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Author Topic: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound  (Read 10926 times)

Rob Gow

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #20 on: June 01, 2017, 11:54:18 AM »

As far as scheduling is concerned, I've always ran with hard end times. If you have 45 minutes and you take 5 minutes to set up you get 40 minutes if you take 20 minutes to set up then you get 25 minutes to play. That keeps everything on time. In the past one more song, for each act left the headliner lacking on their time.
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David Smeaton

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #21 on: June 01, 2017, 12:37:55 PM »

..... because physics and the peanut gallery won't allow for it......

Thanks Luke, that really tickled me and made me laugh  ;D
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #22 on: June 01, 2017, 12:38:07 PM »

As far as scheduling is concerned, I've always ran with hard end times. If you have 45 minutes and you take 5 minutes to set up you get 40 minutes if you take 20 minutes to set up then you get 25 minutes to play. That keeps everything on time. In the past one more song, for each act left the headliner lacking on their time.

When I've stage managed I tell acts that I don't care when they start playing but that they WILL be off stage at the scheduled conclusion of their performance - and if that means I have to send the local hands to remove their kit while they are playing - I will do so.

25 or so years ago I was a fledgling systems guy helping on a festival gig that at the time was well above my pay grade.  The short version of the story is that I was chatting with Marty McCann of Peavey (now retired - I hope the fishing is good, Marty!) off stage in monitor world when some guy with a bunch of laminated passes gave us a ration of shit for being in the way, that the show was running behind schedule and that there "were problems with the union."  At the time I was not an IATSE member but I knew there were no "union problems" because we'd just had lunch with the Steward.  Marty looked at the guy and turned over one of his lammies and said "hey Tim, this guy is from M***** T*****, I think we're supposed to be impressed!"  "I dunno Marty, he's kind of a jerk."  "Yeah, well my mom told me I didn't have to talk to assholes, lets go get a beer."  On our way to the adult beverages I saw the promoter rep and informed him of the potential "union problems" and that the MT guy was in everybody's face about the schedule.  The Promoter Rep had me point out the guy and said "watch this."  The Rep went to the guy and asked "is that all your bands stuff on the back of the stage?"  "Yes."  "Are those your guys on the floor?" "Yes."  "I hope they can catch your gear because I'm gonna have the stage hands push it off the deck, we'll cancel your bands performance, get back on schedule since you're so worried about it and you can explain to your boss why we're not paying them.... and don't stir up shit with the union stage hands."  The 'tude and dude disappeared, the band's performance was cut short to get back on schedule (Roy Orbison was the coheadliner that night).  Marty & I just smiled.
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"If you're passing on your way, from Palm Springs to L.A., Give a wave to good ol' Dave, Say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn." - Steve Spurgin, Moonlight Motor Inn

Mike Caldwell

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #23 on: June 01, 2017, 01:57:41 PM »

I had an acoustic guitar after about two songs turn into distorted fuzz tone.
Through the talk back I say it sounds like the battery in the guitar just died, they say it's been sounding that way for the last couple shows and were enlightened to find out their guitar had a battery!!!

Another guy had a really expensive acoustic electric guitar and ran it through three, yes three Fishman preamps all connected in series.
What came out of that mess sounded like an acoustic guitar ran through a big muff fuzz amplified through a JBL2445 with a shattered diaphragm.
The guitar player was actually happy with and somewhat bragging about his set up and the sound. Either really deaf or clueless I figured.

Ray Aberle

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #24 on: June 01, 2017, 02:34:33 PM »

I had an acoustic guitar after about two songs turn into distorted fuzz tone.
Through the talk back I say it sounds like the battery in the guitar just died, they say it's been sounding that way for the last couple shows and were enlightened to find out their guitar had a battery!!!
Guitars have batteries?

Another guy had a really expensive acoustic electric guitar and ran it through three, yes three Fishman preamps all connected in series.
What came out of that mess sounded like an acoustic guitar ran through a big muff fuzz amplified through a JBL2445 with a shattered diaphragm.
The guitar player was actually happy with and somewhat bragging about his set up and the sound.
And THEN, the whole damn thing was ran through a band saw?!? bwa ha ha!

Either really deaf or clueless I figured.
What? What?

Hope everyone is having a great day!

-Ray
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Kemper Watson

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #25 on: June 01, 2017, 02:48:37 PM »

Guitars have batteries?


-Ray

Quite a few models of acoustic guitar come powered by a 9 volt battery.
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Ray Aberle

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #26 on: June 01, 2017, 03:02:14 PM »

Quite a few models of acoustic guitar come powered by a 9 volt battery.
I was being facetious. :)

Maybe it would have been better to say, "Guitars can have batteries?!?"

-Ray
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Mike Caldwell

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #27 on: June 01, 2017, 03:12:05 PM »

Guitars have batteries?
And THEN, the whole damn thing was ran through a band saw?!? bwa ha ha!
What? What?

Hope everyone is having a great day!

-Ray

Actually you could have compared the sound of his guitar to the sound of cutting a piece of sheet metal on a "band saw". I normally wear ear plugs for that type of work. Thankfully that show was not as loud as cutting sheet metal on a band saw!

Jay Barracato

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #28 on: June 01, 2017, 09:22:31 PM »

I was being facetious. :)

Maybe it would have been better to say, "Guitars can have batteries?!?"

-Ray
Ray, you are always well prepared. Do you have a set of jumper cables for guitar batteries?

9 volt battery connector wired to a wall wart  on the nearest pedalboard.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

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Jay Barracato

Tim McCulloch

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Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #29 on: June 01, 2017, 10:47:45 PM »

Ray, you are always well prepared. Do you have a set of jumper cables for guitar batteries?

9 volt battery connector wired to a wall wart  on the nearest pedalboard.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

We power acoustic guitars the old fashioned way - STEAM.
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"If you're passing on your way, from Palm Springs to L.A., Give a wave to good ol' Dave, Say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn." - Steve Spurgin, Moonlight Motor Inn

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Working with a difficult performer when volunteering to run sound
« Reply #29 on: June 01, 2017, 10:47:45 PM »


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