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[Geert Friedhof]

15 years ago or so we had to provide sound for a country/americana/singer song writer festival. Two rooms, which were both (warning: euphemism ahead) 'acoustically challenging'.

So we got up early and set up mains, delays, monitors, and tuned the systems for 2.5 hours. Sounded as good as it would get, and solid GBF. All stuff was d&b, so no fancy controllers, but geq's.

As 'luck' would have it the booking agent had a wife, which was an established studio producer/engineer in this kind of music, so she would be the FoH engineer in the main room for the day.

So she comes in (1 hour late), and the first thing she does is straighten ALL GEQ's in the main room, and then finds the time to greet us.

We looked at each other, asked her if everything would be fine, which she said it would be, and left to get some rest and food. Needless to say that the first soundcheck wasn't great.

Ofcourse we helped her getting it back on track, but we let her sweat a bit first. No problems with her after that whatsoever.

[Erik Jerde]

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...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Reminds me of when we had a tour in at a venue I was working years ago.  They were carrying everything but didn't unpack any of it because the venue was very well equipped.  Somehow in talking with one of their tech staff (they were fully staffed too) it came up that one of their mains had a problematic crossover.  I don't remember if it had a blown part or just loose and needed work.  I had them bring in the cab opened it up and took care of it for them.  Fortunately they had a serviceable iron and solder in their work box - I didn't bring my repair tools to that gig since the gear there didn't need repairs.  Never saw them again, but no big deal, do a good turn and hopefully someone will do one for you someday.

[Spenser Hamilton]

"Today is not that gig. What can we do to make today work?"

[Luke Geis]

I had a scare a while ago where I had the lighting guy on my ass about getting him the addresses for all the in house lighting. The house lighting is a one man show for an audio guy to simultaneously run lighting, so it runs from an iPad app. I know just enough about lighting to say I can connect it and address it, but don't ask me to create profiles, set up a Hog or anything like that, I am not near that level. He was intent on getting connection to the house lights and said in a rather nice but stern way, if you can't find the lights addresses, your going up on a ladder to each one to acquire them for me...... Luckily I was able to find the addresses buried in a menu within the app. I said I found it and he was quite ecstatic! His attitude went from sour to hell yeah, thank you and I appreciate it instantaneously! He knew and could tell I was not a lighting guy, he was definitely frustrated and I could see he wanted to be more visibly upset, but he kept it respectful enough despite the circumstance.

[veditor78]

I just want to say this has been one of the most entertaining threads I have read in a while. Thank you to everyone for their stories!

[Geert Friedhof]

Additionally - in our venue, if you aren't a complete cockwash, and reasonably pleasant, we will help you out even. 

When i was touring festivals in Europe, i made it a point to be as humble and nice as one could be.

1) Stay sober 'till showtime. This was the hardest thing. I might have not always been.
2) Keep your dressing room tidy. If you want something always ask.
3) Greet everyone backstage and give the SM and ME a copy of our stageplan and course monitor settings. Usually 10-15 minutes into the previous performance. Show interest in what they are doing.
4) Go to FoH. Bring beverages, beer, cups and ice. If available backstage: bring some sandwiches. I always had a backpack full.
5) Greet everyone, including Lampies, and introduce yourself. Give them stageplan, channellist and beverages/food. Don't get in the way of the BE. Don't touch anything. Discuss what is needed regarding desk, outboard etc. I Also ask them to not be shy to tell or learn me something. If they have some really nice compressors or vintage stuff i like to use that, but only if they help me with it.
6) Go wait and stand in the back, and listen to the performance on stage.
7) OK your turn. I usually ask them to adjust the gates and compressors during linecheck and the first 1 or 2 songs. We should have decent sound by now. Use another 2 songs to get it better.
Bring out the beer and have fun.
9) After performance thank everyone and leave.

[Mike Caldwell]

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...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have done similar repairs for bands (when and if time allows) part of it may go along with the "pay it forward thinking" the other part is if someone is having an obvious problem with a cable, bad jack, ect. that you know is going to act up during the show I'll try to fix it because as we all know any problems during a show everyone looks at the soundman/girl because it always their fault.

[Geert Friedhof]

Yep, self-preservation is one of the driving factors, but why tell the talent that?

[Geert Friedhof]

Another way of being a dickhead is dismissing any remarks by guests/house engineers/managers/spouses regarding your sound, or worse: brushing them off with a rude remark. Why not let them help you getting it better? The least you can do is listen to it. And be honest: they only come when there is something not quite right.

[Debbie Dunkley]

they only come when there is something not quite right.

mmmm.......

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