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GETTING A FOOT IN THE DOOR

How to make your way in the Live Sound Industry

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Getting a Foot in the Door How to make your way in the Live Sound Industry

Copyright Darryn de la Soul 2013

Cover Photo: Copyright Dan Korkelia 2013 http://www.dankorkelia.com

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This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with someone else, please purchase an additional copy

for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Prologue

Before we start This is not a very nice book. Its not a very long book. But, it is a truthful one. I am going to begin with this one thought: we live in a capitalist society whether you like it or not and, in a capitalist society, NO ONE OWES YOU A THING. Every single thing that you

manage to acquire comes at a price usually your own blood, sweat, and tears. So, if you want a career as a Sound Engineer, best you dont expect it to be handed to you on a platter; if you do, I suggest you go work in a bank.

Fig. 1: Gary Curtis mixing Whitechapel at Groezrock, Belgium

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Climbing the Ladder Unlike many careers, such as banking and law, there is no ladder in the Live Sound industry; its more like a web, only a web that has a lower end and a higher end. There is no clear structure, such as once youve got your internship year out of the way, you are a fully fledged Sound Guy.

Instead, everybody finds their own way onto the web, and, once theyre in, they make those important connections and relationships that will enable them to build a career. Whatever happens, and no matter how you did your learning, you will more than likely start at the lower end of this web, coiling cables and pushing boxes until someone trusts you enough to let you get behind the board.

Fig. 2: Pushing faders is only part of the job; the rest

is manual labour and people skills

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Qualifications What Use Are They?

Pieces of paper v. skills Qualifications is a troublesome area for the industry. There are so many courses and degrees out there now that claim to produce fully qualified Sound Engineers; yet, my experience has shown that the average university degree in Sound Engineering produces people who can write about sound, but cant really push faders around. Indeed, this isnt that surprising, as I have met university Sound Engineering lecturers who dont know what the threshold setting on a compressor does! This is a very sad state of affairs and creates a difficult situation for employers (who want to see what you can DO, not what youve been TAUGHT). One of the quickest ways to get yourself off the potential employment list is to boast about your degree, or to think that it puts you above people without one. This is one of the worst side effects of university: thinking that three years of studying a little and getting drunk a lot somehow puts you above hard labour. Saying I dont push flightcases around; I have a degree is the quickest way to be shown the door (probably with a steel toecap up your butt). Remember, most employers in this sector do not have qualifications in Sound they were not available 30 years ago but know exactly what they are doing and have 30 years experience of doing it, which means a hell of a lot more than a dissertation on acoustics.

Fig. 3: Prodigy at Brixton Academy, London

Fig. 4: Keane at The Fridge, Brixton, London As a result, no one will ever, ever ask to see your degree/diploma; so dont try and impress people with it. By all means, mention it; but dont rely on it as the thing to get you in. What will get you in are attitude (more on that later) and actual, demonstrable skills. So, if you are still studying as you read this, make sure you take every single opportunity that comes your way to get real hands-on experience. If your course provider doesnt help you with finding real-life work experience, go get it yourself; DO THIS WHILE YOU ARE STUDYING, as those pesky loans will require repayment at some stage so you really do need to know what you are doing by the end of your course. Strange as it may sound, those long uni holidays are exactly when you should not be having holidays. Instead, go and volunteer at a venue somewhere. Keep your diploma, that pretty piece of paper, framed on Mums wall, and go out into the world with a willingness to get your hands dirty and do whatever it takes to get into the industry. If you are not studying, it is still possible to get in the old-fashioned way: sweeping floors and making yourself useful around a warehouse. However, this will need some good interpersonal and negotiating skills, and is not very common these days.

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Sound Engineering is not really an Academic Pursuit

Some parts of the industry electronics, acoustics, etc. might be, but being the bloke at the back of the room, mixing the bands, is not academic; its practical.

No standard qualification at the moment There is no such thing as a fully qualified Sound Engineer, like there is a fully qualified doctor/lawyer/teacher. All the courses, degrees and other training available are different, and all trainers set their own standards some a lot higher than others. The only thing you can possibly learn from any course, however, is how to be an entry-level

Engineer. You WILL start at the bottom, so dont pretend to yourself that you wont; no amount of classroom training is going to get you mixing main stage at Glasto right away. The industry and the technology change so quickly these days that by the time a subject has made it into a degree curriculum, its probably out of date. So, whilst Im certainly not saying dont get formal training, I am saying not to expect more from that training than its possible to get. And dont think that academic qualifications get you any extra kudos on a tour bus; the rest of the crew on that bus have been doing it forever, and dont need some 20 year old giving it large.

Fig. 5: Mark Dale, Jay Roome, and Nick Allen rigging a Nexo line array for UEFA celebrations in Trafalgar

Square, London

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There is No Substitute for Experience

Get as much experience as you can, any way you can. Employers arent interested in pieces of paper; they want to see that you can DO the job.

Name it; be it As in any walk of life, you need to be a Sound Engineer in your own head. Call yourself an Engineer, and pursue it with all your heart and soul. It doesnt come easy; but, it will come.

Many of you will have to have a

supplementary job as well, to pay the rent while pursuing your dream. This is normal. However, if youre pulling pints three nights

a week, dont think of yourself as a barman; think of yourself as an Engineer who needs a bit of extra cash to get by. Its very easy to fall into those hospitality jobs where theres a good vibe and youre buddies with everyone and so, slowly give up on your dream and become a barman or a waiter. Try and find a job that doesnt need your attention once youve left the premises; this helps you avoid becoming something you dont want to be.

