Bar & Club How Would You Have Reacted

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Well... I probably shouldn't be posting in this one since it's not our market. We don't work bars or clubs.

But my compadre Houston asked so I'll voice my opinion. :)

If I was in his shoes and saw a Chinese abortion of a system like that there's no way in Hell I'd touch it, let alone try to DJ a night's work with it. Pyle and off-brand crap, ain't no way.

Folks, I used to work with entry-level gear. I know how it is. :D

Suppose Houston had gone ahead and DJed the gig that night... and something decided to let the smoke out of the wires? Or one of those cheap-assed cabinets fried a driver and started farting like an AM radio during a thunderstorm? There he'd be on the spot, looking like the bad guy. :(

I've DJed some shows in club settings where the house was rented for a wedding or dance party. I always load my own system. Have seen some poor house systems with RS cabinets and $50.00-per-hour DJ rigs in them houses. I didn't know Pyramid branded speaker boxes until I saw the damn things in a rented house one night.

I think Houston did the right thing for his business. If I saw an alligator in the toilet, I wouldn't sit down on the stool. ;)
 
Im not second guessing Canutes choices other than beings he proclaimed this a complete idiot I would have not ran in 30 minutes expecting to play. IT had been almost two months since the last time he played there. I think February would have been my last visit to the place versus expecting 30 minutes prior that things would have miraculously changed and not gotten worst.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Im not second guessing Canutes choices other than beings he proclaimed this a complete idiot I would have not ran in 30 minutes expecting to play. IT had been almost two months since the last time he played there. I think February would have been my last visit to the place versus expecting 30 minutes prior that things would have miraculously changed and not gotten worst.
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Jon,
My time is worth money! Club is from 9.00pm til 2.00am 5 Hours. Thats one hour longer than most gigs. I was not about to give up six or more hours. He got three hours of my time this evening.
 
Pic of the Rat's Nest!

Attached is a pic of the rats nest. The other closeups came out blurred! It looked a lot better after I left. Back in the early 80's when I worked at the Johnson Space Center for NASA, I did cabling, testing, soldering etc on the consoles they use at Mission Control, so I know how to do those things. When I go back there tomorrow i will take better pics of other stuff. The white RCA cable on the left is the cable coming directly from the Computer into the Pyle Amp. LOL
 

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ahoustondj said:
Joe, there was nothing upgraded. When I left in February, I pulled out my speaker wires which I had loaned the club temporarily. They bought new wires to be assembled by them (no electronic training) You should have seen how they connected them to the jacks & terminals. No solder no screw downs. The color codes were incorrect and speakers were out of phase. They added a no name amplifier and one speaker to send music upstairs. That was not even working because it was not connected properly.

Some months ago the owner showed me a pair of homemade speakers someone gave him that he was planning on bringing to the club. At the time i laughed and told him that he was crazy to do such a thing. Guess what! They are over at the club now waiting to be connected to something to power them. The guy has no concept of Sound quality, equipment or installation. Thats why I do not allow myself to be drawn in to his stupidity.
Another thing you have to understand. The pay at a club using the Club's equipment is way lower than when I provide my own. There is no way on earth that I am going to provide mobile sound to a club for club's pay! If a club can pay for a band then they had better be ready to pay me if they want me plus my equipment.
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OK, I understand that you don't want to lug your own stuff for low pay. However, as quoted above, you HAD to know that you were walking into a club with a system that would be questionable at BEST, and probably the pits.

Again, armed with that knowledge, the thing to do would have been to go in at LEAST a day or two early and inspect the system. That way, after inspection, the options could have been given to either pay enough to bring in the mobile system, or find another DJ in time for the show. No loss to the customers ( and possible referrals), to the venue in good will and profits, or your reputation.
 
I should also let this go, but I just can't..... it was said that IF you had used the in house system that night and IF something had gone wrong, YOU would like like the bad guy to the people there.....

well YOU decided to leave, how do you think that makes you look to anyone who came in looking for you?

Did they get another DJ for the night? Were you advertised being there? Your name is on it I would bet, maybe not.

So in keeping with wanting not to have a bad rep, bringing in your own gear and doing your job, that would seem to be the way to go for me and my rep.

But as I have said, everyone has the right to run their business as they see fit.

