Bad sound at the Ritz Tampa

[Dar]

so sorry

[rshcrb]

I've just read all of the comments regarding the bad sound at the Tampa/Ritz show on Saturday night. My first thought is that I hope everyone who complained here takes the time to complain to the venue, which is where the problem really existed. I had second row, center stage seats and knew after the opening song, that things weren't right.
So I moved to the back for "Call it Love", the second song in the set, and stayed there for the rest of the show. The band was tight, the sound was great!!

I'm not thrilled with paying for premium seats and having to move to the rear to enjoy the show but I'm not blaming POCO for that!

Now, I 'm signing out to send my complaint to the Ritz. I hope all of you that were not happy with the sound will do the same.

Rock On POCO!!!

Rick Hamilton

[MsUp]

I've just read all of the comments regarding the bad sound at the Tampa/Ritz show on Saturday night. My first thought is that I hope everyone who complained here takes the time to complain to the venue, which is where the problem really existed. I had second row, center stage seats and knew after the opening song, that things weren't right.
So I moved to the back for "Call it Love", the second song in the set, and stayed there for the rest of the show. The band was tight, the sound was great!!

I'm not thrilled with paying for premium seats and having to move to the rear to enjoy the show but I'm not blaming POCO for that!

Now, I 'm signing out to send my complaint to the Ritz. I hope all of you that were not happy with the sound will do the same.

Rock On POCO!!!

Rick Hamilton

Nicely said, Rick !

[Dar]

ditto

[George Lawrence]

Oh, allright, I'll respond to this. Sheesh. Just drink more and we sound great.

The front seats in a house are always, always, always the worst seats for sound in any house. You should simply not sit in the front if your priority is sound quality. Most people sit there because they can see better. No one over fifty should sit in the front of a hall because their hearing is changing and can't handle loud bass notes. Middle center to back center are usually the best seats in the house, or the balcony. I listened to PPL from the back of the house and the sound was good. The reason you had a hard time hearing Rusty and Craig speaking between songs is because they both talk very quietly, especially Craig. You would have noticed that there was no problem hearing Mike Reilly or Jack Sundrud talking because they don't talk quietly on stage. A good sound man will not adjust the sound for talking because Murphy's law says the singer will hammer him with a loud note unexpectedly if he does. Compressor limiters on vocals just add noise so those shouldn't be used either.

We had no problem hearing ourselves on stage and the monitor system sounded great. We do not request side fill monitors in our contract but use them if they are there. The floor monitors are more important than the side fills.We had a very good night performing at the Ritz. Actually we had one of the best nights we've had in a long time and were talking about how good the sound crew was. It was loud. That was correct. But it's a friggin' rock concert for Buddha's sake.

But the next night in Orlando we did have sound issues. I'd say we have sound system issues on about 5% of the gigs. That's about par considering it's a new system and and new sound techs every day.

You are correct about the younger sound crews not being as proficient as the older ones.

complaints should not be addressed to the venue because the venue usually has nothing to do with it, but to the promoter who rents the venue, the sound company and all other services pertaining to the gig. But talk about not buying tickets is not a good idea, to the promoter or the band.

Anyone who thinks that modern technology overcomes the variables of sound systems and sound people has not toured professionally on a regular basis. These are portable systems with hundreds and hundreds of components that screw up every single day. Most people do not realize that sound systems in theatres and clubs are brought in THAT day, not a permanent installation. For most classic rock acts like us who fly and do not truck gear or sound crew, giving a new sound man a set list is like giving a map written in Arabic to a guy from Kentucky. Besides they are too busy too read in the dark and the bands usually don't follow a set list anyway. We don't.

sometimes things change from sound check until the show - another band may be using the same sound board and the settings were changed and not changed back correctly. If the humidity has changed since sound check then this affects speaker and sound response drastically - speakers move air and if the air changes then we have to adjust for that, sometimes drastically - sometimes it's just plain old gremlins in the gear; the more modern the gear, the more to go wrong with it. What ever has changed has to be dealt with, even on the good nights when you don't notice that something is wrong.

These aren't excuses, just explanations. if we carried a sound man it would be better, but you would have to pay for that salary in a higher ticket price, and the promoters just aren't going to go for it, especially in this depression year (yeah, it's a depression) Remember; front seats are not the good seats. That seems to be the basis of these legitimate complaints.

the blunt drummer, Mr. Tact

[pocomann]

Thanks, George for the very interesting, and useful information. I know there are a lot of variables involved. The very back of a large arena can also be a bad place to be, as was the Legend concert for us in SLC. I can't remember for sure, but I think it was in the old Salt Palace. My ears are still bleeding from that one!

