Top 10 Pet Peeves

[Midlife Rocker]

Just finished a gig a couple weeks ago. Playing with the same band for 10 years, and still can't get certain behaviors to change. Anyway, feel free to add, comment, replace any anything listed.

 

1) Couple people still don't know the difference between a "line check" and a "sound check". Yelling "check" into the mic is not a sound check.

2) Noodling on instrument while trying to do a line check and/or sound check. Pay attention, and focus on the matter at hand, nobody in the audience cares that you can play the riff to "Limelight".

3) Noodling before we go on and/or after the gig. I can't get to the board fast enough to shut it down after a gig to prevent this.

4) During the line check, you've got to give some feedback if the volume is too high, too low, etc. Just don't say "check 1, 2 ,3", and then walk away.

5) The guitarist is also running the board. If you need adjustments for your monitor, don't complain to him while he's playing, singing and/or soloing. Live with it until the song is over.

6) Whine and complain that the is trash. Fine, if you don't like the monitor, then we won't put one in front of you. Oh, don't like that idea, then go buy your own. Oh, can't afford it, then stop whining!!

7) Everyone helps tear down the PA!! I don't care if it's not "your" PA, help tear it down and load it out. Otherwise, the next gig is going to be 3 sets of nothing but instrumentals.

8) Come to practice prepared. Know your parts. If you don't know them, communicate to the band, that you either are having trouble learning it, not enough time, etc... I'd rather save that song to the end of practice and help someone, rather than waste time on the song.

9) Lighting is just as important as the PA. It benefits the whole band. So...help tear it down and load it out!!

10) Be prepared to market yourself. Business cards are "DIRT" cheap. Keep them in something that you bring to gigs...cable bag, mic case, guitar case, etc.. It's really cheesy when you have someone in the band screaming to you as you're tearing down, "Hey does anyone have a business card"?

[1001gear]

Less experienced and knowledgeable but my #1 craw:

 

Hams on star. Tolerable in and of itself but they insist you conform to their "show" What's a mother to do?

[abzurd]

Is it your PA? If so try this:

 

PA fee with help = X

 

PA FEE without help = X+Y

 

If they agree helping is the way to go then you assign what everyone is responsible for doing. For instance, in our band the guitar player helps me setup subs and mains and connects them to the mixer before he even starts setting up his own stuff. The bass player does lighting. The keys guy hooks up the midi cables to the lights. The drummer opens up the mixer, runs power, runs our sub snakes out of our mixer to our location. Everyone is responsible for putting their own monitor in place and connecting it to the mixer as well as connecting their own instruments and mics. The mixer is well labeled and the use of permanently attached sub snakes helps with this. If someone shows up late then they have to double time it.

 

Last resort if someone just isn't pulling their weight is to tell them the gigs will now be paid in 1/3 increments - 1/3 for setup, 1/3 for playing, 1/3 for tear-down. You show up late and your part has been done by someone else then they get that 1/3. You screw around after the show and someone has to put away stuff you were responsible for, there goes another 1/3.

[1001gear]

Looks like everybody's content !

[Kramerguy]

Mine:

 

1. Guitar / bass plays the main riff of the next song as "noodling" inbetween songs. Or worse, plays a riff of a song we don't do, getting the crowd excited for a song we can't play. Any/All noodling is just bad. Fortheloveofgod just stop.

 

2. Someone turns their volume up way past everyone else, and then refuses to acknowledge it.

 

3. Band girlfriends / wives. Leave 'em at home, please. Nothing causes more problems at a gig than your SO. Nothing.

 

4. Listening to the song on the way to practice isn't "learning" it. I don't care how good you are.. you ain't fooling me.

 

5. You know you can break a string, guitar, cable, etc... If you can't afford to carry a backup instrument and other essentials, then you really can't afford to be in a gigging band.

