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Singers trying to do stupid tricks with mics.


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Ok,

 

How do I handle this.

 

I have a singer (good) with good mic technique who insists on swinging the mic around like an idiot. He doesn't do it often, but maybe twice a night but I don't think it's necessary.

 

Three things:

 

1, potential to be dangerous.

2, potential to be dropped and kill the PA.

3, potential for the lead to break internally.

 

Assuming I can't do anything about 1 and 3 (and I'm going to try to stop him doing it completely) is there any way of setting some sort of hard limiter on the mic that will stop this causing PA damage? I have a DBX166XL to work with.

 

Does anyone have any other ideas?

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I deal with different bands every show who are in this new genre of rock called mic swinger. It seems that of 6 bands a night 5 must swing the mic. Some bring their own mic and cable which usually is a 58 or 845 has some bright colored tape all around the mic, with a streach of the cable taped up so it doesn't come loose, the grills look like they went through the war (which war you ask? ...All of them) and it's dull sounding from all the bangs it's taken.

 

I have a peice of white gaff tape on the grill of all my wedges that says DO NOT SWING MICS! When questioned as to why, I tell bands on first offense you lose that mic in the monitor for the rest of the set. On Second offense you lose that mic in FOH for the rest of the set. On 3rd offense I charge the stage with my maglite and tazer (I do carry a 500,000 volt tazer with me). Needless to say, bands don't swing mics on my stage. If the above mentioned mic swinger provides his mic and cable then I don't care how much he swings his mic.

 

It's actually funny to watch a singer swing a mic and hit his guitarist in the eye with the mic, then the guitarist hit the stage and break the headstock of his guitar, causing the rest of the band to get pissed at the singer and the bassist to punch the singer in the face. Worst part was cleaning blood off some cables and a mic stand.

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Give him a cheap wireless...

 

 

Great!!! I'll have to keep that one in mind!

 

Or, for something a little more sinister, put oil on the mic cable!

 

I did have one of the kids (teenagers) spit water all over the stage (stage persona???). I don't get that...Why???

 

Next time he asked if I would do sound, he got an earfull!

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Seriously? stop running sound for him, or make a contract that requires he pay for any damage caused by his "showmanship"

 

As if singers could pay for your PA.....:rolleyes:

 

 

Most can't afford their own mic.

 

 

Which BTW would be the first thing I'd make him provide....his own mic and cable. Then we'd have "the talk".

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Duct tape the mic to the mic stand and get him to bring a lasso on stage. Convice him that lassos drive the ladies wild...and that a singer swinging a mic attracts gay men.
:thu:

 

Leather chaps work in either scenario.

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I used to have a sign that said 'Do not put your feet on monitors' and would do similar things, one foot on the level goes down in that monitor, second time it is off, third time I would start messing with the other monitors, usually the bands got it after the first or second time.. this was when I was doing a lot of gigs for free, so I really had no one to answer to but me, and I was perfectly fine with what I was doing... would never think about doing it when getting paid....

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would never think about doing it when getting paid....

 

 

But knew what to charge for the next gig.

 

I'll never understand people who would go crazy if you touched their guitar amp, but have no problem stepping on or even kicking your floor wedges. As if it's somehow different...

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I deal with different bands every show who are in this new genre of rock called mic swinger. It seems that of 6 bands a night 5 must swing the mic. Some bring their own mic and cable which usually is a 58 or 845 has some bright colored tape all around the mic, with a streach of the cable taped up so it doesn't come loose, the grills look like they went through the war (which war you ask? ...All of them) and it's dull sounding from all the bangs it's taken.


I have a peice of white gaff tape on the grill of all my wedges that says DO NOT SWING MICS! When questioned as to why, I tell bands on first offense you lose that mic in the monitor for the rest of the set. On Second offense you lose that mic in FOH for the rest of the set. On 3rd offense I charge the stage with my maglite and tazer (I do carry a 500,000 volt tazer with me). Needless to say, bands don't swing mics on my stage. If the above mentioned mic swinger provides his mic and cable then I don't care how much he swings his mic.