I just don't feel in this situation, it was handled right. but that's just me...
 
JoeChartreuse said:
OK, I understand that you don't want to lug your own stuff for low pay. However, as quoted above, you HAD to know that you were walking into a club with a system that would be questionable at BEST, and probably the pits.

Again, armed with that knowledge, the thing to do would have been to go in at LEAST a day or two early and inspect the system. That way, after inspection, the options could have been given to either pay enough to bring in the mobile system, or find another DJ in time for the show. No loss to the customers ( and possible referrals), to the venue in good will and profits, or your reputation.
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Joe! After I left in February, there was no DJ. I left the system working as best to what they had. they moved things around and brought in other trash stuff to add to the mix. Not my fault! They were running the sound from computer to amp and the music like a jukebox! This teaches him a good lesson to get his act together. Another person may not have been so kind as I was to go back yesterday to rearrange things! I do not have to wory about referrals. Everyone who goes there know of the lack of quality in the sound system. There might be more pictures posted tonight after I go back there and finish assembling the jacks on the speaker wires.
 
Chuck The DJ said:
I should also let this go, but I just can't..... it was said that IF you had used the in house system that night and IF something had gone wrong, YOU would like like the bad guy to the people there.....

well YOU decided to leave, how do you think that makes you look to anyone who came in looking for you?

Did they get another DJ for the night? Were you advertised being there? Your name is on it I would bet, maybe not.

So in keeping with wanting not to have a bad rep, bringing in your own gear and doing your job, that would seem to be the way to go for me and my rep.

But as I have said, everyone has the right to run their business as they see fit.

I just don't feel in this situation, it was handled right. but that's just me...
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Trust me Chuck, nobody came in there looking for me! Everyone who knows me know that I have a quality setup. A lot of people also know me from the eight years in my last two clubs. His night last Saturday was the same as it was since after my leaving in February.
 
Canute,
Are you being paid now to do the fixes? Hourly? Or are you being a nice guy and giving your time for future consideration?
 
Would have done the gig, and advised that (for a fee) to come in and properly configure the system during off peak hours.
 
Jon Tuck said:
Canute,
Are you being paid now to do the fixes? Hourly? Or are you being a nice guy and giving your time for future consideration?
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I am not being paid any extra for doing the "fixes". He is getting his Saturday time when I left and then some.
 
eklondon said:
Would have done the gig, and advised that (for a fee) to come in and properly configure the system during off peak hours.
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How could you as a professional DJ have done a gig under those conditions? Would you have driven a race car with leaky brakes and loose equipment in the motor?
OK here is the bigger picture. I have been dealing with Mobile DJ and Clubs etc long before some of you were even sperm. (No offense). If you give those Club owners an inch they want to take a yard. Why should the monkey be on my back? We call out our fellow jocks when we find them unprepared with crappy equipment. Why are we letting Club Owners off the hook? Its their responsibility to have quality equipment for their patrons. I was expecting to go and just plug in my headphones/mike, laptop and hard drive and be ready to rock in 15 mins. (I do not carry sound equipment to clubs for Club fees) I got there at 8.00pm, early enough to make minor changes. The owner was out at the store getting supplies, I called him to discuss what I had seen. When he came back at 8.30pm, I sensed an attitude. He started accusing me of making him buy equipment he did not need (Mind you, not replacements but equipment he did not have, a mixer and EQ, this was for NYE last December). I don't know about you but I don't take crap from nobody, period! What lesson would he have learned if had tried to fix things. I spent 3 hours there yesterday and still have to go back today to finish off. There was not enough time on Saturday and I had no tools then to do the repairs/fixes. Why stick around and waste time? Believe me, he is going to do it again. I can see him trying to plug in every single speaker someone gives him into that poor Pyle Amplifier. I know that I am not going to be the one to do it. I am a DJ and not a licensed Electrician or Engineer. I don't like messing around in other peoples trades and industries just like I don't like others messing around in mine.
 
Didn't you ASK what we would have done?

I mean, wasn't that the actual question you posed?
 
Am I the only one seeing that you're now arguing with the opinions that you asked for?
 
