Weekend 16/17 Feb

[Andy Westcott 0]

I would just say that the difference is that younger people may find excessive bass to sound impressive at first listen, but the older (more experienced?) guys recognise that this artificial boosting of the bass can lead to listner fatigue, headache, hot speakers, good vibrations, impressive sounding music - heck! Boost the bass!

 

Seriously, It all depends on the part of the bass spectrum suffering. There is a huge difference in a bass response which goes down very deep but is essentially flat, and one which is more limited but artificially boosted to produce a large hump in the response. Some music is intentionally recorded like this to make the most of smallish hi-fi speakers, but when played over a bigger system it can sound like it's badly in need of an EQ tweek.

 

This whole issue is highly subjective: When I play, for example, Fedde le Grand's 'Put Your Hands Up', it has a fairly heavy bass content anyway so I milk it. I personally feel that that is what that piece is all about, so it's OK in this situation.

 

'Bohemian Rhapsody' mustn't have the bass boosted or it sounds rather bad - I always let this play with a flat response as the only part with any significant bass content is during the 'heavy' bit in the middle.

 

I doubt I've explained myself, but I blame that on the lateness of the hour. smile icon

[ian . 0]

Took a booking a little while back for this Friday just gone.

A birthday party for two 15 year olds.

The couple booking it were very nice, and after going through what they wanted and what I expected, I took the job.

I quoted them my standard base rate of £200, which covers uupto12.30. It is still quiet for me, so I was happy enough when she asked if I'd be prepared to stay longer, and they'd book me in the future, and so would their friends. Sounded a fair deal.

Sixty teenagers were expected at this party in a converted barn/outbuilding. She said that they (parents) were banned from the party.

Who was gonna look after them? I told her straight that I was in no way responsible for any under age kids at the disco. She had hired a bouncer from a friend of a friend. Also, there were a couple of over 18's that would be running the bar in the adjacent room. Bar??? Yes, they were allowing these kids to drink.

I added a few extras to my T&C's, and sent off the contract and it was returned signed.

Day before the gig, I visited the venue to have a look and do a quick check over.

It was a big manor house in Cheddleton, Nr. Leek. Basford Hall it's called. It looks like something out of 'To The Manor Born'.

The owners were obviously very well off, and posh. Double barrel names and everything.

I met the two kids and they seemed very polite, mature, grown up etc...

I ran through what I expected with all of them. Mum, Dad, and the kids. Alcohol, they said, would only be served in intervals of 30 mins, and even then it was only weak lager for the boys (3% stuff), and white wine & lemonade for the girls. They were allowing smoking as well. Food was laid on in a building next to us, but the parents and some other adults that were coming would be over in the main house.

Quite a few of the guests would be staying over having bought sleeping bags, and the sexes would be sseparated

The bouncer would be there all night, and any trouble makers would be ejected. The bar staff were to remain sober. No outside drink was to be allowed.

Sounded like they knew what they were doing.

 

Rig-wise, I thought a small minimal set-up would suffice.

Headroom was very limited, but good enough I thought.

 

Night of the gig we turned up in two cars because the exhaust on my Espace had decided to imitate swiss cheese. My wife was with me, along with her Dad, as I cannot carry anything after the operation I had the other week. They unloaded the cars and carried all the stuff in.

Kids were milling about and they seemed very polite and well mannered. So far so good.

Putting the deckstand up I found I didn't have enough headroom for the overhead lighting bar - the roof was an inch too low. Ok, got a lighting tripod out and used that. Two scanners were fitted to that. I decided due to lack of headroom to floormount my two Ultimate 3G's - pointing upwards from eitherside of the stand. I didn't have any luck wanting to put my speakers on stands because of the lack of space, and they would have blocked the scanners. I floored them as well in their carry bags.

I must point out at this point that the room I was in wasn't finished. Bare walls and floors, and it reminded me of a building site. The electrics had only been finished that day, and even then only plug sockets, no lights.

 

Seven O'Clock was upon us, and the kids started to pour in.

Immediately I was greeted with 'When are you starting? What time's the disco gonna start?'

No time for a sound check then.... cue the music.

'Can you turn it up?' Ok, no problem.

'Louder'. Yes, ok.

'Louder - turn it up.' More???

As my lights on the mixer were ppipingthe red, they seemed to be happy. My god - it was bloody loud in that little room. The room can only have been 25 foot x 25 foot - if that, and ceiling height 6 1/2 foot. 1000Watts in that was ddefinitelyearwax melting volume.

More and more young teenagers kept pouring in. Boys were smoking fags, some were smoking cigars! Girls in the shortest dresses you could imagine. All with drinks in their hands.

