opening band treatment...

[sir funkytown]

So...we were opening up for a famous 80's rock band(well, they were world famous here in Canada...and no, I'm not telling you who).It's an outdoor corporate event for a huge financial planning company...lots-a chedder being thrown around on this event, top notch all the way.The weather, she isn't very good, but, the stage is covered. We do our sound check and go to eat .While we are gone it starts to pour down, horizontal rain just drenching the stage.The sound company quickly covers up the amps and pedals of the famous 80's pop band...and....can you hear it coming....they let our stuff get soaked , didn't even try to cover anything.When we mention it to the monitor guy we get that blank "who the hell do you thing YOU are? " stare that all PA guys seem to practice in front of a mirror every night just in case they happen to meet a musician on the street that day.

Fortuatly....as you all know , because you follow my posts religiously, my new Double hum SR was in the case , with me in, the Hard Rock Cafe.
The rest of the band got off lucky.No explosions or Johnny Thunder type mishaps...although , striking the stage in a frenzy so that the F.80'sB. could get on was a little unnearving.

 

[Big Poppa]

The funny thing is the monitor guy was never good enough to play so he had a choice rock journalism or sound guy...the headliner has selective memory and forgets that they were once an opening act that made a pact never to treat an opening act like dog poop

 

[Lazybite]

The funny thing is the monitor guy was never good enough to play so he had a choice rock journalism or sound guy...the headliner has selective memory and forgets that they were once an opening act that made a pact never to treat an opening act like dog poop

Very true... I should probably start practicing said stare I guess

 

[PzoLover]

Nonsense - your socks smell Great !

... It's an outdoor corporate event for a huge financial planning company... lots-a chedder ... The weather, she isn't very good ...
No explosions or Johnny Thunder type mishaps ...

SFT,

Tnx for the war story and pardon the header wisecrack about the chances of 'winning the 649' vis-a-vis 'getting struck by lightening'

OK, so you got fed.
---

Are you an AFM member ? Was that a union gig ? Was the money good? Would insurance have covered you for water damage or "Acts Of God" ?

Was the music good ? Did the client give a fatratzass ? Are you rebooked for next year?

Did you meat any hot corporate babes? Did you have fun ?
---

/PL

 

[Bill]

Sounds like something that would happen at one of my gigs!

 

[AnthonyD]

A lesson for us all... Never forget where you came from...

 

[rolandk]

That is a major bummer, but were there any plans or agreement with the stage crew of what happens if it starts pouring down rain?

Where were you guys? Why didn't you take care of your gear yourself?

 

[Colin]

I've seen this kind of happen in reverse. An opening act moving the headliners equipment around and plugging into some of there gear.

 

[tommyindelaware]

1. it's a wonder u got a sound check....
2. it's a double wonder u had time to eat !!!!!
3. NEVER leave u gear unattended by someone w/ yer outfit.
4. & assume someone else on someone elses payroll is gonna watch yer back.


with all that said....i do understand your frustration. if i saw that happening on a gig...once i realized there was nobody there from your camp......i would make every effort to attempt to cover yer gear 4 u.......but i'd also be suprised at there being nobody there from your camp to do it.

 

[Big Poppa]

Funky Tommy's advice is rock solid without pointing fingers. This is all stuff Im sure he learned from experience.

 

[Sherry SK8]

Something like that . . .

Was it Triumph? April Wine? Men without Hats? I guess you can't say now that you've aired out a lamo scenario . . .

I have yet to open for an 80's Canadian band, but I did open once for a travelling Christian Musician at a trendy apres church cafe/special event:

We were treated like crap and the sound man had "the face" but it was fun. We got to open a song with weird ambiance music while we played a recording of my Simpson's Mr.Burns doll saying 'I'd give it all up for just a little bit more" or something like that . . then we played a bizarre jazz thing in 13/8 or something like that . . .

 

[Rano Bass]

That is a major bummer, but were there any plans or agreement with the stage crew of what happens if it starts pouring down rain?

Where were you guys? Why didn't you take care of your gear yourself?

+1 If you are not the ones paying money to that guy.... don't expect anything from him. But he could have been a little nicer to you anyway.

