| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MikeP |
Posted - 15/04/2005 : 03:27:30
When I've seen Love in Sheffield there have been recurrent problems
with the low sound level of Arthur's vocals which have drawn complaints and comments from others. At the most recent gig Arthur gesticulated at the sound desk, indicating that he, too, thought that things could be better. It's felt like The Singer's mic level has been added to the mix almost as an afterthought. I'm no engineer, so don't have any knowledge of the techicalities involved, but surely Arthurs vocals should always have pole position when establishing levels - with Rusty a cloee second, since he keeps things together in that unassuming way of his. Are the glitches Sheffield-specific, or have others found problems elsewhere? They've still been great gigs, mind, but maybe they could have been even better - or is that being greedy? Separately, who else would leap at the chance of seeing an acoustic
or part-acoustic set now Johnny's back on board?
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| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| MikeP |
Posted - 21/04/2005 : 02:06:01
Hi Allan, thanks for the interesting reply. At my most recent gig the mix seemed, if anything, to be centred round Dave, who looked at times like he was going through agonies, and was sweating enough for two. I've been wondering if perhaps inadequate monitoring or the absence of an earpiece lead him to doubt whether his efforts were enough, causing him to hit even harder, when his drums were in fact more than loud and clear. He's got some very good defter, and, implicitly, less strenuous touches, which did'nt get used much that night. Looking at him I reckoned he wished he could ease up a bit and show more of his range of technique in so doing. As I've said before, I'm not an engineer, and so may well be speaking out of my fundament, and I do not wish to cause offence. If you're right about the band being reliant on in-house engineering at present, then I hope that this can be changed as soon as finances permit. A good pre-gig warm up with the in-house crew enabling a 'your mind and we belong together' vibe would be the next best thing. Having waited over thirty years to see one of your favourite singers, knowing that he remains in really great voice despite the passage of time and all he's been through, standing a few feet away and seeing that he's giving all he's got but being unable to hear it is er, rather frustrating. I could be going deaf, of course, having spent more time standing in front of amps and speakers than may be good for me, but I still think that in the mix The Singer should ALWAYS come first. Having said that, seeing something you never thought that you would remains a huge thrill, and, next time Love come to town I'll be waiting by the doors at opening time, regardless. Best wishes.
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| Allan |
Posted - 20/04/2005 : 15:42:51
Mike...
Interesting post. In October 04, LarryNYC, his lovely wife Miriam, Caryl, and I saw the band at Town Hall in NYC. Larry had seen the band in Glastonbury. He was so disappointed with the sound at Town Hall that he and his wife left the concert mid-way through. He has posted about this before and he didn't want to spoil the impression that he had from Glastonbury. This was my first time seeing the band, so I was very caught up with it and not having past concerts of the band to compare it with. I did see the band again the next night in Collingswood NJ, and I thought the sound was better than Town Hall. I just chalked it up to the venue...Town Hall being mostly concrete and Collingswood having a bit more wood in its interior.
I suppose the difference is using the 'house' sound engineer. They are usually not familiar with the artists or the bands, and so they are 'passive' with the sounds and intricacies of the band. I think a 'house' sound engineer compared the a band's 'own' sound engineer can make a big difference in what you will hear
I have heard that LOVE had their own sound engineers when the group began to re-appear a few years ago, but management decided to do away with that for 'cost' constraints. I may be wrong with this, and if I am, I apologize up front.
Allan |
| Mr Sensible |
Posted - 20/04/2005 : 02:41:13
The all-time worst was at 'The Underground', Stoke-on-Trent, on 22nd March 2004. Almost any shortcoming you could think of was exemplified by the sound system that night 
I've not been able to drag my partner to a Love gig since..
However, I've taken the teenage kids and everything was wonderful 
The best sound I've heard (of five shows) was at the Shrewsbury Music Hall 2004.
Paul |
| B7addE |
Posted - 16/04/2005 : 13:48:51
There were problems at the start of the set for the Nottingham gig, too.
Then after a couple of songs Arthur's mike went pop, and was replaced by what looked like a trusty Shure SM58, and his voice was clear as a bell after that. |
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