Well the requests started straight away. Most of them were for the modern dance stuff, and modern indie. Fine, no prob. A few songs were asked for that I'd never heard of, but I'm sure we've all had that.

There was nowhere for my wife and her Dad to sit, so they wandered off. I found out later that they'd been put in the 'dog room' so they could sit down and watch TV.

Two hours into the gig (9 pm), and these kids are getting drunk. No sign of the bouncer, so I went to find him. He was sat on his backside in the next room drinking and keeping warm by the heaters. Two 'adults' that were older teenagers were serving drinks.

 

Well, what can I say about what went on from here?

To put it in a nutshell - what I witnessed during the night shocked me (and that takes a lot of doing).

The boys by now were totally plastered. Shirts were off, and on quite a few, so were trousers. (Sixty teenagers - remember). Girls were being groped left right and centre. And by groped - I mean groped.

I honestly didn't know where to look! I've never seen so many exposed body parts before on kids that age. Dresses were being yanked up, along with skirts and tops. Tongues were going down throats all over the place. When a boy had had enough - he'd move to another girl and start again. The girls were as good as letting them do this. Every now and then they would pull their dress down to try and keep some modesty.

 

9.15 time for some air. Dance music blasting my ears - I went next door and told the lazy bouncer to get in there and keep them away from my equipment and look after them. I could tell by the way he groaned that he didn't want to. Lazy sod.Anyway, I had 6 mins outside and a well earned ciggie.

 

During the night I had another two breaks of about 5 mins. Each time I had to go and virtually push the so-called bouncer into the disco. AAdmittedly he did walk in and go upstarirs ooccasionally- I counted 5 times. Not bad for a 7 'til 1.30am disco was it?

 

The kids got more and more drunk as the night progressed. Boys were dancing starkers - girls were getting their 'thingies' taken out by the boys - wall to wall full on snogging - girls falling over - bras being undone - skirts lifted... etc etc etc.

 

Midnight - Mum mad an aappearancealong with two other adults. The kids behaved themselves at that point.

I told Mum that the bouncer was ruddy useless and he sat on his a:cense: all night. She said she'd talk to him.

She asked me what time I'd stay until. I said 1 - she eventually persuaded me to stay until 1.30 'co the kids were behaving. I told her about how drunk they were and what had been going on. But while she was there, they were fine - just acting a bit tiddly, that's all. Ok then, 1.30 finish, no later.

They left after five mins, and from then on the kids just got more drunk, and the bad behaviour got worse. I started to loose my temper a little at this point. I kept having to move drinks away from my equipment and lights. I was telling kids to stop sitting on my speakers - stop putting drinks on them - keep away from my cd's.. I was getting really annoyed. I got hold of my wife on my mobile and told her to get herself in her as I needed help.

Someone kept throwing water over my way. I didn't see who it was - all I know was I was getting wet, and so was my mixer. This happened a few times. Eventually I said on the mic 'If the person who's chucking water over me doesn't pack it in, the disco ends right now'. Two other lads (16 year olds) who were dancing though it was funny to stand right in front of me waving their hand in my face as if they were raving it up in Ibiza. After a few moments, I'd had enough of that. I leant over as if to grab one of them. 'Bugger off, now!' That worked. They kept their distance. Another lad was hanging around in front of me as well. He too kept sticking his hand over in my space. He looked a lot older than the others, but he was just as annoying.

My wife was stood beside me while all this was going on. Right - that's it, time that bouncer got off his backside. I went in to him and told him to 'get in there and keep those damn kids under control'. He came in very reluctantly and stood by the doorway.

1.20am. Dad 'Humphrey' comes in.

'You ok to stay until 2?'

'No chance' was the reply.

'My wife says you'll stay over until 2 '

I said 'have you seen the state of them?' 'No way.' '1.30 - and that's your lot'.

Reluctantly, he went.

Time for a couple of slowies now to end the disco. They went down well.

'That's it - thank you, goodnight' etc etc..

As soon as the music went off at dead on 1.30am, I was beseigued by a dozen kids asking for songs. Play this - play that. 'No, it's finished.'

The birthday boy came and said 'Dad says you're staying until 2am' . 'No, I agreed with your Mum 1.30.'

They eventually admitted defeat.

With one hell of a migrane now throbbing in my head due to the noise levels, I unplugged the lights and the amp.

Some of the kids went and got a cd player from ssomewhere and went in the room next door. We were left to pack up. My god - what a mess! Speakers were covered in what looks like dust and mud. Light covered in liquid and dust. My poor rope light along the front of my stand will never be the same again! Everything was filthy.

