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Who in Your Crew Do You Turn To?

Who in Your Crew Do You Turn To?

I was once on a gig where, for no apparent reason, the power distro went snap, crackle, pop. Really, it was more like crackle, big snap, bright flash, little pop, smoke puff. That’s not a sight and sound you want to experience first thing in the morning, not even when you’re having cereal. The dimmer tech who energized the PD, just before the impromptu light and sound show, went looking for the house electrician who had just tied in the feeder cables. He was nowhere to be found. Then he went looking for someone more qualified than himself to resolve the problem before doors a few hours later.

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A One-Man Band

The idea of the one-man band has been with us for at least eight centuries, going back to the peripatetic flute and snare-like tabor players of rural France. My personal favorite was “Duster” Bennett, who toured with John Mayall in 1970, a bill I saw at the Fillmore East that year. The most fa-mous of this odd bunch was Don Partridge, who roamed Europe with a bass drum on his back and a guitar and harmonica up front, and who man-aged to snag a top-ten hit in 1968, possibly a first for any multi-instrumental busker. Technology has made it possible to approach the notion of a one-person orchestra, with battery-powered MIDI triggering all sorts of sound generators. And now, it’s also brought us the concept of the one-man stage crew. 

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Hold up! Wait a minute! Let George put some bass in it!

          OK this next blog starts here sitting in a hotel here in Richmond, Va. Currently I’m on tour with Porter Batiste Stoltz some of the damn funkiest musicians to come out of New Orleans, LA. Beginning where I left off on the last blog… I had a lot of downtime once I got off the last tour so I did some local shows with good friends Damn Right, Basshound, and Earthtone, worked on my Porter Batiste Stoltz cues I needed to have ready for the tour, started looking for some new pieces of gear to incorporate into the show, and to go over some repairs and accessories I need. It’s funny when you’re out on the road you don’t realize how much crap will pile up for you when you get home.

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Martin Mania SCX800

The Mania SCX800 is the latest in Martin’s Mania series of powerful, compact and feature packed scanners. Driven by 150 watts of discharge power, the SCX800 is a one-of-a-kind rollerscan effect with all new gobo designs, 4 “fat” beam projection and a continuously rotating mirror drum designed for shows and nightclubs.

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Martin Professional Announces Third Quarter Earnings

ARHUS, DENMARK — Martin Professional A/S’s positive 2007 growth continued in the year’s third quarter. Martin increased revenue by 14.3% from $48.4 million in the third quarter of 2006 to $55.4 million in the third quarter of 2007. For the period Jan.1 to Sept. 30, 2007, Martin increased revenue by 24.3% to $168.6 million compared with $135.6 million for the same period last year.

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Princes Dock Footbridge Becomes Illuminated Gateway with Martin

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND — The Footbridge at Princes Dock in Liverpool, England, is both an interesting and attractive structure, and is strategically placed in the heart of an area of the city undergoing significant commercial development. Following discussions with the site owners, Princes Dock Development Company Ltd (part of Peel Holdings), Lighting Designer Graham Festenstein received a commission to develop a lighting scheme for the unique 'wishbone' structure.

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