Band Nite

[CaptNoize]

For the first time in five years, I went out to a bar, to see a local band, that two of my friends recently put together. I try to support local bands and musicians, since there's absolutely no money to be made in that business, anymore. It was in a downward spiral before covid, with the DUI enforcement, but the pandemic put the nails in its coffin.
You would think tho, that after all of that, ...that bands would do their research and improve the listening experience. Nope...! I 've been preaching the gospel of acoustics for years,to these local bands, as to "why" they don't do well in smaller bars, yet, they still haven't listened to me. These guys were so loud, you couldn't talk, you had to scream at the top of your voice, to get a drink from the barmaid.
The crowd went from 80 people,( tiny bar) to about 35, after the first set...!
They came to me at first break, and ask me what they should do different..? I told them, go with digital drums, leave your Marshall and Ampeg amps at home, get in ear monitors, and let the SOUND GUY do his job...!!! Everything should be going thru the PA system, and the sound engineer should be controlling the entire mix..!!! I left after the first set, the bar allowed smoking, a huge no go for me, and the band kept feeding back thru the monitors and system.. And most of the women looked like corn fed heffers..!
Not and enjoyable experience....

[wove]

I enjoy going out with friends having good conversation, a few beers and listening some live music. There use to be piano bars, where the live music was background ambiance. Little jazz bards were much the same. The music was often top notch, and people did enjoy it, but people were also enjoying the company and conversation as well. It has become more common to see the band trying to compete more with the crowd than try to play to the mood of a relaxed crowd, out to just enjoy a pleasant time.

There are few bands especially newer bands, who seem to pay any attention to accoustics, or sound quality in the venues they play in. Sometimes I have made comments during a break conscerning the sound quality. Typically I am brushed off and then depending on how bad it actually is I will just leave. I do not think playing in a bar has ever been very lucrative so I suppose a sound guy is seen as another mouth to feed. However some constructive sound tweaking can make the difference between a pleasing show for the crowd, and everyone leaving at first break.

Having live music in the background of our lives is very nice and it no where as common now as it once was.

[tlmiller]

OH, I so agree with you. One of the guys I used to hang out with was in a death metal band. I actually happen to like death metal (to an extent), so I'd take a couple other of his friends (designated driver baby!!), help the band with setup, still pay cover, the ones I was hauling would buy me a small meal and pay for my sodas/juice/lemonade to avoid a DUI, and so we'd help support. But they CONSTANTLY would play with the sound settings so they sounded HORRIBLE. they'd have it so loud it was like you described, and while it's death metal so you're barely going to understand what they're singing most of the time, they'd have it so unbalanced you'd set there listening to 30 minutes of nothing but drums and guitar becuase you couldn't hear the singers mike at all. And these places did indeed have a sound guy (who I can only assume was competent), the bands just wouldn't listen to him.

[CaptNoize]

That's "why" I quit doing bar sound. After years of working with the cream of the crop national touring acts, trying to talk to know it all, but know nothing local idiots ( yes, that's what I call them) I gave up. I 've done the gamet from arena rock, heavy metal to engineering big band and orchestral stuff. I've also used everything from the top of the line gear, to stone knifes and bear skins junk. So, I tell these local guys, it( music) has to be good going into the PA system, otherwise all you have is crap coming out. A good sound engineer can really make or break a band, but the band has to have the talent to start with. I worked with Judas Priest back in the 80's and early nineties as a system engineer. I wasn't band engineer. But some, thought if they hired me to mix them, they were going to sound like Judas Priest....Wrong..! Those guys are Extremely talented,that's why they're in the R&R hall of fame. I can definitely get the guitars, bass and drums sounding like the real thing. However, vocals are something totally different. Singers either have it,... Or they don't...! I can't give you the vocal talents of Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, or Bruce Dickinson. If you don't know who these vocalists are, look them up. This is
Why I retired from mixing, 10 years ago.

[tlmiller]

it's funny you mention Geoff Tate. I always thought his voice vs. his look was just WEIRD. He SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO didn't look anything like what his voice made you think he'd look like IMO.

[CaptNoize]

You need to see him now. You know he's bald..? He was always strange looking...One of my favorite vocalists is Paul Shortino, from the band Rough Cutt. He orchestrated " Hear N Aid Stars" metal anthem from the 80's, with Ronnie Dio, and most of the metal vocalists and guitarists of the era. Check it out

https://youtu.be/G5H94GHb-10

[wove]

Most of the time I have music playing in the background, but for all the years I have listened to music, I do not know artists names or band names. I usually can identify genre. My sons wanted to learn to play guitar. I said that was fine, but since we did not own a guitar I said that first we would need to make guitars. So we all headed out to the shop and over the next month we made guitars. A fellow I worked with had a side gig of custom making pickups, so they learned to do that as well.

Well being kids they took right to that heavy metal. It is 4 chords and although the shredding guitar player seems to get all the raves, it seems to me that no metal is better than the bass, and I hate to say it, but most metal music always seems to have the worst drummers.

[CaptNoize]

You need to experience Rush, 2112 or Moving Pictures. . Or Dream Theater. Perhaps Nightwish, or Symphony X. These are progrock, which borders on heavy metal. I also think you need to give Queensryche, The Warning, a listen. If you want some really straight ahead sing along stuff, try Thin Lizzy's " Jail Beak" album. The drummers in these bands esp. Rush, are the best there is...

[tlmiller]

You need to experience Rush, 2112 or Moving Pictures. . Or Dream Theater. Perhaps Nightwish, or Symphony X. These are progrock, which borders on heavy metal. I also think you need to give Queensryche, The Warning, a listen. If you want some really straight ahead sing along stuff, try Thin Lizzy's " Jail Beak" album. The drummers in these bands esp. Rush, are the best there is...

I loved watching Rush in concert just for Neil. It was fun to be there and watch him get airdropped into his seat.

[wove]

Well that settles it then we should all get together and head off to a concert.