 

6. Sweatpants are not proper gig attire, ever.

 

7. This one bears special merit because of what happened to me.. for those of you who like to just yell random inappropriate {censored} into the mic, or make your instrument squawk the most LOUD and god-awful, horrific, annoying noise because you think it's funny: Just stop, and think about killing yourself instead.

 

I had my head inside the cone of a large PA speaker, trying to tighten down a screw, when my beloved band-mate decided it would be funny to scream as loud as he could into the mic. When my hearing in my right ear (directly in line with the cone) returned 5 minutes later, it took every once of willpower I had not to beat him with my guitar. I still to this day want to punch him out for that. He had no remorse and thought it was funny.. I have permanent hearing damage in that ear now.

[maarkr]

1. Noodling drummers - I can't critique the song we just practiced cause of the incessant bingy-bangy-boom-boom-tiddle {censored}.

2. Not crazy about non-band members in attendance.

3. Just went to a "jam" where their band split up and two of us went to check it out. Drove me nuts! Guitar so loud my ears hurt, and boosted hi-freq EQ was like daggers... singing with mouth on the mic... it kills me when people want to do songs and don't fill you in on the chords; I'm no savant but rocking right into a song and not talking about the chords or structure...do they think I know every song in the universe????

 

Now my question is... what do I say when they invite me back? I hate to offer criticism so do I just say I'm busy?

[ski219]

Never had any problems with girlfriends, wives or SOs at gigs. Except for that one time when a band mates girlfriend wasn't supposed to come and did and so did the woman he was trying to get into bed, but that made for an amusing night for the rest of us and a really uncomfortable one for him.

 

1. Noodling of course will not be condoned.

 

2. Busy players - I find them really annoying.

 

3. Too loud players.

 

3. Too much gear. Had a bassist who would bring 2 or 3 basses and one of those guitar case fold up guitar racks. In a small bar that thing just took up way too much space. Same for drummers with huge kits. Scale it back please if the stage is tight.

 

5. Drunks. Had a singer who would get soo freaking drunk. One time he knocked my cables lose twice in 1 set.

 

6. Drunks in the crowd who either want to sing or knock into your mic stand.

 

7. People being late for rehearsal. Not 5 or 10 minutes but a half hour or more had a short lived band a few years ago where I just couldn't get everybody on board and after 6 or so gigs I just shut it down and joined a gigging band.

 

8. Players who passively aggressively refuse to learn new material they don't like. This is one of those guys who was always late for practice.

 

9. Gigs that are a PITA to get to or to load in/out.

 

10. Gigs on crappy dates. The drunk singer used to book us into places on holiday weekends when everyone was out of town. I figured that out fairly early on and became unavailable for those dates.

 

[Tullsterx]

Let's see:

 

- I hate it when a member of the band is the only one complaining. Like, we're getting gigs, people seem to really like us, cash is flowing, things are good. . . but then there's one guy saying "We could be so much better, we could do more, we need this, we need that. . . " Dude, you're the only one bitching. There are 8-10 people involved in the band and no one else thinks it's a problem, no clients are complaining, so just shut the hell up, and take your cash.

 

- People that think singing backup is just about having a mic. Or guys that have mics, for some reason or another, that randomly start singing in certain parts. Dude, if you haven't rehearsed and you don't know the harmony parts then don't sing. Did you run it by the band that you were going to start singing this part? You just think you can decide on your own that you're just going to start singing without any coordination with anyone else? Wake the hell up!

 

- Guys that stand around while others load the trailer. Can you not see that we need help. It's freaking 2AM and we have a 3 hour drive home, lend a hand dammit!

 

"8. Players who passively aggressively refuse to learn new material they don't like. This is one of those guys who was always late for practice."

 

I agree with the one above.

 

Note: To me, a lot of the stuff you guys listed is asking way too much. To me, drunks are part of the show. If you don't have drunk people trying to get onstage you're not doing it right. It's really part of the SoulPlay show really. Being late for rehearsal is common, but if the guy is killing it at every show, well, OK, everybody's got SOMETHING else going on. Too loud players, too busy players, girlfriends, wives, we deal with these ALL the time, but it's not a problem. It's just a reality.

