Anyone happy to share the do's and don'ts of how to set up for a live gig in a pub?

[Huge Hands]

10 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

Insist that his amp be on a tilt back stand that aims the speakers at his head. If there's going to be suffering from his volume let him be the first to experience it. As for the ear plugs, if they're not buds to hear the monitor mix he's playing too loud. The backline should only be pushing the stage volume, not the room.

I did this very trick with a friend's band years ago when they asked me for some advice after they kept not getting re-booked for pub gigs due to the guitarist being face-meltingly loud.

 

I turned up at their rehearsal and got the guitarist to put the amp in front of him on the tilt-back legs like a monitor wedge.  After half a song, he kicked his amp and stormed off.  

 

"It sounds awful and is giving me a headache!" he raged.  

 

"Now you know how your audience feels" was my reply.........

 

I understand he went out and bought a Blues junior the next day and gigged with that for years.

[Paul S]

8 hours ago, Pirellithecat said:

I'd be deaf within a month

   ........ Problem solved I guess 😀

 

But there is the volume on his guitar, level out on pedals - sneaky bunch, there guitarists.  Always find a way to turn up.

[Beedster]

7 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

That's quite likely if his amp is too big.

A smaller amp. 50 watts into one twelve is sufficient.

That’s quite probably the trick here 👍

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Paul S said:

 

But there is the volume on his guitar, level out on pedals - sneaky bunch, there guitarists.  Always find a way to turn up.

A band is like sports team, if one member is flipping it up the collective performance they’re out and replaced with a better tram player, irrespective of ‘talent’

[Pirellithecat]

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
In light of which I shall, 
- endeavour to get guitar(s) (and bass) to FOH, as advised
- continue to negotiate the stage sound levels down a little.   
- chill out and improve my IEM approach
- look for a new band, sell PA and get on with enjoying playing bass. 

Sorted 🤭   

Thanks everyone.
 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Don't sell the PA. There will be times you can rent it out, with you at the helm of course. That puts money in your pocket, and gives you the opportunity to hone your PA skills hearing what it sounds like out front.

[TimR]

4 hours ago, Beedster said:

A band is like sports team, if one member is flipping it up the collective performance they’re out and replaced with a better tram player, irrespective of ‘talent’

 

If the guitarist is the band leader you're in trouble. 

[Daz39]

Superglue all his volume knobs in place.

[TimR]

The recurring theme here is the guitarist is too loud and probably all your on stage issues are being caused by that. 

 

All the extra technology you are playing with is a waste of time, energy and money. Keep it simple- he has to reduce his stage volume. 

 

My guess is then everyone else can then go back to using ordinary monitors.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2023 by TimR

[tauzero]

7 hours ago, Pirellithecat said:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. somewhere to bury the bodies.

 

FTFY.

[Stub Mandrel]

17 hours ago, Bill Fitzmaurice said:

A smaller amp. 50 watts into one twelve is sufficient.

 

A 15W tube amp is enough for the average pub gig.

[Chienmortbb]

14 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

15W tube amp is enough for the average pub gig.

What is a tube? I would say a 15-30 watt valve amp would do the trick😀

Edited November 27, 2023 by Chienmortbb

[Beedster]

6 hours ago, TimR said:

 

If the guitarist is the band leader you're in trouble. 

Then you accept it or leave. I find it amazing how many musicians suffer the indignity of egotistical leaders/members as if there’s no choice…

[Downunderwonder]

2 months in.

 

7 pages.

 

I started to read it all again but it's too much.

 

I think a new thread is in order. List all what you tried and what worked a little or a lot and what was shot down.

 

Full gear list.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Agreed, specific questions should be posted in individual threads, just as in the amps & cabs section.

[Pirellithecat]

OK

Ta.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

Personally I find it interesting seeing the topic evolve. I'm unlikely to follow several threads addressing various sub-issues and the OP has been pretty good at posting updates with a summary of progress.

[Downunderwonder]

It's too hard to remember the updates and then someone else jumps in and the whole thing gets to be a 7 page mess with not a helluva lot apparently achieved.

 

I would like a pt2 thread that goes to fixing it from where he is at now. It can easily be joined back up when it is resolved.

[Stub Mandrel]

If it's hard to follow as one thread, is splitting it into threads for specific questions going to make it easier to follow in practice?

[Beedster]

Is anyone prepared to share the does and don’ts of running a thread on Basschat? 😆

[Downunderwonder]

3 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

If it's hard to follow as one thread, is splitting it into threads for specific questions going to make it easier to follow in practice?

I'm not talking about splitting it into multiple issues. A consolidated post from OP on what was tried and rejected outright; what partially succeeded before reverting to snafuville, what gear is now in place, is what I would like. The best place for it would be a reboot thread.

[Stub Mandrel]

21 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

I'm not talking about splitting it into multiple issues.

 

Bill was.

[TimR]

Summary:

 

Guitarist was too loud.

OP tried to fix by moving mics.

Guitarist was too loud.

OP moved monitors.

Guitarist was too loud.

OP changed EQ.

Guitarist was too loud.

OP implemented in ears.

Guitarist was too loud.

Guitarist turned down.

Everything was good 

Guitarist turned up.

Guitarist was too loud.

OP worked out the problem. 

 

 

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Bill was.

Yes, I was. Even at 'only' seven pages there's a lot of different topics in this thread. Someone who might have an interest in one of them has to wade through a lot of information he doesn't care about to find what he's after. If this thread gets much longer it's going to need a table of contents.

[Phil Starr]

It’s the nature of BassChat that threads are often derailed and become rambling catch-alls for all those with related but different issues. The only exception that comes to mind is the ‘IEM Bible’ where @EBS_freak puts in a lot of work and wrote an extensive wiki. There are probably others but I’m not so addicted to BC that I know every nook here.

 

This is @Pirellithecat thread and I’ll be coming here to see how he is getting on. It’s up to him how he does it and if anyone wants a different thread then go ahead and start one of your own. We are all just here for the craic in the end just friends talking 😀 

 

If someone wants to write a wiki it would be a great addition to the PA sub-forum. I’d love to give it a go but it’s weeks of work and I have a bass to play.

Edited December 4, 2023 by Phil Starr