To Play or not to Play; that is the question...

Just last Saturday night playing in that isolated plastic sound box, I encounter a major discomfort. No, not my new isolation headphones-that's working great. But it was the sound man accidentally having my sound feeding through my headphones shut off! I'm playing live and suddenly there is no sound coming in through the phones. Everyone else just kept playing but I "TOTALLY LOST IT!" I was playing blind not knowing what's happening with the music. Like a blind archer trying to hit the target but no avail. Compounding the problem was this was a live gig with a audience present.


Question is this;

Should I, or better yet, would you have stop playing completly and walk off the stage or continue playing - sounding like you don't know what you're doing (ameture like) and causing major uncomfort for your self and the audience. The other musicians outside the box at least have monitors - I don't. I'm totally dependant on headphones. What dissapointed me most was that sound man, 40 ft. away, was not paying attention to my waving him down to notice the problem at hand!! The audience obviously knew

Again people, should I have stopped completly or continue trying to fake it. Keep in mind there is an audience present.

What would you have done???

Please, your valuable input would be appreciated much...really. I'm concidering how to voice this in a meeting with him prior to our next gig. I want to be gentle yet firm. Everyone else seems to think that I should continue playing. For what and to what? I was totally not getting any music through the phones and I was totally off course!

Thank you,

rac

This was precisely what I was thinking about when I was questioning you about those phones in the other posts Rac. If you recall, one of my questions was were you totally dependent on what you were getting thru the phones.

As to your question of what we would have done in the situation: since there was an audience present, the show must go on, as the saying goes. What I probably would have done was rip off the phones totally, or at least one ear cup and tried to hear something with my own ears to continue with the tune, while still trying to get the sound man's attention. I would have stopped at the end of the tune until the problem was corrected.

After the performance I would be giving the sound guy a bunch of shit for not paying attention. Glitches are going to happen as we all know BUT him not paying attention to the band while on stage in front of an audience means he's not doing his job - a situation that is simply not acceptable.

I think it also demonstrates the need for a backup system for your situation - possibly a small monitor speaker in your box with a volume control so it stays off unless the phones fail.

Let us know what you actually did ! Beuatiful photo of your kit, btw !

Peace, TED

Invest in a shock collar for the soundman and put it in the contract they must wear it. This can be triggered with a foot switch and are useful for band practices. you can have multiple switches for those bandmates that can't keep time and also play bad notes simultaneously. I kid!!

what ted said. although i don't think i would be harsh on the soundguy.
cause next time he could purposely really screw up your sound!

I've been using in ear monitor system and i usually just use on ear bud in and one out so when the electronics fail my ear is available. I swore never to use them but this band i'm in uses prercorded electronica in some song which make them indispensible. I can't rteally imagine being totally dependent on monitoring of any kind, that would be alienating.
not what I'm shooting for in performance.

Yes Ted, that's what I should have done was allow one ear exposed to the music. That sounds like the most reasonable yet risky at the same time. That's how serious I am on destructive noise - the box I'm in would be too much for that ear being exposed to intense concentration of drums bouncing back to it. If I was outside of it, that would be different in terms of ear tolerance.

Yes Kenny, earbuds would also be a good alternative in emergency cases where it can be easily removed. Or Ted's suggestion of having a back up monitor. I may have to pass on the collar for the sound guy....unless this continues of course haha! I can remember a story about a drummer getting needed attention from a guitar player that was overplaying into his solo - he literally threw a drumstick at him and resolved the problem but ended a relationship. Don't want to go there

rac

You just have to play your part.
Do it, so it is clear you are and
that someone else isn't.



Regards,

I would have stopped playing completely. Better no drums at all than to cause a rhythmic train wreck. That at least would have gotten the sound man's attention so he could fix the problem. Outside of the studio, I always try to avoid those isolation boxes. Unless you have a really good monitoring system (with back up as Ted pointed out), you're generally just going to run into problems with hearing what you need to hear from the other players, or what happened to you.

With all responses considered, I would probably either continue playing with earbuds where some sound will be there or completely stop in hopes of the sound person to notice and resolve the problem. I heard it was just a matter hitting a button to get me back on.

thank you,

rac