So I'm kinda dreading what might be my first public performance

[Phrozt]

Tonight.

 

It's just an open mic thing (as far as I know).

 

- We haven't practiced for 2 weeks

- We don't know when we'd be going on or how long we have

- Our bassist didn't even tell us the NAME of the place we're going, just the name of the town he THINKS it is in

- We don't have a lineup put together

- I still don't have a drum mat

- If I use the drums there, they'll most likely be in a configuration I never play in ( hats, snare, rack, ride, floor.... I play hats, snare, rack, rack, floor/ride)

- If I use my drums (and hope they have a mat), I don't see how we'll have ANY time to practice, then break my crap down, then set it up there (if they even allow it.. we don't know!!!!)

 

At this point it's just really sounding like a bad idea. I mean, I fully expect to fall flat on my face at my first public performance (already did a great job of that at the drum jam), but this just seems stupid oat this point.

[SYMBOLIC]

It's all a learning experience. If it's a train wreck, use it and learn about what not to do next time.

You can also think of it this way, at the Drum Jam which was your first public appearance you were playing in a room full of drummers without a band. Not the best crowd to play in front of and you survived that. This is easy in comparison.

Now get out there and kick some ass.

[marko46]

Well first off my brother, demand some details and some structure from said bass player. Guitarists are a pain in the ass. This one is worse, he can only handle four strings. A mental tit for ta should be like pickin' yer nose, can get deep, but it's easy. You'll be as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Practice and have a set list. This isn't rocket science: play song until everyone is comfortable, take a #2 pencil, or sharpie and right said song down on notebook paper. (It's ok if you want your bass player to read this. I think you still have my number so in the event he's confused, have him call me and I'll do all I can to straighten his neanderthal ass out.)

Go to the damn Dollar Store and by a 5'x7' rug for $10.00 or $15.00. That's on you, so step it up iceman.

You maybe playing the "house" kit regardless, so get that in your head. Not a big deal. Take a key, medium sized crescent wrench.

Finally, just wear a sock on your dick like the peppers did. Even if you do have a tough night, which you won't, people will be awestruck. If you're a tiny little fella down there, add a cucumber. What the hell.

Last but not least, oats are not stupid, but an excellent source of good carbs and fiber.

 

Rock on my chillin' brother:wave:!

[Phrozt]

ROFL marko... your replies are always great. Actually our bassist is really great and he's a fun guy... it's just that there are WAAAY too many unknowns w/this gig. Like I said, all of this crap is up in the air and it's TONIGHT!

 

I talked to our guitarist (I work with him), and he's kinda in the same boat I'm in w/respect to this gig. He's played tons of times and has no problem w/giggin, but it's just the fact that we're about 120% *un*prepared for this lol.

 

I think we're just going to talk about it at practice tonight and get a consensus. Thing is... even if/when we do practice, we'd only have about 20 minutes before we'd have to pack up and head out anyway...

[melvinspeed]

Nail it. Do the best job you can with what you're dealt. And take notes on what doesn't go well so you can fix that for future gigs. You've already got a good start on that.

 

Typically, open mic nights won't have the biggest crowd so if you bomb, it's probably no big deal. Just don't let it mess with your head or self-esteem.

[Carminemw]

lemme tell ya something...if you can hang and play with 11 other drummers who you've never met before who were scrutinizing virtually everything you played and in front of 4 rolling continuously rolling cameras and still came out standing on your feet, playing in front of a crowd is child's play! Smile and have fun above all else.

[BeakerArk]

Welcome to the world. Dig in deep and go for it. Break a leg.

[Hope Drums]

 

If I use my drums (and hope they have a mat)

 

 

That's somewhere between rules 1-10 ALWAYS bring your own rug/carpet! Most places I've played don't, or if they do, it's got crystalized beer on it, just better if you're worried about your kit!

 

I'm sure you'll do fine, main thing is to relax!

[Phrozt]

That was AWESOME!!! Good god I was shaking like a leaf when I got up there, but as soon as I started, I had a kickass time.

 

Ended up playing on a kit that was TOTALLY different than mine. I kept missing cymbals because they were not where they were supposed to be.. and I didn't have the toms where I was used to them... and (this one's for you big daddy), THE SNARE WAS HIGHER!! (and tilted). I didn't like the hats either. Actually I didn't like any of the cymbals except one. They said they were Ziljdian or whatever, but the lathing was really... industrial? (unfinished?) and the type was just block printed... no fancy logos or anything..

