Re: General Chat

[mazdragon]

"Last year was it's first year that it was there". - SORRY - that should read:
Last year was it's first year that it was NOT there......

[soundman]

okay i remember it vaguely i think... probably walked past it lots of times, though probably too distracted by one van or another... funny how there seems to be more vans than usual around easter if you're in the right spot... have only been twice and am hoping to do my first interstate for the dazzanats, though being easter it usually collides with bluesfest or some other work...

[mazdragon]

Yeah, not everyone took notice cos it wasn't on a van. A little narrowminded, but then, oh well, that's life at times.... It nevertheless won many trophies in the mural category and had lots of admiration from lots of peoples, not jut at car shows.

[soundman]

quote...

you've got a few months to get organised then.... maybe a silly Q, but what is it that you actually do? I know with the name soundman, it's something to do with music, but what?
....and, there's no excuse, you cannot come onto this forum and not come to the nationals and get to know the peoples behind the names and comments.... then again, would it be safe to get to meet us


thought i'd swap this out of the wanted section and into general chat... though yes, i do WANT to go to nats. grrr got confirmation today. when i get work like this i have to take it.

For the most part i am an audio engineer. I work on all size shows from corporate with 2 little speakers up to festivals like big day out and all the major arena tours. I am freelance/ subcontracted and depending on who i'm working for i could be doing local or touring work. sometime's i mix bands, other times i'm used as a stagehand (experienced labour - most shows that would tour through entertainment centres would have 4-6 semi-trailers of gear, sometimes up to 26 for something like rolling stones. tours operate with core-crew and local hired help erecting Audio, lights, Video, Set, Band Gear etc)

For these reasons at times work can be sporadic, ranging from a 3 hr week to 60hr+ week. Tours can be good cos it's a big slab of work all at once and i bill a day rate though living out of a suitcase getting driven from work to hotel to airport to work for a month or two straight can really start to grate on oneself. Local gigs can be good if they're long days and at an hourly rate. Its the sort of work that can have the most suckfull times, but it can also have its moments. sometime's i'll be being Rained on, loading a truck in the mud. today i had to endure hours of a conference about economics and financial planning.

so why do i continue in my low paying, unpredictable choice of vocation.

Every now and then i have the coolest moments and i have to smile that i'm getting paid. whether it's seeing a band like Def Leppard, or Iron Maiden, or meeting a smaller favourite band in a club show, I get to help set up the bands gear, help remove the support bands gear, be onstage with the camera guy all sorts of stuff. i missed the last nats for bluesfest, and i miced and Patched 50 or so bands in 6 days, and got to watch John Fogerty and The Black Crowes from stage. its funny i can work 20 hour days doing what i do because i love it. some things i can't handle more that a few hours of, but endure because who knows what i'll do or see next...

As for this weekend, i didn't organise a trip down to the Vic titles because of a dance music festival in hometown brisbane. but thats life you gotta earn coin to survive, and if i enjoy what i do, i can work hard without it seeming like hard work.


thats my book... i guess just a simple yes, i work with music would have dun huh...

[highwaymenace]

i was you on a smaller scale, owned and opperated 7 mobile discos, owned built 3 pub installs, owned 4 full stage light & sound gear the big one well in my day it was - 11000 wrms fold back, 38000 front of house, 90 x par 64 cans, 12 x martin moving heads, 3 x projectors, 6 x red lasers, full sq. trust 4 mtrs x 16 mtrs, 8 x jbl twin bass w bins, 12 x jbl 6 up 15" boxes, 6 x mid horns, 4 x high horns. 6 x 48 bay rack units, 2 Fostec Desks, 1 big mother martin light desk and all multi cores etc. etc. etc. then the smaller stge sets. 4 trucks, 8 covered trailers, 12 staff. done 12 & 1.2 years also played in a band on the quiet times... not many of them.. ps: we didnt have the gear thats around now..

PS: why did i stop......... EX-wife. say no more.

[soundman]

seems to be a few too many of those types (ex-wife) around the industry.
yeh the gear that kicks around now is a bit more high tech than the old JBL rig with seperate elements... sounds like you had a blast and got together quite an inventory. mainly the gear i buy is for recording, that way I pick and choose what i want for live stuff based on size, quality etc... obviously very different gear from your average punk night at the pub, to a corperate night with speeches etc. for the most part my income mainly comes from the labour component (me).

[highwaymenace]

Speaking of recording i will know if we have a Van Nats theme song for next Easter as a band is laying down some tracks in a blues/rock style for me that are all about vanning or vanners.. PS: the the band doing this is a 3 peice rockabilly band like Stray Cats.. hope some cool comes out of it.

[mazdragon]

Hey soundman, thanks for the elboration. Yes, i guess it can be enduring at times, but like you say, you have your moments, and let's face it, that's what we live for, our moments of glory and happiness . If you enjoy what you do, then good on you. If we give you a hard time re not coming to the state titles or the nats, we're not having a go at you.... we're just having a bit of fun. We all have to work to make ends meet, i work every sunday as a taxi driver (yup i'm a sunday driver ), we have our bad moments, but i do also have some great customers, and that's one reason i keep going. (the other reason is so that i can live and keep the roof over my head). so, if you're working when nats time comes, so be it, we'll just have a drink or 3 for you, think of you (probably not ) and wish you were there..... (if we remember that you're not)

[mazdragon]

just to let peoples know that my pm's isn't working.... email me if you want to specifically talk to me .....
thanks
xxx

[Agro]

I know it's a silly question Maz,
But is either your outbox,sent and inbox 100% full?

[mazdragon]

we've been through all of that, i get the "noise" that there's a pm, but then there's nothing there.... Daz is on to it with the mob who are running this. so we'll see, in the meantime, email me if required....

[soundman]

i kinda like the rear end, and am wondering what the front might consist of?
looks like HZ lamps...

[Agro]

I think it was a Mazda 626 grill.
Also has an L88 bonnet scoop on it.

[soundman]

My GF said it looked like an 80's space ship, and then thought i was too enthusiastic when i excitedly agreed.

[Agro]

Do you have any of the CV & T books??