These nights go on and on and on.

So, I have been on the road on and off for the past few months. This past month has been pretty awesome, though I have to admit. We finally have a full band again! Since the full band is set, I have been able to start working FOH. 

My first gig at FOH was at a bar in Mcdonough, Georgia called “Southside Steve’s” for the opening of his outside deck. The irony is that this was also the place I worked with NDB for the first time ever. We were direct support for a Van Halen cover band. The PA system was not up to standards. There was definitely enough low end, but the tops were too small and under-powered. We informed the production company, but we just had to roll with it. To top things off, the stage was not level, so we had to put rocks under the casters to keep the cabs/amp racks from rolling off the stage. We begin our set and all that I have in the system is kick and vox. I am trying to push vocals over stage volume, but the system is struggling. about 2/3 of the way through the show, the house left PA tops begin to smoke and I watch the production crew freak out and try to fix the situation. I pushed the system harder than it could take and it caved. First show, first PA on fire.

The next few shows we had, the bassist and drummer couldn’t make it out due to school, so Daniel and I filled in. We played two great shows in North Carolina. One in Winston-Salem, and the other in Charlotte. The show in Charlotte was super special for me, because my parents were finally able to come out and watch me play a show. 

Our next gig is in Des Moines, Iowa. We are playing the Jesse James Outlaw Bourbon launch party at the Krazee Kafe (It hurts to spell it that way). We get there and find out that the PA system is going to be late. We advanced for Noon, but it came closer to 4pm. Luckily we run in-ears, so we were able to set up and run through a couple of songs. The PA finally arrives and come to find out that it is self-powered speakers on a stick. This again wasn’t enough PA, but we had to make it work. We raised the tops so they would have a longer throw and linked the subs to some house subs that were under the stage. During sound check, we somehow manage to blow a driver on one of the tops (I’m 2 for 2!) We deal with it and have a freaking awesome show. Jesse from Jackyl (Nigel’s dad and the man behind the whiskey) does a few songs with the band and we all had a great time.

The next day, we were in Kansas City, Missouri for an acoustic in-store performance and Q&A session at Big Dude’s Music. That was super fun and we got to see a lot of our friends there!

Last weekend, we were in Panama City Beach, Florida and Columbus, Georgia. PC was great. We got there a day early and got to relax. Our show was at Club LaVela. We went to the club a day early to go see Buckcherry and scope out the place. The next day we get to the club and load in. After load-in we have to wait for the contests and such going on at the club are over before we soundcheck. They make everyone leave, and then we can check the gear. The console of the night was an Allen & Heath ML5000 and a QSC ILA line-array. I had a good, loud show. I was asked earlier, by Jackyl to run their lights for them. I’m running the lights (for some reason, lights were next to monitor world) and see the monitor guy run back and forth to FOH and talk to Don, Jackyl’s FOH engineer a few times. I shrug it off and run lights for the show. Later that night, Don asks me how I felt. Confused, I ask why and he tells me that they had to turn down due to sound complaints. I had a louder show than Jackyl! I was quickly informed that it would never happen again. Challenge accepted!

Crowd shot during Jackyl at LaVela!

The next day, we head to Columbus to play another show with Jackyl and Black Stone Cherry is on this bill. This show is a “1 year anniversary/birthday bash” for the local radio jock. I am again on an A&H board (an ML4000 this time) and this time a VTC system. Another great show happens (possibly better than the night before). We play our show to a great crowd, and I again run lights for Jackyl. (They had a nice, loud show that night).

Now, I’m home. Next week, we head to Myrtle Beach for Throttlefest at the House of Blues with Jackyl, DMC, Theory of a Deadman, Pop Evil, and Marshal Tucker Band. June on out is gonna be crazy! I won’t be home for the whole month plus more after that! I’ll keep you all updated!

I really wish people would just worry about themselves as opposed to other people. Shit gets old, real fast. #UnrelatedTourPost

I have a lot to learn… I better get started.

So, I’m sure you have noticed that I have not posted in a while. Well, honestly, there is nothing really going on in my touring world. I am home, working at a shitty job until I go back on the road. I just wanted to give you a heads up. I’m not dead. Just (Impatiently) waiting.

Please give me some road opportunities STAT!

sjcdrums:

A little message to our drummers when they use our Backline!!

This is super sick! Better words couldn’t be inscribed on that badge. I am gonna use it, from now on.

Oh by the way, here is the crowd from the show I did last Friday in Cincinnati:

For the second year in a row, I was on the road for Thanksgiving. Unlike last year, however, I did not have a show on Thanksgiving night. We drove to a family member of Nigel’s house and had dinner there. Last year, we had to find someplace that was open and had possibly the worst holiday meal I have ever had, then played a show. This year was a different story. We had a delicious home cooked meal and a nice relaxing evening. I actually saw “This is Spinal Tap” for the first time. Quite a funny movie. I don’t know why I waited so long to see it.

