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Author Topic: Worst BE experience so far......  (Read 17182 times)

Ivan Beaver

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2017, 12:32:48 PM »



I'll also kick a BE off the console if he doesn't respect our patrons ears.  Being a smaller venue, there will be stage volume you have to deal with and turning the FOH up to cover is simply not an option.  Most guys immediately understand and know that and are great.  Every once and a while tho...


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If those bands want to bitch about a small venue, then maybe they should just not play.  AND NOT GET PAID!

Deal with it.  I wonder how many peoples attitudes would change if they were not paid for those smaller gigs.

Maybe the reason they are playing the smaller places is because they are not popular enough to play larger ones.

And they are mad because they are not popular-and take it out on the local crew/venue.

They are not all that way-but I have met many of the graduates of "asshole roadguy school".
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Dave Garoutte

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #11 on: February 21, 2017, 02:29:10 PM »

I was at a local blues open mic where I thought the house engineer was literally going to have a heart attack.  A  kid got up to play harmonica and grabbed the 'wrong' mic.  The (very overweight) house guy STOMPED all the way from FOH and up onto the stage, yanked the mic out of the kid's hand and pretty much threw the 'correct' one at him.  This was after being a dick the whole time.  Sheesh, it you hate your job so much, find a new line of work.
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William Schnake

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #12 on: February 21, 2017, 03:04:44 PM »

Yeah, we've all dealt with ass holes.

The reasons folks get away with this stuff is because nobody has the balls to say "no, fuck you and your attitude, get your boss off the bus as we need to discuss this with the person who can fire you."

We were working with a second tier national country act.  They arrived at 9:00 am instead of 11:00 am, 2 hours early.  The BE got off the bus and made his way to the stage where I was with 8 Union hands and 3 of my guys.  I introduced myself and the first words out of the BEs mouth were 'Where the fuck is the keyboard riser.'  I explained the risers were provided by the fair and that they had send a crew to pick them up and they should be here within the next 30 minutes.  I suggested that we go out FoH take a listen and see if he wanted anything changed.  He wouldn't bite.  I was still checking on a couple of things and the next thing I knew the head of the Union Hands comes over and says 'you need to do something about this dick or we're leaving.'  I went back on the stage and walked the BE off stage left for a little one on one time.  I told him that I had put up with enough of his crap for one day and that if he didn't settle down that I would be calling his manager and having a discussion.  He said, I'm calling my management and we are getting you fired from this show.  As he dialed I said make sure you tell xxxxx to give me a call.  10 minutes later my cell rings and it is xxxxx, he asked me what was going on and I told him.  He said this wasn't the first time on this tour that this BE had caused problems and that he was being replaced the next week.  He wanted to know how he could help and make this work out.  I said all the BE needed to do was to apologize to each person from the Union and my crew and everything would be alright or he could go sit on the bus and I would mix the opener and the head-liner. 

The BE apologized to everyone and we had a fine day after that little bump.  BTW the talent was a pleasure to work with and to hang out with.  The show went off without a hitch and we had over 5,000 in attendance.

Bill
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Randy Pence

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #13 on: February 21, 2017, 03:31:27 PM »

The only time I've had a BE be a dick was when a popular german band was booked for a private gig at a venue I worked at.  Guy in his 50s came in and without listening to the PA, decided that 2 d&b B2s were not going to be enough for the 400 seater.  I like my bass, too, but this particular room was normally rattled by them.  The venue had a sister venue across town with different gear (I'm not even sure it was even from d&b), so a van was sent to pick some up.  So he wasted at least 2 hrs of time before a single noise was made, and I thankfully only had to be there for the first phase of setup.  My colleagues informed me that his mix was crap, and lacking bass :P
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Craig Hauber

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #14 on: February 21, 2017, 04:54:30 PM »

Wow, if Luke was this upset enough to write such a huge post then that BE must have really been bad!
-He's one of the most cheerful, positive and meticulous sound people I know of.
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Ivan Beaver

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #15 on: February 21, 2017, 05:01:45 PM »

.  My colleagues informed me that his mix was crap, and lacking bass :P
Back in the 90s I was doing a BB festival that I had done for several years.