Attitude is everything The only things your first employer will see are your attitude and your skills. As the saying goes, youre only as good as your last gig. If you were liked and did well on your first job, chances are your phone might ring again next week. If you got sulky about being asked to do the menial jobs, there is a strong chance that you will be ignored in future.

Fig. 7: Dimitris Gavalas and Roberto Pellegrino at the Lambeth Country Show, London

Be likeable

All Live Sound work and all live events are a team effort. If no one likes you, you wont be asked back, and youll develop a reputation for being lazy/slack/disrespectful/cocky/a bit of a d*ck. People TALK in this business; its a small and close-knit community, and, sooner or later, everyone knows everything about each other. As male-dominated as the industry might be, were all really just a bunch of old ladies when it comes to gossip. Therefore, make sure that people are saying good things about you; sometimes this will mean gritting your teeth and swallowing your pride just do it. Everyone will be watching you; so, pull your weight. Its the gossip in the warehouse after your first gig that will establish you in the minds of the people who book you.

Fig. 8: Mark Dale rigging a d&b V Series, for Beirut, at the Hammersmith Apollo, London

Just say yes

...to absolutely any opportunity that comes your way, whether its paid or not. Dont be a gig snob. It doesnt matter if you dont like the genre of music/type of event; go do it anyway. Very few Engineers get to specialise in one genre only. Even if youre a hard-rock fan, you still need to be able to mix jazz. Club nights might bore the pants off you; but clubs are regular employers, as are churches.

Fig. 6: Darryn de la Soul at Village Underground, London

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It doesnt matter what the job is; theres always something to learn. You might know how to plug in and set up a DJ kit; but, do you know how to communicate successfully with a DJ who thinks the more red lights on my mixer the better? You might be an Indie kid; but, if the church down the road is paying a wage, can you understand how the choir fits into the purposes of the church service, and so deliver the experience required by your employer? Do you know how to reason with an unreasonable promoter? Can you stand your

ground politely, and with facts to hand, in a dispute with an Environmental Health Officer? Learning to handle all of these situations is critical to your success in this business. So, if you have an opportunity to do work experience at any event whatsoever, say yes and go do it. Offer your services for free at any venue you can, and go help out; this is part of the learning process learn from those who have been doing it since forever. Its also a VERY good idea to make your mistakes on someone elses watch, with someone around to correct you!

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Be Punctual, Reliable, and Pleasant to be Around Naturally, this applies to all paid jobs; but, even if you are volunteering, it doesnt mean that you dont have to do the job properly from beginning to end.

Be punctual This is absolutely critical. If the call time is 5:30AM, you must be there READY TO WORK at 5:30AM. This means that you have already had your three cups of coffee, and are ready to rock. Time is always limited on gigs there is never, ever enough of it so being punctual is important. If youre going somewhere youve never been before, give yourself an extra half an hour to get there, in case you get lost. If you are late, it means that your share of the work is now being done by other members of the team, which is no way to ingratiate yourself with them at all. And, if everyone seems to be okay that The Guy Whos Been Doing This For 30 Years is late, it does not mean that its okay for YOU to be late too. Thats his prerogative, and he already has a career; you are just starting out, so havent earned the same privileges.

Stay till the end. Be there when the last flightcase is loaded, EVEN IF YOURE VOLUNTEERING. This will impress people around you.

Be reliable Reliability is almost more important than anything else in the employability stakes. As an employer, I expect that if you say you will be somewhere at a certain time, you WILL be there

without fail. I also expect you to do your best at all times; I need to know that I can count on you to do long hours in often-difficult circumstances, in the heat or the cold, with less sleep than wed all like, with a smile on your face, and an attitude that makes you easy to be around. Everyone youre working with expects you to do things the right way, not the easy way, no matter how small the gig.

LAZINESS IS NOT AN OPTION IN THE LIVE SOUND INDUSTRY!

Be pleasant to be around Not much more to say, really. Be nice, and youll be back.

Fig. 9: Soulsound tutor Justin Grealy mixing FOH for Biffy Clyro, in Germany

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Work Experience/First Jobs

Go the extra mile to stand out from the crowd You and a million other 19-25 year olds are all after the same work. On paper, your qualifications are fairly similar; so, if youre lucky enough to be offered some work DO:

More than is expected. Look good, as well as sound good. I

dont mean your personal appearance (although what you wear does influence how people see you black is always the best option); I mean your work. Chances are, in your first jobs, you wont get anywhere near the mixer apart from unloading it so no one will hear your work, even if youre the best Mix Engineer since Big Mick. What they will see is how neat your stage is, how easy it is to read the labels you put on cables, how tidy the area is around your mic stands and stage boxes. This is where you can impress without even saying a word by being safe, fast, and effective.

Fig. 10: Soulsound tutor Marcel van Limbeek at the Birmingham Symphony Hall with Tori Amos

Keep in mind that almost all work comes

from word-of-mouth. So, make sure that the words about you are complimentary; these are the people that will vouch for you in the future.

Keep a discreet notepad to write down

peoples names and what their positions are, so you can address them correctly; it works a treat. I would suggest NOT writing these things down on your phone, as everyone will assume that youre on Facebook and think youre skiving.

Be helpful. If you see that theyre a man short on a four-man lift, step in and grab a handle.

Stay alert and react quickly when asked

to do something.

Be thoughtful. If you see everyones getting tired, offer to make a round of tea: write down the milk and sugar requirements, and deliver nice, hot tea of the correct sweetness to those around you.

Some research. Before you go to a job,

do a bit of Googling about the company/venue and people in it. We all love being flattered; so, if you can say things like, I saw that you mixed Show X last year; how did you deal with the strings?, then the person youre talking to will be more willing to open up. There are few Engineers in the world who dont like to show off a bit to a young un.

