London Drum Show forum report

Honestly I hated the LDS and I'll probably skip it for the years to come. Impossible to test any sort of gear due to the "no noise" restriction. Still trying to understand what's the point of a general audience fair that you cannot even try the gear.

If they just made each booth have a specific time to make noise each hour this problem would be solved. This way I really fail to see what's the point of a fair.

I mean I loved seeing guru's drums but I couldn't try them and understood that the way to try them is paying Andy a visit.

I'll explain the noise rules from the other side of the coin.

If you're in the room for three full days, it is incredibly fatiguing to have to deal with the noise, even with hearing protection. The quarter-hour rule is limiting I admit but it's the easiest compromise. Many of the stands are very poor at self-policing (hence the constant presence of noise wombles with air horns) and on more than one occasion, I've seen stand holders going over to other stands to lambast the owners because of the noise. If you're trying to discuss the gear and make deals, it's impossible with what goes on.

Punters are welcome to try the drums on the top of every hour during the noisy period. It said an awful lot that when the LDS management put on a loud song over the PA at the end of the show (when the stand owners were packing up), words were exchanged and the music was turned off quickly after complaints, to a rapturous round of applause.

If that's a problem, then the show isn't for you and that's fine - but if you do come another year, stay around for a few hours and believe me, you'll feel it.
 
I was back at home about 3:00 am on Monday morning, needless to say that I thoroughly enjoyed myself again at the LDS, this is my fourth year in a row. It was so late once I got my stuff in, I didn't go to sleep, having to get up at 4:30 am, I thought it would be pointless, so I went to work without any sleep (we didn't sleep that much anyway for 4 nights). I'm still a little jet lagged by the LDS experience, lol.

The novelty this year was the fact that Andy booked a flat for the 3 days which can lodge and provide beds for six people. This was truly awesome, so instead of spending time alone in a hotel room, we had some good chatting, some laughs, some entry breaking, sexy drum pad practices, teas and coffees, all in a most friendly atmosphere.

The Guru booth/stand featured the new Origin kit and the also new Zebrano Tour kit, both are absolutely stunning and sound greater than ever, both kits shared some same size drums, heads and tuning, so the only audible difference was provided by the shell's wood species and construction methods. They're both amazing, I cannot really pick one, I'll probably would have to buy both :)

I've seen and chatted with Anika Nilles (both days), she might join this forum as a member in the "Drummers" section, at least it's what she told me, so watch this space. :)

I also had a chat with Mike Johnston by the Guru stand, what a lovely guy and talented drummer he is.

The only downside of the LDS is the forever lasting 15 minutes of each hour where the crowd of drummers display all their gospel chops all at once, it's almost impossible to talk during that time.

Another big highlight was the after show party/gig led by the talented Yolanda Charles, oh my, what a band, absolutely amazing, many drummers played through the night, all displaying awesome playing, even our golden boy David Floegel was utterly inspired by a groovy syncopated solo, it was really a hot gig!!!

I will blame Caz for my own dancing...

I will blame a lot of people for making this year's LDS a truly wonderful and lovely experience for 3 and half days.

The culprits are: Andy & Yvonne, Duncan, Ben, Mark Hall, Madge, Mr Madge, Miss Madgette, Stagger Lee, Alex & Carol, Matt Cowley, Michele Drees, Juniper, Dave Major, The Twins (David & Liam), Caz, Kate and Yolanda Charles :)

I am blessed to have such amazing friends, you guys are truly a nice bunch to hang out with and I feel so close with so many of you <3

Look forward to LDS 2016!
 
Well if I can't be there I can be there in "Spirit" anyways. Hey Skype that's the ticket-and a robot with a screen and my face. I'm really liking that first pic I look really Guru-vy behind a Guru.
 

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Sorry for my absence here. I've been travelling over the last two days & heading into an even busier travelling session over the next 10 days :(

Just working on an edit of the forum members playing drums & general shenanigans. I'll post that up here over the next few hours :)

Impossible to test any sort of gear due to the "no noise" restriction. Still trying to understand what's the point of a general audience fair that you cannot even try the gear.

I mean I loved seeing guru's drums but I couldn't try them and understood that the way to try them is paying Andy a visit.
It is tough to please everyone. Just about the only way to satisfy demands is to have individual demonstration rooms / booths, & that's a cost that only the big budget guys could consider. Frankly, most of the larger companies wouldn't bother because they know most of their customers buy on features, brand, price, & finishes (they freely talk in those terms to me off the record).