 

All in all though, it was a lot of fun. The kit was good, just wasn't used to playing that configuration at all.

[1001gear]

Happens to me all the time. I'll be on snooze control and my ride hand will drift into my comfort zone and it's almost a given it'll be nuthin but air there. I find it's best to roll off the stardom and drive carefully. Look at the stuff you're playing. Not real cool but it's best to get through all the bugs first.

[aenemated]

never expect a house kit to be worth a {censored}.

 

sometimes, there's a pleasant surprise but more often than not ... you're just like "really? this piece of {censored}?"

[Carminemw]

you shoulda had lots of experience playing on different kits. Next time, get comfortable in the pocket by getting the snare, hihat, kick and crash the right level and position. It's nothing to set back up later...glad you had fun!

[boxofrocks]

Playing the house kit suuuuucks.. Especially when you're just jumping in, and can't adjust anything at all..

But you had a good time, and first one is done and over with, now it's all just fun..

[Carminemw]

 

Playing the house kit suuuuucks.. Especially when you're just jumping in, and can't adjust anything at all.. .

 

 

Oh you can usually adjust things on the house kit all the time. If not, that's like saying you get to play the house guitar but don't tune any of the strings. I think Phrozt made the assumption that he couldn't move anything. As long as it doesn't interfere with micing, there's usually no issues with moving house gear around, especially if a snare doesn't feel comfortable. That, the kick and hats are the heart of the kit with the rest being gravy. If somebody didn't like me moving a snare setting, I'd pull the snare and stand and set up my own. I'd always use my own pedal as well. You're there to "play" the gig not dance around it. House tubs are provided usually to promote load-in and setup speed and consistency of sound (so to speak) Usually they don't care how you move them or set them up...you try to be as minimally invasive as possible, but you still have to perform correctly.

[FitchFY]

Congrats on your first gig, grasshopper! You have many journeys ahead and a lifetime of things to learn, but cracking that first gig - hell yeah!

[Phrozt]

you shoulda had lots of experience playing on different kits. Next time, get comfortable in the pocket by getting the snare, hihat, kick and crash the right level and position. It's nothing to set back up later...glad you had fun!

 

Actually I talked about that w/BQ on the way home. Yes, I had experience playing on dif kits.. and it was a lot of fun.

 

However, I was not playing things I know how to play on those kits... I was just messing around. When you play a song you know, and your muscle memory expects certain things, and then those things aren't there, it can get a bit confusing.

 

I would also say that it is not just the hats and kick that make the soul of the set, but also the ride position. Remember that poll I made awhile back about "setup 1" or "setup 2," where one had 2 rack toms and a ride off to the side, and the other had a ride where one of the racks would be? Yeah, I had the opposite of what I'm used to. That messed w/me quite a few times.

 

The kit itself really wasn't bad... other than the hats and most of the other cymbals.

 

 

*********

 

Finally... I stood up for my bassist in this thread, but last night he said something that kinda pissed me off. You guys know I play a mapex Pro-M kit. Not the best, but definitely gig worthy. He told me I should get rid of em and get a Gretsch set because I didn't have a real kit and Gretsch is the best.....

[boxofrocks]

 

Oh you can usually adjust things on the house kit all the time. If not, that's like saying you get to play the house guitar but don't tune any of the strings.

 

Well sure ya can. I'm talkin bout those sitting in, just jumping up real fast play a tune and jump off kind of things.. Usually can't touch anything you just jump behind the kit and get to swingin.. I've done that a bunch of times.. And that is challenging.

[Hope Drums]

 

Playing the house kit suuuuucks...

 

 

AMEN! Was funny, last Friday I played gig at one of my more frequent clubs...I go on break and the lead singer tells me that there is a drummer at the bar saying how my red kit sounds MUCH better than my green kit....wtf I've never owned a green kit.

 

I sit at the bar and the guy tells me the same thing....ended up he had seen me play on the house kit at a benefit. Was a made in Taiwan kit various heads, all of which are damn near dry rotted and can't be tuned....

[melvinspeed]

Phrozty,

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your kit. It's completely appropriate for gigging. From playing on it, I would make two unsolicited suggestions:

1. New heads all around. Reso's too if you can afford it.

2. Slowly investing in new cymbals. I'm not a big fan of prepacks, most times you drop a chunk of change to get a couple cymbals you like and a couple that are just "OK". But upgrading your brass will do a lot to improve your overall sound.

