Hollis Nolan

Got up at the crack of dawn only to find the bus still rolling. Rumors are flying that the venue has an… interesting… loading situation. Since I’m on a permanent stage right next to the mainstage we’re sharing the dock. Bus finally stops and I take a look outside. No venue, nothing but a long line of busses and trucks. More rumors start flying, did anyone tell the venue we were loading in at 7am? Finally a golf cart is scrounged up and us audio guys are picked up.

Very well composed shot taken from my phone off the back of moving golf cart.

From Mayhem 2010

We get there and set up. Not our usual day at the office.

From Mayhem 2010

Most of the mainstage system is going to the Uproar tour, but some all my gear was going back to the shop as well as some extra gear they didnt need. They did need some mics from me, which resulted in a game of musical chairs to get them over.

From Mayhem 2010

Both mobile stages were canned so we had the esteemed honor of hosting four of the Jagermiester bands on our stage. By the time 3 Inches of Blood came on the place was getting packed.

From Mayhem 2010

I mixed Shadows Fall, Chimaria, and Hatebreed.

From Mayhem 2010

Had to keep moving the blue light for the com. Another 100+ day so sunlight was my enemy. Console started burning my hands so I had to improvise.

From Mayhem 2010

Hatebreed

From Mayhem 2010

And by 6:20 we’re all done and the mainstage gets rolling.

From Mayhem 2010

Time to pack up everything and fork it over to god-knows-where-they-parked-the-truck.

In the world of sound Florida is known for one thing above all else.

Rain.

The morning when we set up was relatively dry. But right as the other stage started it all started to come down. Sheets and sheets of blowing rain, never lasting more than 15 min but wreaking havoc for everyone living off electronics.

From Mayhem 2010

For us that means very attractive viscreen coverings

From Mayhem 2010

You can see the tarps for our roof billowing out like a sail

From Mayhem 2010

Mud wrestling seemed the obvious choice

From Mayhem 2010

No covering for these folks

From Mayhem 2010

Now thats all done and were all high and dry. Only thirteen hundred miles to the next venue.

Hot. Hot and humid. This show definitely holds the record for the most I’ve sweated all tour(s). No wind at all at load in so we were just baking. Then a cool breeze blew past and we had to scramble to get all the rain gear in place before the storm hit. A couple bands in the rain then it cleared. The day ends, we pack the truck and head for the bus. Not too bad of a day, but very glad to call it a day and relax for a bit.

But that was not what the day had in order for us.

No sooner than I had kicked off my shoes then Milk (the crew cheif and FOH tech) bursts into the bus asking if we heard the radio. None of us had, of course, since the day was done and the radios were off. He then rapidly filled us in on what happened. Apparently the mainstage monitor console had taken a shit (his words) right before Rob Zombie was about to go on, and they needed the identical console from our stage. The problem is we just packed that console (in the middle of the truck) and most likely that truck was already rolling out to the next city. We three dash off of the bus and head over with all due haste to where the silverstar stage was. Finding a fully packed stage and truck about to drive off. Explaining the situation to the driver we pull open the back right as a forklift with the manstage guys arrives. Unstacking and unloading as little as possible we had to dig in and retrieve the console, get it on the forklift, and on its merry way back to the manstage.

Then we repack the truck, send the driver off, and try round two at relaxing on the bus.

(me riding on the side as the truck tries to get closer to the mainstage)

From Mayhem 2010