Stripping - drums & fills.

Andy

Andy

Honorary Member
I stripped down for last night's gig. I usually rock a 3 up 1 down setup, & the drum parts are built around that. For this gig, I went to a 1 up 1 down setup with two crashes plus a ride, & (without rehearsing it) I decided to strip out all but the signature fills too. Have to say, not universally popular with the band members, but I enjoyed the challenge.

Here's a drumcam clip of the results https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACyPKVHAoY&feature=youtu.be

Have you been stripping lately?
 
I normally don't modify a set-up once I have it where it serves the band/gig best. I'm already a minimalist, and have no insecurities about taking only 3 or 2 drums on a gig if that's all it requires. But I exercise that restraint up front, because any extra drums and cymbals within arm's reach will get played. I'm really just keeping myself in check. :)

Could I do some gigs with less toms? Sure, technically, but I don't think I'd be best serving the music at hand if I've already determined the necessary tomage.

Bermuda
 
I guess I'm always stripped, then? Especially now that I use my one crash/ride and big hi hats. Heck, the only thing that makes me look cool is the additional floor tom lately.

But I've always recommended that you play with less gear anyway - you can do it! I've found that people aren't really tuned into the "signature song fill" as much as they want to hear the drums doing something where they're supposed to!

I know my attitude isn't that popular with our hardcore cover band types, but maybe it's just my jazz sensibilities getting in the way ;)
 
bermuda said:
tomage.
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"Tomage" :) Loving that term!

I agree John. 6 piece is where I'm happy with this gig, especially considering the melodic load & need for occasional stadium fill stuff, but last night, I just had a "I wonder if" moment in a low risk setting.

TBH, I doubted the audience would notice, but to my surprise, some did, & were vocal about it too. We had a couple of small coaches filled with "fans" from another town visit the gig, & they seemed to notice every detail. Even the random audience girls on stage, shaking their booty with various percussion instruments, claimed they missed their cues because some fills were missing (I'm blaming the speed up part way through the keys solo on said scantily dressed gyrating booty shaking) ;) ;) ;)
 
That's a fun song to play. I really liked your flam fills. Phil Collins did alot of those too, which is probably why I like flam fills.

You play more stadium rock type songs in a big production cover band, so I'd think your regular set-up is more fitting for your band image too, but I'm just an outsider looking in.

It's too much of a PITA for me to get the studio kit out of the studio, so I keep a 1 up, 1 down kit with a crash and a ride and hats away from the studio and use it for gigs. Everything is nice and light, set-up is super quick, and I'm ok with the sound because 90% of the drumming happens on the bass and snare drum anyway. We play pretty simple covers and originals in my gigging band, so a simple set-up work fine for me, but i would prefer my Tama Rockstar kit. All the hardware pieces and drums are so heavy though.
 
Bo Eder said:
But I've always recommended that you play with less gear anyway - you can do it!
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I think that's the point, I can do it, but just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Although I was generally pleased with the results, there was something about the vibe that was missing. I certainly missed some flavours/textures that normally feature in this gig. I mean, any decent player could pull off a Rush gig on a 4 piece kit, but should you? Would you? Really?

Bo, you do realise, this is the first time you're actually gigging more drums than me ;) ;) ;)

Midnite Zephyr said:
You play more stadium rock type songs in a big production cover band, so I'd think your regular set-up is more fitting for your band image too, but I'm just an outsider looking in.
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Exactly, it's all in the setting. I had fun doing this, & it's a good rehearsal for a "close to acoustic" gig we're doing in October, but the 4 piece just isn't the most appropriate choice for this gig. We go out with a fair show, a "show" is expected, & that includes an appropriate kit visual & sprinkling of hero fills :)
 
Sounded great to me.

And unless you had a room full of drummers, I don't think anyone in the audience would notice "hey, Alex had way more toms on the original recording".

Alex himself doesn't play a kit with as many toms as he used on 1984.

Although I agree with MZ, your band is all about the big production, so I can see why you might have been missed having a bigger kit.
 
I've always been sort of a minimalist guy too. 1 up, 1 down.

The most stripped down I ever got was at an acoustic blues open mic years ago where I was the primary drummer. I did that gig for a couple years with only a snare, hats and a ride.
 
I stripped down four years ago and haven't looked back. Lugging a bigger set around is just not appealing to me.

Although I've recently added a double pedal, so who knows what may happen next!
 
What am I missing?................
 
DrumEatDrum said:
Sounded great to me.

And unless you had a room full of drummers, I don't think anyone in the audience would notice "hey, Alex had way more toms on the original recording".

Alex himself doesn't play a kit with as many toms as he used on 1984.

Although I agree with MZ, your band is all about the big production, so I can see why you might have been missed having a bigger kit.
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Weird thing is Ian, some did notice, but I think that's because they're used to the band's presentation of the tracks.

brady said:
I've always been sort of a minimalist guy too. 1 up, 1 down.

The most stripped down I ever got was at an acoustic blues open mic years ago where I was the primary drummer. I did that gig for a couple years with only a snare, hats and a ride.
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I've always played what I believed to be right for the gig, except for maybe the first few ego trip years. TBH, I choose a setup based on what I feel comfortable with. To a small degree, it's as much about my happiness as it is the music, or maybe they're all really the same thing?

8Mile said:
Although I've recently added a double pedal,
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Thin end of the wedge Larry. Speaking candidly - you're screwed! ;)

Magenta said:
What am I missing?................
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Not a lot, just some multi tom fills. i'll get over it ;)
 
keep it simple said:
I think that's the point, I can do it, but just because I can, doesn't mean I should. Although I was generally pleased with the results, there was something about the vibe that was missing. I certainly missed some flavours/textures that normally feature in this gig. I mean, any decent player could pull off a Rush gig on a 4 piece kit, but should you? Would you? Really?

Bo, you do realise, this is the first time you're actually gigging more drums than me ;) ;) ;)
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Hey I can understand that as well. I've worked with people who were wanting a certain look, and of course, I would never play in a Rush tribute band without a kit that didn't resemble whatever Neil was playing at the time. Steve Smith even talked about getting into a huge double bass kit because Jean Luc Ponty wanted to have that look on stage.

But my personal position has always been to play what I want and make it work. I don't do the tribute band scene and nobody really asks me anymore to look a certain way. Of course, Disney is completely different in that they provide everything you need to do their gig, so they don't count, I guess.

So if you need a certain vibe, then you do the right thing.
 
I liked your last post about stripping a lot more, Andy.
 
Got home and actually watched the vid.

In my irrelevant opinion, that's some of the best I've seen you play. Smooth and fluid. Nice!

Like the way the drums are tuned, too.
 
I agree with Watso! It sounds great and so do you. I'm playing my 10+15" tom combo recently and I adore the discrepancy between the two. It's nice to have some options when I get tired of the 12+15" combo.
 
Magenta said:
What am I missing?................
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Now that he has amazing sounding drums, Andy is having roto-tom envy:

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Dr_Watso said:
In my irrelevant opinion, that's some of the best I've seen you play. Smooth and fluid. Nice!

Like the way the drums are tuned, too.
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porter said:
I agree with Watso! It sounds great and so do you.
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Thank goodness for that, because those were my thoughts exactly. Though James is right about the wind chimes, of course.
 
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