[Drumstix101]

 

That was AWESOME!!! Good god I was shaking like a leaf when I got up there, but as soon as I started, I had a kickass time.

 

 

I'm glad that you enjoyed the experience. Open mic nights are a great way to get some time in, playing in front of people. After a few more times out with your band, try going out on your own. They'll set you up with people that you don't know and you'll wind up playing music that you never played before. Of course there are the inevitable "train wrecks", but you'll also find the 'Lightning in the Bottle" where everything falls together perfectly. These moments are the ones that help you build confidence and bring you to the realization that "yes; I truly am a musician".

Most of the people that I have played with at open mics are all great people, but occasionally you will run into a jerk. Thankfully they seem to be few and far between. You'll be surprised to see how supportive most of the players are.

I see that you are in DeKalb. Fox Lake has a great open jam every other Sunday from 3PM to 7PM. It's not too far away for you to check out.

[danrothmusic]

I am partial to Gretsch, but there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with your kit--your bassist doesn't know what he's talking about! Melvinspeed is right though, you could stand for some new heads and cymbals--you'll be amazed at how fresh heads will change the sound of the drums.

 

Glad you had an overall good experience!

[Phrozt]

 

I see that you are in DeKalb. Fox Lake has a great open jam every other Sunday from 3PM to 7PM. It's not too far away for you to check out.

 

 

Er... Not in DeKalb... :poke:

 

And yeah, this definitely wasn't your average "creepy girl sitting on a stool reciting a poem while occasionally plucking one note from a guitar for 'effect'" type of open mic nights. These were well established (locally) bands... one of which apparently has the manager for lifehouse as their manager... they did the whole, "ok, let's play a couple songs before we offer tickets to our next show for $20 instead of $25" thing.

[Carminemw]

Ya know, I'm not gonna get into a debate about challenging issues and muscle memory, and I don't like to sound so pissy, but damn guys, if you're gonna play, then PLAY! If ya wanna be a player, ya take whatever is there, make yourself at home, get comfortable and just PLAY AND HAVE FUN!

 

:soapbox:(uh oh, here it comes...yeah he remembers when.....) I did a 2 1/2 hour audition for the Admirals at 2:30 in the morning on a completely backwards right handed kit, AND I PLAYED IT AS A LEFTY with my left foot on a single kick pedal, a locked down hihat with a snare to my left and a crash cymbal as a ride! It was mandatory that I moved NOTHING and changed NOTHING) cause the drummer didn't want his kit messed with AT ALL! Try and do that when you're future employment is on the line and that will show you how flexible you can be. And it was a reading gig to boot!

 

All I'm saying is, most likely you'll never have ideal conditions for every gig. It's a never ending changing battle, but if you're up to making every note count as much as it can, YA JUST DO IT! Ya don't rely on muscle memory or ride positions or anything. You rely on yourself and your talent. That's what will make the gig happen. BOX, you're a good drummer but as you already know, the kit don't make you...you make IT! And Zacho, you hang in there and above all have fun. That's what come thru in the end! You don't know the song cause it's been rehearsed on your kit...you know the song cause you learned THE SONG! So you don't do the 2 bar fills the same way or place that triplet in the exact same manner as you usually do...SO WHAT! Just play from the heart and make every note (new or old) your own!

 

I'm off my soapbox now (I've been dying to use that emoticon for a while).

[Phrozt]

All I'm saying is it was rather challenging for my first gig! I was shaking like a leaf and hoping my muscle memory would carry me through the jitters...

 

I still had a whole lotta fun w/it tho and I did the best I could .

[Carminemw]

All I'm saying is it was rather challenging for my first gig! I was shaking like a leaf and hoping my muscle memory would carry me through the jitters... I still had a whole lotta fun w/it tho and I did the best I could .

 

Man...you play fine! You're gonna have a great go of it I'm sure! And to tell you the truth, I still get nervous performing as well. That NEVER goes away! Once you control that energy, you're gonna be a bear!

 

I wish you nothing less but a long and successful journey in whatever musical endeavor you choose! I had a blast for 21 years, and now I'm trying to go forward in my own little way! You got your whole gig ahead of you! Kick'em hard for me once or twice!