DONT:

Show off all that lovely book-learning you spent the last three years doing. Rather, listen carefully to what people are telling you, and ASK QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT MOMENT. The right moment is NOT in the middle of the soundcheck, nor when things are getting rushed, nor in the middle of solving a problem, nor in any circumstances where people are concentrating. The right moment is over dinner, in the pub, on a tea break, etc. Again, write your questions down to ask all at once. Most Engineers love sharing their knowledge, and showing off a bit; so, if you choose your moment carefully, you are likely to get a good answer.

Spend all day telling your Facebook

friends how cool it is to be backstage at the Reading Festival; it will be the last time that you are.

Wait to be asked to coil those cables in a

pile in the corner; ask if this needs doing, and, if the answer is yes, go do it. Properly.

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Qualifications or Not, You Will Push Boxes

I cannot emphasise enough how much a degree does NOT exclude you from manual labour. Seventy percent of the job is pre-planning, hard slog, loading trucks, tipping trucks, pushing heavy flightcases around, and getting heavy loudspeakers in the air; 20% is dealing with other human beings, often with over-inflated egos; and only 10% is actually pushing faders on a mixing desk. If you do not want to push boxes around, I hear that bank tellers have very little heavy lifting to do

An aside for women

Please dont let this put you off a career in Sound. You will be expected to pull your weight on load-ins and load-outs, but no more than your weight. Most lifting is about technique, not strength, anyway; so, there is very little that women cant do.

Fig. 11: Flightcases abound in this industry; you will be manhandling many, many of them!

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I Am Not ur M8

One thing which young people seem to forget is that people who have jobs to give out are usually older than them. So, is the way youre approaching and contacting a potential employer appropriate?

Fig. 12: Twiddling knobs is what we do best. Yamaha M7CL

Sure-fire ways to be immediately, well, fired:

Sending a text message saying, Hi mate, I hear you might have some work. I AM NOT YOUR MATE.

Sending a text message at all. Asking for

work is a bit formal; use formal methods of communication. Text messages are not a formal method of communication. Write an email. Make a phone call.

Using teen-speak when talking to a

prospective employer. DO NOT use the words blud, bruv, innit, or anything else that you may have used when you were at school. You are now an adult, kindly speak like one. You can rebel again in a few years time when you have established yourself (in fact, I encourage you to!); but, for now, play by the rules: treat those with more experience than you with the respect they deserve, speak like a grown up, and maybe youll get yourself a career.

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CVs and Covering Letters

A CV is a sales document make an effort It is my firm belief that many young people are unable to find work because their CVs arent up to scratch. I get sent dozens a week, and I peruse them all. The few well written ones, I file for future reference (and send them an email saying so); the ones which come across as lazy (bad cut & pastes, poor formatting, incorrect spelling) get binned without response (if you cant be bothered to present yourself well, I cant be bothered to respond). The ones that have made an effort but present themselves really badly (i.e. I cant tell if theyre

a Sound Engineer or a shelf-stacker at Tesco) often get a reply from me telling them so, in the hope that they might improve in that area. Your CV is a sales document; its an advert for you. So, make an effort when writing it. If it looks lazy, then I have to assume that you are lazy and will be lazy on my job; I will, therefore, not even consider you. A CV is the only way you have to introduce yourself to total strangers; so, make sure it creates a good impression.

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Writing your Covering Letter A CV should always be accompanied by a covering letter (email is fine), which is less formal; introduces yourself to the recipient; and is the first step in getting them to actually read your CV. Your covering letter should:

Make people WANT to read your CV. Give the reader a small insight into your

character (answer the question: who am I?).

Give a broad overview of your skills (answer the question: what can I do?).

Catch the readers attention. This is the ONLY contact that the reader has with you, so make it count! You need to stand out from the million other CVs and emails that employers get every year.

Make sure that you spell things correctly (especially the names of people and gear), and present yourself properly. If youre applying for work in a language that is not your first, get a native-speaker to check it. Use spell-check, BUT beware of autocorrect. Weve all done it autocorrect can often make you say things you really didnt intend to! Once you are happy with your CV, print it out and proofread it again; its astonishing how many more errors you pick up on from a printed page than from a screen. Then, get your grandmother to proofread it and check your grammar and punctuation (two things which DO matter, as we shall see below). Everything including formatting should be neat, legible, and consistent. Here is an example of a really poor job application:

So what makes this letter so bad? First of all, there is no greeting, which comes across as rude he, apparently, cant even take the time to say hello. Second, the formatting is all over the place, and it looks a mess: not only does the font size change, so too does the colour and typeface! For the most part, I am not bothered by the actual English; as Ive said before, this isnt an industry that cares too much about academia. However, here, its almost incoherent (I have copied it in its entirety, except for the senders name). Yes, there is passion coming through, and the kid has obviously made an effort to get work; however, Im not too sure about the extent of his experience. He says he would love to get into Sound Engineering, and then mentions something about soundchecking bands; setting up drum kits; and Working with soundcraftvi6 mixer. Are they other things he wants to get into? Or does he have experience with them already? Now compare it with the following example of a very good covering letter that actually made me call him back, even without a CV. (For reference, FOH stands for front of house).

I really like doing live sound going on tours, it would be my pleasure if you replied. I am an honest person and very hard working, I do a lot of work in the media business and I love to video and record and also to do the sound, lighting. I do it at my church events also at the

convention centre; they have excellent equipment and facilities. I have a lot of ambition and faculties to work. I have a passion for Audio and Visual, I use mixing desk at college in the studio and live performance for bands.

