Good Gig, Bad Gig.

[Ecstatic Events]

An average one for me. It was set to be a disaster from the off mind you.

50th Wedding Anniversary. The lady fell and fractured her hip earlier in the day, so the hosts were never going to be there!

There was also a 'live' performance due to take place at some point from one of their friends. He came up to me 5 mins before I was due to start (after my own soundchecks etc) and asked to plug his mic in. I obliged to much regret. I held the flightcase, whilst he plugged into the auxilary as instructed. He actually pulled my mic out and plugged his into the main...and also managed to knock out an XLR to one of the speakers???? I wasn't happy and made my feelings clear as I asked him politely to leave whilst I sorted it all out...as he was still trying to get in MY flightcase to 'sort it'

In the end he used MY Microphone - for three songs. Pointless. I will never let anyone near my gear again.

I feel bad today, because I was borderline rude.

[Shaun]

There was also a 'live' performance due to take place at some point from one of their friends. He came up to me 5 mins before I was due to start (after my own soundchecks etc) and asked to plug his mic in. I obliged to much regret. I held the flightcase, whilst he plugged into the auxilary as instructed. He actually pulled my mic out and plugged his into the main...and also managed to knock out an XLR to one of the speakers???? I wasn't happy and made my feelings clear as I asked him politely to leave whilst I sorted it all out...as he was still trying to get in MY flightcase to 'sort it'

Message to Peter Excalibur:

^ ^ ^ ^ The reason I don't let anyone hook into my gear ^ ^ ^ ^

I will never let anyone near my gear again.

Quite right too. I just politely tell them that the back of my flightcase is inaccessible (which it basically is when setup). I bring all the tools I need to provide the service I'm hired to do. Other service providers should do the same. I really have no qualms about saying "sorry, no can do".

[Shakermaker Promotions]

Had the same thing (kind of) happen last week but to be honest, it wasn't a private booking. It was at the local.
It was my Request Fest night and I got asked to play 'Man in the Mirror' by Michael Jackson. There's a guy in the pub that can sing it really well and he wanted to sing it but I said No. One of his mates kept pestering me and I was well over borderline rude to him because he was pushing it. Sometimes you HAVE to be.

It was when he placed a half full pint on one of my JBL's so that he could try and grab the mic from me (the XLR lead came out of the end), that I really told him what the score was.

[Jonathan Ford]

Quite right too. I just politely tell them that the back of my flightcase is inaccessible (which it basically is when setup). I bring all the tools I need to provide the service I'm hired to do. Other service providers should do the same. I really have no qualms about saying "sorry, no can do".

Amen, Brother Frame.

[Corabar Steve]

I'll plug other folks into my system, but if they touch it, it's broken finges time.

My kit, my rules & I am the only one who touches it. That's the only rule.

[Ecstatic Events]

He was clearly a 'professional' he had an amp with him for his guitars and was getting horrendous feedback. He 'bellowed' at me to turn the mic off. I then held the mic up to my mouth and said 'it's not even on yet!'

Oh I chuckled to myself. All the faffing for THREE numbers.

[Twinspin]

Last night. I had a wedding at the Mercure Royal Hotel in Hull. It was ok it wasnt too bad. With it been the Super-league rugby magic weekend at the etihad stadium where one of the matches was the Hull Rugby Derby Hull KR Vs Hull FC so a lot of fans would have gone up for that or watched it on sky so a lot of people either didnt turn up or was very late arriving

I did the gig with an Ear infection in one ear and a really chesty cough. By the end of the night. I didn't have any energy at all I think i may have pulled a muscle in my stomache.

So the only thing i could do was sit down on a chair and tie the cables up coming off the rig.

I couldnt even load the equipment... I never want to have a night like that again at the end. Spent most of the day in bed a trip to doctors tommorow.