In contrast, in 2002 we were in the lower bowl of the newer Delta Center for an Eric Clapton concert and the sound for Clapton and band was amazingly good. We were in the lower bowl but off to the left of the stage half way back. But, Doyle Bramhill and his band played before Clapton and they sounded terrible -- way too loud and the balance was all wrong. So there was a variable of some kind in play there.

[LJH]

Oh, allright, I'll respond to this. Sheesh. Just drink more and we sound great .......
........the blunt drummer, Mr. Tact

But George, that's what we love about you!

For this musical know-nothing, that was a great education in addition to being a fun read. I've never been to a live POCO show (pause for short wallow in self-pity) but have enjoyed the band on record & CD, with and without drink, and you guys always sound great to me.

[severalpieces]

Oh, allright, I'll respond to this. Sheesh. Just drink more and we sound great.

Oh, honey...no, no !



If we carried a sound man it would be better

I am well and able to mix sound... give me a sound board and I WILL !!
Bev-o -sound !!

[Cowboy]

Howdy You all,

well i sorry if you all heard it wrong I loved it I thought George was outstanding my goodness he was on it 100% Rusty's new rain song was like better than a request almost. Cappy was right on and Jack was in rare form...The Ritz has some issues...

But I have learned not front stage for good sound, I was half way back and bombed off my arse with vicodine and a open bar, spent to much time at the bar but at the bar the sound was perfect, which was at the back of the room, which to me is excellent sound when you can be a distance and hear like studio quality music.

I apologize if I offended anyone as I was feeling no pain and enjoyed this concert the best of all I ever been too...My hat proves it Poco 09 Autographed I'm proud thanks POCO

Rick

[MsUp]

Oh, allright, I'll respond to this. Sheesh. Just drink more and we sound great.

The front seats in a house are always, always, always the worst seats for sound in any house. You should simply not sit in the front if your priority is sound quality. Most people sit there because they can see better. No one over fifty should sit in the front of a hall because their hearing is changing and can't handle loud bass notes. Middle center to back center are usually the best seats in the house, or the balcony. I listened to PPL from the back of the house and the sound was good. The reason you had a hard time hearing Rusty and Craig speaking between songs is because they both talk very quietly, especially Craig. You would have noticed that there was no problem hearing Mike Reilly or Jack Sundrud talking because they don't talk quietly on stage. A good sound man will not adjust the sound for talking because Murphy's law says the singer will hammer him with a loud note unexpectedly if he does. Compressor limiters on vocals just add noise so those shouldn't be used either.

We had no problem hearing ourselves on stage and the monitor system sounded great. We do not request side fill monitors in our contract but use them if they are there. The floor monitors are more important than the side fills.We had a very good night performing at the Ritz. Actually we had one of the best nights we've had in a long time and were talking about how good the sound crew was. It was loud. That was correct. But it's a friggin' rock concert for Buddha's sake.

But the next night in Orlando we did have sound issues. I'd say we have sound system issues on about 5% of the gigs. That's about par considering it's a new system and and new sound techs every day.

You are correct about the younger sound crews not being as proficient as the older ones.

complaints should not be addressed to the venue because the venue usually has nothing to do with it, but to the promoter who rents the venue, the sound company and all other services pertaining to the gig. But talk about not buying tickets is not a good idea, to the promoter or the band.

Anyone who thinks that modern technology overcomes the variables of sound systems and sound people has not toured professionally on a regular basis. These are portable systems with hundreds and hundreds of components that screw up every single day. Most people do not realize that sound systems in theatres and clubs are brought in THAT day, not a permanent installation. For most classic rock acts like us who fly and do not truck gear or sound crew, giving a new sound man a set list is like giving a map written in Arabic to a guy from Kentucky. Besides they are too busy too read in the dark and the bands usually don't follow a set list anyway. We don't.

sometimes things change from sound check until the show - another band may be using the same sound board and the settings were changed and not changed back correctly. If the humidity has changed since sound check then this affects speaker and sound response drastically - speakers move air and if the air changes then we have to adjust for that, sometimes drastically - sometimes it's just plain old gremlins in the gear; the more modern the gear, the more to go wrong with it. What ever has changed has to be dealt with, even on the good nights when you don't notice that something is wrong.

These aren't excuses, just explanations. if we carried a sound man it would be better, but you would have to pay for that salary in a higher ticket price, and the promoters just aren't going to go for it, especially in this depression year (yeah, it's a depression) Remember; front seats are not the good seats. That seems to be the basis of these legitimate complaints.

the blunt drummer, Mr. Tact

George, you are so long winded, I love it. Well, I'm over 50, my hearing sucks, and I love the font row. If I could get closer, I'd be even happier (maybe I could get inside your bass drum) LMAO ! Oops, sorry I forgot you hate when we laugh at ourselves.
C.U. soon, kiddo.