 

 

 

 

[StratGuy22]

- People that think singing backup is just about having a mic. Or guys that have mics' date=' for some reason or another, that randomly start singing in certain parts. Dude, if you haven't rehearsed and you don't know the harmony parts then don't sing. Did you run it by the band that you were going to start singing this part? You just think you can decide on your own that you're just going to start singing without any coordination with anyone else? Wake the hell up![/quote']

 

Our keyboad player is really territorial. If we get another girl up to sing a song she's always jumping in with weird ass harmonies etc. She started adding some to one song I do, so I was sure to shut that down pronto after the gig.

 

I don't know what the deal is, she's not going to lose her job, just chill and let the girl have her song.

 

I also hate noodling. I'd rather set up alone than set up while one person is farting around. That's why I don't power up until everything is set up, if I can.

[jeff42]

3. Band girlfriends / wives. Leave 'em at home, please. Nothing causes more problems at a gig than your SO. Nothing..

 

I don't care that they are there at the gig, I care if they think they are part of the band. THAT is where the problem is. These things go hand in hand usually though. if a SO is at EVERY gig she usually thinks she calls the shots with the band like she does with her man.

[StratGuy22]

 

I don't care that they are there at the gig, I care if they think they are part of the band. THAT is where the problem is. These things go hand in hand usually though. if a SO is at EVERY gig she usually thinks she calls the shots with the band like she does with her man.

 

Drinking on the bands tab.

 

 

[DeepEnd]

I'm in a praise band so the issues are different, i.e., the PA stays where it is, we provide music for singing along rather than performing, but I do have some pet peeves, just like everyone else.

#4 above can be a problem in any venue. A couple of weeks ago, we were going to introduce a new song to the congregation. The musicians had been practicing it for a month. I'd actually originally learned it on bass to back up a soloist and relearned it on rhythm guitar. That morning, our lead vocalist announced, "I don't know this song." Excuse me? You know what time the rest of us practice. Where have you been? We had to get the original soloist to sing lead vocals.

I haven't seen it mentioned but don't start playing until everyone else is ready. You make everyone look incompetent. Our pianist/Music Director does that. This morning, our regular bass player was still putting his strap over his head when she started playing the first song. Oddly enough, she's the one who's a stickler for everyone starting together, except in her case that means "Start when I start."

[Roy Brooks]

I don't like when drummers get louder and busier during guitar solos.

[Pat'sStrat]

I hate it when venues like restaurants want to "try something different" and book a high energy band and then complain that the band is too loud and not mellow enough.

 

I also hate it when an audience member, after listening to a band play country or blues of classic rock for an hour, approach the stage and ask for the latest Ke$ha or Megan Trainor song.

[Outkaster]

Yeah Pat I just put a volume clause into our contract and rider to address those issues.

[wesg]

I don't like it when guitar players get louder and busier during organ solos.

 

BlueStrat - some people really don't understand that we are not jukeboxes. Not from a douchebag perspective, they really are absolutely clueless as to how music is made. And those people tend to listen to Kei$ha and Megan Trainor.

 

Wes

[Outkaster]

The problem is these people usually have money and want to dictate how things are done. We almost walked out of a gig on Finger Lakes as we were testing levels and the owner's wife complained. We got the volume under control obviously but had to check the front of house first. This was a couple weeks ago. The next day I went and amended by contract/rider. These people just think you set up and play and don't realize the logistics and work. It can kill a musicians vibe because they are not relaxed and will play tentatively as they are worried about being too loud.

[1001gear]

I don't like when drummers get louder and busier during guitar solos.

 

This is something I do but I'll tell you why, boring guitarists. In doing this I also find many are airheads when it comes to extemporaneous interaction and then you get the familiar din that even I don't like.