Cinco de Mayo gig

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la80vette
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Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Houma, Louisiana
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Cinco de Mayo gig

#1 Post by la80vette »

So last night one of the groups i work with was hired months ago to play the Cinco De Mayo party for the local Mexican restaurant. This is typically a make or break night for many restaurants around the country. Initially i was shocked that they had this particular band to play this gig. It's really not a party group. They play no current music and it's mostly laid back rock and a lot of 60's and 70's hippie and soul music. The musicians are all excellent and I really enjoy working with these folks but I would have never hired them for this event. Totally the venues misstep, not the bands. We take gigs, that's how we make a living.
I was designated to provide sound for the gig so i went early, 3pm. When I got there a DJ was already set up and playing music. The party must have started around noon I suppose. I asked the manager where he wanted us to setup and said next to the DJ. Away I went. I started setting up my gear when the DJ comes over an tells me I'm supposed to to plug into his system. I start to explain to him over extreme decibels that the bands scenes and EQ curves are designed to work with my PA. He of course did not understand and boast to me that his rig is 12,000 watts. Yeah, 12,000 watts of shit! 2 Peavey 2x18's and 2 Peavey 2x15 tops blaring for all there worth, distorted as hell and EQ'd really badly, but he had BASS! Man, Listen to that BASS! I wanted no part of it but thanked him politely. I proceeded to setup and the band started to arrive.
There were about 250 people already there and just as I assumed, primarily a very young crowd. I new that they were not going to dig what we were about to play. As soon as the DJ stopped abusing the audience, we plugged my system and lights into the one provided extension cord for both band and DJ, allowing me a 5 minute system check and to try and get a mix and monitor mix. We began playing and everything sounded good but not nearly at the levels that the DJ was at. None of us were willing to compromise the sound of the group just to be louder. some of the crowd really were enjoying it but not the kids, they were bored. In the meantime the DJ was tearing down his rig and asked if I had anything to play during our breaks. I told him I did because he was wanting to leave early. He thanked me and split. Not into the set for and hour, the management comes and ask us to play Hip Hop. Well Gee, we don't know any HIP HOP. There's not a rapper one between us. We continue our set for another 10 minutes when management calls it off.
Now to the whole point of the story. A different manager ask If i wouldn't mind playing some hip hop till the DJ came back, setup up all his shit again and finished the rest of the night. I agreed. Well guess what? THE DJ NEVER CAME BACK! Now, I have never used this system (2 T39's and 2 SLA PRO) to DJ, only for low background music between sets. This was outside in there large parking lot. The sound from 20 yards out was like listening to my stereo at home cranked. Big beautiful clean bass for days. no distortion and the tops were clear as a bell 75 to 100 yards back. The BFM PA rocks! It was so much better than the other system that was there that day, you can't even compare the two. The only thing I would say is that I'll probably get another set of T39's to really fill up that entire space with clean bass but just the 2 managed pretty damn well.
Thanks for reading,

Stephen
2 SLA PRO (built by Leland)
2 T39 24" 3012LF (built by Leland)
2 Jack 10's (built by Leland)
4 Wedgehorn 8's (built by Leland)
1 XF210 w/Legend 1028 (built by Leland)

ACUA
Posts: 552
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:21 pm
Location: Tucson Arizona

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#2 Post by ACUA »

I thought I was long winded
Advanced Concepts Underground Audio

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Bill Fitzmaurice
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Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 5:59 pm

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#3 Post by Bill Fitzmaurice »

Reminds me of the time that my R&B band got booked for a local dirt track racer banquet. When we showed up not wearing cowboy hats I felt like Duck Dunn at 'Bob’s Country Bunker'. All that was missing was the chicken wire fence in front of the stage.

madmallard
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:42 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#4 Post by madmallard »

Were you on a mission from gad?

la80vette
Posts: 111
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 12:51 pm
Location: Houma, Louisiana
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Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#5 Post by la80vette »

Still one of my favorite movies. "We're on a mission from God."
2 SLA PRO (built by Leland)
2 T39 24" 3012LF (built by Leland)
2 Jack 10's (built by Leland)
4 Wedgehorn 8's (built by Leland)
1 XF210 w/Legend 1028 (built by Leland)

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BrentEvans
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 10:38 am
Location: Salisbury, NC

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#6 Post by BrentEvans »

I think everyone missed the funny part.
la80vette wrote: his rig is 12,000 watts.
we plugged my system and lights into the one provided extension cord for both band and DJ,
la80vette wrote: his rig is 12,000 watts.
No. No, it was not. Would have been great to school him on that a bit.

Of course he was probably using the standard “add up the largest numbers on all of the amps” formula. By that forrmula, my rig is... let’s see here... 56,800 watts. Nevermind the pesky little details like Impedance and power utilization curves. Or how much gets left on the trailer at any given gig... who cares about stuff like that.
99% of the time, things that aren't already being done aren't being done because they don't work. The other 1% is split evenly between fools and geniuses.

Bruce Weldy
Posts: 8301
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2009 11:37 am
Location: New Braunfels, TX

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#7 Post by Bruce Weldy »

BrentEvans wrote: Mon May 06, 2019 4:24 pm

Of course he was probably using the standard “add up the largest numbers on all of the amps” formula. By that forrmula, my rig is... let’s see here... 56,800 watts. Nevermind the pesky little details like Impedance and power utilization curves. Or how much gets left on the trailer at any given gig... who cares about stuff like that.
Yep.....I mix occasionally on a system that is provided by a sound company to a local venue. The owner of the system was telling me about his 1500 watt mains.....I didn't correct him.....nor did I explain that regardless of the stated power - they sound like ass. :mrgreen:

6 - T39 3012LF
4 - OT12 2512
1 - T24
1 - SLA Pro
2 - XF210


"A system with a few knobs set up by someone who knows what they are doing is always better than one with a lot of knobs set up by someone who doesn't."

ACUA
Posts: 552
Joined: Sun Sep 25, 2016 6:21 pm
Location: Tucson Arizona

Re: Cinco de Mayo gig

#8 Post by ACUA »

Look I was kidding about the long post especially since some good dialog has ensued. Thanks for the story I am glad to hear those things.

This forum has helped me more fully understand the truth around the high wattage game, and for that thank you.

I’m trying to learn to pull back on the bass most of my events don’t need/want it.
Advanced Concepts Underground Audio

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