cuz someone took too long to set up, but sometimes we were asked to stretch it to 50 min or better.

[moose23]

30 minutes is normal here but some bands just do 20 and some try for 40 plus.

[RAGER]

30 is norm.  you'll have to clear it with sound guy if your set is more than 40.  They'll also wanna know if your set is 20.