Re: new house venue in davis
Posted by Cat on 2016-03-03 11:17:12pm
This thread is old, but I want to contribute in case you see it. I used to live at a punk house in PDX that hosted shows and I have gone to countless house shows.

Things I have learned:

-Communicate with the bands about set-up and their equipment. Make sure you talk to the at least one person from each band and ask what they are planning on bringing as far as PAs, amps, drum set goes and ask them how comfortable they are with the possibility of someone else using their equipment if need be.

I have experienced one instance where literally all four bands playing forgot to bring a PA. Lucky for us, we had a neighbor who agreed to let us borrow some stuff, but it could have ruined the show. Usually touring bands are on top of this, but local bands can be kind of clueless Another thing that happened was I had a band bring WAY too much equipment. It was the opening band for the night, they brought in a PA taller than I am and like 5 amps. It was like Sunn o))) or something. Set up wasn't easy in our cramped basement and the show got shut down after their set because it was loud past the point of practicality. Make sure and explain the size and noise restrictions at your music area. We were definitely known for being a loud bunch, but people were describing being able to hear this band 10 blocks away while they were walking up. That's not good.

-Get some of that crappy mattress topper yellow bumpy stuff and soundproof the walls and ceiling if you can. It makes a huge difference even though it doesn't seem like it would. Make sure people keep the door that goes outside shut as much as possible while the band is playing. It will make a difference to your neighbors, it will make the bands sound fuller, and it will keep the audience from talking really loudly if they can't go in and out without having a door shut behind them.

-Make the place where you have the shows aesthetically pleasing. We put down a bunch of red carpet that we got for free where the bands would be setting up and hung christmas lights down the stairs to make it easier for people to navigate their way outside in the dark. A good hand-me-down or ikea rug and some christmas lights will make a big difference. Put some chairs near the back for people who need to sit down for whatever reason.

-Get a flat of bottled water before every show. Its wasteful, yeah, but it makes it easier to hand a band member or show-goer water if they really, really need it.

-If possible, buy a cheap PA if you don't already have one. Keep some basic stuff like cheap shitty drumsticks, guitar picks, etc in your house. You don't totally need to do this, but bands will be grateful if you have this stuff and they need it.

-Make sure at least one person who lives there stays fairly sober in order to look out for any problems that may arise. This person can talk to cops if that happens, they can keep people in check, and even kick people out. You're going to fuck your house up if no one does this. Keep an eye on people who look hammered if you can, make sure you have drinkable water, extra phone chargers, and at least be prepared to call some cabs and let people chain their bikes to your fence overnight. My housemates and I usually rotated this duty because we were a bunch of drunk scumbags at the time.

-It sucks, but hide/lock up things that you don't want to go missing. This goes for any large gathering where you don't know everyone. Someone might puke on your laptop, steal your roommates expensive eyeshadow, steal a textbook, or worse.

-Don't be afraid to kick people out if they are being disrespectful.
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