I left the Mrs and her Dad to pack up. I had a chat to a few of the kids.

Did they enjoy it? 'Yes.'

I didn't get one bad bit of feedback from them.

The wife overheard one saying the DJ shouldn't have finished so early - but that was it.

I got my head down in the car while the equipment was packed away. It went very quiet very quickly.

The kids that were staying were soon walking around in pyjamas looking as if nothing had happened! Maybe a bit tiddly, but thats all.

We loaded the cars, and made a hasty escape into the fog.

 

Both myself and the wife were shocked at how these kids behaved. She said that if any of those were mine, I'd have clobbered them. Too right.

They were unsupervised virtually the whole time - and the parents were having their own little party in the big house. They just left them to it. My wife was totally disgusted with what she saw - and she works for the police!

 

We've both decided one thing.

NEVER AGAIN!!

Even if someone offers £500 for a party like that - no way.

What a night - the disco from hell.

 

The next night was a wedding at a local stately hall.

My god - what a pleasure that was. Back to nonormality

[C.S 0]

Sounds like a good lively night ! Kids behaving like adults !

Edited February 19, 2007 by C.S

[asest 0]

I would just say that the difference is that younger people may find excessive bass to sound impressive at first listen, but the older (more experienced?) guys recognise that this artificial boosting of the bass can lead to listner fatigue, headache, hot speakers, good vibrations, impressive sounding music - heck! Boost the bass!

tongue out icon

From what I make of what you've tried to say Andy, you agree with me? People just hear things differently. Although you have added the good point that some songs need to have the bass adjusted or they sound terrible.

 

I suppose to sum it up, some people are more prone to headaches and others just don't care so long as it sounds awesome!

[Cheezy 0]

Hi Ian,

 

From what you have described sound all too familar. This is one reason I get very cautious with 16th birthday parties. What you witnessed seems to be the norm. May be I'm getting too old? I did a 16th birthday 5 years ago for two girls. With my wife helping me that night too, she couldn't believe what we were seeing!

 

May be a sign of times? :scared:

 

Cheezy

Nightsounds

[shakermaker 0]

That's great reading!

 

I did one of those a long time ago. Same kind of thing happened but I actually did lose my temper. No matter how many times I told a couple of 'kids' (16 year olds) to stop hanging off my speaker stands, they still did it. I was very calm and smiled as I went up to them and whispered a few things in their ears. I won't repeat what I said but let's say it did the trick and they stayed away all night. I didn't like saying what I said but I had no choice at the time. No'one knew what was going on and the funny thing was that I had other bookings from that night (well, the company I worked for did and I was requested) and low and behold, the 2 little gits who were being pains were there again and guess what....they behaved like perfect little gentlemen and even helped me in with the equipment.

 

Saying that, I don't think I would like to do any more of them!

[asest 0]

What a story Ian, I can imagine it all so well too. One thing I believe (and I'm stereoptyping here, but who cares) is that the richer they are the worse they can behave. I think the word is spoilt brats. I think when you do a gig like that one you have to consider taking your own bouncers, or hire the SAS!

[brianmole 0]

Took a booking a little while back for this Friday just gone.

A birthday party for two 15 year olds.

The couple booking it were very nice, and after going through what they wanted and what I expected, I took the job.

I quoted them my standard base rate of £200, which covers uupto12.30. It is still quiet for me, so I was happy enough when she asked if I'd be prepared to stay longer, and they'd book me in the future, and so would their friends. Sounded a fair deal.

Sixty teenagers were expected at this party in a converted barn/outbuilding. She said that they (parents) were banned from the party.

Who was gonna look after them? I told her straight that I was in no way responsible for any under age kids at the disco. She had hired a bouncer from a friend of a friend. Also, there were a couple of over 18's that would be running the bar in the adjacent room. Bar??? Yes, they were allowing these kids to drink.

I added a few extras to my T&C's, and sent off the contract and it was returned signed.

Day before the gig, I visited the venue to have a look and do a quick check over.

It was a big manor house in Cheddleton, Nr. Leek. Basford Hall it's called. It looks like something out of 'To The Manor Born'.

The owners were obviously very well off, and posh. Double barrel names and everything.

I met the two kids and they seemed very polite, mature, grown up etc...

I ran through what I expected with all of them. Mum, Dad, and the kids. Alcohol, they said, would only be served in intervals of 30 mins, and even then it was only weak lager for the boys (3% stuff), and white wine & lemonade for the girls. They were allowing smoking as well. Food was laid on in a building next to us, but the parents and some other adults that were coming would be over in the main house.

