[Dixielandjazz] Preparing for a <festival> gig

[BudTuba at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/26/03 12:47:34 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
bbiffle at swcp.com writes:

> We have been asked to play a festival and they're asking questions that I
> don't really know how to answer.  For instance, they want our "sound specs
> and/or stage plot".  I assume the latter is how we want to be placed on
> stage, but I'm at a loss as to how to answer the former.  We have a front
> line of tpt, tbone, and clarinet and a rhythm section of drums, banjo,
> piano, and string bass.  The bass is usually amplified and we like a mic in
> front for solos, vocals, and talking with the crowd.  Is this all they 
> might
> want?
> 

If this is an outdoors festival and a big stage you will have to change your 
setup from up close and personal to spread out a bit.  I suspect you are used 
to being close together in a club scene with everyone winking at each other 
and passing comments off mike, but it will be less possible on stage.  You 
will want to "look" bigger.  They can mike everyone beautifully and feed back 
to you the sound.  Your bass man will want to have a clear sound of his 
instrument and the piano since that sound gets lost quickly in 
space...therefore, he should have his own amp behind him to to one side so he 
can hear, they can pick up the signal off his amp.   If he is like me, he 
will want to be located so he can see the piano keyboard.  Once you get used 
to it, the full miked band is exciting when the soundman knows what he is 
doing.  Therefore, decide ahead how you want to be set up and communicate 
that stage "plot".  Use separate mikes for vocals.  Before you go, try 
setting up in a large room somewhere more like you expect to do at the 
festival and rehearse one time (while gritting your teeth).  If you can start 
to feel comfortable in that configuration unmiked, the miked stage will be a 
piece of cake.
Bud Taylor
Smugtown Stompers
Rochester, NY
Traditional Jazz since 1958
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