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[Art Nadelman]

I'm looking to add a new clause to my contract for damage caused by the client.

Anyone have some good wording?

Thanks.

[Len Zenith Jr]

Theatrics is what separates live sound from radio. I'm all for it! However willful damage to my gear is not cool. You need to discuss your plans with me before the show. I'll even give you a deal on an old 58 to watch to it happen. You can't just wreck my gear for fun, that is borderline criminal. I might need that for a gig the next day. Buy it before the show or make an agreement that if it doesn't work after the fact , you bought it and I'm happy.

Interested in others thoughts on the matter

[Joseph D. Macry]

That time a popular "big fish in small pond" Austin muso ended the show by throwing my Beta87 into the monitor horn, blowing out the tweeter with feedback before I could turn it down.
Refused to work for that **** ever again.

[Tim McCulloch]

That time a popular "big fish in small pond" Austin muso ended the show by throwing my Beta87 into the monitor horn, blowing out the tweeter with feedback before I could turn it down.
Refused to work for that **** ever again.

The biggest fish in your pond is Ray Benson but he has manners and I don't see him tossing a mic anywhere, any way.

I thought everyone in Austin was "somebody" at least to themselves...

We have a show coming up with Pat Greene; is he still a rascal?  It's been 10 years since we've worked with him.

[Bob Faulkner]

I have a couple of sentences referencing "willful misuse, negligence, and/or incorrect use of Provider's equipment" to cover similar issues.  So far, no one has mis-used any gear provided (knock on wood).

[Steve Ferreira]

We once had a "BIG NAME" in Hollywood do a Gronk TD celebration with a wireless mic. Felt bad for the client but they ended up paying for a new unit because of someone else's lack of concern.

[Craig Hauber]

We once had a "BIG NAME" in Hollywood do a Gronk TD celebration with a wireless mic. Felt bad for the client but they ended up paying for a new unit because of someone else's lack of concern.

What's a "gronk TD celebration"
-it does not google with a high enough S/N to interpret?

edit:
nevermind,
Gronk = football player,
"TD" is NOT my old bank
"celebration" is when the hand-egg player goofs-off after a score.

-tech/theater/nerd here and definitely consider this absolutely reprehensible handling of my gear.

How about:
"participants in any Mic-Drop type of performance will be hit repeatedly in the head"
please see" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mic_drop
please see" http://lmgtfy.com/?q=louisville+slugger
Initial acknowledgement here__________

(please note IANAL)

[drew gandy]

I was doing a freelance corporate gig a few years ago for, if I remember correctly, a major wireless carrier.  A couple of employees were going to do a 'rap' at one point in the event and, during rehearsals it was clear that they were still working out their theatrics etc.  One of them ran back to me at FOH and asked "are these mics droppable?".  I smiled and said that they weren't really "droppable" but cost about $700 each if they want to try.  They decided not to drop them.  Their courtesy and honest communication is just one of the many reasons I like corporate gigs... 

   

[scottstephens]

Hey all,

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but where did that stupid "mic drop"  thing come from anyways?

Scott

[Taylor Hall]

Hey all,

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but where did that stupid "mic drop"  thing come from anyways?

Scott

It's a rap battle thing where one party would release a sizzling response so scathing that the other side wouldn't even be able to come up with a retort so they would "drop the mic" since they wouldn't be needing it any more.

[Mike Monte]

We once had a "BIG NAME" in Hollywood do a Gronk TD celebration with a wireless mic. Felt bad for the client but they ended up paying for a new unit because of someone else's lack of concern.

As a Pat's fan: "Gronk TD celebration" means that Gronk "spikes" the ball in the end-zone.

To spike a football is to slam the ball down on the turf/ground as hard as possible..

[Tim McCulloch]

As a Pat's fan: "Gronk TD celebration" means that Gronk "spikes" the ball in the end-zone.

To spike a football is to slam the ball down on the turf/ground as hard as possible..

Them lyin', cheatin' human-trafficed-sex-worker-patronizing Pats?

Bah, humbug.

