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Pickup Gig Horror


Drumstix101

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Last week I was contacted by a guy that wanted me to be the drummer at a party he was having. Instead of hiring a working band for this party, he wanted to have a two hour blues/classic rock jam. I saw the list of the guys that were attending. I knew; and had worked with; all of them. I told him that I was happy with the band that he put together. I asked him if he had any plans to let any of his party guests

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That's not a horror...that's run of the mill for most frat type party gigs...you deal with what you have and make it work for you. Remember Tim in the 1st drum jam...follow his lead next time!

 

 

Carmine,

I wasn't at the first drum jam. Fill us all in on Tim's predicament.

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Carmine,

I wasn't at the first drum jam. Fill us all in on Tim's predicament.

 

 

Tim showed up with a 6 1/2 x 14 brass snare, an 18" kick drum on a riser, and a cymbal and stand...and grooved like crazy...but the best part of it was he said "gear is gear, it's what it is...but its the player that makes those drums speak! You bring yourself to the situation....you make the music and not just the equipment." In other words, you use what you use to the utmost of your ability...and he's right...gear just sits there until you make it do what you want it to...he was inspiring and hilarious all at the same time...I'll see if I can dig it up for ya...

 

^^^ Bill is 100% correct!

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Tim showed up with a 6 1/2 x 14 brass snare, an 18" kick drum on a riser, and a cymbal and stand...and grooved like crazy...but the best part of it was he said "gear is gear, it's what it is...but its the player that makes those drums speak! You bring yourself to the situation....you make the music and not just the equipment." In other words, you use what you use to the utmost of your ability...and he's right...gear just sits there until you make it do what you want it to...he was inspiring and hilarious all at the same time...I'll see if I can dig it up for ya...


^^^ Bill is 100% correct!

 

 

That's all well and good, but when the drums you're given are a pile of junk, they're a pile of junk, and more to the point, when the gear means you end up playing in a manner that you are not physically comfortable (and in some of the OPs examples, capable of) playing in, all the good vibes in the world aren't going to make it work.

 

The example in the OP does not match up to the drum jam deal you're talking about; that guy showed up with gear he was familiar with and prepared to play.

MASSIVE difference. Maybe some of the more enlightened and zen-like here are ok drumming on a pile of junk; I guess I'm just not as advanced to the point that when someone twells me the gear is reasonably manageable, I expect it to be. When it's not, I'm not going to fight to make it work. Some people get given lemons and make lemonade. Some people don't like lemonade.

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You are a champ for sticking around. AND the other players that you respect will probably respect you more for sticking it out.

 

Here's what I may have done. First off, kill the rack toms! Take what screws/nuts/bolts from the tom holders and try to fix the hat stand and ride stand enough to function. Make of it what I could and play the {censored} out of 'em. That would have impressed the other players even more and you'd have probably had more fun.

 

Oh yeah, nevershow up to a blind gig without tools, tape, cymbal felts, maybe even some hose clamps (that would have semi-fixed that hat stand) or even better, bring my own stands - just in case!!!

 

But the main thing is, again, you did it the best you could. Way to go!

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That's all well and good, but when the drums you're given are a pile of junk, they're a pile of junk, and more to the point, when the gear means you end up playing in a manner that you are not physically comfortable (and in some of the OPs examples, capable of) playing in, all the good vibes in the world aren't going to make it work.


The example in the OP does not match up to the drum jam deal you're talking about; that guy showed up with gear he was familiar with and prepared to play.

MASSIVE difference. Maybe some of the more enlightened and zen-like here are ok drumming on a pile of junk; I guess I'm just not as advanced to the point that when someone twells me the gear is reasonably manageable, I expect it to be. When it's not, I'm not going to fight to make it work. Some people get given lemons and make lemonade. Some people don't like lemonade.

 

 

Oh man get over it...you either play or you talk about playing...most don't get luxuries to play in a familiar environment. I played on more right handed kits than every...I even audtioned for a top line gig on turned around kit. Da ya think I was comfortable...NO...did I want the gig? YES...so you do what it takes PERIOD. Everey gig isn't Carmegie Hall...it's just a gig! Deal with it!

 

"Some people get given lemons and make lemonade. Some people don't like lemonade"

Correct and that's why I worked ALL THE TIME...for 21 years! Players play...no excuses... cause if you don't want the gig, someone else will take it gladly!

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Things were so screwed up there was no way that I could fix anything, plus I didn't have time. As some of you may know I take an extra pedal, hi-hat, heads, a tool kit with tape and everything I could possibly need, an extra snare an extra cymbal stand and extra pants (us fat guys have been known to split our trousers) to my regular gigs. This was just a spur of the moment gig and I made the wrong assumption about things being ready for me.

I did take pride in playing to the best I could under the circumstances and I felt like I did well. But this was a major pain as nothing would stay still.

After all of these years I learned something that my scout masters told me back when I was a youngster....always be prepared.

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...most don't get luxuries to play in a familiar environment.

 

 

???

 

I disagree.

 

MOST do get to play in a familiar environment.

MOST gigs aren't house kits, and if they are, it's a reasonable understanding of what a basic kit should be, not cobbled together garbage.

It's the random/rare occasions one is forced to play on garbage kits that stand out.

 

And I don't make excuses to not play...

I just don't play when/where it's a hassle. My playing has afforded me the ability to choose.

Maybe you're a bigger man for being willing to put up with the kind of idiotic situations you did. Maybe you're just a glutton for punishment.

Either way, when I play, it's definitely 'going to work', but the hell if I'm doing it if all the fun is taken out of it as well.

YMMV.

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... This was just a spur of the moment gig and I made the wrong
assumption
about things being ready for me.

...

 

there's your problem right there - the "A" word! it'll getcha every time!

 

yup, Friday night's gig was really special for the other reason - I brought too much stuff! just enough room for a kick, snare and hihat, and even that had to be all scrunched together (and I shoulda brought 13" hats instead of 15's) ... I assumed that there would at least be enough room to ...

 

:facepalm:

 

(and to top it off, it was a joint that encouraged smoking ... FML)

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I do think there is a point (with any competent player) that it IS the gear and not the drummer.

 

But I'd still have fun with it. I'd just abuse the {censored} even more. Ride that ride like it was a crash, banging it into the cymbal stand.....take the toms off and throw them on the floor...play snare and bass and nothing else like D Carroll mentioned. whatever....

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Oh man. What a trooper. I once played a party with an empty water cooler jug because "we figured you'd bring your djembe, man." Was definitely less torture than a busted up kit, though.

 

One of my favorites, though, is playing children's kits. Aside from drastically-lowered expectations, it's fairly amusing to see my 6 foot 260lb self enjoying himself "behind" one.

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Man, I don't know what I would have done with a kit that broken. The stuff I brought to the DJ was all tip top- just sparse.

 

Maybe I'd have put the broken stuff in a pile over there. played the gig with kick and floor tom. I think I'd rather do without than try and deal with broken gear.

 

Most likely I'd grill the guy about the kit beforehand, esp. if I thought he might not know what the hell he was talking about.

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