Ive work on the following mixer Allen&heat mixer, Mackie, Soundcraft EFX12 12 Channel Analogue. I would love to increase my knowledge in digital mixing. I also love to go sound engineer and touring.

Sound checking bands setting up drum kits.

Working with soundcraftvi6 mixer, and I would love to develop my skills on the mixer.

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As you can see, in terms of content, these two letters are very similar: both provide me with a list of what equipment they can use and what they have done. However, what really makes this second letter stand out is the presentation. Forget the fact that this guy has 25 years experience; this is a friendly, yet respectful, letter. The writer introduces himself and compliments my website, which he has clearly read and assimilated (a little flattery goes a long way!). His tone is charming and funny and, thus, easy to respond to; he even gets away with bad grammar because the email is so lovely and I can understand exactly what hes saying. This guy has been working with me for over a year now. So, the real deal-breaker in cases like this is presentation particularly, how much effort you put into presenting yourself. Just making sure its fluid and legible could make all the difference. Remember, the letter will most likely be the first contact an employer has with you; so you want it to create a good impression. It doesnt matter if like the first applicant youve spent a lot of energy getting experience under your belt; if it looks like you havent put the same amount of effort into conveying it coherently, you wont find much employment because you come across as lazy, and frankly, a little bit sh*t. You need to come across as excellent. A final thought in this area: please, if you do get a refusal, responses like the one below are inappropriate and unhelpful; this particular one has led me to blacklisting the little sod with everyone I know in the industry (which is quite a lot of people).

Im not sure I deserved that I had written back to him (instead of just ignoring him) with advice on how to improve his chances of getting a favourable response. His application was particularly poor and he really needed the help! (Aside: I think he meant to say bourgeois.)

If I had my way I would stab you and everyone in your proletariat company in the neck.

Hi Darryn, I've just stumbled upon your rather nice looking website whilst looking for agencies that specialise in the audio industry. I'm an engineer with 20+ years experience & I'm looking for new work opportunities. I appreciate that you have expressed on your site that you only use engineers that you know & I guess I don't fall into that category but I thought I'd drop you a mail anyway to see if you'd be interested in throwing me into your pool of engineers. I dont really want to bore you with all this but as I don't have a CV I think I should explain a bit of my experience from memory, so here goes... 25 years ago (I'm 40 now in case your wondering) I started off as a bass player in a band. Attended Gateway school of recording etc. at Kingston University. Cut my teeth at FOH with a local band. Toured as FOH with; Propellerheads, Ozric Tentacles, Electric Groove Temple, Rythm-ites, N-Dubz, Cascada & Senser (who I still work for, if only they had some gigs) I also Looked after radio mic's & ears for a tour of Ireland with (hurts me to mention it) Jedward... PA companies; Production Hire, Capital Sound & a few other smaller companies. Over the years I have looked after FOH on the following festival stages; Bestival Main & stage 2, Rockness Main & stage 2, Jersey live Main, Glastonbury Avalon, Electric Picnic Crawdaddy & dance tent. Creamfields main & D&B tent, All Tomorrows Parties stage 3, Nass & too many raves including One Nation D&B, Hardcore Heaven, Slinky etc at venues like Birmingham NEC, Shepton Mallet showground & Crystal Palace. I currently look after FOH at the O2 in Bournemouth & have worked at this venue since well before they took it over. Nowadays I spend half the time doing monitors there for supports as our monitor guy has ended up becoming technical manager which means he has towels to find & toilets to un-block instead of doing sound... I am experienced with most analogue desks including; Midas XL3 & 4, H3000 & the little ones. Yamaha PM3500 & my very own Amek Recall. Digital desk experience is less extensive but I'm all over the Soundcraft Vi range & I get on fine with the Yamaha's. I can cope with Digico's But I've yet to get my hands on a Midas digital or play with those silly mushrooms on the Avids... I'm a studio owner & I've installed a few over the years. Phew, that must have been hard work to trawl through so I thank you if you made it this far & please except my apologies if I've wasted your time. I'm sure I've missed a whole load out & I'm sure that's just as well. I would be very interested to hear from you & I can provide references if required. Kind regards,

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Writing your CV Your CV should make you stand out from the crowd. It should be neat; legible; and well written, and a maximum of two pages long (except in special circumstances). A CV should ALWAYS be written in the first person; if you write in the third person, you are selling someone else, not yourself, which just doesnt work. The whole idea of the covering letter and CV combination is to give the recipient an insight into who you are, and to make them like you from the start. You need to make that all-important connection; so, speaking of him or her, instead of I, disconnects the reader immediately. In the same breath, try not to start every sentence with I, either! Find other words to start sentences with. During my time at A Sound Company, I mixed monitors at A, B, & C Festival and looked after FOH regularly at A Venue is much more pleasant to read than: I did this; I did that; I did the next thing. Its good to show humility whilst, at the same time, presenting your skills well. Too many Is sounds boastful. Your CV should have the following sections:

Start with your name and contact details.

Follow with a personal statement that

is like a mini covering letter. This should give an indication of your character, your general skills, and your ambitions.

Next comes Relevant Experience, which is all sound/event experience (whether paid or not).

Other Experience is any other jobs

you might have done. Even a receptionists job leaves you with some skills, like how to answer a phone properly; a sales job leaves you with good client-facing skills; etc.

Next list specific skills what mixing

desks you can use, what software, what gear? Do you know how to rig? Can you do electronic repairs?

Education and Qualifications start

with your higher education. Unless you did something particularly spectacular in your A-Levels, and are within a year or two of having completed them, no one really cares; certainly, no one gives a damn about your GCSEs (it also makes you seem very young to list them, even if they were all As).

