Do you do outside gigs?

Worried about your gear getting wet in our unpredictable climate?

Want to be prepared for that heavy downpour?

Yep the problem with doing open air gigs is that even on the hottest summer nights the weather can turn, and leave you with the potential hazard of £1000's of live electrical equipment and as Martha Said....."Nowhere to run".

The solution:-

Firstly speakers, even if you are doing a P.A at an outside event, and your gear is nice and cosy in the van its almost certain that at least 2 or more speakers are cast out in the cold...and potentially the wet, and how can you get away with P.A bookings in the rain??.

The speaker solution will cost you around £2.00 and if you use a pair of "average" 12 or 15" Loudspekers then invest in.....wait for it......




BIN LINERS

Yes your humble black bin liner can save your speakers and a lot of grief. The larger size will fit happily over a 12 or 15" loudspeaker and happily pass ALL of your audio, will not damage your loudspeaker and will keep your cabs 100% dry in a downpour. Of course, the "cover" will also protect the rear connector as well - so whether you use jack / speakon / xlr you don't need to change to be weatherproof. I've used this idea for around 10 years at events where the speakers have been in rain for hours and never had one soggy cab!

Now what about the rest of your gear...

Well hop down to B&Q or Focus and buy yourself a lovely new garden gazebo! - like a mini D.J marquee. Ok you can't get your audience in it, but it'll keep you and your gear dry at outside gigs. It can be easily erected (Steady Karen!!!) and neatly packed away after use.


Stnad bye for another tip.......er....soon!

I like the first tip about the bin liners. I've never tried it but I'll tie a knot in my hanky just in case I need to remember it in the future.

I've done a gazebo gig. The only problem was that the rain didn't come from above, - the wind was driving the rain at an angle and so it came in the sides. Fortunately enough people squeezed in for shelter it protected the gear. A human shield you might say.

QUOTE

I've done a gazebo gig. The only problem was that the rain didn't come from above, - the wind was driving the rain at an angle and so it came in the sides. Fortunately enough people squeezed in for shelter it protected the gear. A human shield you might say.

You can get Gazebo's with sides on!

or loads of them pub parasoles perhaps! I had such a huge collection of them........

Bin Bags are good for ugly birds on the dance floor as well

I wish Ads would send us some more Avatars

Ok so bin liners ............... funny story coming up on 'bin liners'

Many many moons ago I had an EX roadie who liked a little drink (for little read loads) one gig we were asked to do a pub staff party after hours, all the beer we could drink plus chinese.

Anyway he gets himself well and truly plastered and takes a liking to one of the kiwi barmaids, well I could have told him that a bird who drinks pints and rolls her own is not a good target but he obviously had beer goggles on. So after even more dutch courage he goes over and whispers in her ear. OVER THE TOP OF THE MUSIC I hear a roar and she spanks him one on the chest, well he cleared the bar table backwards under the force of the blow and ended up in a crumpled heap in the corner where he stayed.

If you've read this far congratulations but I'm not finished yet.

It was at this point his body decided to reject the beer consumed (putting it nicely) but he was too far gone to move............ so yep all over himself!!

Anyway we ignore him for the rest of the night and a fantastic time was had by all till about 3am .........................

Hell hath no fury???

The girls then decide to make an example of him so the remaining curry sauce and sweet and sour sauce is poured not only over his head (still comatose) but into his shoes which are then put back on and down his trousers and inside his shirt!!

Well I pack up and everybody is ready to leave but he is still out so I say "i'm gonna leave him right there" At which point the landlord says "oh no you're not" . A discussion ensues about my nice car and how I'm NOT taking him. So in the end they get 2 bin bags cut holes for arms and legs and put them on him. They help me to load him into the trailer with the gear and I drive him home.

I stopped outside his house threw him out and drove off, I did'nt see him for four days but when I did he was sacked and I made him write a letter of apology to the pub, plus told him that it cost £25 to clean the carpet at the pub.

He paid up and I took the letter in and we all had a drink on him the following week.

Strangely enough I still work at the same pub 15 yrs later and they still talk about it even now, but it never reflected on me (thank goodness)

Oh yeah and what had he whispered in her ear?"Do you fancy a f k !!!

Spin

I would add the following free and easy suggestion to the outdoor PA tips...

Drip loops....

OK, picture the scene, you've got your speakers in your bin liners, nice and cozy...the speakers are on stands and the cables are running to the speakers from above, since you've routed the cables nicely out of the way thanks to some handy tree branches, or the shear height of the PA caravan (Or B&Q DJ Gazebo) that your amps are in.

This would mean that any rain which gets onto the speaker leads would run down the lead and into the back of the speaker plugs, be they Speakon, or 1/4 inch jack plug. Could lose a speaker, or an amp if the water joins the two internal connectors together inside the plug. >PHWUF<

The solution? A drip loop... basically you need to make sure that the speaker lead has an uphill travel into the speaker...even if thats achieved by using 2ft of the slack speaker cable and making a "U" shape in it, held together at the top with a bit of good ol' Gaffa tape. If you've no gaffa tape, I've even improvised a "loop holder" using a polystyrene cup with the bottom poked out, and pushed the loop thru that. Dont make the loop using only a short length of the cable eg: 6 inches, as the strain on the cable will be too great.

How many people have actually got coats and hats etc with thier company logos on for outside work, my rainproof coat has Corporate Event Management on it, along with the ADS logo, looks good, haven't a clue what it means but gets me more work !!

QUOTE

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How many people have actually got coats and hats etc with thier company logos on for outside work, my rainproof coat has Corporate Event Management on it, along with the ADS logo, looks good, haven't a clue what it means but gets me more work !!

Hey! I wouldnt got that far!
I got a carmouflage poncho!

QUOTE

I got a carmouflage poncho!

Yes Paula, but isnt your idea of camourflage; "leopard skin", for hiding on the back seat of Waynes Ford Capri?

Just a little mention abour bin bags, get the cheaper ones. As the ones i used once had handles in them good for carring rubish but not for speakers

Corporate clothing..theres posh! My donkey jacket has "HMP" stamped right across the back!!

QUOTE

My donkey jacket has "HMP" stamped right across the back!!

and there was I thinking that your recent absence from here was cos you were on holiday

... negotiations going on as we speak for my story!!

She always on holiday.............well will be in a few weeks AGAIN!!!

...another of my mottos...work hard - play hard!

Hmmmmm so what do you wanna play?

Sin

I could think of a few games!

Yes but you gotta keep it clean or one of them mods will edit us!!