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Post by snakehips on Jun 1, 2021 16:20:04 GMT
Hi there !
I've got a filmed live, no audience gig coming up in July, at the Edinburgh J&B Festival.
The musicians all all other people that will be there (sound guys, filming guys, management etc) are all to take Lateral Flow Tests on the morning of the show and sign a form when we arrive to say they did a test and it was negative. And they plan to measure our temperature when we arrive.
In theory, I've no problem with all of that ... except the infra-red, non-touch, gun-type thermometres are not all that accurate - and it's possible to record a high temp when there isn't one - and vice versa. In my line of work as a Dentist, early in the Covid epidemic, us Dentists were advised not to rely on these type of temperature check devices (ie. don't bother !).
One Lateral Flow Test might not be enough as they are only about 70% accurate, but perhaps 2 negative tests - a few days apart would be easier to trust.
Ventilation - lots of people in a rematively small space - (when we've not been doing that for over a year - decent air-extraction would be ideal - again, in my line of work, we have had to do install powerful extractor fans to mitigate the risk. Of course, the noise of said extractor fans might be a sound issue, during recording.
How do I raise these points with the festival people without sounding a right PITA ? !!!
I wouldn't be able to get away with it, in my line of work.
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 1, 2021 17:35:43 GMT
I really don't care if venues think I'm a little eccentric or bonkers for being extremely cautious about the whole thing. The venue rules are pretty good and I am fully vaccinated, but added to that are my own set of house rules, which are there because I haven't been around people for almost a year and a half. So it is not just about Covid, it's to be safe from any bugs.
A few things I will be putting in place at all gigs in the coming months, include...
Bringing all my own mics, stands, leads and chair. Which apart from the chair, I never do. I will set up my mics and plug them into the system and I do want the sound guys to touch any of my equipment, so I do not require help loading in from the car either, which is unusual for most of the venues I play at. I will bring my own drinking water, coffee and food and I will perform in a hazmat suit and full PPE. That last bit might not be true. Although having said that, Bob Log III, was ahead of me on that one!
I will also only perform in well ventilated spaces.
Fun isn't it.
Shine On
Michael
PS ...just for info... I played at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival in 1990/91 I think it was. It was where I first met a very young Catfish Keith and Penny. Phew we have all known each other for a long time! Bless them.
PPS>>> As much as I want to, we must not make any political comments about this situation. Anything of that nature will be deleted.
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jun 1, 2021 18:37:01 GMT
Interesting comments.
I've always used my own mics. and as for sharing harmonicas,jugs and sweat drenched basses....nah, not for me, I'm afraid.
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Post by snakehips on Jun 1, 2021 19:11:21 GMT
PS. I forgot to say, my post isn't technically guitar related, because in this band, I play e.piano and Hammond organ (clone keyboard).
And I'm not even the singer in this band !!!
The principle still applies though !
I bring all my own gear, load it in myself & set it up myself.
I've had "stage hands" pack up a brand new keyboard of mine back into it's flight case and chuck in the sustain pedal on top (there isn't room for it !) and try to force the lid closed, before finding they had put a score down the keyboard's controls fascia (first time I'd gigged with it since new, 2 weeks previously !). I don't even use a sustain pedal but only brought it for the other keyboard playing using my e.piano, in the Mud Morganfield band.
I like the idea though of using your own vocal mics - thanks for that. Food for thought !
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Post by Stevie on Jun 1, 2021 19:19:47 GMT
I once read or heard an interview with Ian Dury and he said that microphones often suffer from halitosis. Yikes!
After that I never allowed anyone to blow into my harmonica(s) so you can imagine my horror when I bought a Hohner Chromonica from a tiny "Mom 'n' Pop" music store in Bakewell, Suffolk a couple of decades ago. I had returned to the car and removed it from the packaging and straight away I identified a warbling reed, so I took it back to the shop immediately because Bakewell is a long way from home for me to return it. The proprietor took it from me and promptly blew into it, declared it free of any faults and triumphantly handed it back to me. I was horrified that anyone would think that's acceptable even then.
I would say that sticking to one's own mics is "sound" practice irrespective of whether it's for vocals or reinforcement. Perhaps I'm just confirming that I'm not a gigging muso, or more likely simply a bit naive.
e&oe ...