 

[Jim_F]

Hhmmm - well, as someone who has worked on the other side as a guitar tech for some touring bands, my experience would be that most guitar techs / road crew would make the effort to at least move / cover amps / pedals if possible ... or at least let you know as a support band to move them. a) If they have the time and b) if they can find you.

But I wouldnt ASSUME they would - the sound crew priority is to look after the main band and their gear usually - who pay their wages. Tommy's points are valid - always leave someone looking after your gear unless you have crew who will do this for you - particularly at bigger gigs, where pedals, amps, leads etc. can always 'go walkies'.... and NEVER leave valuable instruments around without someone looking after them.

And don't blame the 'famous 80s band' - they probably weren't aware that your gear was getting wet - particularly if the stage is covered.

Hope none of your gear was damaged.

 

[Big Poppa]

good points jim!

 

[gafbass02]

a few

Did a few tours with 80s names last year and was lucky enough to be treated well by both band and crew, there was one exception who spent the entire time we should have been soundchecking standing onstage saying "my finger in your a*se", "No dude, my finger in YOUR a*se"!

(repeat ad nauseum!!!!)

But Styx and Dokken were a great bunch to work with, and the styx crew in particular were fantastic.
Infact ive only been treated badly by bands who think they are big on the local circuit etc!

 

[Disquieter]

It seems to be a pandemic of bands who are so full of themselves.


I tried to book a local band, not very well known, but a decent band none the less.

I emailed them, asking if they wanted to play with these more popular local bands. they instructed me to call their manager. I did this, and his mom answered, says he's not home from school yet...so i call back.


we'll, for local shows we need a minimum of $500.

I was shocked. I asked him if he understood this was an allages event and had no bar money coming in... he said yes.

then i asked him if his band can guarantee a 300 person crowd. he said no.

So i politely told him that we wouldn't be doing business together.


I've heard this before. and honestly, i can't imagine any bar in town paying an unknown a $500 guarantee...


oh well.

 

[CodeMonkey]

To add to some of the great points made by people in this thread, sometimes a little humility goes a long long way. There are a number of bands I know who demand upwards of $800 a show and they can't even bring in enough crowd to keep the bartender awake. Meanwhile, my band opened a sold out all ages show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, Ca last friday and we didn't receive a dime. Of course, the exposure was worth ONE MILLION times any amount of money and we we able to move enough merch to gas up our short bus and drive home so we had no reason to complain. While we have made some decent money at shows, the most we have ever asked for, was gas money for the bus...roughly $60 which I think most venues can manage even if we are nobodies.

I dunno maybe it's not rock and roll to be nice to people, but right now I have more show offers than I could possibly book and perform.

 

[Big Poppa]

To add to some of the great points made by people in this thread, sometimes a little humility goes a long long way. There are a number of bands I know who demand upwards of $800 a show and they can't even bring in enough crowd to keep the bartender awake. Meanwhile, my band opened a sold out all ages show at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, Ca last friday and we didn't receive a dime. Of course, the exposure was worth ONE MILLION times any amount of money and we we able to move enough merch to gas up our short bus and drive home so we had no reason to complain. While we have made some decent money at shows, the most we have ever asked for, was gas money for the bus...roughly $60 which I think most venues can manage even if we are nobodies.

I dunno maybe it's not rock and roll to be nice to people, but right now I have more show offers than I could possibly book and perform.

Sarah must be bookng them!~

 

[SteveB]

We've done a few summer gigs outdoors, and we agreed to do them for free. In each case, we ended up getting a few hundred bucks anyway because the organizations liked us and we played like we were getting paid all along.

The last bar gig we did, we were hoping to make enough to cover our costs for renting lighting gear. We ended up clearing our costs by over $400. Not bad for an unknown band that plays all original music and gigs maybe 3 or 4 times a year!

I just like to play, and if I don't take a loss on the gig I'm ecstatic!

 

[high mileage]

Very good points brought up here - I guess the bottom line for me is that you really need to look after your own stuff. The sound guys and crew for the other band had their own priorities and it wasn't your gear. They probably would have helped if they had extra tarps, but only after their gear was secure.

Sound check, huh? Heard that term before I think...