Things that go through my head while I'm playing a gig:

iamjohn

Senior Member
"How does this song start again? Oh good it's a guitar intro. Ok we're in. Yeah this is good. This is really good. Oh, that sucked. Why did I do that? Is this where the chorus comes in? Should I try that difficult fill or the easy one? Easy one. What does that hand gesture Greg (Singer) is making mean? Does he want me to slow down or play quieter? I wonder what Julie's (Wife) doing right now. How does this song end again?
 
I used to be the guitarist of a band that I didn't really like. I was just bored all the time while we were playing. I would be thinking things like "Man, I need to do laundry in the morning. Do I have any bills coming up?"

Nowadays, when I'm drumming at a gig, I just get so into the music that I don't really think about much. Unless I make a mistake or start to get tired, I just get lost in the moment.
 
pretty much same thing here, even after 20 years with the same band.

F
 
Only have myself to blame but lately it's "Oh, the audience couldn't care less. Let's see if he can play the right notes this time. Oh no, here comes the end of the song, no one's gonna clap. What am I doing with my life?"
 
HA !

Great post ! I can totally relate to this.



I used to be the guitarist of a band that I didn't really like. I was just bored all the time while we were playing. I would be thinking things like "Man, I need to do laundry in the morning. Do I have any bills coming up?"

Nowadays, when I'm drumming at a gig, I just get so into the music that I don't really think about much. Unless I make a mistake or start to get tired, I just get lost in the moment.

Funny, I have been playing drums behind the band for 50 years. I have enjoyed it. But I find myself frustrated watching everyone else except me taking solos, picking the songs and running the band, etc.

They never let me take solos. Guitar players are just not programmed that way. (If you think about it, very very few songs are written with drum solos.)

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...Ok, the singer missed the cue, now we're off....OK, need a new fill that establishes without a doubt where we actually are in the song......
 
Funny, I have been playing drums behind the band for 50 years. I have enjoyed it. But I find myself frustrated watching everyone else except me taking solos, picking the songs and running the band, etc.

They never let me take solos. Guitar players are just not programmed that way. (If you think about it, very very few songs are written with drum solos.)

Yeah, I know what you mean.. Almost every song in the ska band has a trombone and/or guitar solo, but I think it's actually really cool, because a lot of ska bands don't do solo sections.

We've been working on a cover of "Vengabus", and I think there's going to be a big solo section after the second chorus, and I'm REALLY hoping they don't ask me to play a drum solo, because I'm not ready for that yet. If I was confident enough in my capabilities to play a decent solo, I would be happy to, but I don't want to do it unless I know I can nail it.

I would never be in a band in which I didn't have just as much creative control as everybody else, even as a drummer. If somebody has an idea of something they'd like me to play during a section, that's fine with me, but I expect them to be able to consider my ideas of what they could do better, when I have them.

...Ok, the singer missed the cue, now we're off....OK, need a new fill that establishes without a doubt where we actually are in the song......

I hate that! What is it with singers having timing issues? Every once and a while the singer in one of my bands will get off time, but won't correct it. She'll just keep going, knowing that she's off.
 
Yeah, I know what you mean.. Almost every song in the ska band has a trombone and/or guitar solo, but I think it's actually really cool, because a lot of ska bands don't do solo sections.

We've been working on a cover of "Vengabus", and I think there's going to be a big solo section after the second chorus, and I'm REALLY hoping they don't ask me to play a drum solo, because I'm not ready for that yet. If I was confident enough in my capabilities to play a decent solo, I would be happy to, but I don't want to do it unless I know I can nail it.


Right !

And if you are not ready for a solo, it could be scary.

And don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about wanting a long drum solo. I'm just talking about a few bars or maybe a 15 second drum solo.



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Right !

And if you are not ready for a solo, it could be scary.

And don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about wanting a long drum solo. I'm just talking about a few bars or maybe a 15 second drum solo.



.

Exactly. A good example would be, when the bridge is about to transition back into a final chorus, just have everybody take a rest, and play a few bars of some flashy solo-type fills before going back into that last chorus. I love stuff like that.
 
"How does this song start again? Oh good it's a guitar intro. Ok we're in

Ahahha. Can totally relate to this.
Sometimes during gigs, due to nervousness, I blank before songs. No damn idea of what I'm supposed to play until the guitarist plays the first note :)
Then it is ok.

A few times I asked the bass player to hum the beginning of the next song to me while the singer was doing the usual audience interaction between songs... embarassing I know, that's why we have jokes about drummers :)

Writing down the score of the songs (or the first bars, etc) and leave it next to me helps, but sometimes I forget to do it.
 
"How does this song start again? Oh good it's a guitar intro. Ok we're in. Yeah this is good. This is really good. Oh, that sucked. Why did I do that? Is this where the chorus comes in? Should I try that difficult fill or the easy one? Easy one. What does that hand gesture Greg (Singer) is making mean? Does he want me to slow down or play quieter? I wonder what Julie's (Wife) doing right now. How does this song end again?

Reading this puts me at ease......I'm VERY relieved to know there are others who experience the same thing!
 
Ive been a guitar player for alot longer than a drummer and I used to have to start most of the songs. But now that im a drummer, I forget everything. Ha! Im serious.
 
Ive been a guitar player for alot longer than a drummer and I used to have to start most of the songs. But now that im a drummer, I forget everything. Ha! Im serious.

HA !
LOL.....


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I really, genuinely, couldn't tell you...

I'm usually so into what we're playing I just go into a bit of a dream world really.

Got a gig Wednesday night...I'm gonna pay more attention
 
I really, genuinely, couldn't tell you...

I'm usually so into what we're playing I just go into a bit of a dream world really.

Got a gig Wednesday night...I'm gonna pay more attention


Oh no, don't do that ! You are going to lose focus and screw up.... LOL


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