How long have you peeps been doing shows?

[Lasernerd]

wow,
serious history here!

[zerowaitstate]

MMM probably 1st commercial laser work was old water cooled Oracle system in a night club in 1998. I did a bit of lighting prior to that, my earlier work revolved mainly around video and graphics animation (go the AMIGA!)

But with my own gear only relativle recently DMX INTELS and ILDA RGB projector ( just sent in invoice for my 48th week of work yesterday)

[mixedgas]

Yeah, I do Innova, and I can pull em down if they are high pressure.

I am the Anti-Harry!

I met him a few times when I was younger, but boy did he poison the corporate and radio station markets just when I tried to get started. Great guy, but he and his crue had a passion for bending the rules if you know what I mean, and there were some really P.O.ed corporate types when I went hunting for venues and gigs. Usually heard, we tried lasers once with this guy and we'll never do them again. From the likes of WMJI , Goodyear, Civic Theatre, Cavs, WKDD, etc. When I'd call CDRH with a question, guess who they wanted to talk about. And he underbid me for my first major fixed gig in a local theatre, brought in a Floyd tribute band, no security, the crowd trashed the place, and I lost the venue. Was always hoping it wasn't him personally, seemed like a nice , sucessful guy,with a lot of patents.

I suppose you know Dale, and Probably the Andersons, too?

Steve

[Laserman532]

Ha! - that was a lot of brain cells ago Pat!
My first paying lasershow gig - Led Zeppelin 1977 Tour. They tell me I had a great time!
http://home.flash.net/~ego/zep.html
http://www.showlasers.com/

COURSE YOU PHOTONBEAM!!!! *SHAKING CLENCHED FIST IN YOUR FACE*

I bow down to you!!!! If only to gnaw at your ankles!

[mixedgas]

1988 SWO (Sea World of Ohio, now deceased)

Old enough that I was beta #1 for Laser Illusions Parallel Port. My first real controller was LSD1000 on a Amiga 500, then X29 on ISA slots. And old enough to be the one to convince Rick that he needed animation for Laser Illusions. First animation for LI was the words "Eat at Joes", as a neon sign sort of thing, which caused Rick all sorts consternation to recode for animation. At the time he thought single frame stills would be just fine.

Old enough to remember seeing shows when in high school done on ZAP at planetariums.

I tried being my own company, but when your in your 20s with no small business experience and you decide that your going to be engineer,artist, marketing and sales, by yourself, that is a issue. Especially when the hottest thing you have is a 60X. On the IILDA membership form where it said company president, field ops and marketing, I wrote ME, MYSELF, and I.



So I became a mercenary for hire subcontractor/consultant and still am one..

I usually get called out when somebody needs a weekend field hand for a really, really, big show.

Ie Karl Rothweiler does LaserRave with 14 projectors as his birthday gift to the Phoenix Rave scene, I'm on a plane. Done raves in Toronto. Shipped galvo amps to Poland. Airplane spotter, that sort of thing.


Or one of my favorites, "Hey Steve, I don't have my variance yet, but I booked a show for 3 days, 2000 seat venue, sold out!, Can you help me out?." That sort of thing.

Or hey Steve, "Sally is pregnant, and say's I need to go to Lamaze class, I booked a gig those nights, can you fill in a couple of nights?"
Poor Guy, "Sally" tore him a new one just about every night that week. He didn't take the class seriously. They needed the money and she probably would have killed him if he did the gig and missed the classes. She ripped into me just for calling him back.


I've never toured, but lasers have taken me to most of the major cities except anywhere in Californication and Seattle.

My favorite show was when my postal person got married, and couldn't afford a DJ, due to the bride's medical bills. So the whole party in the back yard was 75 watts of sound and my 88. Never sent him the bill, either.

I'm usually working under other people's variences. And often for firms you've never heard of. And some times just for the plane ride and a day off in Florida. And I have access to a variance and other hardware that I never mention here.

It doesn't make a profit, but it gets me places.

Worked on one 3 day project that had a estimated attendance of 200,000 people, took a week to set up for, spread out over two square miles. Guess who did the grunt work.

Now for the name droping, Janet Jackson, Pussy Cat Dolls, and DJ Tiesto , Okenfold , El Monstero just to name a few. May not have been at the controls, but guess who did the hardware or the training. Some really famous clubs, too. Usually just one gig, although I'm now looking at a possible tour with a Christian Rock band.

