Ever forgotten your hihat clutch?

...I just did. Setting up for the gig now. No time to go back home For it..

I guess we're sloshing our way through tonight!!

Can't borrow one from another drummer there? There's always duct-tape!

We're the only band - three hour pub gig! But I did throw some gaff on; it sounds.. okay..

Lesson very thoroughly learned - if you're gonna keep your clutch in your pedal case, bring a spare clutch too!!

I always keep mine on my hi hat stand during transport. The only time I didn't was when I was using a drop clutch years ago and that wasn't possible. Then it went in the hardware case the minute I took my hats off.

I have one on the rod, one in the stick bag and one in the cymbal bag. You forget it one time and then you realize how much you need it

Yep. Once as a youngster. NEVER AGAIN.

I keep my clutch in my hardshell cymbal case. Plus I have a spare that I never had to use. There's no excuse not having spares....footpedal, bass drum heads, clutches, snare...everything essential. Spare car and house keys too. There's no excuse for being locked out of anywhere, except poor planning and no foresight. It's just too easy to plan for oversights like this.

I use those quarter turn Remo clutches. So there's one on the stand, one spare in the bag (I've heard they break but hasn't happened to me yet) and the original clutch in the bag. When I break down the stand, I use the clutch to keep the rod together with the upper tube. Less searching though the hardware bag while setting up.

I never forgot mine but maybe I'll get another just in case.

yeah, I've forgotten mine a couple of times, and it sux because you get this totally sloppy out of control slosh. I started leaving the clutch on the stand, but sometimes I forget to tighten it, and it will fall off in the truck, so I might as well have forgotten it, lol.

Yes, had a few jams at the music college in sydney, first time I got there I realized it's BYO clutch for some reason. Went back next time with my sonor one, didn't fit!

That's twice, it sucked.

I did, but only once.

I once had to lend a drummer my HH clutch at a gig. Poor guy looked panicked when he realized that he didn't have it so I was happy to help.

Almost... but luckily I found it at the last second! Since then I have like 3 of them in my stick bag.

Forgot the Hi Hat stand a year or so back.

No-one cared, not least me.

Riding all the way

SquadLeader said:

Forgot the Hi Hat stand a year or so back.

No-one cared, not least me.

Riding all the way

Click to expand...

I'd almost relish the challenge...almost. Always keep a spare in the stick bag.

No , new
but when my first one broke, i understand , why you carry an extra one at all times.

Thanks for the feedback and advice everyone, it's reassuring to know it's happened to others too!

I disassemble my hihat stand and put the rod inside the tubing when I tear down the kit, so I'm not able to leave the clutch attached. I've been keeping it in my pedal case, but of course on this night I decided to bring a different pedal and the clutch didn't cross my mind at the time. The obvious solution is to put the clutch somewhere smarter (stickbag) and buy a spare to keep in my car as well. I got through the gig ok - it was '70s - '90s rock covers and there wasn't much need for any fancy footwork. I had it taped up initially to give me a "chck" sound, but it just sounded flat and dead. Eventually I removed all the tape and let them slosh - it wasn't too bad and I still got pretty decent stick definition over the noise floor of the guitar.

Larry, you said "There's no excuse not having spares....footpedal, bass drum heads, clutches, snare...everything essential. Spare car and house keys too." I play on average twice a week, and it's what's paying my way through uni - this might be a wake up call that I need to be more prepared in the future. I'll get a spare clutch, definitely. If I break a snare head at a gig I always figured I would call an early break and swap the head from my 14" floor tom, I figured I could gaff a torn bass drum head and I've never taken a spare pedal (or even a spare spring, nuts, footboard etc) to a gig. For playing locally in a pub covers band, taking a spare snare seems like overkill to me, but spare heads, clutches and a pedal I will definitely start doing, so thank you for the advice. I don't know what the heck I would do if I snapped a pedalboard at a gig..

For everyone else: how far do you go with taking spares to gigs? Does it depend on how important that gig is to you?

Not that many spares over here. Clutch, sticks (of course), brushes, felts. Have a double bass pedal , so if msin spring breaks , I take the other obe and if right pedal breaks , I play with left foot
Spare snare head and that's about it.

yes now i have 3 or four so i never go to a gig without one.