Steve Sharp said:
Am I the only one seeing that you're now arguing with the opinions that you asked for?
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Steve. I was just explaining my stance and also giving more background information as I went along. I took some more pics this evening which I will upload later.
 
ahoustondj said:
Joe! After I left in February, there was no DJ. I left the system working as best to what they had. they moved things around and brought in other trash stuff to add to the mix. Not my fault! They were running the sound from computer to amp and the music like a jukebox! This teaches him a good lesson to get his act together. Another person may not have been so kind as I was to go back yesterday to rearrange things! I do not have to wory about referrals. Everyone who goes there know of the lack of quality in the sound system. There might be more pictures posted tonight after I go back there and finish assembling the jacks on the speaker wires.
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I really am on your side, but the point is being missed completely. YES, they had a crap system. They had one when you left in February. You KNEW it was crap. You KNEW they did not have the expertise to upgrade. You KNEW all of this in advance. How could one, with that knowledge in advance, walk into the venue 30 min before showtime and expect to plug into a decent system? Really?! The system almost HAD to be bad.

Even if it was a GOOD system, let's say there was a problem. What was your back-up?

When you carry your own system, do you carry back-up and redundancy? Of course- and that's with a GOOD system.

I am NOT a b-breaker, and I think you know that. This isn't about you, but about just plain preparation. Either your system ( and demand the bucks) or another DJ- WAY in advance.
 
JoeChartreuse said:
I really am on your side, but the point is being missed completely. YES, they had a crap system. They had one when you left in February. You KNEW it was crap. You KNEW they did not have the expertise to upgrade. You KNEW all of this in advance. How could one, with that knowledge in advance, walk into the venue 30 min before showtime and expect to plug into a decent system? Really?! The system almost HAD to be bad.

Even if it was a GOOD system, let's say there was a problem. What was your back-up?

When you carry your own system, do you carry back-up and redundancy? Of course- and that's with a GOOD system.

I am NOT a b-breaker, and I think you know that. This isn't about you, but about just plain preparation. Either your system ( and demand the bucks) or another DJ- WAY in advance.
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Joe, we are running around in circles here. I'll reply one line at a time.

1.When I left in February, everything even though was crap, was running fine. I expected at least that when I returned last week Saturday. I arrived an hour early in case I had to make space for my laptop. It took me over 4 hours between Monday and yesterday to fix all the mess. So in other words are you suggesting that I should have known beforehand to arrive at 5.00pm last Saturday (BTW with no soldering iron and test equipment) to be able to start at 9.00pm?

2. It was not a DJs responsibility to have back up equipment (Except a laptop/hard drive if that is what he is using )for a Club that provides its own sound equipment.

3. Yes I carry back up when I am using my own full sound system.

4. After I left on Saturday night, the Club did what they have been doing for the past two months. Namely, load some songs on their computer and let it run like a jukebox. It was not like i left them without music.

5. For Pete's sake, there was no way for me to use a microphone, mine or theirs as it was Computer to amp to speakers.

6. It was the owner's responsibility to call me and tell me that some of the equipment was not working or connected and I would have gone there on Thursday to check out the situation. He had noise (Sound) coming out of two boxes and in his opinion all was well. Wait until I post the rest of the pics I took yesterday and you will get a better idea of his mentality.
 
Standard club work is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing like private mobile event work.

Standard club prep is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing like private mobile event prep.

Standard club compensation is ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing like private mobile event compensation.

Standard club expectations are ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing like private mobile event expectations.

Standard club dj responsibilities are ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY nothing like private mobile event responsibilities.

There is no expectation or responsibility for the dj to provide back up equipment in a typical club relationship.

There is no expectation or responsibility for the dj to provide equipment maintenance in a typical club relationship.

There is no expectation or responsibility for the dj to provide equipment installation, repairs or replacement in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation or responsibility for the dj to provide a legal music library in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation or responsibility for the dj to provide the expected level of mixing, crowd reading, and performance talent in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation or responsibility for the dj to behave, at the very least, as a responsible and proper club representative or employee in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation or responsibility for the dj to alert the management of equipment problems and issues in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation and responsibility for the club to provide substantial warning to the dj when any equipment requirement or provisions change or are altered in a typical club relationship.

There is an expectation and responsibility for the club to provide all the necessary and safe, functional equipment in a typical club relationship.

All those reasons are why houston did exactly what any experienced club/bar jock with legitimate equipment and safety concerns would have done.
 
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