It's actually funny to watch a singer swing a mic and hit his guitarist in the eye with the mic, then the guitarist hit the stage and break the headstock of his guitar, causing the rest of the band to get pissed at the singer and the bassist to punch the singer in the face. Worst part was cleaning blood off some cables and a mic stand.

 

Let's say a singer brings in his own mic and cable. Would yoy still let him swing it around? and what happens to your PA when the mic get smacked on the ground? wouldn't that kind of thump from a smashing mic hiting the ground cause serious damage to a PA system?:confused:

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One idea *might* be to kill his channel when you see him do it, and tell him a connection "must've broke" when he swung the mic - he'll *probably* get tired of the "mime" routine fairly quickly if you do this, and atleast your rig won't get damaged - just a thought...

 

 

 

- georgestrings

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Let's say a singer brings in his own mic and cable. Would yoy still let him swing it around? and what happens to your PA when the mic get smacked on the ground? wouldn't that kind of thump from a smashing mic hiting the ground cause serious damage to a PA system?
:confused:

 

Exactly.

 

The singer actually does own an SM58. He's using my Beta58 but I can get him back on that.

 

The cable however is mine, as is the PA. I think I'll just have to stop him doing it somehow.

 

Would it make matters worse to give him a tamborine?

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One idea *might* be to kill his channel when you see him do it, and tell him a connection "must've broke" when he swung the mic - he'll *probably* get tired of the "mime" routine fairly quickly if you do this, and atleast your rig won't get damaged - just a thought...

 

 

Excellent Idea! Even go to the trouble of plugging in another mic and cable and then unmuting it. If required - Repeat (this would only require 2 mics and cables;))

 

If you have the HPF in on the strip it probably won't hurt your PA but I do agree it's annoying. I used to do a lot of punk shows (in the 80s when it was born) for groups like Huskerdu, DOA, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys etc.... They would all swing the mic. We would give them the crappiest mics we had (I think like Shure 565s (we also gave them our 3rd string 12" Cerwin Vega monitors)) so if they died....Oh well (I usualy felt the same way about the artists:D)

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in the club I work in, I've worked hard to get the owners to buy new GOOD pa gear. I'm not letting it get messed up. I have a few things that I NICELY ask of the band before they play. I also inform them that the PA will be turned off and their set will be over if they do the {censored} I'm asking them not to do.

 

Swinging the mic does nothing for looks or for the performance

 

Slamming your feet on my monitors... same as above.

 

You spike a mic, your set is over. AND pay is witheld to pay for a new mic, you now own the one you spiked even if it still works.

 

If anything gets spilled on a monitor or you start spitting beer everywhere, all liquid will be cleared from the stage until your set is finished.

 

 

I had one guy slam his foot into a monitor several times after I aksed him not to do it. He was doing it just to piss me off. It worked. I walked up and kicked his full Marshall stack off the side of the stage. That 12 foot fall didn't bode too well for the head at all. Tough {censored}.

 

I may seem like a hard ass but the PA is still in great working order and 99% of the bands love that about the place.

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This is NOTHING new. Roger Daltry of the Who ALWAYS swung his mic. Two years ago Shure even sold a Daltry kit comprised of an SM58, a cable, a small roll of duct tape and a t-shirt PROMOTING setting up the SM58 for swinging around.

 

If you don't operate the PA on the ragged edge and use quick acting limiters, you are pretty safe. A little planning, like knowing when the singer is going to twirl the mic will allow you to MUTE the channel while that is going on. MOST, if not darn near all, are NOT talented enough to swing the mic, grab it quickly and continue singing. So you have time to mute & unmute.

 

Theatrics are good for showmanship, if PRATICED and covered financially. Want to jump off my bass drum? Sure, hand me $800 FIRST.

 

So, let them supply their own mic, cable and duct tape and "SWING BATTER". Hmmm? Behringer XM8500 and $2.99 MF mic cables, anyone?

 

Boomerweps

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I have one Radio Shack mic ($29.99) that is JB Welded into the stand clip for that reason alone!

 

But wait it gets better... So the high school kid lead singer decides to dance around the stage with mic stand and all, swinging it around. Except he took out his guitarist's leg with the cast iron base. It was a show stopper since most of the other band members quit playing to run for cover.

 

At least running sound for high school kids can be entertaining...in more ways than one.

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