Members Chris Loeffler Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 Obviously, lighting can transform a live performance from a bunch of sweaty guys on a stage jamming to a transformative, crowd engaging experience (not knocking the sweaty guy part... there are some stages where you can make good money for that ). I've often felt a good band should have their own sound guy (you know... that friend who doesn't play an instrument but wants to hand around); is it time we add a lighting guy (or gal) to that statement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted August 21, 2015 Members Share Posted August 21, 2015 Generally a better presentation is had by having both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chris Loeffler Posted August 22, 2015 Author Members Share Posted August 22, 2015 Agreed. I'm just surprised how much work a band can put into their music and then they flub it with sound and lighting... DON'T BE TOO COOL FOR LASERS! Ok... well, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted August 24, 2015 Members Share Posted August 24, 2015 Back in "the day", having a dedicated lighting guy and full light show was as necessary as a sound guy for bands operating at a certain level of professionalism and was the goal for all bands aspiring to be at that level. You weren't going to get a gig at any of the major clubs hiring bands unless you brought in your own lights, for the most part. All that changed during the "all about the art" shoe-gazing period in the 90s. Problem was that it became a downward spiral that is a major cause (IMO) of the situation we are in now where live music isn't considered a premium product worth paying to see by many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted September 1, 2015 Members Share Posted September 1, 2015 We used to have a sound & light guy back in the day. These days we mix from the stage and I control the lights via foot pedal. It would be nice to have dedicated people. Unfortunately it means more mouths to feed and would take us from a decent payday to not a very good one. Plus us finding available people is always a challenge. We do ok on our own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 1, 2015 Members Share Posted September 1, 2015 I do lights with my foot. I hate it. No way I'd do what we do without a sound guy though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stevegarris Posted September 1, 2015 Members Share Posted September 1, 2015 Ah yes, the good old days back in the 80's when we had a lighting tech along side our soundman. That was also when a cover band typically "moved in" to a club, hung 40-50 pars and then "moved out" 4 or 5 days later. Today sound is still super important, but so are costs. I Never see both sound & light guys in typical club settings. Having said that, I think Guido has it right - few people care about big light shows any more. I work very hard on the sound, and with today's modern lightweight speakers, it's amazing what I can accomplish with a mini van full of powered boxes. My light show consists of LED lights that pop up on stands and run to the sound of the music. All of the bands I work for are super appreciative for this simple light solution. If money were of no concern, then by all means, yes I would love to hire a light guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 2, 2015 Members Share Posted September 2, 2015 Having said that' date=' I think Guido has it right - few people care about big light shows any more.[/quote'] Well, I know they didn't for at least a few years there. I suspect they might dig 'em if the bands provided them. There are a lot of factors that have contributed to the sad state of live music today. But I do also think that one of them is bands don't give people their moneys worth the way bands used to at least try to do back in the 80s. I understand that nobody wants to bring in a big light and sound rig for a $400 bar gig, but if the bar is ever to be risen again, it has to start somewhere. Low pay=bands that don't put out much effort=uninterested audiences=even lower pay. It's a vicious cycle after a certain point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted October 27, 2015 Members Share Posted October 27, 2015 Here's me controlling our lights from a foot pedal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stevegarris Posted November 2, 2015 Members Share Posted November 2, 2015 Very nice! - Those Spot Duo's look awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted November 16, 2015 Members Share Posted November 16, 2015 Thanks. I think the whole setup works well together. The Spot Duos are like icing on the cake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.