Making a conract for the use of my drums...

  • Thread starter Thread starter fldrummer
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My 2Cents;

Ive played in 3 HS battle of the bands, 2 years we got to bring our own sets, 3rd time...no dice. So heres what we did, we each brought our crappiest drum, there was about 7 bands so each drummer brought like a tom. Then we brought our own snare and cymbals and such.

Remember, its live, its not american idol, simon won't come harping when your kit sounds like a person farting on a garbage can.

Live shows require 60% show and 40% talent. You don;t need to sound great to look great.

First battle of the bands i did we destroyed every peice of equipment we had, singer jumped into my drums, i smashed his guitar, bassist rammed his axe into his speaker....good times,good times.

All in all,...HAVE FUN!
 
Don't need to sound great

I've spent 35 years of my life trying to be the best musician I can be, and now I find out you don't need to sound great - just look cool and trash gear.

Now I remeber why I prefer to stay in my studio rather than trying to find decent players to gig with.
 
seryozha said:
My 2Cents;


Remember, its live, its not american idol, simon won't come harping when your kit sounds like a person farting on a garbage can.

Live shows require 60% show and 40% talent. You don;t need to sound great to look great.

First battle of the bands i did we destroyed every peice of equipment we had, singer jumped into my drums, i smashed his guitar, bassist rammed his axe into his speaker....good times,good times.

All in all,...HAVE FUN!
Click to expand...

You do need to have a decent show, yes, but bottom line........It's all the about the music. I don't care how spectacular the stage show is, if the music sucks, the whole gig sucks..........period.
If you can't play the theatrics just look silly. If you can't play like Townsend you'll look kinda goofy smashin' your gear like him.
 
VTgreen81 said:
You do need to have a decent show, yes, but bottom line........It's all the about the music. I don't care how spectacular the stage show is, if the music sucks, the whole gig sucks..........period.
If you can't play the theatrics just look silly. If you can't play like Townsend you'll look kinda goofy smashin' your gear like him.
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What you said is totally correct, except they are playing for high school kids who for the most part don't care what you play and just want to see there friend act dumb on stage. Also it's something for the kids to talk trash about the next day at school.
 
Re: Don't need to sound great

mikeh said:
I've spent 35 years of my life trying to be the best musician I can be, and now I find out you don't need to sound great - just look cool and trash gear.

Now I remeber why I prefer to stay in my studio rather than trying to find decent players to gig with.
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Preach on Pastor!

Fortunately there are decent players to gig with. Unfortunately if you are good and play decent music, you don't get paid as well.
For most it's all about wardrobe and image. Music is usually the last concern.
But we keep doing it because we love it. Thank God for teaching and session work or the mortgage payments would never get made.
 
perhaps it would be an idea to rehearse with your kit set up differntly a few times (ie; different tom hieghts/angles and tuning)even move your drum kit from one side of your rehearsal space to another... beleive me i was the first about playing shows on different kits, but being in an original group most shows have a few bands sharing equiptment so it is just something you have to get used to... embrace the strange kit, learn her secrets, use the force :)
 
Rimshot,

I guess I'm just an old grump on a soapbox. I just hate to see young players who don't take their craft seriously.

I started drumming at age five (on my dad's kit) and still play 45 years later (35 years of gigs & studio work) I continue to work at improving my chops - I feel honored and obligated to contribute to music and hopfully act as an ambassador to young players. I've worked with and observed a whole lotta "musicians".

Many pick up an instrument for the wrong reasons, never really improve and are out of music after a few years - never having contributed anything of substance (except substance abuse).

You're right there are good players around and every once in a while I am thrilled to encounter a young player who I know will carry the torch.
 
mikeh said:
Rimshot,

I guess I'm just an old grump on a soapbox. I just hate to see young players who don't take their craft seriously.

I started drumming at age five (on my dad's kit) and still play 45 years later (35 years of gigs & studio work) I continue to work at improving my chops - I feel honored and obligated to contribute to music and hopfully act as an ambassador to young players. I've worked with and observed a whole lotta "musicians".

Many pick up an instrument for the wrong reasons, never really improve and are out of music after a few years - never having contributed anything of substance (except substance abuse).

You're right there are good players around and every once in a while I am thrilled to encounter a young player who I know will carry the torch.
Click to expand...

Yeah, we're about the same age. I'm 52 but I didn't start with drums until I was 10.It was piano and trumpet before that (I still torture my neighbors with my trumpet playing :D)
I have dual careers. I am also a visual artist of some fame, but I've been a working drummer off and on for almost 35 years (a lot of that time as a hand drummer). My mother was a classically trained soprano and besides singing operatic
literature she did show songs and a few stints at Radio City Music Hall
Christmas shows back in the late 40's and early 50's. Throughout the late 50's and into the 60's she sang at theatre venues and clubs.I used to go with her and hang around backstage with the jazz musicians (my initiation into this insane life).
I too have spent years working on my technique, learning rudiments and trying to recover after a bad heart attack and mild stroke which left my left hand not working the way it used to. After almost a year and a half of faking it trying to make people think I was okay, I think I'm finally back. I got my left hand rolls back using traditional grip (yay!).
I see young performers who don't seem to care about anything but volume and speed and not thinking about where the music wants to go. Creating an image, worrying abot clothing and stage show personality. If that's what they want to do, more power to them. I think that a lot of young performers have been ruined by multi-track overdubbing and processing. It's fun and rewarding to musically converse with other musicians--live.
I don't begrudge anyone anything. At my age I know I'm never going to be a recording star (never wanted to be anyway). I just love doing it. I can even enjoy playing music that I would never want to listen to. I also understand that the kind of music that I really love to listen to and to play only appeals to a very small audience.

Again, I'm very grateful to teaching (which I love to do) and session work when I get it. I've done some pit work, and that I can do without.:(

All in all, it's not a bad life. ;)
 
I think a good drummer would sound good wether hes on £200 kit or a £4000 kit. Remember your auidence probably wont be drummers so might not even hear the difference. Anyway if your playing on cheap kit your not going to hold back in fear of breaking something. I'd bring a few of my cheaper cymbals and some heavy duty hardware (impossilbe to break?) and play on a cheap kit and enjoy the evenving. < Thats the punk rock answer.
 
... and the drummers that _are_ in the audience are easy to spot because they always stand on the side of the stage in clear view of the drummer... usually with their arms crossed and smoking :)
 
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