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Post by scorpiodog on Jun 10, 2015 16:00:13 GMT
Men In Black are playing live on Radio Wimborne, a local community radio station that can be accessed hereWe'll be playing for about half an hour from 4:30pm on Thursday 11th June. There are some pretty good people on before us. I particularly recommend Pete Christie who's on at 3:00pm. Hope you get a chance to listen in. You might hear the sound of the heavy rain that's forecast (we're playing outside, so that'll be fun!).
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 11, 2015 21:22:30 GMT
Missed it Paul. Is it archived?
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leoroberts
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My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Jun 12, 2015 5:48:36 GMT
How did it went, Paul?
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Post by scorpiodog on Jun 12, 2015 10:53:44 GMT
It wasn't perfect, for many reasons, some our fault, some not, but I think we acquitted ourselves well enough.
Andy, I don't know whether it's been archived. Id like to hear it myself, so I shall find out. But as it's an under-resourced local community radio station, I suspect it hasn't.
Let me describe the situation. Wimborne Square is a paved area. The sun was very bright and it was hot. When I'd arrived I had made my presence known, so they knew I was there. The guitars were safely in the shade of the sound engineer's gazebo. I'd watched all the other performers (very good they were, too). The presenter seemed to insist on speaking to the performers when they stared, when they finished and after every song. In some cases, the "interviews" were longer than the songs. It really interrupted the flow.
As a result, it became obvious that everything was running very, very late. At our time slot, they were still micing up the previous act (Bob Kirkpatrick - brilliant). Any road up, no panic there, apart from the imminent danger of sunstroke.
I'd noticed that they'd mic'ed up all the acoustic guitars. I was hoping they wouldn't do that to mine, but they did, saying the output signal was too weak to broadcast (?!). So, unfamiliar and stressful surroundings, a mic stand that drooped if a light zephyr blew and me unable to move at all from the guitar mic. It felt like I was playing in a strait jacket. Add to that the fact that Charles' guitar lead chose that moment to go on the blink, and I think you'll see, we weren't very relaxed.
Nevertheless after a bit of chat with the presenter (I had asked him if he wouldn't talk to us between songs), we started. Folsom Prison Blues. They hadn't done a sound check, and I could hear my voice over the speakers changing volume, fading in and out and dropping out completely sometimes, for at least the first 2 verses. Nerve racking.
That was when I realised I hadn't taken the rubber bung out of the soundhole of my guitar (damn fool!) so it sounded like a muffled nothing instead of a good quality dreadnought (it's ok when I use the pickup - which I had intended - and limits feedback). It sounded better when I'd removed it!
Well, we got through 3 songs eventually (felt like weeks) and got good applause throughout. It's not something I'd want to repeat in a hurry, though.
I've done local radio stuff (in studios) before, and I've never had trouble with it. These guys had never done an outside musical broadcast before, and it really showed. I'm involved in other ways with this radio station, and I'm really going to have to have a chat with the station manager and the sound team, because it was all a bit embarrassing, really.
I've learned these lessons:
1)Take a preamp or D.I box. 2)Insist on a proper soundcheck before broadcast. 3)Take control of the presenter and make him listen to you, no matter how busy he is. 4)Take your own mic stands! 5)Remove all obstructions from the soundhole when the guitar is mic'ed BEFORE you play! 6)Drink lots of water.
Sorry if this sounds like one long winge. It isn't really. It was worth doing. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!
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leoroberts
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Posts: 24,634
My main instrument is: probably needing new strings
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Post by leoroberts on Jun 12, 2015 10:56:44 GMT
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Not necessarily - I went on a fourteen day diet and it left me feeling two week. I thank you.
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Post by ocarolan on Jun 12, 2015 12:14:24 GMT
Well survived Paul and Charles. I'm sure the result was better than you might have thought, but I'm sure it must have been mega-stress time! Very much enjoying the MiB EP by the way - congrats to you both ( and the studio too). Keith
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Post by scorpiodog on Jun 12, 2015 13:56:38 GMT
Very much enjoying the MiB EP by the way - congrats to you both ( and the studio too). Fanks, Keef. Glad you're enjoying it. We had fun making it.
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 15, 2015 6:57:31 GMT
Let me describe the situation. Wimborne Square is a paved area. The sun was very bright and it was hot. When I'd arrived I had made my presence known, so they knew I was there. The guitars were safely in the shade of the sound engineer's gazebo. I'd watched all the other performers (very good they were, too). The presenter seemed to insist on speaking to the performers when they stared, when they finished and after every song. In some cases, the "interviews" were longer than the songs. It really interrupted the flow. Hmm, thanks for that Paul. I've agreed to do a half an hour slot a an open air event next Saturday. I suspected at the time I said yes it might be a mistake ... I once played an event in Stratford on Avon. The organiser seemed quite happy that the sound was being done by a tech guy from the RSC — but he was a lighting engineer. He refused to allow the two of us to plug into the PA as he was worried our pickups might damage it. His solution was to mount two Sure 58's pointed directly at the sound holes of the guitars! And this was just the start ....
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Post by andyhowell on Jun 15, 2015 6:59:25 GMT
For my run out next week. I now have a protective box which carries my preamp and a couple of mics. I shall definitely be taking that. I had been wondering about a mic stand - that will certainly come with me now!
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