Electric shocks at gigs

[police squad]

We've probably all had it, you go up to your mic and get a spark to the lips. Ouch

 

Today, my behringer P2 for my IEMs was touching my skin on my back. I couldn't work it out. Then got a shock to my lips on the mic and THEN touched the volume knob on my bass and got another belt.

 

Therefore first set, I ditched the IEMs and didnt sing much. I couldn't hear properly and had a really cr@p first set.

 

I know my gear, it's all PAT tested but I had plugged into an unknown extension and that was the cause. Plugged in elsewhere, 2nd set was fab. IEMs all good.

 

I was shocked!!

[stingrayPete1977]

It's when the earth is bad coming from the supply, bad extension lead or the socket feeding it.

[msb]

Some clubs have questionable wiring , I’ve suspected some amateur might have been paid with beer.

With our electricity you feel it , but it’s rarely fatal.

[nilorius]

Electroshock can also arive from inside, any time, because of a bad preconcert dubbing. I mean no at all, or bad soundcheck.

Edited June 24, 2023 by nilorius

[Norris]

We always carry our own extension leads and have a couple of RCD adapters if it's a venue we've not played at before or the sockets look dodgy

[Beedster]

18 minutes ago, Norris said:

We always carry our own extension leads and have a couple of RCD adapters if it's a venue we've not played at before or the sockets look dodgy

Likewise

[Downunderwonder]

An RCD is going to shut you down in the name of you not dying on stage. But then you are dying on stage, which is vastly preferable but not really a solution.

[JoeEvans]

I played with someone once who took a socket tester out if his bass case and checked all the sockets before we started setting up. I haven't got round to buying one myself but it's not a bad idea, as much to avoid noise and unreliability as for health and safety.

[police squad]

22 minutes ago, JoeEvans said:

I played with someone once who took a socket tester out if his bass case and checked all the sockets before we started setting up. I haven't got round to buying one myself but it's not a bad idea, as much to avoid noise and unreliability as for health and safety.

yes I played with someone for many years that does this. Maybe I'll buy one too. It was the shock on my bass that surprised me the most

[BillyBass]

Those socket testers are a good idea.  Just understand that they are useful for showing you that something is either right or wrong, don't trust them as a diagnostic tool.  Generally, the first and second lights will be green (and the third not lit up) when all is ok.  When something isn't right you will get a different display of lights and, depending on the make, a different noise.  Ignore the display that says, for instance: green-blank-red=lack of earth connection as it may be a completely different fault.

 

They are a useful tool to show you what sockets you shouldn't use.

 

I'm a spark, BTW.

[BlueMoon]

12 hours ago, Norris said:

We always carry our own extension leads and have a couple of RCD adapters if it's a venue we've not played at before or the sockets look dodgy

This ^^^^^^^^^

[Marky L]

Since using a wireless set up on my bass I have not yet experienced another mic/lip tingle. It was one of the primary reasons for me to go wireless.

Edited June 25, 2023 by Marky L

[dmccombe7]

Socket tester is a handy gadget but what do you do when you come a cross a  system with a fault.  ?

Do you wait for the owner to get an electrician ......... if he can ?

Do you cancel the gig at last minute (unpaid)

Do you tackle a repair yourself (if qualified of course)

Its a tricky one.

I've come across double sockets that have been dodgy and i just don't use those particular sockets. An RCD wont prevent an earth fault / shock as far as i know.

Dave 

 

[BillyBass]

20 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Socket tester is a handy gadget but what do you do when you come a cross a  system with a fault.  ?

Do you wait for the owner to get an electrician ......... if he can ?

Do you cancel the gig at last minute (unpaid)

Do you tackle a repair yourself (if qualified of course)

Its a tricky one.

I've come across double sockets that have been dodgy and i just don't use those particular sockets. An RCD wont prevent an earth fault / shock as far as i know.

Dave 

 

At my gig last night we had two double sockets in the 'stage' area and a double just outside.  The landlady told me to avoid the socket outside as it was a bit dodgy.  From what she told me it appeared to be on a different circuit, though in the same area.  Also, the problem is sometimes dodgy wiring in a particular socket, not every socket in a particular circuit.  So these testers do give you the option of avoiding problems, sometimes. 

[BillyBass]

14 hours ago, Norris said:

We always carry our own extension leads and have a couple of RCD adapters if it's a venue we've not played at before or the sockets look dodgy

Having RCDs in a circuit is very good and much safer than not, however, if there is an RCD at the origin of that particular circuit (i.e. in the fuseboard) you shouldn't add another RCD, as 2 RCDs of the same trip rating , e.g. 30mA, can cause nuisance tripping.

