Ok what the crap.  I plug in my amps, I make very careful to use short cables, all amp plugs on the same strip, etc etc etc.  I turn my amps up past about 2.. and they sound like there's a cheap microphone located in my small intestine after I just choked down an extra large plate of nachos with extra jalapeno and that runny snot-yellow nacho cheese without chewing.  And that microphone is what's plugged into my amps.

What's THAT about?  It doesn't sound like that at the practice space!  I'll TELL you what it is.  Dirty power.  See I run class A/B amps.  They require a very specific voltage bias, and high current output.  So what is "dirty power?"  It's poorly regulated voltage supplies, and floating grounds.  If the voltage supply isn't properly regulated, and you get quick changes in current flow (precious current that feeds my power-hungry amps, for instance), the voltage drops to compensate, cause it can't keep up with the power demands (like when you turn the vacuum on and the lights dim for a second).  When the voltage drops, it screws up the bias on my tubes and causes the amps to sound like the inside of an ass.  BALLS!

This has happened at several venues.. most noticeably, the Nightlight which is the most poorly run venue I've ever seen in my entire life.  Also, the Cave last week sounded more or less like butt.  It affects my performance because the amps lose their dynamic range, and when I kick on additoinal distortion, they just fuzz out and don't get louder cause they're already overdriven.  I may just invest in a UPS with good capacitance which could provide me the voltage regulation I need.  We'll see.

Watch out for dirty power!