The next morning, we drove to Chicago to pick David up from the airport. I saw the (what used to be called) Sears tower for the first time on the way. We get him and drive to Libertyville, IL. The show is at a place called Austin’s Fuel Room. I remember this place from last year’s winter tour. This was the first show that Daniel, our guitar tech, filled in on bass. So we have Nigel and David (actual band members) on guitar, me on drums, and Daniel on bass. We had a great show. I got excited being back on stage and feeding off the crowd’s energy. I accidentally pushed the tempo on some of the songs, slightly shortening the set. It wasn’t too bad, but still could have been avoided. I made note of it after the set and kept it in the back of my mind for the next night. I signed a bunch of autographs, took many pictures, and met some great people. 

The next day, we drove to Fort Wayne, IN to play at Piere’s. This venue is one of the top 21 and over venues based on ticket sales in the country. The staff there is great. We set up and end up having some issues with power during sound check. The guitar amps are buzzing due to the bad power. It took a few minutes to get the issues worked out, but we fix them and go relax in the dressing room. There were about 1000-1500 people in the venue. The opening band plays, then we go on. We have a great show. Tempos were good, the crowd was super into the set and we even had people who were at the show the night before drive 4+ hours to come see us/Jackyl for a second night in a row. We finish the set and strike our gear from stage. I tear down the monitor rack/tie cables and then go to tear down my drum kit. I cant find my drums. I ask the loaders where they are, and they tell me they tore it down and put it away for me. I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve never had that done before; it was pretty cool having that happen. After the show, we go to sell merch. I had a bunch of people come talk to me and buy CD’s and shirts. The people were great again. Two great shows under our belt. I couldn’t have asked for much more.

The next day, we drive home in completely shitty, rainy/cold weather, but make it home safe. We have one show on December 9th in Cincinnati, OH and that is it for the rest of the year. It should be a fun time. 

Until next time…

So last night and tonight I had two people ask me to work shows for them.

Last night I ran lights at a club called 37main. I used to work there twice a week and I ran lights then too. It has been two years since I have set foot in the club. They added a lot more lights since I had been there. The night started off well when I was plugging all of the fixtures in. When I turned the boards on is when it changed. As soon as I powered on the intelligent light board, half of the fixtures started glitching. This means a bad cable. I had my WTF moment, then contacted the individual who usually runs the lights. He tells me to “jiggle the cable” Done, doesn’t work. He says to keep trying, so I bend the cable in half and for some strange reason, the signal is good again. The show goes well, aside from the band being absolutely terrible (It was an 80’s hair metal cover band, a bunch of late 30-40 year old’s dressing up like idiots and playing awful versions of awful songs.) I get paid and go home (while listening to MY music to clean the 80’s out of my ears).

Tonight I am running sound at a pizza joint which occasionally has concerts. I used to work here every weekend running sound until the owner decided to only have shows sporadically. The band tonight is a “metal” cover band (pretty much, a lot of the same songs as last night but also some semi-heavier songs and a much longer set) This venue is decent because I don’t have to bring any of my own supplies (mics/cables), or that’s at least how it used to be.

I get to the venue and can’t find the mics. I have to call the owner and get the location of the mics.  He tells me where they are, and I start placing them. I go to the cable box, and pull out all of the XLR cables, only to find that there aren’t enough. WTF?!?! I find some in another crate and run all of the cables. Stupidly, I don’t line check.

When it comes time for the show, I roughly set the faders to where I think would sound good. The band check the vocal mics… no sound. Whatsoever. The random cables I found in the extra box are duds. Great. People are starting to boo me. Nice. Luckily, one of the guitarists brought a bag of extra cables. The band saves the day, and I look bad.

The band starts and I get the mix going. The low-end is nowhere to be heard. I go fuck with the crossover, no avail. I look at the board and the low cut is activated. Another stupid mistake. Tonight is not my night. Once I get everything going and thankfully, a good mix, I tweak here and there and the place is bumping. People start coming over to compliment me on how the mix sounds. I have it dialed in well and everyone is happy. The rest of the night goes smoothly. Lessons learned and hopefully never need to be re-taught.

I need a drink.

I got offered an opportunity to become the LD for a touring Led Zeppelin cover band. The opportunity is pretty great, at least 6 shows a month with good pay. There are a few problems though. 

1. I have never been a LD
2. I don’t have much experience programming higher-level lighting boards
3. I don’t have much experience with moving heads
4. I would have to leave my current position with NDB
5. I’m not a fan of Zeppelin (AT ALL!)

I am super honored and surprised that they came to me with the offer. The gig would be better paying than what I am making now, and working with bigger crowds (for now). I just don’t know if I should take it. I can learn how to work the boards/lights, that’s not an issue. I LOVE the guys I work with now, and I know down the road, some better opportunities will come up and I will have to make yet another decision. I want to work in sound. That is where my heart is. Lighting is exciting and can make or break a show, but it is not my love. It could get me to better opportunities, but I don’t know if I will be happy doing it. I would be the youngest member of the touring party by at least 20 years. NDB band/crew are my friends, they are just starting to get somewhere and it excites me that I am getting to be a part of it. 

After having written this blog, I think I know what my answer will be.

On another note, I have some shows coming up. There were supposed to be a solid two weeks of dates in December, but it looks like there are some other plans, maybe. We’ll see. My one-year anniversary with NDB is coming up, the day before Thanksgiving. That’s an exciting milestone. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Until next time…