Let me preface this review by saying that as an actor I have been done in on many occasions by shoddy technical support. Once, the scene called for me to fly gracefully across the stage (Peter Pan-like) and the drunken stagehands manipulating the cables managed to whip me violently into the bricks behind the canvas backdrop, head first. Their ineptitude cost me a Tony, 17 stitches and a concussion. Gin-swilling louts. So, I can sympathize with a performer whose talents are sabotaged by technicians and cheap equipment.
Tonight, I went to see and hear The Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell at the lovely Cascade Theatre in downtown Redding. Well, I saw Mr. Russell and his band but what I heard sounded like it was coming out of old Chevy Nova radio speakers at full blast and whose tears in its cones had been patched with masking tape. It sounded like shit. Awful. I left after about an hour of aural torture. I don't know how much worse it got, but I had no desire to hang around to find out.
Now, don't get me wrong... Leon and his band seemed to be playing great. The setlist was an eclectic mix of old R&B standards and Dylan covers...at least I think that's what it was. I'm not sure. You sure couldn't discern anything from the vocals. Well, they weren't really vocals, more like electronic squawking and a blender chipping ice.
Now, I love the Cascade. And, I love everyone who volunteers their time to ensure we have a top-notch venue here in River City. Bless you all. But unless Leon got to the theatre and decided not to do a sound check, somebody done messed up but good. Seriously folks, I know it's only rock and roll but being loud ain't enough. Now, Buddy Guy was seriously loud but at least you could make out the vocals and keys...not tonight.
Cascade sound folks, thank you for trying...I know you're trying...but nobody wants to plunk down $65 for a ticket to hear kitchen appliances explode.
That's just the way I see (and hear) it.
TTFN,
Harry
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
3 comments:
The technical crew at the Cascade is great. When they're running the equipment, it can sound pretty good. They know the hall, they know the equipment. They understand the unique acoustic personality of the grand jewel of Redding.
What the general public may not know is that most of the performers who appear on stage at the theatre bring their own sound crew, their own sound boards, and they take over. These are people who have usually never set foot in the venue before and they tend to overdo it because they don't realize how sensitive the place is. Not only that, their hearing is shot from years of listening at extreme volumes and they don't take the advice of the people who work there. Yeah, it can sound like crap.
I wish it didn't work that way. I wish that shows didn't sound better sometimes when I'm wearing ear plugs. I wish people who were being paid upwards of 20-30-40 grand to perform paid more attention to the quality of the sound than to the volume, because you're right. It does make the theatre look bad, even though the theatre truly isn't in control of the sound most of the time. But the general public doesn't necessarily know this, so thanks for the opportunity to let people know.
I'd like to apologize to the Cascade because I know I've heard some good sound in that room, but whoever Leon had working the board wasn't earning their pay. I doubt there was even a soundcheck...it eas awful. The place wasn't full which causes some acts to cop an attitude, but it didn't seem that any adjustments were being made during the show. Yoo bad.
Harry, I'm with you. I was looking forward to the show and within the first two minutes I was thinking "Jesus, this is the same guy who was one of Phil Spector's main guys? The same cat that George Harrison invited to play at the concert for Bangladesh?"
From where I sat it was all bass guitar. Leon's vocals sounded muddy, muted and basically bad.
A half-full house didn't help the vibe, and neither did Leon's catatonic stage presence. Would it kill the guy to say hello?
I could be mistaken but I thought the guy on the sound board looked pretty familiar, like maybe he's one of the Cascade guys. I hope I'm wrong. Half the fun of seeing a nostalgia act is hearing the hits, but when you can't tell Hummingbird from Lady Blue, it's a bad look all around.
I hope the appropriate people are in place for Kenny Loggins (although I'm not going). I'd hate to see similar sound for a big-dollar act like that.
Don't get me wrong, however. I'm a big Cascade fan and a JPR supporter and I think the theater is the best thing to hit town since Jack's Grill. It can sound good (Buddy Guy was a good example)but last Thursday was a mess.
If the Queen is right, and it is a case of out-of-towners, the Cascade mgmt. should make very strong suggestions as to how to work the sound so everybody sounds (and looks) good.
And Harry, keep up the good work!
Post a Comment