This theme about singers and guitarists getting twitches from mics seems to be a recurring endemic, so I thought I'd offer some advice.

If you're getting shocks off a mic then don't just stuff a pop-shield over it, find out what's happening; either the mic is live or you're greounding yourself on the mic because something else is.

check that the earth wire is intact and connected in the plug to your PA amps and mixer, your guitar amps and any mains leads and extension blocks that supply it.

Don't take any excuses whatsoever from any guitarist who's removed an earth. None. reconnect of f*** off. Funerals are not as fun as gigs, even for Emo bands.

The only time that a plug with no earth is ok is if the appliance is "double insulated" (class2) and carries the square-inside-a-square symbol. No symbol and no earth? get someone to look at it before you use it!

Never use any mains extension that doesn't have an earth unless it is terminated in a two pin socket (like a lawnmower extension lead, see above for class2) if it has a 13A three-pin socket, appliances that require an earth could be plugged in and would not have their necessary earth (you'd be prosecuted if there was an accident).

If you are getting shocks and you're not sure what's at fault, buy or borrow a multimeter and put it on the mains (AC) setting -usu 250, 500, 1000V switch; measure between the mic grille and a water pipe or sink top or earth pin on a 13A socket, anything more than a couple of volts (high impedance floaty mains-hum pickup) is a problem and needs investigating. Try it from the bridge or strings of the guitar and see if there's any voltage. Generally anything above 50Vac will cause you a tingle when you put your lips on an earthed mic grille. the most common reading if there is a compromised earth is half normal mains voltage -about 120V. Sort it look at the earth in any mains, IEC and extension leads.

It's always a good idea to have your own 30mA RCD plug. Then you know if you touch 240V it will trip and protect you. Press the test button regularly to make sure it trips when mains is on. Those mains plug testers with three lights to show whether your earth is there and Live and Neutral are right-way-round are good too -I check all venue supplies like this.

check your mains and extension leads every time they come out of or go back into your bag/box. if there is any damage, wires showing, scuffs, cracks in plugs, etc -sort it. PAT testers do that as the first part of the test and won't even plug it into their tester if if fails the visual test (you'll get charged your test fee as a fail, and a retest fee after they've fixed it). Open up you plugs and make sure the wires are correctly terminated, looks tidy, shows no sign of overheating, fraying, fuse is correct and the screws are all tight.

If your gear looks tidy and looked over, most venues will not hassle you for PAT test certs etc. They will raise eyebrows/refuse use of gear if it looks shot. PAT test once a year is good practice for safety and hassle-free gigging, but must be supplemented by visual checks. Look on the HSE website for charts of what to be looking for (HSE think the PAT sticker movement has gone just a little to far and are quite keen for people to be educated about appliance safety as an alternative to compulsory testing in many cases)

Remember ggiging can be hard on your electrical gear, safety is paramount and your gear reliability is your gig reputation -look out for issues before they ruin your show or hurt someone.

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planet nine
lincoln, uk.

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