My kids (17 & 12) have started playing together in a band, and have now done 3 gigs together around the Raleigh area.
The oldest boy has been gigging with his band for several years already - usually teen band nights @ small clubs or community centers.
My wife and I are pretty involved with it all. The bands practice here and most of our equipment ends up at the shows (OK, it doesn't end up there - I drive it there).
Usually, everyone at these shows are great to work with - I help load-in/out, setup the drums, etc. and try not to get in anyone's way. Then I step to the rear of the venue and videotape.
Like I mentioned, my 12 year old just started filling in for their drummer a few shows back. Tuesday night they had a gig (1 of 6 bands that night) at a local Raleigh club.
I know that these shows can be a logistical nightmare, but every band (our kids were the only teen band) that showed up was pretty well prepared, respectful and attentive to the direction they were getting from the sound guy/stage mgr. I went upstairs and watched the shows from the loft where I could see the kids and videotape.
As our kids took the stage (3rd in order), the sound guy started barking at them while they're hurrying to setup (pedal boards were ready and most guitars were pre-tuned) and he starts to go through a sound check by telling the drummer to "kick the bass drum", so he does a few times. Sound guy starts yelling over the PA "when I tell you to do something, do it until I tell you to stop!" Nick is a fairly new to all this and is fairly sensitive to adults barking at him. I can see that it shook him up a little bit. He's barking at these kids like he's got some bug up his ass, but I was there with these kids from the time we unloaded, and they were no trouble at all, and very respectful and appreciative of the acts before they went on stage. At that point, I'm about ready to go downstairs and see how tough he talks with me in his face, but I didn't. I really dislike mean people. BTW, Nick kicked ass.
After the show, everyone in the band said that the guy was pretty much a total douche-nozzle. I don't understand. Getting a good sound from a 4 piece band is not so difficult that it requires this type of behavior. The sound-check took about 45 seconds. I watched him interacting with other folks at the club and he was fine. I mean, it was a local-talent show and my son's band was ASKED to play it.
This was only venue we've ever been to where the sound guy refused to give an output for our Zoom H4 recorder. I know that it's not his responsibility, but he was only asked for an output channel - we had the recorder and the cable. Hell, I've been to a show where the sound guy asked me if I wanted him to burn a CD of the kids performance.
Is this what these kids are to going to encounter as they migrate away from teen-night venues and into the world of small clubs? I'll have to stop going, because I really wanted to pop him.
On a pretty cool note, the bassist for the band had been using my homemade "Ackbass" (in my avatar) at practice and used it for their entire set. I was quite proud to see it on stage.
