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Showing posts with label Fuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fuel. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2012
Why would you play this place?
Well... I rarely do this, but as an addendum to my original write-up of Fuel, it's probably worth noting that I've undersold how poorly this place treats, represents, and reproduces the sound of bands.
The stand-out problem is still the bad, bad sound... but my initial complaint was something I assumed was the sound guy's preference: running everything through the mains. Now it's obvious the people running sound at Fuel are just incompetent. A goth/industrial show went spectacularly wrong, as the programmed drums/sequenced synths weren't put through the sound system... so the audience basically had a night where one of the main elements of the music was completely missing.
The bands fought and argued and contested the inability of the sound guy to make the show audible, but musicians aren't a priority at Fuel, and aren't taken seriously. How much respect do bands get? Well... they weren't allowed to start playing until the football game was over, so the flat screen TVs are much more important than the bands.
Though the show started late-- don't be ridiculous: you simply cannot turn off the TVs when football is on-- all the bands did get to play... because, when half of your music can't be heard by anyone, it's not a big deal when the musicians storm off the stage. It keeps the sets short, and you're not missing anything.
Actually, you'd miss less if you just never went to Fuel. Bands shouldn't play there. People who want to see bands should see them somewhere else. With so many other venues in Seattle, why should shows (bands or audience) ever have to deal with Fuel?
Leave this place to flat screen televisions broadcasting The Big Game.
The stand-out problem is still the bad, bad sound... but my initial complaint was something I assumed was the sound guy's preference: running everything through the mains. Now it's obvious the people running sound at Fuel are just incompetent. A goth/industrial show went spectacularly wrong, as the programmed drums/sequenced synths weren't put through the sound system... so the audience basically had a night where one of the main elements of the music was completely missing.
The bands fought and argued and contested the inability of the sound guy to make the show audible, but musicians aren't a priority at Fuel, and aren't taken seriously. How much respect do bands get? Well... they weren't allowed to start playing until the football game was over, so the flat screen TVs are much more important than the bands.
Though the show started late-- don't be ridiculous: you simply cannot turn off the TVs when football is on-- all the bands did get to play... because, when half of your music can't be heard by anyone, it's not a big deal when the musicians storm off the stage. It keeps the sets short, and you're not missing anything.
Actually, you'd miss less if you just never went to Fuel. Bands shouldn't play there. People who want to see bands should see them somewhere else. With so many other venues in Seattle, why should shows (bands or audience) ever have to deal with Fuel?
Leave this place to flat screen televisions broadcasting The Big Game.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Fuel
The biggest problem I see with Fuel is that the sound is pretty bad. It wouldn't be hard to fix, and maybe they'll adjust their attitude toward live music sometime in the future, but for now... terrible sound. I say “attitude” because it's not a problem with the equipment; their gear is fine. The problem is that they make everything go through the PA. A guitarist with a massive Marshall stack, who could fill Fuel will sound without being mic'd, will be asked to turn down... way down... running so quiet he wouldn't be heard over the drums. This monsterous-but-now-quiet rig will then be heard by the audience through an SM-57 microphone (which has kind of a honky, midrangey sound), the mixing board (which will be further EQ'd to the sound man's taste), and to the PA speakers (which have their own sound, as well), so the guitarist doesn't sound much like himself. Every instrument in the band will be treated this way, so that you can see a show at Fuel and, even though a 5-piece group is live in front of you, you'll be hearing two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals all mashed together and coming out of the same club PA speakers.
but for now... terrible sound. I say “attitude” because it's not a problem with the equipment; their gear is fine. The problem is that they make everything go through the PA. A guitarist with a massive Marshall stack, who could fill Fuel will sound without being mic'd, will be asked to turn down... way down... running so quiet he wouldn't be heard over the drums. This monsterous-but-now-quiet rig will then be heard by the audience through an SM-57 microphone (which has kind of a honky, midrangey sound), the mixing board (which will be further EQ'd to the sound man's taste), and to the PA speakers (which have their own sound, as well), so the guitarist doesn't sound much like himself. Every instrument in the band will be treated this way, so that you can see a show at Fuel and, even though a 5-piece group is live in front of you, you'll be hearing two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals all mashed together and coming out of the same club PA speakers.
Listening from the floor, I could always hear what the drummer and singer were doing, but the guitars and basses were anyone's guess...
This is made more frustrating because Fuel isn't really built to be a venue: there's room for roughly ten people in front of the stage, but most of this fairly small sports bar's real estate is optimized for sitting at tables, watching sports on the TVs and eating Buffalo wings. If ten people do stand in front of the stage, they will be continually jostled by patrons making their way to the bathrooms. I'd forgive most of this if the musicians were allowed to turn up-- seriously, in a club this small, there's no need to mic the guitars and basses, and the whole affair would sound much, much better.
Fuel's Yelp reviews are fairly telling-- glowing reviews from people who want pitchers and shots before the game and bikini contests. The only mention of live shows is a 1-star review from a fire dancer who booked a show she wasn't allowed to play (there are no mentions of bands at the time of this writing.) Live music really isn't something Fuel puts a lot of effort into, and therefore, isn't very good at.
Fuel's Yelp reviews are fairly telling-- glowing reviews from people who want pitchers and shots before the game and bikini contests. The only mention of live shows is a 1-star review from a fire dancer who booked a show she wasn't allowed to play (there are no mentions of bands at the time of this writing.) Live music really isn't something Fuel puts a lot of effort into, and therefore, isn't very good at.
The club is located in Pioneer Square, which is not my favorite part of Seattle. On weekends, Pioneer Square fits a frat boy cliche that would be comical if it wasn't so frighteningly accurate. At bar time, these eight square blocks or so are awash in short sleeve button-ups and cargo shorts chasing the tiniest dresses possible too drunk to walk in their 6-inch heels. I'm not exaggerating-- Pioneer Square is the only place I've ever seen people having sex on the hood of a car (it wasn't hot.)
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