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[Tim McCulloch]

About LX, the "person from our shop" and Band LX persons -

As vendors we put up the lights, truss, ground package, whatever was agreed to.  If you don't like the way the assets are used it's on the BLX, not the shop or the person from the shop.

We put up a whole bunch of our lights for an act that also brought a dozen or so flown movers and some pixel sticks (on mic stands) and some other ground stuff.  All arranged in advance (VectorWorks drawing and all!).  The promoter loved the show, the BLX person was very happy, and most of us thought the assets were vastly under-utilized.  Out opinion doesn't matter, ultimately, because the folks that DO matter were pleased.

On to the next show.

[Steve-White]

"Important"?? 

Your post screams "amateur hour".

That sums it up well Doug.  Anyone that can look at what Scott and his company did and nit pick a bunch of BS just doesn't get it.  Clearly, the dude has been around this stuff, but I guarantee you never sat "in the driver's seat" with his name on a contract.

Phone rings or email drops into inbox.  First comes the discovery of what the client wants/needs (do they even know?), then ya figure out what goes into the truck and how many hands ya need to move it.  Get to job site and as the cases are rolling out the back of the truck immediately go into 4th dimensional problem solving mode in real time as shit's moving into the building - as Scott later explained with front truss and monitor system.  Doing that with customer and 3 or 4 acts in the mix.  All the while dealing with personalities, add to that an LD.

Keeping a lid on all that requires composure under fire.  Nothing short of a well seasoned pro could pull something like this off.

Reminds of a conversation  with another project engineer at my day job.  We were talking about what we had to do day by day at work.  He said he was at a high school career fair talking to an auditorium of kids.  One asked him what an average day was for a project engineer to which he responded "I don't know, I haven't had one yet".

No matter what kind of upfront planning ya do, there's always something to deal with.

Reminds me of another day in the life and times of a sound and light contractor.  Had a shop back in the 80's, met a guy in a lighting class in college that had field experience and HOW experience.  Didn't know jack diddly about sound.  So, took him out and got him into the audio side of things.  After using him as my wing man for a year of more, a small fashion show job came in.  Saturday morning at the shop, I printed out a copy of the contract and sitting at my desk handed it to Brian and told him "Go handle this".  He looked at it and handed it back to me, wide eyed.....  "Well......ahghh.....what do I do?"  I handed it back to him and said again "go handle it".  "What do I take?"  "Brian, you know the type of job it is, you know the room it's in and you know our inventory".  "Take whatever you want, throw it into the truck and go do the show".....

One final time he handed me back the contract and one final time I pushed it back at him:  "I don't give a shit what you take or how you set it up - go get paid" "I go to the bank Monday afternoon" "bring me the money".

We never had to have that conversation again.

Putting your name on the bottom of a contract changes everything.

[Craig Hauber]

"Important"?? 

Your post screams "amateur hour".

Yes, just like the "amateur hour" I've been stuck in for the last few weeks! 
I'm actually envious of someone having a good gig and definitely won't rain on anyone's parade.
(I was always taught that if I don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything!)

Now back to my overworked, underpaid, outdoor overheated shit-show involving kids, wireless lavs and Bose speakers. 

Keep posting good gig stories, I need all the POSITIVE input I can absorb right now!

[Chris Hindle]

Now back to my overworked, underpaid, outdoor overheated shit-show involving kids, wireless lavs and Bose speakers. 

Holy crap.
6 things I try to avoid, all in the same sentence....
I feel the pain. Been there, done that, back when I had big steel balls. 
Chris.

[Russell Ault]

Holy crap.
6 things I try to avoid, all in the same sentence....
{...}

I count 8 7 (and I can say, with much gratitude, that I've never had to deal with more than about four or five of them at once).

(I was about to say "I count 8", but then I remembered that one of my main pre-pandemic gigs was theatrical A2, so I guess I can't really claim to be avoiding wireless lavs.)

-Russ

[Chris Hindle]

I count 8 7 (and I can say, with much gratitude, that I've never had to deal with more than about four or five of them at once).

(I was about to say "I count 8", but then I remembered that one of my main pre-pandemic gigs was theatrical A2, so I guess I can't really claim to be avoiding wireless lavs.)

-Russ

Now back to my overworked, underpaid, outdoor overheated shit-show involving kids, wireless lavs and Bose speakers.

Ya, 6 covers it pretty good. I don't mind outdoors as long as I am well prepared.
5 at once a few times...... I got more "selective" on the gigs I took on as I aged....
Chris.

[Russell Ault]

Now back to my overworked, underpaid, outdoor overheated shit-show involving kids, wireless lavs and Bose speakers.

Ya, 6 covers it pretty good. I don't mind outdoors as long as I am well prepared.
5 at once a few times...... I got more "selective" on the gigs I took on as I aged....
Chris.

I counted "overheated" and "shit-show" as two separate things. They do often go together, but I've definitely lived through some complete disasters in nicely air conditioned spaces (and, every once in a while, a decent show will happen despite everyone being too hot).

I also definitely counted outside. Not that I can't do it, not that I won't do it, but I'm one of those people who got into this industry because I enjoy spending my days in dark, windowless, air conditioned rooms.

-Russ

[Scott Holtzman]

I counted "overheated" and "shit-show" as two separate things. They do often go together, but I've definitely lived through some complete disasters in nicely air conditioned spaces (and, every once in a while, a decent show will happen despite everyone being too hot).

I also definitely counted outside. Not that I can't do it, not that I won't do it, but I'm one of those people who got into this industry because I enjoy spending my days in dark, windowless, air conditioned rooms.

-Russ

Laughing, it doesn't bother me either, we get 3 days of sunlight in Cleveland a year. 


I have done a few cheer and dance gigs, pay to play events that the dance "schools" charge the parents exorbitant sums of money to watch there kids on a huge dance stage. 


The soccer moms queue up and either throw their phones or a CD at you.  We would not touch the phones, that would piss people off but it was agreed by the extorter, I mean promoter.  So the show would go on while the phone would ring and various alerts would go off.  It was pure hell.


I had one crew member up on the judges platform as they were unable to turn the wireless mic on my themselves.  I looked over and he keep holding up signs with a number on them.  I texted him and said what are you doing?  He said rating the soccer moms.  I asked him to stop so we didn't get fired but it was damn funny.

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