LIVING IN THE LIMELIGHT

I was reminded last night that our new console came from the old Limelight club here in New York. I was told this when we first looked at the board, but had completely forgotten it. It was used to mix live music at the (now closed, or has it reopened?) church turned dance club owned by maven Peter Gatien. So our Soundcraft was once owned by the eyepatched Gatien himself! Imagine the tales it could tell.... and what might be hiding at the bottom of its enclosure. I once heard a story about a synthesizer owned by a certain funk keyboardist in the 70's that was purchased by another player, opened up, and found to contain a fair amount of cocaine. With our console, I guess it would be ecstasy.

When the Limelight was closed, due to Gatien's mounting legal problems and drug busts, the console was sold to Glauco, the studio owner from which we bought it. Glauco was the sound man at Limelight, and the console ended up in his studio, where it mixed music for a few years before being replaced by a HUGE Amek Angela, a real Jaguar of mixing boards (original price-around $60,000). Thus, the Soundcraft ended up at Smoke and Mirrors, where we can only hope it isn't bored after its younger club days.

Maybe, late at night, if you listen real close, you'll be able to hear it whisper stories about those heady times in the mid 90's, before the club kids became speed freaks, back when the X was good and good for you. Or is that just noise from the studio next door?