of doing audio for a living have I ever had this happen :
I was hired by an act that I have mixed before to do 2 shows this weekend. As I was in the UK with the band that I tour with, (they) booked these shows them self and tended to the rider requirements. I was told that the system for the first show in Jacksonville FL would be a EAW 850 rig with a PM3000 @ FOH. OK, all seemed good...
Show up at load in to find that the system was NOT a 850 rig but some hand rolled POS boxes that "were loaded like a 850"..hmmmmm, red flag #1.
Alright, I'm a big boy and figured "what the hell, I've been in worse situations"..
Go to FOH to find that it's in mono, OK, no biggie, tell "SE"(more on this person later) that I need the system configured in stereo.. I'm told "but we always run in mono"..TFB, it needs to be stereo..."SE" switches some cabling around and I'm told that one side of their DN360 is shot..Red flag #2. No biggie, I happened to have a DN360 in the band's FOH rack. Switch over to my EQ and bring the house up..Right side is about 20db lower than the left.I'm then told "thats why we run mono, the right output of the console is having issues". Red flag #3. WTF!! So, as I stand there in utter disbelief (and getting steamed), I comment "so, you brought me a fucked console"
Well, shit hits the fan and "SE" goes off on me, saying "well, if you don't like it, I will pull my rig out".
At this point, I've pretty much had it with these clowns and say "let me tell my boss what is going on" and proceed to the stage to talk with the bass player (who pays me). As I'm standing there relaying the situation to him and say "and he says if I don't like it, he'll take his rig out of here", "SE" runs onto the stage, grabs me by the throat and shoves me into a ladder, threatening "I'll kick your ass", etc, etc..
Well kiddies, the people who know me, know that I don't play well with others and my two options at this point are "1. pick up the nearest mic stand and bash this asshole's brains out" or "2. Call the cops" The "Old Triple-J" would have done the former, but "New and Improved Triple-J" kept a cool head and pulled out my cel phone..
Cops show up and I file a report, they tell me "it was a simple battery, you can go to the prosecutors office and file a claim, then we'll arrest him".. Bullshit, if roles were reversed, "Old Triple-J" would be sitting in the hoosegow instead of typing this...
I'm the "show must go on" type and just about everyone who has worked with me knows that I'm a easy going guy who is a pleasure to work with. (or so I've been told) But I had to draw the line, I refused to go back into the venue if that asshat and his poor excuse for a PA were still there. It was getting on 5:30 PM on Memorial day weekend, so getting a professional PA was going to be imposable...
I walked.
Dave, I respect your policy on "heads up" posts where someone is in question, but I've never been assaulted like this and feel the need to warn others.
The only thing I gathered was, this guy's name is Reggie in Jacksonville FL, there wasn't any company names stenciled on any cases, so I have no clue what their company moniker is.
Just keep your eye out for these clowns.