List drivers licences and other things

youre licensed for (scissor lift, fork lift, etc); but, be honest about any points.

Two referees. Some people write

references available upon request; I find this seriously annoying. Make it easy for the employer! Give phone numbers and/or email addresses, and make sure youve asked your referees if its okay to include them.

Fig. 13: Being a part of making a show happen is where the thrill of the job lies

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Approaching Employers

Blind CV sending is often a waste of time; unless you are extremely lucky, sending unsolicited CVs to every PA company in the country wont get you any work. Jobs are not advertised bosses ask around amongst their crew when theyre looking for newbies, and they will always rather go with a recommendation from someone they trust, rather than sift through the 200 CVs they received that week. For the most part, CVs are only really looked at when your name has already been put forward.

If you are sending out unsolicited CVs, make a bit more of an effort than Dear Sir/Madam; get the correct name of the person you are writing to. Also, for Petes sake, get their

gender right too. I suffer endless letters addressed Dear Mr de la Soul, even though I am clearly a woman from my website theres a picture and everything! As Ive already said, flattery will get you everywhere it always works to make the people whom you are approaching feel good about themselves. Compliment their website. Mention something you have read about them online find some way to let them know you have actually done a bit of research and are approaching them individually, not in a mass email. Pay attention to detail beware of copy and paste. I dont know how many times I have seen gaffs like sending an email to Company X, saying how much they admire and want to work with Company Y. If you are copying and pasting, make absolutely sure you have changed all the names in all the places they needs changing. Then check again before hitting send. Be likeable a sense of humour can help. Dont tell a joke; but, a little something to bring a smile to the lips of the recipient is helpful in creating the personal human contact that is the first step in getting a response.

Fig. 14: Ed Thomas at work at Village Underground, London

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Persevere

As the old saying goes, if at first you dont succeed, try and try again. Persistence pays off. Give people a reason to respond to you be personable and pleasant. Everyone in the world is busy these days; we all have to be able to stay afloat in a recession. So, if you want their attention, give them something to attend to. However, at the same time, there is a fine line between persistence and harassment! If you thought you got a good response from someone, but never heard from them again, a gentle reminder email is a way to make them think about you once more. Remind them of who you are: Dear X, we had a chat via email a couple of weeks ago, and you mentioned that there might be a chance of helping you out in the warehouse for a week. I was hoping that the opportunity might still be available. I am free to jump in whenever you need me, etc., etc. If they still ignore you, try once more in two weeks time. After that, its probably a no. If you actually called someone, and had a good response over the phone, dont expect them to remember you the next week. Follow all calls up with an immediate email: Hi, this is X; we spoke earlier today. You said that you were interested in my Y skills. Im attaching my CV for your records. Then send the covering letter and CV. In an age when it is possible to do a months grocery shop without looking another human being in the eye, personal contact means a lot. If you meet people face to face, look them in the eye; let them see who you are so much trust

in human interactions comes through the eyes. Show respect for their superior knowledge, and dont show off; they really do know more than you do!

Just say no ...to drugs, sex, and rock n roll (until after the show, at least). Dont think that caning it at a

gig impresses anyone. If something goes wrong and youve got a beer or worse in your hand, people will immediately think: hes pissed; thats why my show just f*cked up, even if it is your first sip of your first beer. Also remember that just because the older guys can get away with it, doesnt mean that you can: you are still learning; you need your sober wits about you; solving problems on the fly is not

yet second nature for you; there are many, many problems you have yet to encounter and need to solve for the first time.

Never say no ...to a job without replacing yourself. If you are unable to do a job, don't let it go! Make sure it goes to someone you know and trust. This has several advantages:

You look good to the client, and have made their lives easier.

You are looking out for your mates.

You might actually get the job back

afterwards.

Fig. 15: KJ Thorarinsson having a brilliant day at the Horniman Museum Bandstand, London

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Inner & Outer Circles

I always have what I consider my inner and outer circles. The inner circle is composed of other Engineers who are close friends and are trustworthy you know they will do a great job, and are unlikely to steal your gig. These are the first people you go to when needing to replace yourself. If all of them are busy, you then move on to the outer circle: people whom you've met along the

way and who have impressed you. These are generally not your BFFs; but, nor will they have embarrassed you when you later hear about their actions at the gig. Either way, if you vouch for someone, make sure they are good enough. If you vouch for someone who then screws up, your reputation will go down the pan along with theirs.

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What Work Is Out There?

Warehousing Working in the warehouse of a PA company might not fulfil your dream of front-of-house (FOH) mixing glory; but, it's the best learning curve you can get. If you can get in with a PA company, and do general warehouse work, you will be learning all those things it's impossible to learn from college or books: the quirks of certain bits of kit, how different companies do their line systems, how to test equipment, how to repair equipment, good practice with storage and maintenance so you don't cause damage, and how to get a show out of the warehouse door. Many organisations will let people grow within the company, and, once you've paid your dues, you can expect to be put out on gigs as assistant techs; stagehands; etc. The warehouse route is generally the way in for system techs, so still may not lead to FOH glory anytime soon.

House Engineer Another great way to start a career is to get stuck in as a House Engineer. The House Guy of any venue, no matter how small, is the person responsible for most tech-y things, and, in smaller venues, you'll also be expected to operate lights and generally be Mr (or Ms) Fix-It. This is invaluable experience. Often the pay is barely enough to live on; but, you get to learn everything about the system youre

operating from the inside out and learn how to nurse it through the rough times on no budget. Strangely, venue owners who regularly service their cars somehow fail to see the need to service their sound systems; so, learning to fix stuff yourself is the best way to keep on top of things. One pitfall of House work, however, is the human propensity for laziness and can't be bothered-ness, and many House Guys fall into bad habits after a while.