A big issue to overcome is visitor attitude. Only a significant minority come to actually really listen to stuff. A greater number come to hit as many drums as possible & show off their chops to their friends. The chops brigade really do narrow down organiser choices to the detriment of everyone else.

Well if I can't be there I can be there in "Spirit" anyways.
I absolutely love that Art, & fall at the feet of your seamless photo manipulation ;) ;) ;)
 
Honestly I hated the LDS and I'll probably skip it for the years to come. Impossible to test any sort of gear due to the "no noise" restriction. Still trying to understand what's the point of a general audience fair that you cannot even try the gear.

While the NAMM show technically has noise restrictions, they're not enforced very well.

And in the end, it's impossible to test any gear because you can't really hear it over everyone else testing gear. It just all becomes one giant wall of noise.
 
I'll explain the noise rules from the other side of the coin.

If you're in the room for three full days, it is incredibly fatiguing to have to deal with the noise, even with hearing protection. The quarter-hour rule is limiting I admit but it's the easiest compromise. Many of the stands are very poor at self-policing (hence the constant presence of noise wombles with air horns) and on more than one occasion, I've seen stand holders going over to other stands to lambast the owners because of the noise. If you're trying to discuss the gear and make deals, it's impossible with what goes on.

Punters are welcome to try the drums on the top of every hour during the noisy period. It said an awful lot that when the LDS management put on a loud song over the PA at the end of the show (when the stand owners were packing up), words were exchanged and the music was turned off quickly after complaints, to a rapturous round of applause.

If that's a problem, then the show isn't for you and that's fine - but if you do come another year, stay around for a few hours and believe me, you'll feel it.

I fully understand that, because the problem was on those 15m one couldn't ear anything or actually try out anything because, as Andy mentioned, a lot of people were there to blast chops instead of actually trying out gear.

Wouldn't it be better to allocate time slots? Booth 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 make noise the first 15m of that hour, then 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, make noise the other 15m, etc.

Doesn't seem hard to implement such solution...
 
I fully understand that, because the problem was on those 15m one couldn't ear anything or actually try out anything because, as Andy mentioned, a lot of people were there to blast chops instead of actually trying out gear.

Wouldn't it be better to allocate time slots? Booth 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 make noise the first 15m of that hour, then 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, make noise the other 15m, etc.

Doesn't seem hard to implement such solution...

It's a good idea in principle but the reality is that the booths are generally bad at self-policing the noise policy. Even during the 'quiet time', a lot of booths had issues with drummers and stand holders not properly respecting the policy and having to be policed by the sound wombles with an air horn. If you gave each booth a different slot you wouldn't just have a level of continual noise level all the time (and believe me, it only takes two or three stands to drown out most of the venue), it would be harder still to enforce because the organisers would have to look it up the whole time before they gave out warnings and some stand holders would see that as carte blanche to make noise whenever they wanted.

They were policing it but most of the time, if you were considerate about the noise levels (e.g. trying cymbals out properly) there wasn't too much issue.

There are two problems. Punters showing off their chops to their mates and hoping to get endorsement deals (no chance, it doesn't work that way but they don't know that!) and stand holders - who need to be stricter about enforcing noise policies properly, however exhausting. If both of those things change then the noise rules could be changed but those are things that I doubt would change. I would actually argue for the venue being able to issue fines to repeat offending stands or banning them from displaying for a time if they breach the policy too often - like they are supposed to do at NAMM.
 
Wouldn't it be better to allocate time slots? Booth 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 make noise the first 15m of that hour, then 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, make noise the other 15m, etc.

Doesn't seem hard to implement such solution...

That could be one solution, however, it would be better to order booth playing in an order in which the playing booth will be as far away as possible to the other playing booths, your suggestion implies that booths next to each others will be playing. Just a thought.
 
Andy, what can you tell us about the inappropriate industry remarks you made? Sounds juicy.
 
Andy, what can you tell us about the inappropriate industry remarks you made? Sounds juicy.
Mike Dolbear was recording a live Periscope feed from the show setup afternoon, but Andy didn't get the "live feed" memo. I may have inadvertently joked about the apparent amazing powers of a certain bearing edge design's ability to repel invasions from Mars, & requested the comment be posted on the intellectual property owner's social media.

