T Maki wrote in
:

(continuing..)

If you plan on setting up in normal concert recording style,
be prepared to deal with the amplified sound. You will
likely not be able to convince them to not amplify. I repeat
- YOU will not have any say over it. A Chinese with the tour
may be able to convince them, if you can communicate to
them.

Several members of the group claim to speak Chinese. No word yet on which
dialect.

Be prepared for audiences at least as rude as any you've
ever experienced here. You will endure cell phone
conversations, cigarette smoke that will put you on the
floor, crying, laughing, burping, farting, and whatever
other environmental noises. Did I mention the lighting
systems? Those millions of watts of power are controlled
through dimmers. They hum, they have fans.

Shucks, I get those here.

You will most likely not have any trouble with stage crews,
especially if you have a helpful attitude. The guys and gals
on stage want to learn, and if you make an effort to deal
with them as fellow professionals, and show them something
they might not know (make something up if you have to - show
them the proper way to coil a cable or something), you will
make friends. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to help.
If possible, do a walk-thru ahead of time wherever you can.
More than likely, your buses will arrive 1 hour before
curtain, and you will have no time to set up, let alone
argue with the house personnel. Just get in there, set up
your stuff, and roll tape. You're not going to have an
opportunity to do rehearsal tests. You'd better be able to
scope out a room, stage, and setup in the time it takes to
carry your equipment across the stage. They will not allow
the show to start late. You will be awestricken by some of
their theatres.

Setting up blind is a skill I have aquired over the decades. Setup on my
own can take only moments.

If you can, try not to rely on house power. If you can't run
all your gear on batteries that you take with you, you will
be in my prayers. Determine the number of batteries that you
think you can get by with. Triple that number.

Everything electrical is in one rack.
Triple that number? No charging available?

Do not under any circumstances allow your equipment to get
out of your hands or out of your sight. DO NOT.

No armed guards allowed, huh?

Assume nothing. Do not assume that you will have any kind of
load in or load out help. Do not assume that anything is
going to work the way you expect. Do not demand anything.
You have to have the attitude that what happens, happens;
that what you get is what you get.

My gear in and out will be small time by comparison to the orchestra. 4
double basses, full complement of percussion, 50 or so music stands. I
suppose we'll have to carry chairs as well.

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If you fly domestically, be prepared to be fleeced for
extraordinary overweight baggage charges. I nearly had to
pay $300.00 for a case not much bigger than an Anvil
briefcase and two collapsed mic stands in plastic tubes.

Once again, they will need some significant transport. I'll be
piggybacking on that.

Do not fail to fill out Customs Form 4457 for all pieces of
your equipment. If you are not able to prove that you owned
it before you came into the country, you will either have to
pay duty (and possibly fines) on it, but may also face
confiscation. Get the form at the Customs desk at your US
departure airport.

I need to check on insurance coverage.

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Of course, your tour might be perfect, and none of this will
apply. I hope that's the case.

I'm traveling with a group of high schoolers and their keepers. I suspect
they'll have us all on a very short leash.