Theatre Theatre work ranges from tiny fringe shows, to proper West End-style musicals. Fringe shows have low or no budgets; so, expect to do these for love. Getting into musicals is more difficult, and you will start at the bottom of the luvvie

pecking order, probably depping (filling in) for several shows at the same time before, hopefully, getting onto the staff of one. It helps to know someone who can introduce you; but, theatre work is sometimes advertised, and can be got by applying. Look out for ads in The Stage.

Touring Your first tour is likely to be what is affectionately known as a Toilet Tour. As the name implies, you'll be playing really small, somewhat-crappy venues which are often, in my experience, the best gigs of them all! On Toilet Tours, everyone generally mucks in band members included and youll be expected to share driving, manning the merchandise stall, and anything else that needs doing. More and more these days, with budgets shrinking in direct proportion to how much money you fail to spend on recorded music, the Sound Engineer will be asked to drive and tour-manage as well so three jobs get done for the price of one. I personally think this is outrageous, but there you go; it's a fact of life.

Cruise ships and holiday resorts Unless you're familiar with ports in sunnier climes, you will be surprised to hear how many cruise ships sail around the world there are hundreds! In the US alone, the industry is worth $40 billion a year. And, if you think about how boring life aboard a ship really is, they do need to lay on a constant stream of entertainment.

Fig. 17: Heels of Glory at the Vauxhall Tavern, London. Fringe theatre has its own

special rewards!

Fig. 16: The glorious Funktion One, Res 5

system at Neighbourhood Club,

London

Fig. 18: Mix Position aboard the Carnival cruise ship, Arcadia

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This may start at 11AM, with singing by the pool; cooking demonstrations; and suchlike. Then, perhaps therell be art auctions; talks; etc. during the day, and, finally, aerial displays; comedy shows; full-production shows; intimate piano shows; etc.; etc. in the evening. There is barely a break in the entertainment during the day, and, in the evenings, there are multiple events going on at once. This means that ships are in great need of technicians, as the entertainment tends to be of quite a high standard. They often recruit through their own websites or through agencies. Keep an eye on The Stage for ads, or visit the websites regularly. P&O, Cunard, and Carnival are some names to look out for; but there are many other companies, some better than others. If you are young and carefree, consider all the holiday resorts that Brits tend to flock to in the Med. Again, people get bored; so, hotels lay on entertainment. This is a fun way to make a living in the summer season you are housed and largely fed and, once you've made friends with the locals, your beers drop from tourist to local price. The work can be a bit banal; but, if youre young and want to get in on the shag-a-thon that is every holiday resort known to man, this can be a fun summer, and many people make long-term careers out of the holiday industry. The pay isnt great; but, if youre not paying rent at home, its enough to live on.

Corporate Corporate is a word that may strike fear and loathing into your heart; but, it pays really well. However, a whole different set of skills is required. Corporate is all about spoken word (as much of it is conferencing); therefore, the use of lapel/lavalier mics is common (these have their own complication), as are handheld radio mics. This often results in large numbers of radio channels being used by people with little or no mic technique. This is challenging, since the most important thing about

conferences is speech intelligibility; consequently, you shouldn't just fob these jobs off as easy. With this sort of work, there is also a lot of money involved, and your part as the Sound Guy is critical; the client is unlikely to have any technical knowledge, so will not have any patience with poor sound. Corporate work also requires formal dress a collared black shirt, trousers, and proper shoes (rather than jeans; a black, metal T-shirt; and trainers). Some might even require a suit, so have one handy as well as a tie. Dress for women is a bit more flexible in corporate, but must be black and super-neat (and ironed!).

Working with Promoters

Often you will meet promoters and event organisers along the way. Its a good idea to forge a relationship, so that they call you direct for any other events which they might do.

Freelancing in general

There are very few actual, salaried positions in sound. By and large, Sound Engineers are self-employed freelancers who dip in and out of all the various options available.

Fig. 19: Soulsound tutor Marcel van Limbeek with his amazing rack of analogue outboards

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Once You Have a Job

Be ready to work at the drop of a hat Often those first opportunities come your way because someone else has failed to turn up, or all the usual people are busy. If you get a call asking you to be somewhere in the next hour, say yes and get your butt over there!

Keep a diary

It may seem obvious, but almost everyone has been caught out by this. You say yes; forget to write it down; then say yes to another job on the same date! You MUST keep a diary. This is not only to prevent double-booking yourself or equally as bad forgetting entirely and not showing up at all, but also so that you can remember what youve done so you make sure

you get paid for it! I highly recommend digital diaries/calendars because, if you lose your phone/iPad/whatever, you can always retrieve the info from your backup. GoogleCal and iCal talk happily to each other; so, you can use both.

Turn up on time (which is really 10 minutes early)

I can't emphasise enough how important it is to be on time; it just looks so bad if you're late. The occasional lateness is acceptable if there were genuine transport issues and you contacted someone the moment you could to say you would be late. Habitual lateness, however, is the fastest way to a non-ringing phone.

Respond to messages and emails promptly

Just because you know that you have received a message, doesn't mean that the sender knows. Always respond, even if it's just to say received; that way, no one has to worry about whether you have all the information you need or not, and everyone gets a good night's sleep. It also stops people from being irritated by your lack of communication and, therefore, by you; irritating people seldom last long in jobs.

Fig. 21: Hands in the air is what makes the job all worthwhile!

