"as secure as when you buy in your local shop"

"Do the common thing in an uncommon way."
booker t washington

Panic at Makehits?

Scam?  What do you think?

Catherine Emailed me:

Dec

 

Since I may be the first to have discovered this - when I called the hotel to book a room - the seminar 24/25 April in Hastings has been cancelled, but the organisers haven't got around to telling people...

 

I called their office this evening to confirm this.  They say they are planning to reschedule it for August.

 

I thought you might wish to let people know, so that those who have already paid through the SWG can ensure they get a prompt refund from the organisers if their payment, like mine, has gone through.

 

Pity I can't get back the money for the 2 gigs I turned down this week so I could go to a seminar which had in fact already been cancelled!  Ah well, if I try hard enough I'm sure I will find a reason to blame myself rather than them....

 

Yours somewhat disgruntled,

All the best

 

Catherine R

 

I replied to Catherine:

Thank you for alerting us!  I shall be having strong words in the morning.

Yet again.....

Dec

Absolutely not your fault...you negotiated a deal for your members in good faith just as I booked in good faith.  They are to send me my refund by cheque so hopefully it won't cause you any extra admin.

 

I tried Ike's number but like you got his mother!  I actually then called the London number and spoke to Phil, who was very apologetic and appeared unaware that Ike hasn't told anyone!!

 

Hey ho...

Catherine

A WARNING RE 'SHOWCASES'

DO:

1. Ensure that all the mics, D.I's and amps are line checked [working and identified at the mixing desk] before you ever walk on the stage ....even at sound check.  The sound engineer should do this...NOT YOU. 
2. Ensure that all mics are colour coded [with simple electrical tape...bring your own] also colour code the mic. wire attached - so that you use exactly the same mic. and channel, for your performance, as you did for the rehearsal.
3. Employ an expert, experienced, mature, live sound engineer just for your spot. [$100 for a $Million a year career?  Does that make sense?]
4. Ensure that your engineer has access to the way the P.A. is set up [9 times out of 10 an amateur set up system will be great for disco and dreadful for live vocals]
5. Make sure you give the lighting designer a simple, written, plot for the lighting requirements of your show.
6. Ensure you hire or beg, borrow, steal a 1.3 KW ballasted Spotlight with a skilled operator.  Members of The Serious Writers Guild can call me on the phone re. this most important item.  There, certainly, will not be one available - if you don't bring your own.
7. Routine and rehearse to death the staging and choreography.  Essential if there is more than one person on stage [Outkast?  Black Eyed Peas?  Darkness?]
8. Ensure you have a great rehearsed entrance and an even better rehearsed exit.

Don't:

1. Believe anyone who tells you to 'not worry, it'll be OK when it's your turn'.
2. Scream and shout at the sound engineer when you hear the awful sound for the rest of the acts [remember you have your own guy?]
3. Use a CD if you are using play-back or an added instruments track with your band [mini disc is Industry Standard and reliable]
4. Hang about and get pissed waiting to go on.
5. Wear your stage outfit before the show....a stage costume is a STAGE costume.
6. Ask anyone 'What did you think?" You should know whether it was good or not [all the Members know!]
7. Expect there to be dozens of Record Company 'suits' there to spot talent....there never is!  Trust me on that one.  I am always the most important person at any Showcase I have ever attended...I'm serious!
8. Expect the members of the band to bring the clothes you expect...they won't!  Have a colour and texture co-ordination meeting before the show.

Advice from a Pal:

Music/Show Biz News:

Subscribers Section:

" HI DEC, MANY THANKS FOR FIRST ISSUE RECEIVED TODAY OF MASTERCLASS - GREAT 
STUFF, THE "FALL DOWN" QUOTE FROM MARY PICKFORD WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION 
ALONE.

 

I FEEL I'M REALLY CHANGING FROM READING YOUR ADVICE AND ACTING ON IT.

ON ANOTHER MATTER, DEC, I'M LOOKING TO UPGRADE MY DAUGHTER'S MIC FOR LIVE 
WORK/MID-SIZE VENUES. AT PRESENT WE ARE USING A SHURE SM58 T4N RADIO MIC 
WITH HEADSET FOR THE DANCIER NUMBERS. I'VE HEARD THE SENNHEISER IS GOOD FOR 
FEMALE VOCALS, BUT A MUSICIAN PAL OF MINE SWEARS BY A BEYER. YOUR ADVICE MUCH 
APPRECIATED, DEC. CHEERS!

 B** M*****
 

My Reply:

B**

You are getting into an area where you will be sucked in beautifully and have your cheque book nicely emptied!

SM58 is the Industry standard head used throughout the industry...it is the standard gigging mic. used by every Star throughout the world, and every hire company. It cannot and will not be bettered...end of story.

The only difference between the makes of radio mic. is the transmission and receiving equipment.  However, nowadays, there is precious little difference.

Shure Trantec tend to occupy the bottom end of the market. The Shure head is excellent and provided the radio equipment is dual diversity, meaning there are two signals running together, so if one drops out the other takes over, then you have an excellent bit of kit. You will not do better.

Sennheiser have cornered the TV and Radio market, plus the hire and touring market. They were desperately hard to adjust and service - BBC and ITV would have a technician standing by to tweak them. Beats me how they got to be so 'used'. I feel it was the 'Stella Artois' expensive tag. We had a 'Live At the Talk Of The Town' TV show totally ruined by those mics.....cost me a fortune, as it was a 'Bachelors' independent promotion for Television.

They have now realised that the money can be made from punters, whilst still having a top of the range outfit for the top end market [multi frequency and UHF]

Beyer Dynamic have comfortably supplied excellent equipment, troublefree, excellent back up and mid priced, used by Phil Collins, my band etc. etc. Superb, professional equipment that I would recommend to anyone...Mike, at Beyer Dynamic in Burgess Hill, prides himself in superb, personal, customer service. They do particularly good headset equipment. They have my full recommendation.

So there you have it...from the guy who was the first in Europe to use multiple radio mics.....a nightmare at the time, and I was well used to taxi drivers [with their operators issuing pick-up instructions] interrupting our singing - particularly at the Opera House, Blackpool.

Most co called 'experts' talk absolute crap about microphones and radio mics. At the end of the day, you will only be happy by doing a 'blind' test, as all proper 'pros' do. Radio mics are very personal.

I hope this helps

Dec

Bob Osgoodby

The gags   [From another dear friend - with a Cajun sense of humour?]