Skitch
Pioneer Member
I play a bunch of festivals every year and I have seen this situation before.
The festival I just got back from a festival that had 3 bands we all played 1 set on friday night, then 3 sets each on saturday. It wouldn't have made sense to change out kits all those times. One of the bands was local and they provided the drumset for the festival. He had a pdp 6 piece kit with some paiste cymbals. I used my cymbals, snare, pedal, and throne the only thing I changed was the snare height, and it was on a memory lock.
When I borrow or use somebody else kit I always try to give them $20 or something for wear and tear even if i didn't hurt anything. 100% of the time the other drummer refuses to take my money. so thats cool.
I have done some other festivals too where I provided the kit, like my band hosts a toy drive every christmas and I just let the other bands use my gear to speed things along. Also there isn't always room for 5 or 6 kits backstage in smaller venues.
Everytime somebody else uses my kit they usually at least dent a few heads and by the end of the day new batters are needed. I would say it's fair to ask for $50 to cover the cost of batter heads.
Good rule of thumb here, McBike! I recently let a drummer sit in and he destroyed a couple of my heads. My cymbals he used were already cracked and that's exactly why I have them - they can't be hurt by someone who plays recklessly.
When I sit in one someone else's drums, I make DAMN CERTAIN that I use the proper technique with glancing blows on his/her crashes becaue I know that it was their sweat which paid for them and it is a priviledge, and not a divine right, for me to get to play their gear! So I give them them most respect that I can!
Mike
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