[gafbass02]

Back in the 90s , in one very hot, sweaty summer, I had a whole gig of brutal shocks, sparks leaping all over the pace. I was shirtless and shoeless and dripping with sweat and beer. When I packed down afterwards, feeling very dazed from two hours of shocks, I discovered why…

 

The day before I’d been in the studio, my amp had buzzed, the engineer had sent us to get lunch whilst he fixed the buzz. What he’d done was never mentioned and we cracked on. 
The next night as frazzled me went to unplug my amp, I noticed that the earth wire was hanging out the side of the plug!

Wish I’d found his ‘fix’ when I plugged in instead of afterwards!!!

[fleabag]

7 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

I played with someone once who took a socket tester out if his bass case and checked all the sockets before we started setting up

 

16 hours ago, Norris said:

We always carry our own extension leads

 

Been using both for years.

[SuperSeagull]

8 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

I played with someone once who took a socket tester out if his bass case and checked all the sockets before we started setting up. I haven't got round to buying one myself but it's not a bad idea, as much to avoid noise and unreliability as for health and safety.

I recently bought one and now do the same - just in case. 

[snorkie635]

20 hours ago, police squad said:

We've probably all had it, you go up to your mic and get a spark to the lips. Ouch

 

Today, my behringer P2 for my IEMs was touching my skin on my back. I couldn't work it out. Then got a shock to my lips on the mic and THEN touched the volume knob on my bass and got another belt.

 

Therefore first set, I ditched the IEMs and didnt sing much. I couldn't hear properly and had a really cr@p first set.

 

I know my gear, it's all PAT tested but I had plugged into an unknown extension and that was the cause. Plugged in elsewhere, 2nd set was fab. IEMs all good.

 

I was shocked!!

Not good. Can be nasty - musos have moved direct to the Great Gig in the Sky with this. Take care.

[snorkie635]

2 hours ago, gafbass02 said:

Back in the 90s , in one very hot, sweaty summer, I had a whole gig of brutal shocks, sparks leaping all over the pace. I was shirtless and shoeless and dripping with sweat and beer. When I packed down afterwards, feeling very dazed from two hours of shocks, I discovered why…

 

The day before I’d been in the studio, my amp had buzzed, the engineer had sent us to get lunch whilst he fixed the buzz. What he’d done was never mentioned and we cracked on. 
The next night as frazzled me went to unplug my amp, I noticed that the earth wire was hanging out the side of the plug!

Wish I’d found his ‘fix’ when I plugged in instead of afterwards!!!

Dear God, I thought those guys had been left behind in the 70s. Heebies and Geebies.

[paul_5]

1 minute ago, snorkie635 said:

Dear God, I thought those guys had been left behind in the 70s. Heebies and Geebies.

Nope, that’s the Beegees.

[gafbass02]

1 hour ago, snorkie635 said:

Dear God, I thought those guys had been left behind in the 70s. Heebies and Geebies.

He was a bit of a 70s throwback even then. This was around 95/96

[Franticsmurf]

22 hours ago, BillyBass said:

Having RCDs in a circuit is very good and much safer than not, however, if there is an RCD at the origin of that particular circuit (i.e. in the fuseboard) you shouldn't add another RCD, as 2 RCDs of the same trip rating , e.g. 30mA, can cause nuisance tripping.

This happened to me once, in a rural pub. Every time I plugged in my extension (with RCD) everything in the pub went off. Took me two goes to associate the two actions. I was not popular that night!

 

On 24/06/2023 at 20:38, police squad said:

We've probably all had it, you go up to your mic and get a spark to the lips. Ouch

I was on BV duty at a gig a few years ago. I don't have a powerful voice so I have to almost be touching the mic during the louder songs. My beard doesn't help. As soon as I started singing I felt a little sting from the mic. I assumed it was static but it happened again the next time I sang. So I stayed away from the mic and after the song finished, unplugged from the mixer (on stage) trying not to let anyone see. I thought I could continue pretending to sing for show.  Next song in, as soon as I started to sing I got a little shock again.

 

Turns out the bristles from my beard were catching in the grill of the mic. 🧔😄  

[police squad]

55 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

This happened to me once, in a rural pub. Every time I plugged in my extension (with RCD) everything in the pub went off. Took me two goes to associate the two actions. I was not popular that night!

 

I was on BV duty at a gig a few years ago. I don't have a powerful voice so I have to almost be touching the mic during the louder songs. My beard doesn't help. As soon as I started singing I felt a little sting from the mic. I assumed it was static but it happened again the next time I sang. So I stayed away from the mic and after the song finished, unplugged from the mixer (on stage) trying not to let anyone see. I thought I could continue pretending to sing for show.  Next song in, as soon as I started to sing I got a little shock again.

 

Turns out the bristles from my beard were catching in the grill of the mic. 🧔😄  

dangerous things those beards

[police squad]

I've just bought a tester, which will remain in my gigging bag from now on.