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Post by snakehips on Jun 1, 2021 19:22:20 GMT
Interesting comments. I've always used my own mics. and as for sharing harmonicas,jugs and sweat drenched basses....nah, not for me, I'm afraid. I was once at a blues jam session years back - and a guy got up to play his harmonica. After the song, I noticed his fingers and lips were covered in blood - no doubt from the obvious gum disease, and thus bleeding gums he had. He offered the harmonica to a friend of mine (who was drunk) to play it,, but I wouldn't let my friend anywhere near it !!! Oh, also, I got up to play piano on some songs with an old rock'n'roller local hero of mine (from Glasgow, actually, Rollin' Joe Dalton), who was ace at piano AND Chuck Berry type guitar. I played piano while he did some Chuck Berry numbers. After that he asked if I wanted to sing, and brought his mic over to the piano. As I started singing into his old Shure SM58, I noticed the surface of the mic screen felt goo-ey. Yuk, it was all slimy. If you can imagine picking up a Shure SM58 and dunking it into a large tub of hair gel, then popping it back on the mic stand - that is EXACTLY what it was like !!!!! Yuk ! |
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Post by Pickers Ditch on Jun 1, 2021 19:39:04 GMT
Interesting comments. I've always used my own mics. and as for sharing harmonicas,jugs and sweat drenched basses....nah, not for me, I'm afraid. I forgot to add that with my current long term ear infection I will not be sharing any headphones again, either. |
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Post by Michael Messer on Jun 1, 2021 19:57:21 GMT
Having been a touring musician for four decades I can tell you I have seen microphones, dressing rooms and hotel beds that make Snakehips' snot-ridden Shure sound like it had been sterilised!
I am not a mic eater when I sing and I have asked for dirty mics to be changed. You know, when you are gigging all the time and touring without your car, you just can't carry any more than your instrument, a few bits of kit, your clothes and a suitcase full of drugs. I always have an SM57 & SM58 with me because they're my mics of choice and if needed, they're clean. I have never allowed people to play my guitars unless I know how they will handle them and that they're clean. Johnny Cash said that he was more scared of hotel pillows than he ever was of microphones. I would agree with him there. I have travelled with pillow protection for quite a few years as I have a few nasty stories about those. All that said and done, we are now in a new and far more dangerous playing field and 18 months of isolation will have affected the way we do many things.
Something I became aware of when I was last recording an album before Covid was around, was the idea of sharing headphones and how unhealthy that can be. I already have a very nice pair of Sennheiser 650s, but open back cans are not as good as closed ones for recording, so I am going to add a pair of Neumann ND20s to the kit. Then in any recording environment I have my own cans for listening and for recording.
In addition to that, all the musicians I work with must be sprayed with bleach before we start!
Shine On
Michael
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Post by Stevie on Jun 2, 2021 9:02:30 GMT
You're correct about pillows, perish the thought. OTOH, my last boss's wife worked for a travel firm and she got to organise corporate hotel accomodation for the client company's executives. As part of that she had to pre-visit hotels on a scope-out stayover, and we had many freebie weekends away with that couple. She said the first thing she checks for in a hotel room is "pillows and pubes". By that she meant that sometimes the cleaning staff put on fresh pillow cases, sweep off the "detritus" and stretch out the sheets. Job done. Moral- it's not just the pillow cases ...
For years now we have never left clothes on the floor in an hotel room and that includes the suitcases- a prime vehicle for bugs to hitch a ride home to Blighty!
e&oe ...
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Post by thebluesbear( al) on Jun 2, 2021 9:13:14 GMT
Hi everyone
This thread is giving food for thought , over here the pubs re open on 9th of June, and yes its time to get bookings again ....and of course there is new things that we have to consider ....from June 9 ill be fully vaccinated ..Lets hope this hideous disease will be stopped,i also have no problem with what anyone things about extra precautions
Al
Psst Michael i know a bloke who can do a cut price deal on some bleach ..
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Post by obrienp on Jun 2, 2021 9:43:11 GMT
I wish I hadn’t read this thread over breakfast!
Seriously, after the best part of 18 months of isolation (I was shielding), I am expecting to get a raft of colds, tummy bugs, etc, simply because I haven’t been exposed to other people for so long. I can understand why Michael, Snakehips and others want to be extra careful. Covid apart, if you make your living performing, you do not want to be sick all the time.
Having said all the above, I have started rehearsing with my band indoors again. The singers bring their own mics, we have all had both jabs and we do regular lateral flow tests. The interesting part will come when we get some gigs, because our PA is made up of gear from multiple band members. I guess we will just have to use gallons of hand sanitiser when we set up and break down.
Regarding the bleach Michael: Donald Trump said you have to drink it, rather than wear it. I guess you could hand out Domestos tots to band members; lovely with salt and a slice of lime!
Stay safe everybody!
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