And don’t come back when we’re trying to play (outside…)
Since we started playing two years ago, we’ve tried to play 3 outdoor gigs. The first one was the Delano Block Party last July, the second was Applefest in Ashland last October, and the third one was the St. John’s Town Social in Ringtown just last week. We’ve had to cancel two out of three of these due to rain.
Of course, both times we cancelled the rain cleared up and didn’t come back when we would’ve been playing. I like to think that if we did try to play, the rain wouldn’t have stopped; but I’m really not that cynical. So, what happens is we get some rain, then people show up to see us play in the nice sunny weather, and we’re not there.
First off, let me just say sorry. We appreciate our fans and we are really upset that we don’t manage to let you know in time. In the future, if there’s ANY question as to whether or not we’ll be playing somewhere, check our Facebook page, as we update it immediately on changes in our schedule.
With that said, I will defend our decisions to cancel these shows, for quite a few reasons. The first of which is safety. Electricity and water don’t mix. Standing on a wet surface holding a lightning rod in your hands while also putting your lips against an electrically conductive microphone is a recipe for electrocution. Not to mention just being outside during a thunderstorm.
In addition to the safety concerns, there’s also the equipment. Water damage isn’t covered by manufacturer warranty, so if any of our equipment got ruined we’d have to replace it out of pocket. Even a single PA speaker would cost more than we’d earn for the entire show.
Another consideration in all this is if it IS raining, who’s going to show up?
Why would we risk the danger to the equipment, and ourselves; not to mention the organizers of the event won’t make as much money (they’ll have to pay us) if practically no one is going to show up? Ever see a crowded block party in the rain?
It stinks, but we feel it is best in the long run for us and for the event organizers. We’re thinking about ways that we can combat mother nature and still put on a show even if it is raining. Hopefully by the next outside gig season, we’ll have an answer…