share your attempts to sneak recording equipment into a club

[th33f]

this Friday will be my first, so i'm open to suggestions...

so far i got: tape it to your balls. that's about it.

has anyone tried bribing a bouncer into letting it slide?
what about just being nice and saying "please"...
leaving the place and coming back, hoping not to get frisked again?

also, can someone confirm they don't use metal detectors at Crobar?

equipment:
slim MD recorder, small stereo mic, extra batteries and MD's. would really love to use my dynamic stage mic, but i guess it would seem strange having a huge hard-on, coming out of the cold...

my best bet is to pick a pair of huge knockers out of the line outside and offer a free ticket for stuffing her bra with my stuff... maybe stuffing something else with something else later... God help me!

[miketpoto]

No metal detectors.. but fyi, you can bring a camera no problem into the club, so if your minidisc looks like a camera, (they never even open my case usually) you'll be better off. The downer for you is this... the bass at crobar is fucking IN- Tense... and Mr Sasha with Mrs Ableton tweak it into vibrations that your device will most likely not capture... so the set might sound boring or nothing spectacular is my guess, or like a big goose honking with all the vibrations....


unless of course you are retarded and plan to not go near the dancefloor at all?

[TomTom]

Every recording method besides plugging your record medium into the soundboard system sucks anyway. Not worth recording a gig if you have no access to the mixer IMO.

[superEGO72]

"really dude, its my phone"

[miketpoto]

bouncers aren't retarded, minidisc recorders and phones dont intermingle... digital cameras these days have all sorts of formats and media to record with. I would look into a digital recorded and not a MD if u r at all really serious about this. They can double as cameras, and they let everytake all the video/photos they want with the mini digital point and shoots that do MPG's. ipod and ipod photo have adapters to be recorders, that can rest in a pocket after its in a purse or knapsack that you check at coat check... try to be less shady about it, don't do it for money, or any other reason than you really love the music and you want the memory this bad. Otherwise your karma will get u busted.

[Morgan]

Every recording method besides plugging your record medium into the soundboard system sucks anyway. Not worth recording a gig if you have no access to the mixer IMO.

Seconded. Sounds like a bunch of crap.

[Kobe]

You gotta ask yourself if a so-so recording is worth the risk of getting your MD snagged by a boucer who'd like one of his own. Or at best a cold walk back to the car and a second tour of duty standing on line.

[jarble187]

As far as the Crobar is concerned, you will not be frisked or checked out. It shouldn't be a problem to take in whatever you need to record a set, its just too bad that you cant plug in direct from the mixer output or soundboard. I find it strange that NYC would have one of the most relaxed entrances to clubs in the US, although, at the same time I appreciate the trust.

[miketpoto]

they check for weapons basically, and I have never seen them allow people to get cracky messy or openly use drugs in the club. I must say that Crobar treats its patrons with a remarkable level of professionalism, courtesy, and goddamnit, they are fucking REALLY nice and respectful all the time. I like it!

[remoh]

shady , shady , shady

[Pataky P]

HEhehe!!! Are you sure remoh!!

[rewing3]

Good Luck but I agree with Tom if you can't get a sounboard recording. It really is not worth. Think about you have to basically stand still all night for a shitty recording. Not worth it in my opinion. Not when you could be dancing all night long and have a blast with no cares in the world.

[maddlingo]

Ive been there twice and both times they did a quick check for weapons and thats about it. No metal detectors and no thorough pat downs. They are pretty lenient about what goes about on the dance floow (i.e. drug use). Hell I remember some guy coming through the crowd with about a 60 bag under his nose and everyone was pretty much going about his/her business. I also remember one bouncer who seemed to be standing there with his eyes closed for the last 3 hours of Sasha's mix.

[influx]

what ya gotta do is get in tight with the people running the shit and record right off the board. i've done that many times out here in detroit. mic recordings suck.. although i've seen people try it. i saw one kid at the demf a few years back strap a mic to his hat and stood front and center for all of hawtin's set... i heard the recording and it blew ass too. it sounded distant and reverbed out, plus the mic picked up the talking and yelling of the people around him, so it was basically useless. just a few month ago i saw a guy that brought in a real small laptop and a mic and setup a little recording studio on the balcony of st. andrews out here. no one was really up there so i don't think he got fucked with at all.

[th33f]

the thing about plugging in is - it's not as simple with JZ's mixer...(don't care about Sasha's part). supposedly his DMJ600 will blow my MD away anyway, so without a Direct Box a microphone recording will actually sound better. plus, i hear James' set will include new material from his next ALiVe CD and i was told it is highly unlikely he will give his permission, not to mention Sasha being there. ...but i AM bringing a 1/4 inch cable with me just in case.

as for the risks, you could safely say i'm not taking any. my MD is all scratched up and is really nothing attractive to a bouncer, plus i got my ticket so standing in line is not for me.

so what about leaving the place and coming back? i don't wear baggy clothes, so i can't really imagine getting everything in at once... hopefully they won't even bother checking me twice. wonder if they'd let me enter with a big-ass Polaroid... i think i'd be able to fit most of my stuff inside.