Thankfully, the worst of the comments were obscured due to mike Dolbear beating a hasty retreat, & anyhow, I just checked, & the video is no longer available (phew). I'll file that under "breaking down door of apartment at midnight" :)
 
Ok, here's a fun video of forum members messing on drums. Warning, it features extreme "Duncan Dancing" (or DD for short eh Elle;). Our stand instigated a policy of no Gospel chops. Instead, we allowed only Billie Jean grooving (well, mostly), then proceeded to allow ourselves the luxury of breaking the rules.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv-h4io7INw&feature=youtu.be

Observe the money beat police enforcement twins, + flagrant disregard for the passing noise air horn wombles :)
 
I'm afraid my comments make no reference to amusing shenanigans :) but here goes...

First time at this or any drum show, definitely back for next year's!

My beautiful gf Sarah had coincidentally booked us an overnight stay the night before at The Hand and Flower, shame we got there Saturday night just as band was packing away!

The lift approaching the venue was a revelation, nearing the roar that greeted us, astonishing! Thankful for quieter time else our stay wouldn't have lasted. Had a good chat with Andy at Istanbul Mehmet stand. Had finally decided what I wanted so tried to get back into hall after Mr Bisonnette show ran on, but security blocked us!

Tried to say hi to Andy at Guru but he was rushed off his feet so never quite managed it, great to see Guru in the flesh though, awesome!

Every time I tried to listen for cymbal overtones across the stalls got drowned out by some other joker practicing chops rather than actually listening!

Totally missed Roland stand (had some questions over Octopad) over 7 hours, how is that possible? :)

Mike Johnstone was inspirational, Greg Bisonnette entertaining and Karl Brazil was just wonderful (could have spent hours watching him, lovely guy too!).

Fell in love with a Ludwig snare, and generally Some damned good offers too!

So, overall my trip was a perfect illustration what happens when you're not organised :)

If only I hadn't kept missing people and things...
 
I apologise for my dancing.
& so you should - especially the breast thrusting at the end!

Tried to say hi to Andy at Guru but he was rushed off his feet so never quite managed it, great to see Guru in the flesh though, awesome!

Karl Brazil was just wonderful (could have spent hours watching him, lovely guy too!).
Did you notice what snare Karl was using? ;) ) ;)

Doesn't matter how busy I am - always happy to take time out to meet new members. Next time, please interrupt whatever I'm doing :)

awww you left me out of the video :( i wasnt that bad was i?!
I went through the footage quickly this afternoon. There's quite a bit of it, but I don't remember seeing you in the mix. I'll go back & have a look. I tried to major on the more humorous bits.
 
I'm afraid my comments make no reference to amusing shenanigans :) but here goes...

First time at this or any drum show, definitely back for next year's!

My beautiful gf Sarah had coincidentally booked us an overnight stay the night before at The Hand and Flower, shame we got there Saturday night just as band was packing away!

The lift approaching the venue was a revelation, nearing the roar that greeted us, astonishing! Thankful for quieter time else our stay wouldn't have lasted. Had a good chat with Andy at Istanbul Mehmet stand. Had finally decided what I wanted so tried to get back into hall after Mr Bisonnette show ran on, but security blocked us!

Tried to say hi to Andy at Guru but he was rushed off his feet so never quite managed it, great to see Guru in the flesh though, awesome!

Every time I tried to listen for cymbal overtones across the stalls got drowned out by some other joker practicing chops rather than actually listening!

Totally missed Roland stand (had some questions over Octopad) over 7 hours, how is that possible? :)

Mike Johnstone was inspirational, Greg Bisonnette entertaining and Karl Brazil was just wonderful (could have spent hours watching him, lovely guy too!).

Fell in love with a Ludwig snare, and generally Some damned good offers too!

So, overall my trip was a perfect illustration what happens when you're not organised :)

If only I hadn't kept missing people and things...

Wow a member im really close to geolocationwise! Hello fellow essexer :D PS what luddy snare you fall in love with?
 
Hi Andy,

Yes, Karl was clearly very pleased with his Guru snare! :)

And Hi StaggerLee, the Luddy was a 6.5" black Galaxy finished Acrolite, classic but so sweet :)
 
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