# Rain ruins everything



## sproul07 (Jun 23, 2007)

Saturday night, we were playing at the local Jazz and Blues Fest big stage. Set is going pretty good but we feel the wind pick up a little bit about halfway through our 2nd set so we quickly wrap up our last song of Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen and the second after we finish, here comes the rain hard and fast. Everyone in the band quickly jumps up begins unplugging everything as well as pulling all the speakers, monitors and cabinets into the middle of the stage to protect it form the hard wind and rain. We soon realize that its all for nothing, so we begin to load all the speakers and monitors into the van in the pouring rain. We did manage to get everything in without any major damage but all of our gear has needed to dry out for the last couple days. Insane night, one we'll never forget lol


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

These flash storms in August have been a real bummer for a lot of people. Hope everything turns out OK and nothing got ruined


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Worked a festival in NS this weekend. 5 minutes after the festival manager declared there was no chance of rain (clear skies all around) the heavens opened up and we had a huge downpour that lasted 30 minutes. Everything got damp (I had weather protection in place), but we were up and running again within 10 minutes after the rain stopped.

Weird weather is becoming the norm. It's important to be prepared with a plan C, D and E...


----------



## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Yeah, we had the same thing in Calabogie on Saturday night. Had a great campfire jam set up when a big thunder storm hit. Bummer!


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

It was a good set up until then!


----------



## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

Rain makes corn. Corn makes whiskey. Whiskey makes my baby get a little frisky! 



Seriously though, we had a gig that night as well and the weather was horrid. Wound up moving the stage inside under the bleachers. Worked out okay.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I freaking HATE out door gigs. I don't do them unless there's a canopy over both the stage AND the mixer location.



The one exception is an annual event I do ( sound for a county fair).Some years we get wet. It sucks hard.

This year it was glorious. They say it was the best Thanksgiving weekend in terms of weather in the last 50 years.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Yeah, Thanksgiving was amazing this year. Goderich had an outdoor one day fundraising festival and the weather could not have been better, shirtsleeves all day, light jacket in the evening.

As for playing in the rain, I've done that lots of times but I'm generally a pain in the butt about it, the first to pull the plug. I was boo-ed mightily a couple of years ago for stopping our set at a Canada Day garden party when it started to rain. By the time I had my stuff loaded in the car some of the crowd was practically surly in spite of the downpour. The p.a., someone else's, was soaked. 

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

I also dont play outside anymore after a few damp gigs. I cant afford to get my stuff wet. Sequencers and sound modules dont like damp weather,or cold weather for that matter. Rather stay homw and watch golf and drink beer LOL.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Mooh said:


> Yeah, Thanksgiving was amazing this year. Goderich had an outdoor one day fundraising festival and the weather could not have been better, shirtsleeves all day, light jacket in the evening.
> 
> As for playing in the rain, I've done that lots of times but I'm generally a pain in the butt about it, the first to pull the plug. I was boo-ed mightily a couple of years ago for stopping our set at a Canada Day garden party when it started to rain. By the time I had my stuff loaded in the car some of the crowd was practically surly in spite of the downpour. The p.a., someone else's, was soaked.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Did they expect you to stand there and play in the rain? Crazy people


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Did they expect you to stand there and play in the rain? Crazy people


Yeah, actually. Alcohol turns people into idiots if they aren't already, and it usually doesn't take much.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

How about a rain coat. A $25 acoustic and a blow-up plastic amp. If their drinking, they probably would even know your expensive gear has been put away and is safe and dry.


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Ymmv, but playing guitar in the rain is hell on the hands, especially if it's cool out.

Peace, Mooh. 



Guitar101 said:


> How about a rain coat. A $25 acoustic and a blow-up plastic amp. If their drinking, they probably would even know your expensive gear has been put away and is safe and dry.


----------



## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Mooh said:


> Ymmv, but playing guitar in the rain is hell on the hands, especially if it's cool out. Peace, Mooh.


Stupid me. I forgot to mention gloves and hand cream. (llol)


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Funny you mentioned that, I've actually played a gig on bass wearing gloves. Late fall barn dance/concert. The things a guy has to do to earn a living!

Peace, Mooh.



Guitar101 said:


> Stupid me. I forgot to mention gloves and hand cream. (llol)


----------



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mooh said:


> Funny you mentioned that, I've actually played a gig on bass wearing gloves. Late fall barn dance/concert. The things a guy has to do to earn a living!
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


I've tried playing with gloves--including those ones that have the fingertips cut off--fretting is tough that way--although with the fingertips cut off I can still play bass with my fingers...

So good on you for being able to pull that off


----------



## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Played bass at a Millennium New Years Eve gig outdoors. Temp was -28C before wind chill. We all tried gloves, but i couldn't use them. Keyboard player got away with fingerless gloves, drummer had full mitts. Tin whistle player, guitarist and I went bare. I am sure we were pretty sloppy, but the crowd was moving (was it the groove, or the need to stay warm and I got the best pay cheque for a single gig ever.


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Mooh said:


> Funny you mentioned that, I've actually played a gig on bass wearing gloves. Late fall barn dance/concert. The things a guy has to do to earn a living!
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


What? You can earn a living doing this?


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I never said it was a good living, LOL! Actually most of my income is in teaching, that's a better living.

That bass gig was on fretless.

Peace, Mooh.


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

This past summer we did 6 or 7 outdoor gigs and for all except one the issue was the GOOD weather - heatstroke and seeing pedal displays, especially tuners, were my biggest troubles. Only once was there a bit of rain and we were able to jam under covers and continue.

I hate not being able to see the lights on my pedals. Every time I needed to tune I was on my knees with one hand shading the display. Anybody got solutions to this one?


----------



## BIGDC (Aug 16, 2011)

Would a Snark-style clip-on tuner work ...... you could turn so the read-out was in the shade and easily visible


----------



## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I used to install tinted glass/plastic on Boss tuner pedals years ago, and once I installed a tinted shield over my own pedals that would swing into place as needed. Not great, but it worked.

Peace, Mooh.



allthumbs56 said:


> This past summer we did 6 or 7 outdoor gigs and for all except one the issue was the GOOD weather - heatstroke and seeing pedal displays, especially tuners, were my biggest troubles. Only once was there a bit of rain and we were able to jam under covers and continue.
> 
> I hate not being able to see the lights on my pedals. Every time I needed to tune I was on my knees with one hand shading the display. Anybody got solutions to this one?


----------



## allthumbs56 (Jul 24, 2006)

Mooh said:


> I used to install tinted glass/plastic on Boss tuner pedals years ago, and once I installed a tinted shield over my own pedals that would swing into place as needed. Not great, but it worked.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Interesting idea. I had to replace my favourite tuner - my Pitchblack with my old TU-2 for daytime outdoor shows. While I prefer the action of the Pitchblack, the lcds on the Boss were a bit brighter.


----------

