Providing a backline drum kit

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

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
 
I often provide the backline kit for a gig where maybe three bands are playing, including us. You do, however, sometimes get one or two idots who cannot be bothered to learn how to hit a drum properly and end up denting or even splitting your batter heads. Maybe just ask for a deposit to cover the cost of batter heads and if they come back in bad shape you can afford to replace them. I am thinking of doing this. I provided the kit for a gig the other night and the heads on my toms, which had at least 6 months of life in them came back dented because somebody couldn't hit a drum properly. He didn't even thank me for providing the kit either. That's London for you I guess.

One thing though, if you do provide the kit, be sure to insist that the other players bring their own cymbals, snare, bass drum padal, and any other breakables. If they don't bring their own cymbals, etc, they play without cymbals.

One more thing, I have never heard of this happening at a festival, and I play a lot of festivals. The festival has always, in my experience, provided a house kit. Sounds a bit fishy to me. Find out what the score is before commiting to anything.
 
Back
Top