Invoice regularly

Everyone has tight cash flows. Please don't regard unsent invoices as money in the bank; invoice as soon as you have done the job. Not only do you get paid quicker, but again you don't annoy employers. I hate receiving an invoice six months late; by then, I've got used to how much money is in my bank account, and really resent having to pay someone who should have been paid half a year ago. This also affects people's year-end accounts and their quarterly VAT returns; so, try not to annoy the hell out of them by invoicing a year after the fact.

Fig. 20: Susanna Bologna mixing The

Wonder Stuff at Islington Academy,

London

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Insurance and Making Sure Its Up To Date You MUST have public liability insurance. I repeat. YOU MUST HAVE PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE. As a freelance Engineer, you need to be covered for damage to people; property; and equipment. It is highly irresponsible to work without it, and most employers will want to see your documents before you are offered the job. Keep tabs on your renewal dates! If you use BECTU insurance, all policies require renewal at the end of April. If you use other brokers, you will need to renew on the anniversary of the date on which you purchased the policy. If you have the option to renew automatically, use it; this saves you the nightmare of having to be turned away from a job because you forgot to update your insurance.

Vehicle insurance If you use your own vehicle for work purposes, make sure you have the correct insurance.

Domestic insurance is fine if all you are doing is moving to and from your work site; but, if you use the vehicle during work, for work purposes, you may need a different policy.

Personal protective equipment Always have rigging gloves, steel-toed shoes or boots, and hi-visibility vests handy. There are, apparently, more hand injuries than any other kind on live events, which makes sense when shoving all those boxes around. Gloves are inexpensive and will save you a lot of pain. Also bear in mind that if you are injured, it will reduce your ability to work and, thus, earn a living. Don't be stupid; be safe. Accidents happen all the time; make sure you don't get hurt when they do. Having your steelies all the way at your Mum's house is not good if you get last minute work; keep these things with you. Hard hats are cheap and may be required; keep one at home so you can accept work that needs one.

Fig. 22: Nick Allen working on the UEFA celebrations in Trafalgar Square, London

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Audio Skills

No matter your qualification, youve only just started learning. I mean that. Even the old boys who have been doing it for 30 years are still learning. The technology changes all the time even if the physics doesn't and you can never know enough. Keep up to date; things change quickly. Ways to keep up to date include the following:

Manufacturer training. Most manufacturers of audio equipment, and most PA manufacturers, provide free training on their equipment. Check their websites for upcoming training events.

Read trade press to keep up to date

with new products. Trade press is distributed free of charge, and online versions land in your inbox easily. These kinds of mags are generally vehicles for advertisers; but, since everything you are going to use is a product of some sort, you will at least know what's new even if you don't get an entirely unbiased opinion of it.

Attend trade shows. Not only is this

where new products are launched, but also where you get to speak face-to-face with manufacturers and distributors, as well as attend seminars. Trade shows are also good places to network and meet other Engineers. PLASA is the

biggest relevant UK trade show, with a major event in London and a smaller one in Leeds: PLASA Focus. The theatre show is ABTT.

Peripheral Skills The more skills you have, the more employable you are.

If you haven't already got one, get a drivers license. Being able to drive the warehouse vans makes you a much better prospect for an employer. It also means that you are able to help with the driving on Toilet Tours; so, again, you're increasing your chances of getting the band job. Besides which, its a basic life skill!

Get as many other licenses as you can

LGV, HGV, forklift, cherry picker, scissor lift.

Whenever you get the opportunity, gain

as many other skills as you can rigging, health and safety, first aid, Portable Appliance Testing (PAT).

In short, be as useful as you can.

Fig. 23: One of six Funktion One stacks for an ambisonic surround-sound show, Faster Than Sound,

at Bentwaters Airbase, Suffolk, UK

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Internet Presence

We've all heard stories of people being busted on Facebook for being out partying when they've pulled a sickie at work; the same goes for YOUR prospective employers. First thing just about anyone does these days is Google you; so make sure your Internet presence says only good things about you.

Make your Facebook photos private. Seriously!

Join LinkedIn. This is the go to place for

professionals, and is a good way for people to check you out and see if you have shared connections (and so get an idea of your professional reach).

Get a proper email address. Stop using

your bigpoodleboy@hotmail.com account for business purposes. Not only does it make you look like a teenager, but every single person I know who uses Hotmail inadvertently sends me spam at

some stage; Hotmail is NOT a professional address. The best thing is to buy your own domain name, using either your business name if you have one or your own name; this looks much more professional. If you arent up for that, Gmail is the most grown-up, professional-looking email address.

If you don't want to bother with a whole

website, it's worth having a simple page with your CV up; this way, you can keep it updated and send out links to your CV. Have something online that looks good.

Get good-looking business cards.

Cheap and nasty business cards are as bad as a poorly written CV for putting people off. Again, these are the things people will remember you by, so make them quality; they are not expensive.

Fig. 24: Good, clear labelling is essential to a successful show

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Keep it Clean with the Tax Man

As much as we would all like to, you cannot avoid the tax man. You might be able to for a few months, or even a few years; but, in the end, he will get you. So make it easy on yourself, and do your paperwork from the beginning. I KNOW its tedious, and I KNOW you really dont want to do it; but, as a Sole Trader (freelancer), you are a business and need to run yourself as a business. One advantage, of course, is that, as a business, you can claim a lot of things as business expenses from Sharpies, to mics; tape, to FX units; travel fares, to a percentage of vehicle costs. The costs of running your business are offset against the income you earn, thus reducing your profit and commensurately reducing your tax bill (tax is payable on profit only, not gross income). Throwing away receipts is like throwing away cash; keep everything!

