A Tale Of 2 Rock Shows...And Doug Mckinnon
It's been busy of late....
A short orgy of work before it shuts down a bit. It's almost predictable that the second week of every month there's this spate of shows coming thru town. While others strike for the last time. Where I am on the list, I now get most if not all of the bigger ones. With The US going into recession this is a soft winter for rock tours. So, every rock show counts.
The two big ones were Marylin Manson at the QET ( with it's new exposed rafters it was the perfect industrial setting ) And John Mellencamp at the Coliseum.
The Marylin show was a tight assed low rent kind of affair. The ground support lighting was the tours. With the prerequisite fogger, dry ice, snow, machines and black confetti cannons. But, every thing else was third party rental gear. Which really slows down any strike. As, the promoter goes cheap on the crew as his rental costs are so much higher. I'm not sure whether he was supporting a new album or anything. If he was, it was a greatest hits album. Cause I heard nothing new, and the show was kind of phoned in. The only cool moment was the Sweet Dreams cover, audience reaction wise. Then again, being a Sunday night show. All the much older Marylin fans probably were all worked out after a week of Hair styling and bouncing around Sin City Fetish club night the night before.
The fun thing about the event was the theater's house-lighting failures throughout the show. They kept popping on ( We think the shows base frequencies kept disconnecting the connecting pins on the house lighting system control. And the dimmers are safety set to default to full on if they don't get a DMX signal saying otherwise. ) This kind of killed the goth dark hallway look of the show. The band members, and backstage VIP entourage kept fingering the lights, along with the crowd. Probably the only genuine emotion happening in the room.
I've seen this entertainer come thru town several times... ( Once he threatened to hit me... but that's another story.) from festival opener. To the barn venues. thru to the coliseum and now he's heading back south thru the theatre tours, probably back into the clubs by the end of the decade. I guess angst and gore isn't such a big seller now that America is such a fcuked up horror show in it's own right. With Marylin's Neo Nazi American flag graffix seeming almost quaint now. That shtick is kind of old, and other than the flag in the background he didn't play it up Alice Cooper style like he used to. It was basically a punk/goth show.
The things that really bothered us was the guitar players incessant spitting throughout the show. On your own tour, with all your own gear and stage carpet. That's fine. But as he was leaving the venue ( With I'll admit his extremely hot entourage of artsy goth babes filming every move ) He spate on OUR stage. And it just shows that you can be a complete Arshole but play guitar and hot women will just fall all over you....
The Mellencamp show was the complete opposite. 6 - 53 foot tractor trailers stuffed to the doors. All top end touring gear Lights, PA, Video screens, Followspots. The full extra cheese event of the season. With a huge road crew and donuts and coffee, breakfast for all of us in the early morning. Which after Marylin's cheap out the night before. Which took us to 2am to strike. Was very welcomed.
I was the lone Trust Spot guy. One of my favorite gigs. Climbing into the spot position however was a task. Who ever had rigged the wire truss ladder. They'd run the belay line for my safety harness thru the ladder. So twice I had to stop on the ladder. thread my body thru the wire. De-clip. clear the line and continue to ascend. By the time I reached my spot chair I was shaking from all the grunting to get there safely. Only to find that the Spot was formounted. Which gave me a view ( which I took a quick photo off... cause nobody ever believes me how cool the view is from up there....) But almost no movement to the spot. Which, gave it almost a pointless grunt for another 90 minutes.
His audience is mostly my age and up. And my view was basically suburban MILF central from above. Man, get a bunch of sexually frustrated wifes drunk on cheap Molson's. And let them loose during "Pink Houses" and you'll see some titties from my angle for sure. Bras were aflying throughout the show. And John kept stopping along the edge of the stage to pose for photos and give as many of the front row for-mentioned frustrated MILF's a fantasy look. Mr Cougar and his band cranked out all the CFOX radio friendly hits and even did a bit of crowd surfing over the 40 somethings. Told stories, and dissed George Bush and the republicans in between songs. Along with the obligatory supporting the troops statement. And a fun time was had by all.
He even let the opening act Red Rider do an encore. All class in comparison to the Marylin Manson show. Which is sad. Cause I like the look and style of the goth aesthetics but why do they have to be such assholes? It makes me not what to talk to people like that. But, I try to keep perspective. For every Hip Hop act that's full of idiots there's a other Hip Hop acts that are full of really thoughtful great crews. Even thought I'm not into the music to say the least.
Life's a gig... and I'm glad to be doing something I love. Even if every day isn't perfect. I mean I just found out that one of my compatriots has died of a heart attack while setting up a show in his venue. And although it's sad. I know that he loved running sound and working shows like I do. And really, is there any better way to live? I don't know of any. I'm not filthy rich money wise... but soul wise... I'm a wealthy man.
Here's to you Doug Mckinnon... Heaven's band has a new Monitor tech....
