Lighting -Gigging in the Dark!

gama

Hi

Following our comeback gig back in June we today supported a top notch  band called THE SPECIAL BREW . It was a surreal experience being my third gig ever at the young age of 52 . . Arrived as advised at 6pm as were due to go on at 8.00pm the stage was still being set up these guys are pros and so laid back so there was no rush !! We did our soundcheck  as the club was filling up . No time for nerves !!Sadly last time we played I decided to put illuminous fret markers but removed them as could not get on with them and thought they wont be needed. Ha !! Bad mistake when the lights went down proper could hardly see the fretboard with my mincers so chucked in a far few bum notes and chords!!

Anyway has anyone experienced the same or who can advise as other than wearing  a miners type hat with the torch attached not sure what to do !!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated !! The Band and crowd seemed to like us so we will hopefully be doing some more!!

https://www.facebook.com/TheSpecialBrew/photos/a.226188127549089.1073741828.175335895967646/830233320477897/?type=3&theater  

Cheers
G

bluechargeboy

My approach to this in the past has been to put my face right next to the neck for the complicated bits! Works for this guy too!



I would say the main trick here is to realise that nobody in the audience noticed or gave a shit.

starwarsnosebleed

Carrots

digitalscream

I recently took a drill bit to my beloved Jaden Rose Tele and installed Luminlay side-dots - probably the best decision I've made in a while, even if some of the dots are a bit wonky.

gama

Cool where did you get the dots from?

mike_l

I remember an interview with Slayer, where either Kerry King or Jeff Hannemann stated they rehearsed in a dark warehouse with just 1 red bulb to reproduce the same lighting they get on stage.

digitalscream

gama said:

Cool where did you get the dots from?

http://www.luminlay.com/

They're based in Japan, but the stuff turns up in 4 business days like clockwork. One 60mm stick is definitely enough to do a 22 fret guitar, and I've got just under half of it left. Don't forget to buy a charging torch too.

Plectrum

I put pieces of coloured tape on the side of the neck at the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 12th frets. I find that's good enough to catch out of the corner of my eye whilst I'm singing.

rewolf48

UK manufacturer - they also have paint...
http://www.glowtec.co.uk/fret-finders.htm

digitalscream

rewolf48 said:

UK manufacturer - they also have paint...
http://www.glowtec.co.uk/fret-finders.htm

From everything I read, the stickers don't last particularly long (and not long enough for a 45-60 minute set). With Luminlay dots, they'll last 40 minutes and it takes about 30 seconds to recharge them between songs.

Jalapeno

Might help ...

http://www.djmmusic.com/p-2953-tiger-music-stand-light-with-dual-head-2x-quality-led-lights.aspx?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgJqK1cmp1QIVEIuyCh1jEws4EAQYAiABEgIjEfD_BwE

rewolf48

I'm not selling for them (nothing to do with them at all), but they do warn that there are lots of cheap imitators that they say should be avoided. In the FAQ they claim that their glow in the dark tech is much more advanced than the crappy stars my kids have over their beds:

"Of course, glow technology has come a long way over the last decade or two and we now have strontium-aluminate based paint and stickers which can glow for over 14 hours and last 10 years or more"

http://www.glowtec.co.uk/faqs.htm#How do things actually glow-in-the-dark

Reviews are not jumping out of google at me, but I did discover that Michael Payne of Stone Wolf Guitars used some of their product in some dot markers and I presume that he tested it first. Might be worth contacting him for an independent view

gama

Thanks guys for all your input really appreciate it