Sound Check on Aisle Three

Sound checks at small local venues are funny to me. The quality of the sound is important, of course, but the process of checking each mic and instrument is more of an art than a science (this is where you say, "but wait it IS a science!"). Sometimes, that art is more like fingerpaint.

Here are the specific things I find funny:

Overly anal sound guys: Every mic, monitor, and instrument has to be perfect. They will work on the tiniest issue well into a band's starting time. The pursuit of perfection is commendable, but ultimately futile and quite the time-waster. When you have 45 to play and a band coming on after you, do you really want the guy to go 20 minutes into your set? Even if he is able to coax God out of his board, you just wasted 20 minutes of your set.

Overly anal bands: Kind of the same thing here. You know how you want it to sound. When there are people milling waiting for you to get started, the last thing you want to do is actually start. You want more lead vocal in the drummer's monitor. A little more. More. Ok, a little less. Wait, perfect. No, a little more. You get the drift. When you get to the point where your sound truly does need to be perfect, you'll have biker roadies handling the sound for you.

Sound checks with the music on: This is one of my favorites and you can combine it with one or both of the above. You and the sound guy are trying to get the sound just right, testing the full kit, just the bass, bass and vocals, etc. all while "Back in Black" is blasting through the bar. Are you expecting 1980's AC/DC to show up and rock out while you are playing? Then why test the sound while the music is on? Plus, having been a DJ for a while, I can tell you that there is nothing worse than the sound of two songs with different beats playing.

I guess the point of all this whining is that it seems like no one looks at the bigger picture. You are playing at a bar for 45 minutes to a crowd (hopefully, if you did your promotion) of drunk people. They don't know and don't care if the sound is perfect. They just want to get drunk and for the band to go on and not suck. If you and the sound tech can do that, you're golden.