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Consoles at Venues across the country


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Hello I'm getting ready to embark on a summer tour which will be my first tour with a band that will be doing shows across the country and I need everyone's help so I can prepare myself for each console I will be on and it would be very helpful if anyone could give me pointers and info on the boards and venues I would be very appreciative. thanks here are the venues

 

San Francisco, CA

Bottom Of The Hill

 

Seattle, WA

Chop Suey

 

Portland, OR

Doug Fir Lounge

 

Minneapolis, MN

7th Street Entry

 

Chicago , IL

Empty Bottle

 

Cleveland, OH

Grog Shop

 

Philadelphia, PA

Kung Fu Necktie

 

Boston, MA

Great Scott

 

New York, NY

Bowery Ballroom

 

Hoboken , NJ

Maxwell's

 

Chapel Hill, NC

Local 506

 

Atlanta, GA

The Earl

 

Birmingham, AL

Bottletree Cafe

 

New Orleans, LA

One Eyed Jacks

 

Austin , TX

The Parish

 

Houston , TX

Walter?s On Washington

 

Tucson , AZ

Club Congress

 

Los Angeles, CA

Spaceland

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Exactly what Aged said. Your advance should help alleviate any confusion about what consoles you will be stepping behind. Depending on the size of the venue and your band, you might even be able to specify the console you want. Or, for that matter, carry one with you. Just not sure how big this tour is....

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maybe you could explain what you mean by the advance by that do you mean just call the venue in advance and get all the info from them because we won't be bringing our own PA I was wondering if anyone had worked with these venues and have used there boards/PA etc. the places range from 500-1000 seat venues

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Oh boy, this is your first tour right?

 

How do you think the sound guys will know what you need? They are not mind readers any more than you are a mind reader knowing what they will provide.

 

Does you band have a rider? Do you have any experience with doing sound? What kind of band is this? Do any of them have real touring experience? How is everybody getting paid?

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Here is the way a typical touring group works (there are variations on this theme of course). Basicly some one or two people contact the venue in advance and work out the logistics of the upcoming job (hense the word advance). The road manager typicaly handles people things like food & lodging, transportation, catering (if any (even if it's just bottled water and towels for the stage)) and all other details required to get on down the road. The production manager typicaly handles technical things like lights, sound & backline (if you don't carry your own). Often on smaller tours one person wears multiple hats (like road mgr, production mgr, sound engineer, LD and so on...). Advancing the show usualy entails sending (well in advance) a contract rider with your requirments (or at least expectations) which should include a comprehensive stage plot (include stage dimensions, personel & equipment placment, (including mics, DIs, AC drops, monitors and mix info)) and an input list with other requirments like number of aux's FX units EQs etc... (be specific). The more information you put into these pages, the easier both your and the local crew's job will be.

 

After you've sent off your rider information (to some groups it's just a wish list :>) you should ALWAYS follow up by contacting the venue and finding out what compromises can be made between what they are willing to provide and what you want (there are always compromises so be prepared...).

 

Following these steps is the only way to make a tour work smoothly (or at all).

 

Hope this helps

 

Happy touring.

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I didn't read through anyone else's replies before adding mine again, but this is how the advance should work...

 

NO LESS THAN A WEEK OUT FROM YOUR FIRST DATE!!!!!!!!!!!!! , call or email each venue (calling is much better) and set up all the details of your performance. Do all of this:

 

1. Verify your date, load in time, and performance time of each show. (make sure that your calendar matches theirs as sometimes people get confused and they could have you playing the night after you think you are booked, by some odd mistake)

 

2. Again, double check your load-in and soundcheck times. Confirm them and make sure that both parties know when you should be there and ready to start setting up.

 

3. See if the venue has booked an opener for your show and whether any of the gear will be backlined. (Squeezing a 5 piece rock band inside the setup for another 5 piece rock band can be kind of tricky if the stage isn't big enough)

 

4. Discuss the technical specs of each venue and confirm if you are familiar with and comfortable with each location's house equipment (ie. console, outboard effects, etc. Also, confirm that enough power is supplied for your performance.)

 

5. Discuss any band rider information. Food, hotels, other buy outs, etc. If any of your members have food allergies or preferences, make them known so that you don't end up with peanuts and potato chips fried in peanut oil don't end up being your only meal, when all of you are deathly allergic to peanuts.

 

6. Confirm your load in and performance times again!!!

 

7. Make sure you have the name and address of each venue as well as directions, in the instance that you don't have a GPS.

 

8. If you are supposed to have a hotel room/s, confirm the fact that they are booked.... AGAIN!

 

9. Confirm your load in and performance times!!!!

 

10. Make sure that all contracts have been approved and/or edited to meet both parties' needs and that both the band and venue have signed copies.

 

11. Thank the production manager with whom you have been talking and tell them you are looking forward to seeing them.

 

12. BE AT EACH VENUE ON TIME!!!! IF YOU HANDLE YOUR END OF THE BARGAIN, THEN YOU ARE SURE THAT YOU CAN'T BE TO BLAME IF SOMETHING GOES AWRY. NO QUESTIONS CAN BE RAISED ABOUT MEETING GUARANTEES BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T AT THE VENUE ON TIME OR BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T READY TO START PLAYING UNTIL AN HOUR AFTER SHOW TIME, OR BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MATERIAL TO PLAY A 2.5 HOUR SHOW AND ENDED AN HOUR EARLY.

 

Make everything as easy on yourselves as possible. Do a little homework/business before you leave your hometown and you could save yourself a lot of heartache on the days of each show.

 

And, have fun...

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