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Woohoo!! I booked our first gig!! Oh crap, now what?!?!


Ender_rpm

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So I booked my band for a local charity show (animal shelter). Its outside, in August, in St Pete. Oi. I'm gonna go check out the site this weekend (its next month), see how the land lays, how much space we'll have to work with. I already requested at least 5 outlets, on seperate breakers, agreed to the 4x45 minute sets, etc. Its our first gig, so we're willing to do it for free/ exposure (i know, I know, but its for charity, etc.), but what else should I look out for? Would it be worth it to get a small tent/shelter in case of rain? They are getting a permit for music, but we will of course have to watch our volume anyway (no good scaring the puppies and kittens). We're supplying our PA (2x mackie powered speakers on poles for vocals, keys and guitar. Drums and bass are on our own). I know this is kind of rambling, so I'll just see what ya'll think.

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Congratulations! - I'd talk to the event coordinator about a tent for possible rain. It's great of you to play for free for a good charity, but you shouldn't have to pay out of pocket for something like a tent.

 

And figure on electrical service that is less than what you asked for. They may have agreed to 5 outlets on separate breakers - you'll probably get a long orange extension cord or 2.

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Congratulations! Keep us posted. I'd also ask in the LS forum how much juice you will actually need. 2 mackie powered speakers and your band's amps shouldn't require 5 separate circuits . . . . . .unless of course you're running a huge light display, too.

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No lights, its outside during the day. The Mackies are 450W, 12"+ horn (IIRC), plus my amp just for me. My guitard/singer/keys just runs direct with a boss pedal board and his keys. I just wanted multiple sources to be safe, and yeah 2man, I'll prolly end up with 2 extension cords and an old power strip :)

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way to go ender....

 

outdoor gigs...always require that the employer provide a tent of some kind...rain or shine it is mandatory. And not your responsibility....

 

at this point you may have to request that they provide it....for future gigs just make sure you make a condition of employment...always!

 

Also - if at all possible, bring a sound guy that knows your sound...outdoors is a completely different animal that will require many changes to the pa, stage level, monitors than your normal setup.

 

Bring someone that knows what you should sound like and can tweak the sound reinforcement as needed....it is very challenging for everyone involved.

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Once circuit would be plenty for that.


I've run my entire rig on one circuit without issues and it has a total of about 3000 watts. Then again, I've never had to push it and I've run sound for two outdoor events.

 

I concur. Last gig we had, I ran the guitarist's amp, my Mesa M-Pulse 600, a Spirit Powerstaion 600 and a Carvin DCM 1500 for the subs off of one circuit with no burps.

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check everything, check it again, do an idiot check before you leave for the gig, one after, put {censored} away AS SOON as you're done. make sure some one is watching your stuff at all times.

 

get there early enough that when you realized that you forgot your power cord, you can get back home and grab it. bring an extra everything.

 

outdoor things mean {censored} sound, and chaos. you don;t want anything to walk away when you're not looking.

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At shows we run 2 SRM450's as mains, 2 keyboard amps, one 300W bass head, one Sommatone 40W guitar amp, and a Yahmaha 12 channel board to send signal to the mains and power our monitors and it draws just about 5 amps on our keyboardists meter.

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Pics are necessary, no pics, no gig..... also, go to Big Lots or another sicount store and get a couple of tarps, keep them in a case at all times, that way even if the venue provides a tent, you'll have ssome extra weather protection.

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Wow it got revived :) The whole shootin match got pushed back to the 15th of Sept, same time and place. Maybe not so ball-sack-draining hot then. But my guitard sat in for a guitard who's band was playing the pre-season crowd at the bucs game, and he exchanged info with the booking agent, and it looks like we'll have a gig there the following weekend (22 Sept) and then we have a private party in Oct, so its definately starting to pick up.

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