[Luke Geis]

I was doing a corporate gig for a client of mine and we busted out a brand new set of Shure Axient for it. The second run day the CEO was doing a little skit and decided to do an impromptu mic drop....... I was the A2 sitting backstage and was looking at my BSM ( video monitor used for me to see what's happening on stage ) and as I saw his hand go up I actually jumped from my chair to catch it ( as if I was going to be able to make it ) and watched on the BSM as it when thump on the stage floor. The show manager caught up to the CEO later and said" you know you only get one of those right "..... " that was a brand new $2,000 mic you just dropped that we have to send back "!!!! The CEO thought it was a hoot, before realizing what he had done. He did apologize and luckily Shure replaced it with a new unit just for safe measure after turning it in.

While I feel that it is implied that if the client breaks something they should know it will be billed to them, I guess it doesn't hurt to have a clause explaining so. I just don't know many clients that read the small print and then, of course, distribute it among the presenters that think they are being funny.

Another story: I got a new monitor because of abuse as well before. I provided gear for a show that LMFAO was doing. When I went to pick it up, one of the Brand new monitors I provided was smashed on one side. It worked but was rather mangled. After following up on it, the story was that the group decided to kick the monitors off the stage at the end of the night for " show ". I was not happy and expressed to the end client that it was a brand new unit and while it still works there is no real way to know for sure that it hasn't been compromised in such a way that premature failure is possible. The speaker box is evidently banged up so who's to say the magnet structure doesn't just pop off next week? They offered to replace it and I obliged. Now I have an odd number of monitors. If I am not mistaken, this particular unit did eventually lose the HF driver in a weird way. The coil separated from the cone. I glued it back together and it worked fine, but I replaced it with a new driver anyway. Now I have a pinch spare. No telling what caused that though. It had been almost 10 years since " first impact ".  Not exactly the best way to end up with a new unit, but if you are going to disrespect stuff, you are subject to paying for that disrespect.

[Mike Monte]

Them lyin', cheatin' human-trafficed-sex-worker-patronizing Pats?

Yup!

[Joseph D. Macry]

The biggest fish in your pond is Ray Benson but he has manners and I don't see him tossing a mic anywhere, any way.

I thought everyone in Austin was "somebody" at least to themselves...

We have a show coming up with Pat Greene; is he still a rascal?  It's been 10 years since we've worked with him.

By "big fish in a small pond" I mean somebody who doesn't venture far out of said pond. Appropriately (to me), his initials are "BS".

Only trouble I've ever had with Ray Benson was while he was Emcee for an Oscars party. The gooseneck mics on the podium were set for distant micing (cause he is a tall feller), but he kept leaning down into the mics causing them to clip. Oh well, limiter caught it.

I have never met Pat Green.

[Bob Stone]

Another way I've looked at it is adding a "mic-drop" package to my offering. Basically a separate line item up front to cover the cost of the mic replacement in full + a smidge of overhead. If possible use something like a cheap $20 Behringer and make the package around $50, or have a "premium package" with an SM58 for $150 or so. If the mic survives, I make a little more money, if it doesn't the replacement is covered. I'd also likely throw a foam windscreen on it to deaden the thump of the landing and also knowing it was in their act I could prepare the compression on the channel accordingly.

Wouldn't work so well on a stage with a lot of mics since you couldn't reasonable tell them to drop this one but not that one, otherwise though could work well.

[Art Nadelman]

As a point of clarification, this is for a wedding contract.  I met the couple the other day and can almost guarantee that someone in the wedding party is going to make a toast and then drop the mic.

I just want them to know how much it will cost them in advance should they do that (or damage any other equipment).  I don't currently have a clause like that in my contract and want to add it.

art

[Tim McCulloch]

As a point of clarification, this is for a wedding contract.  I met the couple the other day and can almost guarantee that someone in the wedding party is going to make a toast and then drop the mic.

I just want them to know how much it will cost them in advance should they do that (or damage any other equipment).  I don't currently have a clause like that in my contract and want to add it.

art

I think that's the key... informing the client that mic drops are considered abuse of gear and point to the line item price.

In the movies, those are prop mics; on tour they're a rental and you can bet there's a budget for extra wear and tear on the mics.  If the artist is an endorser, there is probably a box of spares.  Neither are your situation.

[ProSoundWeb Community]