Members abzurd Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 Kind of the "holding bag part 2" - Had an outdoor show Saturday that turned into a sound check and tear down. The contract said the stage had to be covered. Further communication was that walls were needed to keep the stage dry. Well, long story short, they provided 2 shade tents squished together. Front 3 feet of stage was uncovered, FOH stacks uncovered, and we stupidly put the mixer in the middle where the 2 tents met. It made a great funnel for water to pour down into the mixer…. A lot of water. We saw it coming, but wow, the sky opened up like a faucet. Needless to say, 20 minutes later when the rain subsided we sent the keyboard player out to buy towels and started tearing down. This is why you get paid up front! I unracked the mixer, a Qu-16, and carried it to my car as water came out of it. It’s been sitting in my front room with a fan on it since 2PM Saturday along with all my speakers, which I think are OK, but wanted them out of the damp bags and general wetness of the trailer. I have the AC on in the house so the humidity is low. Not sure how long to leave the mixer drying before I check it out. If it’s dead I need time to find a decent replacement for next Saturday. If it’s alive, I do have a last ditch back up mixer that would skate us by in an emergency. It’s nothing I’d want to start with though. As for playing outdoor shows in the future, I think we’re done with that. It’s just not worth the stress and risk involved. Clients simply don’t appreciate the risk, and don't understand that doing an event outside “should” mean additional costs for stuff like appropriate cover for the band. The reality is it’s the first shortcut taken. Sure, I could come up with an addendum to the contract full of exact specifications for a tent, but at the end of the day there will always be a band with less onerous requirements that will do the event. For the 1-3 outdoor shows we do a year, it’s not worth fooling around with it in our business model. Plus, I swear, we may as well rename ourselves “Rain Dance” when doing outdoor shows. The last half dozen we’ve done have had rain shortly after our sound check. One of the worst storms I’ve ever seen in my life was during a show. I suppose the good news is, with everything out drying, the trailer is empty so I can put mulch in it this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BillESC Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 I remember doing an outdoor show where we got rained on quite badly. The next day loading into a theater in Scranton, PA our dimmer racks had water dripping out of them as we put them on the dock. Always an adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Axisplayer Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 Been there, done that and survived. Worst was when I was just about to finish outdoor setup of a large system, and just as I hit playback on the computer to start music, the tornado siren starts and emergency numbers on my phone start going off. That scared me…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 18, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 Been there' date=' done that and survived. Worst was when I was just about to finish outdoor of a large system, and just as I hit playback on the computer to start music, the tornado siren starts and emergency numbers on my phone start going off. That scared me….[/quote'] Yep. We had that happen. Catholic festival was evacuated to the school. Worst storm I've been "kind of" outside in. It was a nice circus tent anchored into pavement. The center wooden pole bowed, but didn't break as the tent kept lifting 3 feet then dropping. I tried to get the other band members to leave their gear and go inside, but they wouldn't. I eventually said the heck with this and went inside. It was darn scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted May 18, 2015 Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 It's a gamble being outside but there are things you can do to help. Buy some pop up canopies. Costco sell great ones for around 200. Good for an FOH tent or covering speakers. next is to look at the covering and see where water might go if it rains. Putting your board underneath a seam? No way. Have gear that sits off the ground a little. Amo racks with castors. Subs with big ass rubber feet (1"tall). AC that's GFI protected and protected from rain or runoff. Here in seattle its it's better to expect rain. It happens a lot. Don't move here. Tell everyone moving not to come. Really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 18, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 18, 2015 Like I said, in hindsight we were absolutely stupid to set up like we did. That said, there was no saving this gig if it drizzled even a little and there was an 80% chance of rain all week and constant badgering from me to "get it right". In the end it was 2 shade tents partially set up and said they didn't have the tent that they thought they'd have... or basically, sorry about your luck. They installed 1 wall and left. We had to do the rest. They wheeled over a generator, which was out in the rain. Yes we could of, and should of, said.... um no, and refuse to set up. That's a tough call I don't want to make and they don't want to accept, especially when we are shielding our eyes from the sun. I'm either "the jerk" or the guy that has to walk up to them after getting dumped on and say.... we'll all our stuff is soaked so we're leaving. Seeing it with their own eyes, they are satisfied, not realizing it's entirely their doing, but also not caring. As far as they were concerned mother nature was at