More than one band, how do you haul your gear?

bearblastbeats

bearblastbeats

Senior Member
I have a fortunate dilemma. I am starting to now play in multiple bands and using multiple drum sets. One band I used a smaller sized kit for covers in one part of the state. Another band I play with I play in a different state in the opposite direction. both bands are about 30 minutes from work or an hour from my house. Each band requires a different set up and I keep one kit at one bands place and haul the other around.

I also have a house where I have a jam spot and would like to have a kit there for playing on non practice nights.

How do you guys do it? Keep both kits at home and take one to where it needs to played on that particular night? I'd rather have bands play at my house but isn't feasible with these two bands.

Thoughts?
 
I would say, for a covers band, get an electric kit.

Then you just lug that stuff around and leave all the heavy stuff at your home or the practice room.

Plus same sounds every night according to whatever song you're playing, no snare detune, no broken heads, no broken sticks, no cracked/dinged cymbals.
 
JohnoWorld said:
I would say, for a covers band, get an electric kit.

Then you just lug that stuff around and leave all the heavy stuff at your home or the practice room.

Plus same sounds every night according to whatever song you're playing, no snare detune, no broken heads, no broken sticks, no cracked/dinged cymbals.
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You know, that's not a bad idea at all.
 
I keep a set of hardware + cymbals + snare in the back of my car all the time, then pack whichever kick & toms I need on the day.
 
Morrisman said:
I keep a set of hardware + cymbals + snare in the back of my car all the time, then pack whichever kick & toms I need on the day.
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Are you not worried about winter months?

I sort of do the same now as it is with my snare cymbal and pedals. I've been fortunate enough to use someone Else's kit for the first night, but now will need my own. Do you keep both kits at home or one kit at a band room?
 
I have one kit I leave at church.

I have one permanently set up at my house to practice.

I have a third (and actually a fourth) that I leave in cases by the door with their own set of hardware.

This way I don't have to set up and tear down from practicing and gigging.

The only thing I have to trade out for my practice kit and my gigging kit are my cymbals (one ride, one crash, and a set of hats) and the drum throne. It all works out well.

For my travel set(s), I never play more than a 4-piece, and I only take one crash, one ride, and a set of hats to try to keep it all light. I think I've trimmed everything down to only 4 stands, four drums, and four cymbals. It's really nice.
 
PorkPieGuy said:
I have one kit I leave at church.

I have one permanently set up at my house to practice.

I have a third (and actually a fourth) that I leave in cases by the door with their own set of hardware.

This way I don't have to set up and tear down from practicing and gigging.

The only thing I have to trade out for my practice kit and my gigging kit are my cymbals (one ride, one crash, and a set of hats) and the drum throne. It all works out well.

For my travel set(s), I never play more than a 4-piece, and I only take one crash, one ride, and a set of hats to try to keep it all light. I think I've trimmed everything down to only 4 stands, four drums, and four cymbals. It's really nice.
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That sounds ideal!

I could work my way up to that. My problem is one band has me use my ludwig because its big and loud, and the other band has me use my yamaha because its smaller and more controlled.
 
I play with a lot of different bands, but I'm lucky enough to just use the one kit...

Do you really have to use multiple kits? Or is it more preference?

I have a Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz that I got a few years ago, and it's very versatile. I've played Afro-Cuban gigs, jazz, swing, rockabilly, country, early rock, British invasion type rock, et cetera. And I always use that kit with two rides and HH. It's done really well in all those genres, plus it is small and easy to move around...

Again, I don't know if it's possible with your two groups, but getting one kit and leaving it in your car might make more sense.
 
tcspears said:
I play with a lot of different bands, but I'm lucky enough to just use the one kit...

Do you really have to use multiple kits? Or is it more preference?

I have a Gretsch Catalina Club Jazz that I got a few years ago, and it's very versatile. I've played Afro-Cuban gigs, jazz, swing, rockabilly, country, early rock, British invasion type rock, et cetera. And I always use that kit with two rides and HH. It's done really well in all those genres, plus it is small and easy to move around...

Again, I don't know if it's possible with your two groups, but getting one kit and leaving it in your car might make more sense.
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I essentially bought the Yamaha to retire the Ludwig. But everyone I end up playing with prefers the Ludwig because it's 14,18,24. My yamaha sounds great but is only 12,14,20 and does not project as well against heavy/louder music. haha.

I guess the best option is to either keep them in cases in my garage until its ready to haul them to either gig. Just would like to enjoy time to practice at home for once.
 
bearblastbeats said:
I essentially bought the Yamaha to retire the Ludwig. But everyone I end up playing with prefers the Ludwig because it's 14,18,24. My yamaha sounds great but is only 12,14,20 and does not project as well against heavy/louder music. haha.
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I guess it depends on the music, because my catalina has an 18" BD, and whenever I play with a rock group, they are surprised by how good it sounds.

Granted, I've played with groups that play Bowie, Rolling Stones, Springsteen, or some of the older rockabilly type stuff, so it's not heavy metal.

The rock guys usually look at my kit, and make jokes about how small it is, but it can fill up plenty of space!
 
bearblastbeats said:
My yamaha sounds great but is only 12,14,20 and does not project as well against heavy/louder music. haha.
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Take all of the stuff you have inside that 20 inch bass drum out of the drum. LOL And it will work for the heavy, louder music.
Besides the 20 inch should cut through the band sound better (more punch) than the 24 inch drum.

.
 
I have a kit set up at two practice locations, and an ekit and a Breakbeats kit at home.

Both bands load out of their respective location for shows, or pack up at the last rehearsal before the next show if somebody needs to make other plans. In either case, neither location is farther than 15 minutes from home and I have access to both spots, so no real trouble.

All I carry with me between locations are my in-ears between all three spots, and a set of pedals between home and one of the locations. If I needed to gig my Breakbeats, I'd have to snag some real cymbals from one of my rehearsal spots.
 
bearblastbeats said:
Are you not worried about winter months?

I sort of do the same now as it is with my snare cymbal and pedals. I've been fortunate enough to use someone Else's kit for the first night, but now will need my own. Do you keep both kits at home or one kit at a band room?
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Winter isn't really cold where I live, and the car stays in a garage at night. But summer gets very hot - so sometimes its just hardware & cymbals living in the back of the car.

I keep both performing kits (toms + bass) in soft cases in an insulated cupboard in my garage, ready for gigs.

I don't usually leave kits with other people, but at a few years ago I left my Rhythm Traveller set of toms/bass in someone's practice room for a while. For those rehearsals it wasn't crucial to have my best sounding kit.
 
bearblastbeats said:
I guess the best option is to either keep them in cases in my garage until its ready to haul them to either gig. Just would like to enjoy time to practice at home for once.
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You can get a decent used 1960s' MIJ stencil kit (Pearl, Star, Bolero, Coronet...) for about $100. With some decent heads, some have quite nice tone but are not robust or roadworthy. They are all mostly good enough to tap around on at home at least the toms and bass drum are.
 
I picked up my drums from the cover band practice last night. Wasn't to bad to lug it around. I think I'll keep this kit at my house to jam on and tear it down when I need to.

The Ludwig I will just keep in the cases and haul it to Boston when the heavier band plays, which so far is once every two weeks.

I should coax both projects to come play my my house, considering I am the drummer and I have the most stuff. ;)
 
Maybe once every month or two you SHOULD host the rehearsal - gives you an occasional break, and shares he travelling around more fairly.
 
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