NeilP
22-10-2006, 06:58 PM
Had my first 'real' gig Friday night. I say real, meaning not for family & friends, or the local school or Scout Group! Bear in mind, that i have just bought a Peugoet Expert to take all my gear only a week ago!
It was about an hours drive away, but as i was camping with the Scouts about 30 mins from the venue, this wasn't too much of a problem.
My time scale was to get to the campsite via a supermarket to buy the food for the weekend, drop off the Scouts tents at the campsite, and then straight onto the venue to set up ready for the gig (engagement party - 50's Swing & Rat Pack).
My local disco shop was supposed to have had in a Show Director Wed/Thurs, so i could play with it prior to Friday Night.
Here goes the good bits......
1. Phone the Disco Shop Tues, Wed, Thurs - no delivery of the Show Director. Friday, still not turned up, so i said to him that i needed to take him up on his offer of borrowing the one he uses in the shop. I would be round at 3pm to pick it up enroute to the gig. I turn up at 5pm (running late already!) and he keeps me waiting as he is with a Mastermix Rep - and then discover that he hasn't stripped it out yet! Leave shop at 5.45pm!
2. Get onto M25, about half way there and a large puff of black smoke appears behind me, and the van looses all power. Coast to the hard shoulder and call the AA.
(Called the happy couple to be, and they were fine. Not my fault they said, plenty of time they said. Lovely couple!)
3. AA turns up an hour later (they had been told i was on the other side of the M25, and so the AA Lorry i had seen pass me twice was actually looking for me!) and gives me the technical term for my vans fault - it rhymes with Ducked! Get them to lift the van and drop it at the hotel venue.
(One of the parents picks up all the tents etc from the side of the M25 with a smirk on his face...... :mad: )
4. Arrive at the venue at the same time as i was suppose to be starting - all the guests taking pictures of the 'DJ arriving in style'!
5. Set up where told to by the General Manager, he explains after 30 mins that this is the sound limiter and this is the hole i plug my leads into. Here is a box of adapters. Not a problem, i say, i've already checked, and it takes standard speakon connectors doesn't it? Nope! The sound limited plugs into Speakon connections on the wall, but some funny connector on the front for me, with no Speakon to funny connection adapter available!
6. The GM looks at me blankly and says, well, have you got any speakers (very tempted to say NO at this point)? Luckily i loaded them up to save me having to repack the van for Saturday's gig.
All in all a good evening. The happy couple even included me on their list of thank yous for still turning up after everything that had gone on with the van!
Didn't get any food though for the Scouts until Saturday morning - bless them, they don't have their breakfast until 10.00am! Still, the took the p*ss out of me for the rest of the weekend, so it serves them right!
Hope that this isn't the sign of things to come! Got to wait until Wednesday to see quit how ducked my van is!
It was about an hours drive away, but as i was camping with the Scouts about 30 mins from the venue, this wasn't too much of a problem.
My time scale was to get to the campsite via a supermarket to buy the food for the weekend, drop off the Scouts tents at the campsite, and then straight onto the venue to set up ready for the gig (engagement party - 50's Swing & Rat Pack).
My local disco shop was supposed to have had in a Show Director Wed/Thurs, so i could play with it prior to Friday Night.
Here goes the good bits......
1. Phone the Disco Shop Tues, Wed, Thurs - no delivery of the Show Director. Friday, still not turned up, so i said to him that i needed to take him up on his offer of borrowing the one he uses in the shop. I would be round at 3pm to pick it up enroute to the gig. I turn up at 5pm (running late already!) and he keeps me waiting as he is with a Mastermix Rep - and then discover that he hasn't stripped it out yet! Leave shop at 5.45pm!
2. Get onto M25, about half way there and a large puff of black smoke appears behind me, and the van looses all power. Coast to the hard shoulder and call the AA.
(Called the happy couple to be, and they were fine. Not my fault they said, plenty of time they said. Lovely couple!)
3. AA turns up an hour later (they had been told i was on the other side of the M25, and so the AA Lorry i had seen pass me twice was actually looking for me!) and gives me the technical term for my vans fault - it rhymes with Ducked! Get them to lift the van and drop it at the hotel venue.
(One of the parents picks up all the tents etc from the side of the M25 with a smirk on his face...... :mad: )
4. Arrive at the venue at the same time as i was suppose to be starting - all the guests taking pictures of the 'DJ arriving in style'!
5. Set up where told to by the General Manager, he explains after 30 mins that this is the sound limiter and this is the hole i plug my leads into. Here is a box of adapters. Not a problem, i say, i've already checked, and it takes standard speakon connectors doesn't it? Nope! The sound limited plugs into Speakon connections on the wall, but some funny connector on the front for me, with no Speakon to funny connection adapter available!
6. The GM looks at me blankly and says, well, have you got any speakers (very tempted to say NO at this point)? Luckily i loaded them up to save me having to repack the van for Saturday's gig.
All in all a good evening. The happy couple even included me on their list of thank yous for still turning up after everything that had gone on with the van!
Didn't get any food though for the Scouts until Saturday morning - bless them, they don't have their breakfast until 10.00am! Still, the took the p*ss out of me for the rest of the weekend, so it serves them right!
Hope that this isn't the sign of things to come! Got to wait until Wednesday to see quit how ducked my van is!