fault. Never mind the 900 in attendance that were under "the big tent" and perfectly dry. Regarding bringing the tent, owning a tent isn't really the issue. You need a stage the fits the tent so your gear isn't on the ground, barrel weights to anchor the tent so it doesn't go flying, taking out 6 kids and puncturing the bounce house, etc. We'd never be able to bring all that stuff ourselves nor want the liability. Now if they have production all lined up from a legit company, that's a different story as we can reasonably protect the instruments. It's just too much having to manage and protect everything from the elements and / or being the ones making the call that "what you provided sucks and we refuse to set up". I'd rather take the weekend off than deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jasaoke Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 $25 bucks can get you about 100 square feet of plasic sheeting at a big box home store. It's not a solution, but it's a water-proof barrier that packs small and can save equipment in a flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pro Sound Guy Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 A fan is not good enough. Use one of these DO NOT turn any device on until your absolutely sure there is no moisture present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 I ended up losing a festival because I refused to continue in the rain. Another "sound company" came in to save the next still very day and the state health and safety officer came out and saw what was going on (AC cables and connectors under water) and really shut them down. The festival organizers thought that we were total assholes for refusing to continue, but as it was on state property and we have a signed life safety agreement that's part of our GSA contract, continuing wasn't even on the table as that would have jeopardized several other much more lucrative state contracts that we held. With those sorts of contracts, your conduct is made part of the overall contract with the state so you have a lot to loose if you screw up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 It's too bad there was no way to visit the venue the day before. We don't travel too far as a band. Our town has a mobile stage, with a decent roof. If we do play a tent, it's usually a big one. Precautions are still taken. We are playing a mortgage burning party June 20th, and I'm trying to find out if we are playing in a garage or shop (it's at an acreage). If not, I'll hook them up with the town contact for the Showmobile, if it's available. If it's not available I have a contact for a decent sized tent. If that's not available it might become an indoor house party. For most outdoor gigs, after listening to the plan, it if sounds sketchy I'll take a pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pro Sound Guy Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Even when the doppler radar on a portable device shows its gonna get wet people insist you go on with the show. Not worth it IMOOr the people that insist you setup again inside for free after striking the gear because of rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted May 19, 2015 CMS Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Yep, my last outdoor gig promised tent coverage, and all of it went to the guests and catering. No rain, but the band and I were royally pissed as it was blistering hot and humid. So hot the attendees never ventured out from under their tent which was oddly placed well off to the side, so the band played to a lot of empty grass. Goofy and pretty depressing. As far as rain protection, EVERYTHING gets a dedicated tarp even if there is a tent. Every tarp gets a set of bungees to secure it quickly, and the setup is accordion folded at the base of what it protects. I've taken ribbing for being anal about this, but my gear is dry and I intend to keep it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 19, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 It's too bad there was no way to visit the venue the day before. We don't travel too far as a band. Our town has a mobile stage, with a decent roof. If we do play a tent, it's usually a big one. Precautions are still taken. We are playing a mortgage burning party June 20th, and I'm trying to find out if we are playing in a garage or shop (it's at an acreage). If not, I'll hook them up with the town contact for the Showmobile, if it's available. If it's not available I have a contact for a decent sized tent. If that's not available it might become an indoor house party. For most outdoor gigs, after listening to the plan, it if sounds sketchy I'll take a pass. There was a way to visit the venue, but the venue was a soccer field and would have looked like a soccer field the day before. It's also 30 minutes away and we run the band like a business. Time and materials are money. I would have charged the client to inspect the situation before hand (another thing I don't want to do). Then they would have had to remedy it, which would have just ticked them off and they probably would have not done it anyway. They hired an events company to put this shindig on. Obviously a dime store operation. There was a DJ too and he came over and said his tent was so worn out all the rain-proofing properties were worn and water just came through the roof. I was going to complain to the company, but it wouldn't matter and I don't need the hassle of what retaliation might come of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Will insurance cover it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 19, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Will insurance cover