In 1977, amidst the burgeoning progressive country scene, a band from Maine found themselves unexpectedly sharing the stage with blues royalty. Opening for the James Cotton Blues Band was a thrill, especially knowing that Cotton’s band featured the phenomenal guitarist Matt “Guitar” Murphy, a musician who would later achieve iconic status with The Blues Brothers. The first night in Bangor was a success, the crowd eagerly awaiting James Cotton and his celebrated guitarist. However, the second show in Southern Maine took a bizarre turn, offering a somewhat surreal and frustrating experience, particularly for the legendary Matt Murphy.
My band was tasked with handling the sound for that second Southern Maine show. Our sound engineer collaborated with James Cotton’s road manager to meticulously set everything up. Following our set, I positioned myself at the soundboard alongside our engineer and the road manager, ready to enjoy James Cotton’s performance. As James Cotton and his band, featuring Matt Murphy, launched into their set, it became apparent that something was amiss. Matt Murphy began signaling urgently, repeatedly requesting more guitar in his monitor.
Our sound engineer, in response to Murphy’s signals, diligently increased the microphone level on Murphy’s amplifier. However, the situation didn’t improve. Instead, Matt Murphy’s continued gestures coincided with the piano volume escalating in the mix. Confused, the sound engineer started reducing the piano mic level, attempting to rectify the perceived imbalance. Yet, Matt Murphy remained visibly agitated, his signals becoming more insistent. The sound became increasingly muddled and unbalanced as the well-intentioned adjustments were made based on misinterpreted cues.
The tension culminated during the set break. A clearly frustrated Matt “Guitar” Murphy stormed towards the soundboard. Unable to hear himself properly throughout the performance, he expressed his displeasure directly to our sound engineer and James Cotton’s road manager, punctuating his frustration with a pointed gesture before abruptly leaving the area. Concerned and bewildered, our sound engineer and the road manager rushed to the stage to investigate the source of the audio chaos. What they discovered was a simple yet critical error: the microphone intended for Matt Murphy’s guitar amplifier had been mistakenly placed on the piano, and vice versa. Every attempt to turn up the guitar had inadvertently amplified the piano, and every effort to reduce the perceived overpowering piano had actually been diminishing the guitar.
The realization dawned – Matt Murphy’s frustration was entirely justified. He had been battling an inaudible guitar mix throughout the set due to a basic sound setup error. This incident, though tinged with humor in retrospect, underscored the importance of meticulous sound checks and the potential for even seasoned professionals to encounter unexpected technical difficulties. It remains a vivid memory – an evening spent inadvertently causing a minor sonic headache for the great Matt “Guitar” Murphy, a blues legend whose patience, thankfully, exceeded the technical mishaps of that night in Maine. Despite the sound issues, Matt Murphy’s legendary talent shone through, a testament to his professionalism and artistry, even when battling the gremlins of live sound.
