Re: F*** off, this is a soundcheck not a bleedin' rehearsal!
I think isolating the above comments sheds a lot of light on things. I am certainly willing to take measures to keep costs as low as possible (or preferably donate back a portion of the fee) for causes I support, but doing everything for free is just asking for hassles and headaches. It sounds like a frustrating situation, but it's not unexpected given the circumstances - organizations that at least have some level of funding structure are usually forced to be more organized than ones based entirely on freebies. Expect more of the same if you continue working at this level.
My "business model" certainly puts me in a position where I'm not exactly surrounded by pros, and I totally accept that, not the least because my own lack of practical experience for the last thirty years definitely puts me firmly out of the pro category as a tech and foh guy. I only got back into the sound business to provide for my wifes's needs, and will occasionally provide my services for events that wouldn't happen if a pro service would have to be paid for. For the paid stuff, there is a local sound company that provides at a very high standard (d&b and what have you). If the sound company asks me to step in or provide some equipment, I'll do that.
While I definitely get the "respect comes with the money you charge" aspect of things, the understanding of the sound provider's needs does not.
There is this event in Norway called UKM (Youth Culture Rally) with local events feeding into regional events feeding into a national event, and particularly at the regional event I hear a lot of moaning and grumbling because the FOH guy stopped his sound check half way thru' the song etc., and you bacically have hordes of amateur performers, music teachers, youth club leaders etc. walking around with a bad feeling and a grudge towards the "arrogant" sound guy. Some leaders and music teachers of course have this understanding based on their own experience as performing artists, but even then they don't always pass that experience on to their pupils as part of their training. Set up and sound checking should be an integral part of the training, just like tuning you instrument (some don't even learn to do that).
When you're working with a crew, or having a musician you know helping out with tuning the monitors and getting the basics right it is of course a lot easier, because then you know that everything is in order when the next artist steps up.
I have experienced professional performers telling me after an event that the sound on stage was terrible, even though they had been thru' a sound check and everything and never uttered a word.
I see performers trying to speak to the foh at sound check, avoiding the microphone as a means of communication.
I see drummers hitting the snare in sync with the kick when soundchecking the kick, making the poor soul trying to eq the kick wonder how the f... the snare is ringing that loudly in the kick mike.
I see guitar players not turning up to performance level because they don't feel they need to at sound check.
I see singers and actors saving their voice for the performance when setting the gain on the wireless transmitters.
It's a wonderful world (at foh and monitorland)
While you may have some control over what you volunteer for, you will probably have less control over what your wife volunteers you for.
Luckily, she is very selfish and don't like to voulunteer me for anything that keeps me from doing gardening and other important tasks
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