Quite a few of the guests would be staying over having bought sleeping bags, and the sexes would be sseparated

The bouncer would be there all night, and any trouble makers would be ejected. The bar staff were to remain sober. No outside drink was to be allowed.

Sounded like they knew what they were doing.

 

Rig-wise, I thought a small minimal set-up would suffice.

Headroom was very limited, but good enough I thought.

 

Night of the gig we turned up in two cars because the exhaust on my Espace had decided to imitate swiss cheese. My wife was with me, along with her Dad, as I cannot carry anything after the operation I had the other week. They unloaded the cars and carried all the stuff in.

Kids were milling about and they seemed very polite and well mannered. So far so good.

Putting the deckstand up I found I didn't have enough headroom for the overhead lighting bar - the roof was an inch too low. Ok, got a lighting tripod out and used that. Two scanners were fitted to that. I decided due to lack of headroom to floormount my two Ultimate 3G's - pointing upwards from eitherside of the stand. I didn't have any luck wanting to put my speakers on stands because of the lack of space, and they would have blocked the scanners. I floored them as well in their carry bags.

I must point out at this point that the room I was in wasn't finished. Bare walls and floors, and it reminded me of a building site. The electrics had only been finished that day, and even then only plug sockets, no lights.

 

Seven O'Clock was upon us, and the kids started to pour in.

Immediately I was greeted with 'When are you starting? What time's the disco gonna start?'

No time for a sound check then.... cue the music.

'Can you turn it up?' Ok, no problem.

'Louder'. Yes, ok.

'Louder - turn it up.' More???

As my lights on the mixer were ppipingthe red, they seemed to be happy. My god - it was bloody loud in that little room. The room can only have been 25 foot x 25 foot - if that, and ceiling height 6 1/2 foot. 1000Watts in that was ddefinitelyearwax melting volume.

More and more young teenagers kept pouring in. Boys were smoking fags, some were smoking cigars! Girls in the shortest dresses you could imagine. All with drinks in their hands.

Well the requests started straight away. Most of them were for the modern dance stuff, and modern indie. Fine, no prob. A few songs were asked for that I'd never heard of, but I'm sure we've all had that.

There was nowhere for my wife and her Dad to sit, so they wandered off. I found out later that they'd been put in the 'dog room' so they could sit down and watch TV.

Two hours into the gig (9 pm), and these kids are getting drunk. No sign of the bouncer, so I went to find him. He was sat on his backside in the next room drinking and keeping warm by the heaters. Two 'adults' that were older teenagers were serving drinks.

 

Well, what can I say about what went on from here?

To put it in a nutshell - what I witnessed during the night shocked me (and that takes a lot of doing).

The boys by now were totally plastered. Shirts were off, and on quite a few, so were trousers. (Sixty teenagers - remember). Girls were being groped left right and centre. And by groped - I mean groped.

I honestly didn't know where to look! I've never seen so many exposed body parts before on kids that age. Dresses were being yanked up, along with skirts and tops. Tongues were going down throats all over the place. When a boy had had enough - he'd move to another girl and start again. The girls were as good as letting them do this. Every now and then they would pull their dress down to try and keep some modesty.

 

9.15 time for some air. Dance music blasting my ears - I went next door and told the lazy bouncer to get in there and keep them away from my equipment and look after them. I could tell by the way he groaned that he didn't want to. Lazy sod.Anyway, I had 6 mins outside and a well earned ciggie.

 

During the night I had another two breaks of about 5 mins. Each time I had to go and virtually push the so-called bouncer into the disco. AAdmittedly he did walk in and go upstarirs ooccasionally- I counted 5 times. Not bad for a 7 'til 1.30am disco was it?

 

The kids got more and more drunk as the night progressed. Boys were dancing starkers - girls were getting their 'thingies' taken out by the boys - wall to wall full on snogging - girls falling over - bras being undone - skirts lifted... etc etc etc.

 

Midnight - Mum mad an aappearancealong with two other adults. The kids behaved themselves at that point.

I told Mum that the bouncer was ruddy useless and he sat on his a:cense: all night. She said she'd talk to him.

She asked me what time I'd stay until. I said 1 - she eventually persuaded me to stay until 1.30 'co the kids were behaving. I told her about how drunk they were and what had been going on. But while she was there, they were fine - just acting a bit tiddly, that's all. Ok then, 1.30 finish, no later.

They left after five mins, and from then on the kids just got more drunk, and the bad behaviour got worse. I started to loose my temper a little at this point. I kept having to move drinks away from my equipment and lights. I was telling kids to stop sitting on my speakers - stop putting drinks on them - keep away from my cd's.. I was getting really annoyed. I got hold of my wife on my mobile and told her to get herself in her as I needed help.

