Why it's important ...

Many of our members disagree in the area of setup time - size vs. weight issues etc, so I'd like to add a bit of perspective to the discussion.

Years ago, music and musicians were treated as a premium service - spotlighted, set up on stages and advertised. Today, the situation is not the same. Venues need 50 TVs to distract the customers in case conversation ceases, entertainment has switched to the audience controlled sing-a-long styles, and more often than not, entertainers are asked to setup "over there in that corner ..." instead of featured on a real stage.

I understand the trending changes in business and social gatherings, but all these little things have added up to a less than ideal scenario for the performer.

A typical "gig" for me involves 1 or 2 quick trips to the car, small setup (due to space restraints) and fast exits because of back-to-back activities in the same room. Very often, a wedding or event will follow another with less than 1 hour in between - these venues really appreciated the fact that I can tear down and exit the room with great precision and haste.

I have a job this weekend in a 4-star casino in Atlantic City NJ, and the entertainer sets up ... "in that corner over there"
They move a few chairs, and BAM! - there's my stage area ... spitting distance from the audience, and so close that I hear their conversations louder than my own voice at times.

In this scenario - a fantastic sound is absolutely second place to a neat setup and timely, professional load-in/out.
I will sacrifice the better harmonies to use the on board mic processor in my KB, and I will only use what is absolutely necessary to cover this room ... in my case, a Bose Compact.

I've set up at the end of buffet lines, behind couches, squeezed between other bands gear, and almost every possible situation you can imagine. The routine that keeps me working has always been
1)my choice of songs (setting and controlling the pace)
2)my vocal presentation (it's what 99% of the crowd knows)
3)my blend (volume) in the room (no room for egos)

These three things have been the cornerstone of my performances for 45 years, and I'm grateful that I've been able to work so long in a field that gives me so much joy.

If I had a double rig with stereo speakers, subwoofer and fancy visuals .... I would not make ONE PENNY more, and I would not be asked to work this upcoming Casino job. The right look and the right sound for the right venue is what makes or breaks you in this crazy business.

I'm sure you all have a take on how this relates or contradicts your own philosophy on setups, but this is mine, and I wanted to share it. I'm interested in hearing what you think is important and why.

Peace!

(the picture is my setup at the Crab Trap - for the Casino - NO mixer, NO ipad, NO VLT2. Light and fast.

Great post Dave, and some excellent points.

I've been in many similar situations, and luckily, over the past 10 years or so, my own setup has remained very compact and pretty easy to set up/breakdown. And, it's always been the case of following the old Boy Scout's motto, "Be Prepared!"

I'm considering doing a duo sometime next spring, with a guitarist vocalist, using double Bose L1's (with subs)-in stereo...of course, I'll be using the Tyros4, which is as small as I'd like to keep my keyboard setup.

Again, lightness and portability are paramount, and stage footprint to be kept at a minimum...using the Bose means not needing monitors (I have my two Yamaha MS-60S if ever needed) and I have had previous experience using the same setup so I know it's great capabilities and very few, if any, drawbacks. Keyboard EQ is extremely important with the Bose system, but I wouldn't use anything else because of it's excellent coverage.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions...we can all learn from each other.

Ian

Use the rocknroller?

Dave,
You just described 100% of my gigs.
Sometimes I'am so close to the people it is nearly impossible
to hear what I am playing.

Deane

Tell it like it is, brother! So often true.
In most cases, my gear is so light and compact that I don't need the rock n' roller. It weighs more than any of my gear.
DonM

My one "problem" job is a patio where I have a patio in front (400 seats), waiting ares to the right and left with bar service
and a terrace area directly behind me, wrapped around a pool with beverage service.

It takes three heads, 6 cabinets and a powered monitor, not for volume, but for coverage.

The restaurant is in an old farmhouse, so there is no room for storing anything. It's 4 trips to the van for two of us; both in and out.

I'm working on a 4 nighter where the equipment stays...rare these days, but way better for the back and nerves.

Many of my jobs are just what Dave describes. Luckily, my son/bass player often sets up for me when I'm finishing another job. I just come in and play!


Russ

Nope - bulky and has to be stored. When I get to the site - all the covers fit into the kb case and I stow it in a closet. Neat, clean, pretty.

Dave, when you had the 3x, did you have the bar at any time?

Does anyone play out live with the bar and does it project at all to the audience?

Too bad it's pointed as a monitor, although I hear it's incredible sounding.

