Did my first gig with the QU16 at a local bar/restaurant. The start of the evening was disastrous.
Got there at 8.45. Had been told by the venue we couldn't get in any earlier than 9.00 due to the stage area being full of tables with customers eating dinner till then. Start time was 10.30pm -
When we arrived, we went in and took one look at the stage area and realized that those diners were not going anywhere soon.
Usually I get there early to be able to run the snake and all the cables neatly before the musicians arrive and get in my way.
So we brought all the equipment into a side waiting area which is what we were told to do last time we were there.
A bar manager came into the room and told us to move everything out again because he needed the room to store the tables that were being used by the customers eating in the stage area. So, we took it all outside and stacked it at the door.
The drummer arrived and told us that he had set his kit up at 12.30 lunch time to save time but after he got back to his place of work, the manager called him and told him to come back and remove his kit. When he got there asked if he could simply move the kit to a corner of the room and was told "No". So he wasn't a happy camper.
We continued to wait and finally at around 10.00pm staff came into the room with tables and chairs. We frantically started dragging the equipment in and begun setting up. People were still in the way and it made things very difficult for us.
I put the desk where I was told to last time and the manager came up to me and told me I had to put it by the stage behind the FOH speakers.
UH ? I advised him that I would not be able to hear anything and he let me stay there but blocked me in with a dining table full of people.
Then we couldn't get access to the front of the stage area to place the PA speakers again due to tables and people in the way.
We were frantically running around at the speed of sound trying to get things done at crazy speed - meanwhile I was concerned because I certainly would not have chosen an evening like that to be the first time using the new desk.
Anyway, got everything hooked up, turned on the FOH and started iPod - nothing. In my haste, I had forgotten to turn on the DRPA but didn't realize yet which has never happened before. Couldn't get any sound through the front.
I was checking cables and connections like a crazy person. The musicians were asking me when I'd be up and running and so was my favorite bar manager. Just when I was about to scream, I noticed the DRPA not on and finally - sound FOH and monitors.
Singer decides to plug in a brand new wireless mic which she had not even taken out of the box and suddenly horrendous feedback.
It seemed everything was going wrong.
I had wanted to record the gig but that wasn't going to happen.
Anyway, we were up in 60 minutes and ready to roll at 11.00pm.
No sound check- not even a signal check of anything. I quickly placed the sliders and settings where I thought they should be and 1,2,3,4..OMG....it sounded fantastic.
I have no idea why it should have sounded that good but it was high fives all round. After some monitor tweaking and subtle channel changes, it was where I wanted it to be and we were rolling.
The band sounded great and I got more compliments than I ever have.
I was absolutely STOKED.
After I calmed down, I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the live experience was the best training tool ever.
So finally, a great night, dance floor was packed till closing at 1.45pm and we had a blast...YAY