Someone kept throwing water over my way. I didn't see who it was - all I know was I was getting wet, and so was my mixer. This happened a few times. Eventually I said on the mic 'If the person who's chucking water over me doesn't pack it in, the disco ends right now'. Two other lads (16 year olds) who were dancing though it was funny to stand right in front of me waving their hand in my face as if they were raving it up in Ibiza. After a few moments, I'd had enough of that. I leant over as if to grab one of them. 'Bugger off, now!' That worked. They kept their distance. Another lad was hanging around in front of me as well. He too kept sticking his hand over in my space. He looked a lot older than the others, but he was just as annoying.

My wife was stood beside me while all this was going on. Right - that's it, time that bouncer got off his backside. I went in to him and told him to 'get in there and keep those damn kids under control'. He came in very reluctantly and stood by the doorway.

1.20am. Dad 'Humphrey' comes in.

'You ok to stay until 2?'

'No chance' was the reply.

'My wife says you'll stay over until 2 '

I said 'have you seen the state of them?' 'No way.' '1.30 - and that's your lot'.

Reluctantly, he went.

Time for a couple of slowies now to end the disco. They went down well.

'That's it - thank you, goodnight' etc etc..

As soon as the music went off at dead on 1.30am, I was beseigued by a dozen kids asking for songs. Play this - play that. 'No, it's finished.'

The birthday boy came and said 'Dad says you're staying until 2am' . 'No, I agreed with your Mum 1.30.'

They eventually admitted defeat.

With one hell of a migrane now throbbing in my head due to the noise levels, I unplugged the lights and the amp.

Some of the kids went and got a cd player from ssomewhere and went in the room next door. We were left to pack up. My god - what a mess! Speakers were covered in what looks like dust and mud. Light covered in liquid and dust. My poor rope light along the front of my stand will never be the same again! Everything was filthy.

I left the Mrs and her Dad to pack up. I had a chat to a few of the kids.

Did they enjoy it? 'Yes.'

I didn't get one bad bit of feedback from them.

The wife overheard one saying the DJ shouldn't have finished so early - but that was it.

I got my head down in the car while the equipment was packed away. It went very quiet very quickly.

The kids that were staying were soon walking around in pyjamas looking as if nothing had happened! Maybe a bit tiddly, but thats all.

We loaded the cars, and made a hasty escape into the fog.

 

Both myself and the wife were shocked at how these kids behaved. She said that if any of those were mine, I'd have clobbered them. Too right.

They were unsupervised virtually the whole time - and the parents were having their own little party in the big house. They just left them to it. My wife was totally disgusted with what she saw - and she works for the police!

 

We've both decided one thing.

NEVER AGAIN!!

Even if someone offers £500 for a party like that - no way.

What a night - the disco from hell.

 

The next night was a wedding at a local stately hall.

My god - what a pleasure that was. Back to nonormality

:bouncy: :good:

At least you can sit back and have a good laugh about it now! Give Marc & me a call when they book you again!!!

[ian . 0]

Actually, if they ring again - I'm gonna give them Jammin Roadshows (Mark) number.

I do agree though that the more posh they are, the worse they behave.

Also, the richer they are, the more tight fisted they are!

I also forgot to mention the very strong smell of Cannabis in the bar that night.

Outside drink was also banned, but it didn't stop them.

I didn't stop them either - hell, it wasn't my job!

[Andy Westcott 0]

Iany - firstly thanks for taking the time to illustrate so well what happened that night. An interesting read!

 

I used to do loads of discos for kids of this age back in the nineties, and most have been similar to the way you describe. Kids of this age will always act far more drunk that they actually are - don't let them fool you! And yes, 'biological exploration' is also pretty normal. I have seen things go rather further than that too, but we'd better let that one pass...

 

Pity about the state of the gear - probably down to the state of the room. Luckily nothing was damaged. When doing gigs of this kind, I would try to take 2 adults along with me - my roadie and another friend. Useful to help keep order behind the gear, as trying to fend off the masses alone is near impossible.

 

Despite this kind of event being a bit um... busy, I've always found them good fun. I did have to call a halt to one event though, at the request of the police as the kids were roaming the village with drink and making a lot of noise. Stopping the party didn't really help, but I do like to demonstrate compliance with the requests of an officer of the law. smile icon.

No problems with the client, either.

 

Looks like you were unfortunate to have been booked by parents who looked on you as a babysitter, otherwise I'm sure it would have been a better experience for you.