I still do quite a mix of full band, duo and solo work. Personally, I don't feel like buying three different PA's and an arranger with speakers built in (none that have them impress me much) so I can take the absolute minimum in that the gig calls for. If you play with a drummer, the truth is, your PA needs are radically greater than doing a solo for a NH.

Happily, nowadays, you can still throw out a decent volume with little more than a powered sub, a powered mixer and two top cabs. Or skip the powered mixer and use good quality powered tops. Compared to what most bands use, that's still only a light rig! But I wouldn't want to risk putting a band into a Compact!

I appreciate that Dave's solution works for HIM (and many others here) but some of us still work in situations where we AREN'T background noise to distract those not watching the 15 TV's in the room! On the whole, I'd rather serve fries than be so marginalized nobody cares what I sound like, play on, or do! The day my primary concern is how fast I can get the hell out of a gig to go to the next engagement where they care exactly as little, I'm hanging up my spurs!

I did buy the sound bar, and it was fantastic. It works great as a monitor and it's loud enough that it projects into a room about as well as an amp on the floor would. If I wanted that extra bulk - I'd still have it. My problem was in the stand mounting - the bar pushed the kb about 6 inches away from my stand-mounted mic boom, making it cumbersome and extending the boom. I'm set now with the PA900 for a while. I might even send back the VLT2 - not sure yet ... its got so many more features than the built in unit.

Dave, I must say I fully agree with your OP. It's right on the money. I use a rock and roller, though, but in my case it serves as a neat platform to hold everything while I set up. However, as you stated, all the covers and bags fit snugly inside the keyboard case when the setup is complete. I usually wheel it into a closet or somewhere completely out of the way in an obscure location where it doesn't bother anyone, but no one will bother it as well.

Cheers,

Gary

BTW: I learned a lot from you over the years, and I sincerely wish to express my gratitude for everything you've done for me since we first met in that book store in New Jersey.

Better watch what you ask for

In some places, there will always be SOMEone who really doesn't care what you do, but hopefully, those people are few. You play for those who DO care, and serve up the music. Let them get their own fries. Our job is to satisfy the client. Put out the product you have faith in - charge what you feel you're worth and do the job... the job they pay you for.
Playing beneath your comfort zone is simply part of the territory. Music and entertainment is a PEOPLE driven business. No people = NO WORK. I put lots of bands, DJs, KJs out of work because of the product I bring, and my work ethic. You have to SELL. Sell yourself, sell the music and sell the crowd ... with each song. You have 4 minutes at a time to convince the audience to stay or leave. Bulky setups can draw a negative reaction before you play a note. I've already seen people come in for dinner and after they see their proximity to the music, they ask to be relocated. I GET it - they expect loud and annoying because of the sins of our predecessors. I make it a point to have a venue ask me to turn UP the music long before it's the reverse.
Works for me, and I never had to serve fries.

I've been happy to do other work rather than accept jobs where music is an inconvenience to the house. If they don't think what I do is important enough to place me where I can be seen, and let me be loud enough to be heard well, why are they putting live music in at all?

We sell ourselves short every day, and to be honest, where things are right now is because we are willing to tolerate it.

Diki,
I kinda agree with you - I remember in the 80s when the TV thing started getting outta hand .. I refused to play if the TVs were on. Then after a while, someone would ask .. "Can we just check the scores with no sound?", so I caved and put the set on MUTE ... well, after a while someone said ... "This part is great, TURN IT UP - just for a second!" so again, I caved ... and it became too hard to fight. The crowds were still in the room, they were still paying my salary and the bar tabs, so I thought to myself - all's well, I guess, right?
after 10 years or so - I found myself watching a ball game or two during the night too ... it's funny how many things we change when we prioritize our lives. The bottom line for me is this:
If people will listen and clients will pay ... I'll try to be as accommodating as I can to make them happy ... within reason. There are not SO many jobs around that we can turn down everything that doesn't fit our wish list exactly, but it's still good to stick to some level of decorum. How much you can take will directly reflect in your wallet.

When it gets too hard ... then you move to Florida and play for the Snowbirds. (Like my parents!)

Back in the mid 80s I began getting real selective about the type of bars and clubs I played. If the place was loaded with TVs and pool tables I just wouldn't perform there. Too many drunks, too many fights, and the cigarette smoke was like pea soup fog.