It means I'm almost never using my projector, I'm on somebody else's hardware, and often software I've never used before.

Steve Roberts

[mixedgas]

I understand the cursing thing.

Yeah, I was at the last show for the planetarium guy who ran my first 4 color, 4 head show. He did the same dome for 20+ years.

Told him I didn't know if I should punch him or hug him, so I'd shake his hand.
Totally there by accident that night, had no idea it was him or his last show. It was a real treat for him that I showed up. Must be a God thing.

Steve.

[jsalopeck]

so you know gary quasebarth...if you did work at seaworld... along with my good friend will roth?

1988 SWO (Sea World of Ohio, now deceased)

Old enough that I was beta #1 for Laser Illusions Parallel Port. My first real controller was LSD1000 on a Amiga 500, then X29 on ISA slots. And old enough to be the one to convince Rick that he needed animation for Laser Illusions. First animation for LI was the words "Eat at Joes", as a neon sign sort of thing, which caused Rick all sorts consternation to recode for animation. At the time he thought single frame stills would be just fine.

Old enough to remember seeing shows when in high school done on ZAP at planetariums.

I tried being my own company, but when your in your 20s with no small business experience and you decide that your going to be engineer,artist, marketing and sales, by yourself, that is a issue. Especially when the hottest thing you have is a 60X. On the IILDA membership form where it said company president, field ops and marketing, I wrote ME, MYSELF, and I.



So I became a mercenary for hire subcontractor/consultant and still am one..

I usually get called out when somebody needs a weekend field hand for a really, really, big show.

Ie Karl Rothweiler does LaserRave with 14 projectors as his birthday gift to the Phoenix Rave scene, I'm on a plane. Done raves in Toronto. Shipped galvo amps to Poland. Airplane spotter, that sort of thing.


Or one of my favorites, "Hey Steve, I don't have my variance yet, but I booked a show for 3 days, 2000 seat venue, sold out!, Can you help me out?." That sort of thing.

Or hey Steve, "Sally is pregnant, and say's I need to go to Lamaze class, I booked a gig those nights, can you fill in a couple of nights?"
Poor Guy, "Sally" tore him a new one just about every night that week. He didn't take the class seriously. They needed the money and she probably would have killed him if he did the gig and missed the classes. She ripped into me just for calling him back.


I've never toured, but lasers have taken me to most of the major cities except anywhere in Californication and Seattle.

My favorite show was when my postal person got married, and couldn't afford a DJ, due to the bride's medical bills. So the whole party in the back yard was 75 watts of sound and my 88. Never sent him the bill, either.

I'm usually working under other people's variences. And often for firms you've never heard of. And some times just for the plane ride and a day off in Florida. And I have access to a variance and other hardware that I never mention here.

It doesn't make a profit, but it gets me places.

Worked on one 3 day project that had a estimated attendance of 200,000 people, took a week to set up for, spread out over two square miles. Guess who did the grunt work.

Now for the name droping, Janet Jackson, Pussy Cat Dolls, and DJ Tiesto , Okenfold , El Monstero just to name a few. May not have been at the controls, but guess who did the hardware or the training. Some really famous clubs, too. Usually just one gig, although I'm now looking at a possible tour with a Christian Rock band.

It means I'm almost never using my projector, I'm on somebody else's hardware, and often software I've never used before.

Steve Roberts

[mixedgas]

so you know gary quasebarth...if you did work at seaworld... along with my good friend will roth?

Nope, I was only there a few months, Jon Towslee was Entertainment Electronics supervisor there before Gary and I worked for Jon. I met Gary once, long after I left. You know Matt Polak?

Will rings a bell, sorta, short heavy guy with blond hair?

I havent seen any of these guys for years, although I ran into Dale two years ago.

Steve

[jsalopeck]

i did sound out there for country concerts in the early 90's , gary put in the 5w laser on the water wall in the jetski stadium. will and matt and those guys worked for entertainment services. Will now owns AA Sound in Akron..

[colouredmirrorball]

Well my experience can in no way compete with what some others here have done, but if you want to know:
started five or six years ago with my first light that I got from Santa Claus (in his Belgian form of course) and kept growing. Did a few minor parties and concerts. My first paid concert was one year ago, at a concert, followed by a party. Great fun, especially the laser effect I used.