Fig. 25: Chuck Berry at The 100 Club, London Do your books regularly weekly, if you can bear it, but definitely monthly at the very least. This means that things are fresh in your mind so you can remember what the receipts were for and what rates you agreed for a job. Keep your paperwork filed neatly so you can find things. Use a spreadsheet, or one of the many simple bookkeeping apps that are available, to keep a running record of your financial situation; it really helps with peace of mind to know where you stand vis--vis your money. You MUST save money EVERY MONTH for tax. In the UK, tax is payable by freelancers on 31st January each year. In the UK, there is almost no work in January. I repeat. THERE IS ALMOST NO WORK IN THE UK IN JANUARY.

So, whilst December is a busy month with Christmas parties, it is essentially only three weeks long (as the bit between Christmas and New Year is also a work-free zone). (By the way, its a really good idea to get your New Year gig booked-in early, as they usually pay double and you still have a great night without it costing you anything. However, New Year gigs are gold dust; so get yours booked in as soon as you can.) December is also a very expensive month, as you are surely aware; so, not only will you have emptied the coffers on gifts and parties and travel, but you will start January with a very bleak outlook for earning anything over the first 4-6 weeks. And then your tax is due on 31st January. So, have your tax SAVED. Have January and Februarys rent SAVED; even better, have all three saved, plus enough money in the bank to go somewhere nicer for the month. January in the UK is just awful, whichever way you look at it. Make January your holiday month. Although the actual tax percentage is somewhere in the region of 23%, I personally found that if I saved 10% of each and every job, that equated more or less to the amount my tax came to after I had offset my business expenses. Start saving those little bits now. Your first tax return has the added joy of an extra 50% being payable on account (against future tax bills) which is, I feel, very unfair indeed, but is nevertheless unavoidable. So, if your first tax bill is 1,000, you will need to pay 1,500, plus Class 4 NI (which is another 8%). It adds up pretty quickly and, again, emphasises the need to keep all evidence of legitimate business spending: the lower your profit, the lower your tax bill. Every pound for which you have a legitimate receipt saves you about 23p tax. Another reason for keeping up with your accounts is the fact that you actually get paid that way. Many employers work on a 30-day payment scheme; so, it is very easy to lose sight of who has paid you and who hasnt. Good housekeeping will help you keep track and easily flag up invoices that havent been sent or are overdue.

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Entry-Level Work Carries Entry-Level Remuneration

Dealing with debt No matter how unfair it is, the fact remains that entry-level work such as you will probably be doing carries entry-level remuneration. This could be as low as minimum-hourly wage or, commonly, one-off amounts like 50-80 per night. This is not enough money to live off. You might also find yourself working for free more often than you would like, in order to gain experience. Many of you will likely have spent a lot of money educating yourselves, and probably have some level of debt. It is important to deal with debt before it gets overwhelming. So, if you find yourself in a position where you are earning little but owe a lot, there are people who can

help you. The very first time you find yourself paying your electricity bill on a credit card, get advice. The best people to approach in the first instance are the StepChange Debt Charity. They are an organisation whose sole aim is to help you cope with your debts, and to give you peace of mind. They will set you up with a debt-management plan, and can negotiate with your creditors on your behalf to help you work out a feasible repayment plan. Often, they can persuade creditors to reduce or completely stop charging interest so you stop getting those awful demand letters. They rock.

Fig. 26: Francis Gardner at Village Underground, London. A good pair of headphones is an essential piece of your toolkit

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Conclusion Building a career for yourself in the Live Sound industry requires a combination of both audio and people skills; it also requires total dedication, balls of steel, and a real passion for what you do. There will be times when you feel like giving up because youre struggling to pay the rent; but, if

you keep at it and persevere and always do your best at every single show, you will be noticed and those around you will help you. Be what you want to be, and good luck.

Fig. 27: Coiling cables can be fun! Tshari King at Village Underground, London

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About the Author

Darryn de la Soul has been working in the Live Events industry for over a decade, and is best known for her work in live audio production and training young Engineers. She started her career as a Live Sound Engineer at various London venues, and quickly broadened her scope to include the production management of live events, most notably: Faster Than Sound, First Light Festival (the 50th-anniversary show celebrating the Lovell Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank), and Long Player Live. Her flair for organising, manifesting, and motivating others

led to her being asked to develop and implement the Live Sound Diploma for Alchemea College of Audio Engineering. As Head of Live Sound, she spent four fruitful years creating a course which has fast become one of the most respected qualifications in audio engineering. She is regularly quoted as an authority on both audio education and audio engineering in general, and presents her talk (Getting a Foot in the Door: How to make your way in the Live Sound Industry) at PLASA trade shows. This is aimed at helping youngsters to get into a notoriously closed-door industry. In early 2013, Darryn once again struck out independently, forming the umbrella company, Soulsound. Soulsound is dedicated to improving the careers of Sound Engineers, acting as a resource centre and a place in which to find inspiration as well as instruction on techniques. Soulsound also encompasses Soulsound Agency which manages the careers of a select number of excellent Engineers and Soulsound Installations, focusing on installing quality sound systems for clubs and venues. In the past, Darryn has dabbled in filmmaking (winning Best Short Documentary at the 2008 London Independent Film Festival with her guerrilla documentary, So You Shall Reap, shot entirely on a mobile phone). She has also worked as a location recordist on numerous short films. An ardent fan of London, Darryn annually researches and presents her own London History Tours for friends and colleagues during the festive season.

August 2013

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How to make your way in the Live Sound IndustryPrologueBefore we start

Writing your Covering LetterWriting your CVApproaching EmployersInsurance and Making Sure Its Up To DateAudio SkillsInternet PresenceKeep it Clean with the Tax ManEntry-Level Work Carries Entry-Level RemunerationDealing with debt

ConclusionAbout the Author