I played every Friday night at the American Legion in Havre de Grace, MD for 7 years. They had smoke eaters in three rooms, two in the bar area where I performed, and a single TV over the bar that was turned off when the music began. The last year I was there was when the new club manager decided to put in a big-screen TV at both ends of the bar and keep them on all the time I played. The sound was muted, but they were distracting when a ballgame or other sporting event was on. Two weeks later I decided that it was time to more on.

As Dave said, there are so many jobs in the Mid-Atlantic region that you can pick and choose the ones you want and leave the others for the kids.

Cheers,

Gary

I wish that were true, Gary, but you misread what I said. I wrote that there are NOT so many jobs. In a certain niche market, they may be at times, but somewhere, sometimes ... you're gonna have to play in a situation that's not your favorite. You did the right thing - if it's not right for you ... and you can afford to - MOVE ON.

Yep, I missed the NOT in the sentence - old eyes. In the area I'm in there are more jobs, even in the clubs. Problem is the clubs pay about the same as they did 30 to 40 years ago. A four-hour performance in Baltimore's Little Italy will pay $100 for weeknights, and $150 for weekend nights. Ironically, the place in Little Italy where I used to perform, Della Notte's, which was among the top, upscale, Italian restaurants in Baltimore, just went out of business. Della Notte I guess even the high rollers in this economy are feeling the pinch and cutting back.

When I switched to the NH circuit, which is about 20 years ago, I think it was the smartest move I made in this business. Most of the guys I know that are strictly club players work one day a week at most, the pay sucks, and they all had to go back to work doing other things in order to make a living. Especially those who had bands. Full band jobs here are quite rare, and most of them play, on average, one or two jobs a month at best.

Good luck old friend, and I sincerely hope to see you in the near future. I think the Three Amigos need to make a whirlwind trip to the sunny south this year.

Gary

I'd LOVE a road trip ... and crabs and beer!!!!!

Crabs are no longer in a musician/entertainer's budget constraints. They're $75 a dozen for the small to medium size. Crab cakes, the good ones, are $16 to $20 each - ouch!

Beer, ribs, wings, etc..., we can do that, though.

Gary

Crabs??! They're running all over the place down here. You can pick 'em up out of the ditches. Oh, that's Crawfish I'm thinking about. They're better tasting anyway!
DonM

I've eaten crawdads in TX, LA, MS and FL and the only difference between them was the spices used. After having your taste buds totally destroyed on the third one, they all pretty much tasted the same.

Maryland style steamed crabs, crab cakes, deviled crab, imperial crab, crab Hors d'oeuvres, jumbo-shrimp stuffed with crab imperial, fried hard crab, fried soft crab, and a dozen other great ways to serve blue crab puts those miserly little crawdads to shame. Somehow, someway, I've gotta get Don Mason up to the frozen north so he can taste REAL seafood.





I gotta get that boy out of the bayou!

Gary

Crab in Ocean City MD
http://www.hooperscrabhouse.com/
... from the menu... been there, done that ... a number of times ...

"All-You-Can-Eat!
Steamed Crabs (seasoned with Old Bay) • Steamed Shrimp • Hooper's Fried Chicken (fried to a golden brown) • Corn On The Cob (Maryland Grown) • Hush Puppies With an adult purchase of the feast, children under 3 can eat from the feast complimentary. Little Mates Menu Available for Children 10 & Under. $31.99"

Actually I've traveled pretty extensively through the U.S., on expense account, back when I had a REAL job. Hard to get good Gator outside Louisiana though!
Turtle soup for appetizer, crawfish or shrimp e'toufee, jambalaya and crawfish, boiled with corn on the cob and potatoes in the same big pot. Yankees wouldn't understand, and may not survive!
DonM

Just as long as the redhead doesn't have the crabs...

You sound like "Bubba"

I feel ill even thinking about seafood.

Seafood ... That's my favorite diet ... "SeeFood - eat it!"

(I know ... old one)

I remember when I was a kid (an uncle was a fishermen in Glace Bay Harbor) and was told that lobster used to be considered the "Spam of the Sea" and it was generally used as garden fertilizer and as a food staple given to widows.

You were considered "poor" if you had lobster sandwiches in your lunch box at school more than twice a week.

I usually get in at least one "feed" (Cape Breton expression) of it a year and I like taking the cooked (and shelled) lobster and sauteing it in butter in a cast iron fry pan. Yum!

As they say in here in Glace Bay, "It is some good, b'ye."

Ian