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Drunk + PA Speaker = Disaster

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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    Just in from playing the same venue again... The place was packed to the rafters tonight, and I was on the other side of the stage.

    Amazingly, people were still knocking into the speaker on my side - so away from the door. - and causing it to wobble.

    We had to finish 30 mins early as a huge fight kicked off between a load of girls with drinks thrown over each other, hair pulling, glasses thrown etc.

    Thank God we're not going back!
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  • firepaulmusicfirepaulmusic Frets: 362
    edited December 2017
    FarleyUK said:
    Just in from playing the same venue again... The place was packed to the rafters tonight, and I was on the other side of the stage.

    Amazingly, people were still knocking into the speaker on my side - so away from the door. - and causing it to wobble.

    We had to finish 30 mins early as a huge fight kicked off between a load of girls with drinks thrown over each other, hair pulling, glasses thrown etc.

    Thank God we're not going back!
    They must be paying well at that venue, I think I'd be giving it the flick...
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  • I was watching one of the Mary Spender YouTube things and she showed how to set up your mic boom stand up sideways ( ie not pointing at the audience). So bloody obvious but it had never crossed my mind before

     Cabicular said:
    I had a punter put a speaker through the plasterboard wall at a very similar looking venue
    I've also had one of teeth broken in have when one guy backed into my mic stand and a 58 hit me in the teeth


    I did this on Saturday night, works quite well. What I think happens is people stand on a leg of the mic stand before they can hit the arm so they notice something is amiss and take evasive action. No help if they are completely blotto but every little helps.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Oof! Had a few of these!

    I have spent many a gig acting as a human shield for our bassist's double bass. Takamines (and guitarists) are easier to replace than Victorian-era basses. :)
    I'm just a Maserati in a world of Kias.
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  • FarleyUK said:
    Just in from playing the same venue again... The place was packed to the rafters tonight, and I was on the other side of the stage.

    Amazingly, people were still knocking into the speaker on my side - so away from the door. - and causing it to wobble.

    We had to finish 30 mins early as a huge fight kicked off between a load of girls with drinks thrown over each other, hair pulling, glasses thrown etc.

    Thank God we're not going back!
    Yep i know that place, we binned it off this year too same sort of things going on , Its got a real weird vibe in there almost like from dusk til dawn!
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  • FarleyUKFarleyUK Frets: 2377
    leerocker said:
    FarleyUK said:
    Just in from playing the same venue again... The place was packed to the rafters tonight, and I was on the other side of the stage.

    Amazingly, people were still knocking into the speaker on my side - so away from the door. - and causing it to wobble.

    We had to finish 30 mins early as a huge fight kicked off between a load of girls with drinks thrown over each other, hair pulling, glasses thrown etc.

    Thank God we're not going back!
    Yep i know that place, we binned it off this year too same sort of things going on , Its got a real weird vibe in there almost like from dusk til dawn!
    Ha! We'd heard loads of bands have cancelled... I can fully understand why. Used to be fantastic, but really turned it a sh!thole.

    The bizarre thing is, the crowd are really into the songs - dancing, singing etc. - but everytime we'd finish a song, there would be complete silence. No applause, no shouting - nothing.

    I mean, we're not THAT bad.
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  • FarleyUK said:
    leerocker said:
    FarleyUK said:
    Just in from playing the same venue again... The place was packed to the rafters tonight, and I was on the other side of the stage.

    Amazingly, people were still knocking into the speaker on my side - so away from the door. - and causing it to wobble.

    We had to finish 30 mins early as a huge fight kicked off between a load of girls with drinks thrown over each other, hair pulling, glasses thrown etc.

    Thank God we're not going back!
    Yep i know that place, we binned it off this year too same sort of things going on , Its got a real weird vibe in there almost like from dusk til dawn!
    Ha! We'd heard loads of bands have cancelled... I can fully understand why. Used to be fantastic, but really turned it a sh!thole.

    The bizarre thing is, the crowd are really into the songs - dancing, singing etc. - but everytime we'd finish a song, there would be complete silence. No applause, no shouting - nothing.

    I mean, we're not THAT bad.
    Its the same for every band there i think , we had played there for a few years and this year its just gone to pot,trouble most nights and just a bad vibe, some poor young fella was done over and was in a coma a week before we were due to play so we binned it off as thats the final straw, 
     same thing ,everyone dancing and enjoying it end of song no applause, its almost like the crowd think they are too cool to clap, My missus always said avoid hemel as its weird

    The one thing i never understood is the door staff stand out the front of the pub and never move or go inside but you can walk down the alley and go in the back entrance unchallenged!
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    We find YFC gigs are similar and don't do them anymore - loads of dancing, hollering, and singing along with every word, then no acknowledgement whatsoever at the end of each song. It's almost like you're just a jukebox. 

    They'd be much happier if a DJ had turned up instead, and so would I. 
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  • HoofHoof Frets: 491
    From a few of the points raised in this thread:

    Speaker stands: Never compromise the width of the tripod base, no matter how much of a premium floorspace is. If there isn't enough floor space to open the stands up then put the speakers on a table or even the floor. You'll compromised the sound a bit but it's just not worth the risk of the stands falling.

