Topic: How do you run a FOB stand?

[Humbug]

^^^^^^^^
Not as daft a question as you might think, read on:

The Black Crowes play two, maybe three dates at Shepherds Bush Empire in March 2006. It is a GA show, 2000 cap, with large standing floor, surrounded by two tiers of balconies. It will be open taping, but there is no tapers section.

I have a dilemma:

1) Run my 8.5' FOB stand 2/3 of the way back on the floor.
Plus points: lower audience noise, better directionality. Crowd are mostly chilled, with a few "spun wooks".
Minus points: Having trouble recruiting blockers. Most of my friends want to get up the front and think that hanging around a stand is a buzz kill. They're probably right, but they aren't as obsessive about taping as I am.

2) Run stealth, 1/3 of the way back:
Plus points: Louder sound hopefully will drown out audience
Minus points: Directionalty.

3) Run from Balcony:
Plus points: If I can get to the front, good sound
Minus point: I don't own, nor do I have cash for, clamps right now, so I'd have to run the stand by my seat. People going to the bar/loo will get in the way of the mics.

Anyone got any thoughts? 

[todd e]

plus, you say the show is in march 2006, save up and buy yourself a clamp, or make new friends 

[Humbug]

Moke, that idea's great, not sure where I'd put the equipment though (simple rig, battery box and Nomad). I like how you've blocked the row, but this would piss off all around me. I'll maybe go and scout out the venue beforehand.

todd e, my "mates" are far too excited about seeing the first UK Crowes show in 5 years, and the first in 9 years since Marc Ford left the band, to worry about me taping it. Odd as they all love trading live shows..

And I'm totally skint, we bought a house in June and carried on living / gigging as normal and with our boiler packing up at the weekend, our "reserve" fund is now almost non-existent. We have to cut back on gigs (including the Crowes Paradiso show(s) until we can get this sorted. I remember the same thing happening when we bought our first flat, so this passes with time..

[Humbug]

option 2 is the Impact Zone

I'm happy stealthing (what I do most of the time anyway), but 2.5 hours is a long gig to stealth, even with set break.

[Brian Skalinder]

Based on the venue layout...


.


...I'd say run front row lower balcony, DFC.  Looks like from the following pic it'd prove easy enough to clamp to the black metal pole railing...



...and then run your mic cables across the balcony lip to your seat and tape 'em down - doesn't even really have to be on the aisle first row, though it'd make things easier and require a shorter cable run.  If you can drop the mics down a la Moke's pic or mine from the Vic Theatre...



...all the better, b/c though it appears there are some nice big cabinets about on-level with the first row balcony, I bet the impact zone will reside lower than the balcony lip railing.  Either way - clamped to the rail, or clamped and dropped down - I bet you'll pull a solid recording from front row first balcony.  Clamps are very inexpensive, and there's a whole range of options.  Your local musicians gear store will carry a variety of cheapo clamps.  If you expect to do a lot more open taping, I'd pick up a Bogen SuperClamp for just this purpose.  I use it (often with my custom extension bar) more frequently than I use my stand for venues about the size of SBE.  Bogen makes extension poles, or you can get one custom made.

£0.02

[Humbug]

Brian, thats a great reply, thanks for the time and effort in putting it together.

Looking closely at the pictures, it appears the balcony rail is felt material (those bars you can see are mostly the ones next to the stage). However there is a safety bar (X marks the spot):



And I might be able to use that. Time to be a little creative - I have a T-bar, but no shock mounts, I'll try and suspend the tiny mics off them using thin foam strips (a tip someone gave me a few months ago).

I'll keep a look out for a cheapo clamp..

Cheers

Alex

[Brian Skalinder]

it appears the balcony rail is felt material (those bars you can see are mostly the ones next to the stage). However there is a safety bar (X marks the spot):

Yup, that's what I meant - the safety rail, couldn't think of the proper words.  And slide that X over a bit...why not run absolute DFC on the rail?  It may not matter...but then again, it might.

[sml42]

The Black Crowes play two, maybe three dates at Shepherds Bush Empire in March 2006. It is a GA show, 2000 cap, with large standing floor, surrounded by two tiers of balconies. It will be open taping, but there is no tapers section.

I'm sure you're already on top of this, but...

Back in April, a friend got shut down at SBE for Ray LaMontagne. Ray is open taping but security were having none of it. Be sure to get venue clearance in advance! Here's a link to the episode on the Ray forums: http://p214.ezboard.com/fraylamontagnefrm7.showMessage?topicID=346.topic (scroll down to the first post by 'blue skies sam').

best regards,
stephen

[Humbug]

I'm sure you're already on top of this, but...

Back in April, a friend got shut down at SBE for Ray LaMontagne. Ray is open taping but security were having none of it. Be sure to get venue clearance in advance! Here's a link to the episode on the Ray forums: http://p214.ezboard.com/fraylamontagnefrm7.showMessage?topicID=346.topic (scroll down to the first post by 'blue skies sam').

best regards,
stephen

Pretty good point, and a very depressing read. The Black Crowes are normally very good about informing venues about their taping poicy, but I will be emailing the venue a few weeks beforehand. I also believe we may have some US tapers come over for this, so I'll let people know how I get on.

[svenkid]

there is a crazy bogen super clamp for sale in the yard sale section 

[TenoRichards]

option 2 is the Impact Zone

I'm happy stealthing (what I do most of the time anyway), but 2.5 hours is a long gig to stealth, even with set break.

LIGHTWEIGHT!!! Dood, my wife stealths me with running times of 3.5 hours or OVER! There is nothing harder than stealthing classical (with all it's silences) for 4 hours. :-)

But +t for stealthing!

Note to self: buy the wife some flowers.....

[Bdifr78]

A windtech clamp is like $15.  You really can't save that much in 3 months?

[Humbug]

A windtech clamp is like $15.  You really can't save that much in 3 months?

Several things happened since this thread started:

sml42 posted about Shepherds Bush Empire being a no-taping venue, which means I can only check with them a couple of weeks beforehand to see whether the Crowes have instructed them to allow open taping.

SBE tickets went on sale and immediately sold out, and I was limited in what I could buy to floor tickets (Saturday, Sunday). I may still trade for balcony at the last moment and buy a cheap clamp. What bothers me about this is having ushers giving me grief / audience members hanging over the balcony and yelling near the mics.

I've been unable to recruit blockers anyway so will probably stealth. Unlike a classical gig (seated), this is standing still for 2.5 - 3 hours. I've done this before at Mule (possibly the only person in recent times to stealth Gov't Mule?), but these past couple of months my health is not so good, so I am concerned whether I can do this or not.

I think I'm a natural worrier

Humbug