[Excalibur]

Message to Peter Excalibur:

^ ^ ^ ^ The reason I don't let anyone hook into my gear ^ ^ ^ ^
Quite right too. I just politely tell them that the back of my flightcase is inaccessible (which it basically is when setup). I bring all the tools I need to provide the service I'm hired to do. Other service providers should do the same. I really have no qualms about saying "sorry, no can do".

I hear what you say. In my humble opinion, what you say is correct, but you may be looking at it from the wrong perspective. You're regarding your performance in isolation, rather than as a part of the whole evening.

Had you availed yourself of the excellent design services of myself or Corabar Steve, the back of your playout would not be blank and forbidding, but bristling with input and output sockets, and ready to assist other entertainers in the provision of a seamless provision of varied entertainment. And if that wasn't enough, you go to the van, and whip out the twenty channel Berry.

[lazersounds]

Interesting Weekend for me

Friday got a call from a friend who was attending a 21st Birthday party in a village hall about 2 miles from me. Their £60 sid had not shown up! Got there and ready to go in a hour from call to show. Speaking to the mum of the birthday boy and she said she left it to his Girlfriend to organise everything and assumed she had booked a "pro", gave her some advice as you do about getting what you pay for. He's done a runner with the £60 so shes not happy, but paid me in full and gave me £30 tip on top so some unexpected income on top this week

Saturday was a wedding at my usual residency. Thought it would be pretty poor as it was hot and guests were outside most of the night. Then at 10pm sharp as if they had a rocket up their ar**s, they packed on to the floor and never left so was a cracking night in the end

2 weddings over the Jubliee weekend so no rest for the wicked

[Jonathan Ford]

Weekends like this one make me want to carry on. I hardly ever enjoy this job anymore,but I've had a real blast over the last couple of gigs.

I've never done either of these venues before. Sunday was a wedding at Derby Conference Centre. This gig had a massive Carribean influence (black bride - looked absolutely stunning, and white groom), and so I had to work pretty hard as they wanted quite a fair amount of reggae and dance hall. Plenty of prep and it was a pretty cool hour or so.

My personal highlight came toward the end of the night. It was an 0100 finish, and the majority of guests were fully refreshed by this stage. The groom specifically requested 90's/00's cheese, B*Witched, 5ive, S-Club, Peter Andre etc... I was playing T-Spoon "Sex on the Beach" (requested...honestly), when this young lady came over. She was so very refreshed I could smell her before I saw her. She was followed by her fella, a few paces behind. She draped a soused arm across my shoulder and slurred "given that he's cancelled his UK tour, what makes you think Peter Andre would be appropriate at a wedding?". Completely deadpan, I looked her up and down, gave a sniff, and said "I didn't....the groom did". By this time, her bloke had caught up and heard this exchange. He placed his arm around her and led her away, looking like he was consoling Paul Gascoigne in the Italia '90 semi final...vanquished! DJ 1-0 wrecked party-goer!!

Tonight was a gig at Shottle Hall, a really nice venue. Another wedding, but with a band this time..."The Midnight Pumpkin Trucks". They're a fairly well known local covers band,and I've lost count of the number of times I've worked with them...though not for 3-4 years. I probably did less than an hour all told, but the crowd were really responsive. Didn't make much of a dent in the 2.5 hr playlist I was given! Absolutely thrashed my 15 year old passive Wharfedales to keep pace with them...louder than I've had them indoors for years. The band brought a Wembley rig...if I'd have played at my normal level, it would have sounded likemy car stereo compared to the band...ears still ringing now. In fairness, they were far too loudfor the venue. The buggers also managed to set the fire alarm off twice with their smoke machine. Fortunately/unfortunately, they were so bloody loud hardly anybody heard it!! Amusing moment during the first dance...with other couples joining them on the dance floor, they seperated and danced with other guests...noticed the bride taking hold of the grooms hand and moving it a little further up another woman's (bridesmaid?) back ....

Couple of really fun nights...makes me rethink my retirement!