    Drunks knocking into mic stands: Learn to sing with your eyes open. It pays to keep an eye on the crowd, especially when you're no up on a high stage. I set mine up so the base sits to the right of my pedalboardand the boom extends over. Making a  barrier using your floor monitors and black/yellow hazard

    Other equipment being damaged by pissheads/general accidents: If you really can't afford for your Custom Shop LP/Boutique amp/ultimate pedalboard to be damaged then don't take it on a pub/party gig, especially one that's known for incidents. I've got nicer gear at home than I take out to pub gigs and the rest of the band has the same attitude. Just take the tools to do the job and although you might feel better playing your ultimate rig it really makes no difference outside your own head if you play a mexican tele through a Katana. Nobody else cares.


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  • FezFez Frets: 499
    I bought a bass bin for the PA last year and it's so much better than a tripod it's pretty much worth the truck n' hump. I have considered making a dummy one to negate the need for tripods altogether.
    Don't touch that dial.
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  • Fez said:
    I bought a bass bin for the PA last year and it's so much better than a tripod it's pretty much worth the truck n' hump. I have considered making a dummy one to negate the need for tripods altogether.
    we have bass bins on our PA...this then presents the problem of people using them as a drinks table and at the end of the night they are full of empty and half empty glasses... we are thinking of making some cone shaped devices to fit around the poles to discourage this...I'm not sure if they've been invented yet but it may be a dragons den moment...lol
    • “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
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  • skaguitar said:

    we have bass bins on our PA...this then presents the problem of people using them as a drinks table and at the end of the night they are full of empty and half empty glasses... we are thinking of making some cone shaped devices to fit around the poles to discourage this...I'm not sure if they've been invented yet but it may be a dragons den moment...lol

    @skaguitar I have had this thought too! Haven't done anything about it though. When I randomly come across the right kind of plastic or whatever, I will have a go at it. I play acoustic so hitting transgressors with a telecaster is not possible (unless I bring the telecaster specially).
    I'm just a Maserati in a world of Kias.
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  • @bluechargeboy ; I think something along the lines of the kind of things they put round dogs and cats necks when they have an op... something that just velcroes together..?. we could offer the dragons 10% of the business for a £100,000 investment then go and blow the lot on guitars and amps...lol
    • “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    Our bins are modded, basically we have put false sloping tops on the standard Mackie bins. If a punter puts a glass on the bins it fall off and they loose their drink. Not the best pic but you can see one bin here with the paint chipping off the false top triangle piece 



    The bit which sits on the pole is also home made and contains 3 Halogen spots and 4 mains sockets 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Danny1969 said:
    Our bins are modded, basically we have put false sloping tops on the standard Mackie bins. If a punter puts a glass on the bins it fall off and they loose their drink. Not the best pic but you can see one bin here with the paint chipping off the false top triangle piece 



    The bit which sits on the pole is also home made and contains 3 Halogen spots and 4 mains sockets 
    you beat us to it..!.. on a serious note that is the sort of thing I meant but a cone going all the way round.
    • “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable.”
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    Fez said:
    I bought a bass bin for the PA last year and it's so much better than a tripod it's pretty much worth the truck n' hump. I have considered making a dummy one to negate the need for tripods altogether.
    Just buy a Wharfedale. They have an automatic dummy mode after the warranty runs out.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • @Danny1969 is that a side fill monitor clamped to the pole for the top?
    I'm just a Maserati in a world of Kias.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71959
    Danny1969 said:
    Our bins are modded, basically we have put false sloping tops on the standard Mackie bins. If a punter puts a glass on the bins it fall off and they loose their drink. Not the best pic but you can see one bin here with the paint chipping off the false top triangle piece 



    The bit which sits on the pole is also home made and contains 3 Halogen spots and 4 mains sockets 
    That really shows the experience of true professionals :).

    Also cool to see the sophisticated wheeled keyboard stand ;).

    I bet no-one argues with your bass player either - he's huge! The bass looks smaller on him than the Strat does on the other guitarist...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • HHwarnerHHwarner Frets: 137
    edited January 2018
    Iv had a pissed up punter fall over the monitor in front of me at a small pub gig. Crashed passed me and knocked my guitar stand over, scraping my mint condition (at the time) Gibson SG Standard down a rough brick wall, gouging the top and taking lumps of wood out, (surprisingly for a Gibbo the neck survived). I also had some woman lean over a side barrier at an out door gig, pick up the same SG from the stand, walk off back into the crowd pretending to play it. She got a bit upset when I stopped playing and had a right go at her in front of everyone. 
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  • David5150David5150 Frets: 118

    Slightly different stance on the drunken loon crashing into things

    Did a gig last weekend and a huge bloke spent the entire 3 hour set (including our break) hugging the main PA speaker. Asked him to move numerous times but got this blank stare back and the pub bouncers wouldn't do a bloody thing.

    His head must have been in pieces as it's a loud gig with vocals and guitar coming through the main speakers (slightly muffled on one side!!)

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