it? Don't know. Don't have insurance for the gear. Oh, and the mixer works. I turned it on about an hour before the hairdryer post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Telecruiser Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Look on the bright side ... It could have been worse. [video=youtube;SRkdwrmzYXg] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OneEng Posted May 19, 2015 Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Don't know. Don't have insurance for the gear. Oh, and the mixer works. I turned it on about an hour before the hairdryer post. Glad to hear your new mixer held up under ..... unusually harsh conditions That would have really sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 19, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 19, 2015 Glad to hear your new mixer held up under ..... unusually harsh conditions That would have really sucked. Especially when this is my backup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pro Sound Guy Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Really man...open the back of that thing and take a look inside for signs of moisture. A piece of gear will fire up even with a moist inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crownman Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Glad the mixer is working. Every time we do an outdoor gig we get 50% down as a deposit and the rest in cash before we pull one piece of gear out of the van. After having something happen like you went through I decided that I didn't care if it cost me a few gigs to do it that way. And if I feel like the person will half ass things I make a list of the required needs like tents, coverings, stages, power needs, etc. and have them sign a contract that says if even one of those things isn't met we have the right to not do the gig and they forfeit the 50% they put down in advance, I've gotten to the point where I can be kind of a dick about some of this stuff at times but it's saved me a lot of pain, frustration, and wasted time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ......And gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted May 20, 2015 Author Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Glad the mixer is working. Every time we do an outdoor gig we get 50% down as a deposit and the rest in cash before we pull one piece of gear out of the van. After having something happen like you went through I decided that I didn't care if it cost me a few gigs to do it that way. And if I feel like the person will half ass things I make a list of the required needs like tents, coverings, stages, power needs, etc. and have them sign a contract that says if even one of those things isn't met we have the right to not do the gig and they forfeit the 50% they put down in advance, I've gotten to the point where I can be kind of a dick about some of this stuff at times but it's saved me a lot of pain, frustration, and wasted time. Absolutely! Payment was not the issue. We charge 1/3 up front and the balance paid in full 14 days prior to the gig. The contract is clear that it's our discretion if we play or not based on weather and provided protection from the elements. So that part was covered..... and you'd think would lead the client to protect their investment in us and provide adequate protection, or at least some thought about it versus slapping up a couple of shade tents that cover only 2/3 of the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mikekars Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Outdoors rain preparation is always a good idea. Even if the mains / subs are under whatever stage canopy is provided, it is usually not enough to protect them. As soon as a storm kicks up the wind blows the rain in from the side. Due to dust, liquid spills, and even dogs marking their territory, I have taken to covering the subs completely as a matter of course at any festival. I bring enough boxes that are not pushed hard so they don't seem to get hot. You can see how much dust is already on the brown sub tarp (center stacked) after only one day of three. We have trash bags that quickly go over the tops. These go on and off quickly if you strap the speakers the right way. They look like a**s but when it is raining everyone seems to understand. They do cause the high end to roll off slightly but you can bring that back with some EQ. After it gets dark no one even notices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Unalaska Posted May 20, 2015 Members Share Posted May 20, 2015 Trash bags work. I guess I've been lucky with having tents and stages. There was one birthday party my band played about 8 yrs ago where we had 2 10x10 tents and it just rained something fierce. We played it, did the best we could and I made sure everything was as dry as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mogwix Posted June 2, 2015 Members Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thinking back, I've done a ton of outdoor shows but have only been rained out a few times. We've had some rain delays (including a few intense downpours) but never had to completely shut down. I decided long ago that I'm not doing any outdoor gigs without a covered stage, whether standing in the hot sun or risk of rain. If the forecast is calling for rain, we'll pack a pile of tarps and garbage bags. We'll lay out the tarps around the gear so if rain comes, we make the call to cut it and we'll have everything covered in a matter of seconds. I've been lucky to work with people who stick to the contracts and we haven't had any problems. Knock on wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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