Inspired by watching Train perform in near-hurricane conditions on Monday Night Football in Kansas City:
I was curious if musicians have to worry about performing in the rain these days? For all I know, Train didn’t even have their instruments plugged in, but it seems like back in the good old days, that would have been an electrocution waiting to happen.
Anyone know if singers and guitarists still have to worry about playing in the rain? Or has technology defeated that problem?
Concert electrical systems are much more professional, reliable and safe these days…but the main thing protecting musicians these days is wireless transmitters. If your guitar is wirelessly hooked up to your guitar amp and you are singing into a wireless microphone, you’ve eliminated the two most dangerous elements.
Apparently it’s still a concern — here’s a TalkBass thread from last year on the subject of electrocution. However, the easiest way to eliminate the risk of electrocution from dodgy wiring is a wireless mike & wireless guitar connection; I would assume that a production as big as Monday Night Football would be using such equipment as a matter of course.
Not enough of them, that’s for sure.
An improperly grounded amplifier can kill you regardless of whether it is raining or not. Just about everything metal on an electric guitar is connected to the guitar’s ground connection, even the strings (there’s usually a wire under the bridge that goes through the guitar body and connects to the ground connection). The guitar ground is then connected to the amplifier ground through the guitar cord.
The problem is that if the amplifier ground isn’t connected to a true earth ground properly, then the ground can “float”, and can float up to the supply voltage of the amplifier (usually 120 volts). So, you are playing your guitar and you’ve got one hand on the strings, which happen to be floating up at around 120 volts, and you touch something else that does happen to be grounded, and ZAP!
Like gaffa said though, the folks doing sound systems these days tend to know what they are doing, and a wireless link will eliminate the physical ground connection and remove the danger as well.
Playing on stage during a storm would also put you at a risk of a lighting strike though.
Which, man would that be an awesome show.
Isn’t that what happened to one of Spinal Tap’s drummers?
According to Wikipedia, Peter “James” Bond spontaneously combusted in 1977. And Mick Shrimpton exploded onstage in 1982. Each of which would have made an equally awesome spectacle.
How about this then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqi0M8X7KXw
(No, you won’t get Rick Rolled).
Stay off the towers, man!
Have there been any cases of anyone actually being electrocuted on stage except for a member of Stone the Crows and (in fiction) a member of Frozen Gold (in Iain Banks’ Espedair Street)?
Hopefully, only the performance is electrifying.
Something else that should be in play for outdoor venues is ground-fault protection on the power. If a mic or guitar gets “hot” the GFCI will kill the power before the performer even feels a tingle.
Between wireless audio transmitters and GFCI protection on the power, performers are a whole lot safer than say, 20 years ago. As for playing in foul weather, my concerns would be for the instruments. Unless they’re lip-synching the entire performance and using “stunt double” instruments found at a garage sale, getting wet can’t be good for drums and guitars.
Just watch out if the roadies start using wireless gear that was made by Tesla. 
I’ve repaired and reconditioned many a vintage guitar amp in my day, and it’s a wonder more musicians didn’t fry on stage. There weren’t any safety standards regarding the design or construction, and many were just an accident waiting to happen - the mains voltage selector switch was often made from an octal valve (tube) base that exposed live mains when the jumper was unplugged, the mains wiring inside was often single core and unsupported, meaning that it was prone to snapping and flapping around loose, and the insulation on the wiring was rubber and cotton, which would perish and rot respectively.
I used to tidy up these nasties for free, as a dead customer doesn’t make for good repeat business. Our 230 V UK mains has a much nastier bite too, and IIRC our 50 Hz mains frequency disrupts the heart more than 60 Hz, which is an unfortunate double whammy.
Rarely fatally*, but a righteous belt was an occupational hazard for musicians until relatively recently. Keith Richards tested his immortality early on… in fact it might be easier to compile a list of old musicians who haven’t been electrocuted at some point.
Respectable venues now use mains isolation transformers to effectively float the whole band so that the mains voltage is no longer referenced to earth, meaning that inadvertent contact with mains wiring is safe. Radio links provide effective isolation, as mentioned, but their primary purpose is convenience rather than safety.
Don’t think that being an acoustic musician isn’t without its hazards. Witness Ramon Barrero, player of the world’s smallest harmonica, who in 1994 accidentally inhaled the bastard and choked to death.
*With the notable exceptions of Leslie Harvey (Stone the Crows), Keith Relf (Yardbirds), and John Rostill (The Shadows). But only Harvey’s death was on stage, you’re more likely to survive if you’re not alone.
A couple years ago I volunteered as a worker for a local event, and I had the chance helping some local bands set up, and most of them brought their own equipment (Amps, lights, PAs, Instruments). Some equipment I ran into had the ground prongs removed from the cords (apparently an attempt to eliminate hum). I also know that the receptacles we used were not GFCI protected (or at least they weren’t labeled as such). The shows went on, nothing happened, but looking back at it, I regret that I ignored what I knew could be a problem.
Also, there are some 60’s 70’s era amplifiers still being used today, probably road-worn and not in the best condition.
Big-time pros probably have big-time staff and needn’t worry, but I would caution the amateurs and up-and-comers to be extra diligent and not ignore the risk.
ETA: guy above me did a better job of making the point I was trying to convey.
“What?! You removed the rotting rubber? That was the whole secret of my tone, man! You changed my tone!”
In the 1980s Nick Lowe did an interview in “Musician” magazine about the time he was electrocuted on stage while a member of the group Brinsley Schwarz. After the opening song, Lowe grabbed an ungrounded microphone and received a severe shock. The way he told the story his heart stopped, he fell to the ground and had this near death experience with a conversation about “shame to die so young but at least it was on stage”. He was revived when a band member tried to kick the microphone away but instead kicked Lowe in the chest and started his heart. Lowe’s hands were badly burned but after briefly sitting out, he felt so good to be still alive
he rejoined his band mates.
QFT!
I work with many bands and performers indoors and outdoors in local venues, but this is not the top pro market, just a step or two down. NONE of them or the stage setups use wireless hookups between mics or pickups and amps.
Haven’t seen any electrocutions, tho. Man, that would be awesome, and I’d be sure to get that on camera, as YouTube is aways short of material.
Electrocuted? Or just shocked? 'Cause way back in the day our bass player had this piece of shit poorly grounded amp that made his strings HOT to anyone else nearby. And he’d be mean with them, chase us around for the fun of it.
Only if they are good conductors.