It's been busy of late....
A short orgy of work before it shuts down a bit. It's almost predictable that the second week of every month there's this spate of shows coming thru town. While others strike for the last time. Where I am on the list, I now get most if not all of the bigger ones. With The US going into recession this is a soft winter for rock tours. So, every rock show counts.
The two big ones were Marylin Manson at the QET ( with it's new exposed rafters it was the perfect industrial setting ) And John Mellencamp at the Coliseum.
The Marylin show was a tight assed low rent kind of affair. The ground support lighting was the tours. With the prerequisite fogger, dry ice, snow, machines and black confetti cannons. But, every thing else was third party rental gear. Which really slows down any strike. As, the promoter goes cheap on the crew as his rental costs are so much higher. I'm not sure whether he was supporting a new album or anything. If he was, it was a greatest hits album. Cause I heard nothing new, and the show was kind of phoned in. The only cool moment was the Sweet Dreams cover, audience reaction wise. Then again, being a Sunday night show. All the much older Marylin fans probably were all worked out after a week of Hair styling and bouncing around Sin City Fetish club night the night before.
The fun thing about the event was the theater's house-lighting failures throughout the show. They kept popping on ( We think the shows base frequencies kept disconnecting the connecting pins on the house lighting system control. And the dimmers are safety set to default to full on if they don't get a DMX signal saying otherwise. ) This kind of killed the goth dark hallway look of the show. The band members, and backstage VIP entourage kept fingering the lights, along with the crowd. Probably the only genuine emotion happening in the room.
I've seen this entertainer come thru town several times... ( Once he threatened to hit me... but that's another story.) from festival opener. To the barn venues. thru to the coliseum and now he's heading back south thru the theatre tours, probably back into the clubs by the end of the decade. I guess angst and gore isn't such a big seller now that America is such a fcuked up horror show in it's own right. With Marylin's Neo Nazi American flag graffix seeming almost quaint now. That shtick is kind of old, and other than the flag in the background he didn't play it up Alice Cooper style like he used to. It was basically a punk/goth show.
The things that really bothered us was the guitar players incessant spitting throughout the show. On your own tour, with all your own gear and stage carpet. That's fine. But as he was leaving the venue ( With I'll admit his extremely hot entourage of artsy goth babes filming every move ) He spate on OUR stage. And it just shows that you can be a complete Arshole but play guitar and hot women will just fall all over you....
The Mellencamp show was the complete opposite. 6 - 53 foot tractor trailers stuffed to the doors. All top end touring gear Lights, PA, Video screens, Followspots. The full extra cheese event of the season. With a huge road crew and donuts and coffee, breakfast for all of us in the early morning. Which after Marylin's cheap out the night before. Which took us to 2am to strike. Was very welcomed.
I was the lone Trust Spot guy. One of my favorite gigs. Climbing into the spot position however was a task. Who ever had rigged the wire truss ladder. They'd run the belay line for my safety harness thru the ladder. So twice I had to stop on the ladder. thread my body thru the wire. De-clip. clear the line and continue to ascend. By the time I reached my spot chair I was shaking from all the grunting to get there safely. Only to find that the Spot was formounted. Which gave me a view ( which I took a quick photo off... cause nobody ever believes me how cool the view is from up there....) But almost no movement to the spot. Which, gave it almost a pointless grunt for another 90 minutes.
His audience is mostly my age and up. And my view was basically suburban MILF central from above. Man, get a bunch of sexually frustrated wifes drunk on cheap Molson's. And let them loose during "Pink Houses" and you'll see some titties from my angle for sure. Bras were aflying throughout the show. And John kept stopping along the edge of the stage to pose for photos and give as many of the front row for-mentioned frustrated MILF's a fantasy look. Mr Cougar and his band cranked out all the CFOX radio friendly hits and even did a bit of crowd surfing over the 40 somethings. Told stories, and dissed George Bush and the republicans in between songs. Along with the obligatory supporting the troops statement. And a fun time was had by all.
He even let the opening act Red Rider do an encore. All class in comparison to the Marylin Manson show. Which is sad. Cause I like the look and style of the goth aesthetics but why do they have to be such assholes? It makes me not what to talk to people like that. But, I try to keep perspective. For every Hip Hop act that's full of idiots there's a other Hip Hop acts that are full of really thoughtful great crews. Even thought I'm not into the music to say the least.
Life's a gig... and I'm glad to be doing something I love. Even if every day isn't perfect. I mean I just found out that one of my compatriots has died of a heart attack while setting up a show in his venue. And although it's sad. I know that he loved running sound and working shows like I do. And really, is there any better way to live? I don't know of any. I'm not filthy rich money wise... but soul wise... I'm a wealthy man.
Here's to you Doug Mckinnon... Heaven's band has a new Monitor tech....