The BE for the main headliner called me up at 5:30pm the night before the truck left (at 7am).

He just now wanted to know about the setup (it was fully loaded at this time).

He said I did not have enough  sub cabinets (even though he had never heard them) and wanted me to go rent more (at my expense).

I told him I had plenty and it was simply to late.

He informed me that if he would not rent them, that he would not show up-as he didn't want to be embarrassed at the sound.

OK

So he didn't show up, so I mixed the band.

Family members and fans of the band said it was the best they had sounded all year.

YEAH-I guess I "really" needed subs that would have added 1 or 2dB to the sound make it "really good".

I would LOVE to have heard the conversations with him at the next show he did------------
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #16 on: February 21, 2017, 05:18:14 PM »

Back in the 90s I was doing a BB festival that I had done for several years.

The BE for the main headliner called me up at 5:30pm the night before the truck left (at 7am).

He just now wanted to know about the setup (it was fully loaded at this time).

He said I did not have enough  sub cabinets (even though he had never heard them) and wanted me to go rent more (at my expense).

I told him I had plenty and it was simply to late.

He informed me that if he would not rent them, that he would not show up-as he didn't want to be embarrassed at the sound.

OK

So he didn't show up, so I mixed the band.

Family members and fans of the band said it was the best they had sounded all year.

YEAH-I guess I "really" needed subs that would have added 1 or 2dB to the sound make it "really good".

I would LOVE to have heard the conversations with him at the next show he did------------

Careful what you wish for - Love this.
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Erik Jerde

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #17 on: February 21, 2017, 08:14:17 PM »

I would say that outside of that I see too many venues where the techs don't do basic repairs, lines down, 1 legged leads or leads that simply don't work, things that could be easily fixed with a couple of hours and a soldering iron.

You're assuming that the venue is willing to pay for the work.  Some places won't and a good tech doesn't give it away for free.  I've worked gigs where maintenance was needed.  If I could squeeze it in during the time I was booked for the event then I'd do the work.  Otherwise I'd bring it up to management and offer to come in during off hours to do the work.  Usually I'd hear crickets and encounter the same issues the next time I was there.
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eric lenasbunt

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #18 on: February 21, 2017, 08:16:26 PM »


If you don't advance a show, you pretty much are accepting that you get what you walk into.



I say these exact words almost once a week to real life touring BE's.

Also, I combat the big D game by responding:
BE: "I've mixed for xyz in stadiums, etc"
Lowly old me: "and now we've truly arrived here in small town Florida! Let's give them that stadium quality here for the 200 folks, they will be thrilled!"

Usually that brings the conversation back to earth. One on 10 times it losses them off further ;)
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Cailen Waddell

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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #19 on: February 21, 2017, 08:23:56 PM »

You're assuming that the venue is willing to pay for the work.  Some places won't and a good tech doesn't give it away for free.  I've worked gigs where maintenance was needed.  If I could squeeze it in during the time I was booked for the event then I'd do the work.  Otherwise I'd bring it up to management and offer to come in during off hours to do the work.  Usually I'd hear crickets and encounter the same issues the next time I was there.

Additionally - in our venue, if you aren't a complete cockwash, and reasonably pleasant, we will help you out even.  We had a typical (for us) artist in for a show, and had them back again 7 months later.  In the interim we had found one of their xlr cables in a corner that got missed on the out.  We saved it and returned it to them.  They were shocked...  and we will now be forever on good terms with them.   

We had forbidden broadway through last year - put new grommets on one of their drops for them.  It needed the maintenance.  We have repaired guitar pedals...  just nice shit to do for folks if we have the time and ability.  Did some road case repair for another small tour...  these guys doing one nighters barely make it gig to gig sometimes, and I remember being there...


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Re: Worst BE experience so far......
« Reply #19 on: February 21, 2017, 08:23:56 PM »


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