Don't try this at home

Roller coasters? How lame. I want my drummers on the outside of a rocketship.

Music is turning into a circus act. Next they will have a guy playing drums on a flying trapeze. Now get the hell off my lawn with that vid!

:)
 
Showmanship has always been part of drumming's history. Most likely an influence from the old Vaudeville days.

Stick twirling, playing on the hardware, leaving the stage and playing on the tables and glasses, playing with sticks in teeth, giant bass drums, giant sticks and the like have all been around forever.

As far as guys relying on gimmicks because they are not good enough musicians I present the following:

https://youtu.be/f_OyATlX9WI
 
Sorry but that Buddy upside down thing is a total embarrassment. It looks completely moronic. I feel he obliterated a big part of the progress he made on the strength of his playing, by pulling that stunt.

I'm so not a fan of drummer gimmicks, sideshows and the like. How come you never see guitar players do wacky over the top stuff like this? Thank God for guys like Gavin Harrison, Benney Greb, Brian Blade. I'm pretty sure these guys would never agree to something as juvenile as this.
 
larryace said:
I'm so not a fan of drummer gimmicks, sideshows and the like. How come you never see guitar players do wacky over the top stuff like this ? I'm pretty sure these guys would never agree to something as juvenile as this.
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So guitarists don't do gimmicks hmmm what about a certain Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar, a gimmick which didn't as far as I can tell have anything to do with the actual sound or music.
 
larryace said:
Sorry but that Buddy upside down thing is a total embarrassment. It looks completely moronic. I feel he obliterated a big part of the progress he made on the strength of his playing, by pulling that stunt.

I'm so not a fan of drummer gimmicks, sideshows and the like. How come you never see guitar players do wacky over the top stuff like this? Thank God for guys like Gavin Harrison, Benney Greb, Brian Blade. I'm pretty sure these guys would never agree to something as juvenile as this.
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Actually, I agree with you in that I don't twirl sticks or do any of that. It feels phony to me.

But there are many better players than me that do.

Also, there are many other instrumentalists who do that. Think Kiss back in the day with Gene Simmons spitting blood and blowing fire or Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar on stage.

Cheesy? Probably, but it's out there.
 
Captain Bash said:
So guitarists don't do gimmicks hmmm what about a certain Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar, a gimmick which didn't as far as I can tell have anything to do with the actual sound or music.
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There's always exceptions. Just not a fan of gimmicks, no matter how good/bad a musician is. Really, if I wanted to see circus antics, I'd go to a circus. I want to see real musicians reach real musical heights. The whole gimmick thing totally runs counter to that.
 
larryace said:
There's always exceptions. Just not a fan of gimmicks, no matter how good/bad a musician is. Really, if I wanted to see circus antics, I'd go to a circus. I want to see real musicians reach real musical heights. The whole gimmick thing totally runs counter to that.
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There are gimmicks and then there are acts. That jackwagon with the chainsaw back in the early 90's. A chainsaw and not one hit song, now that's a gimmick. Buddy had an act, albeit with one gimmicky performance. Tommy Lee has an act. Alice Cooper, Kiss, Bowie. Showmanship isn't a gimmick. That's like comparing Mortal Kombat to the Pet Rock. Hey, I still have a scarf that my mother got from Elvis in 78. Pretty gimmicky by the King. Oh yeah and a signed collectible glove from Michael Jackson. Those guys were pretty impressive musical talents though. I wonder what ever became of Bobo the chimp?
 
My problem with gimmicks is the implied statement that music isn't strong enough to stand on it's own 2 feet, and needs help.

I never got a chill from a gimmick. Has anyone? Whats so good about them again? Other than the dumbing down of music? I want chills, not stupid human tricks.

It's a serious question. Music and entertainment are 2 different things.
 
larryace said:
I'm so not a fan of drummer gimmicks, sideshows and the like. How come you never see guitar players do wacky over the top stuff like this?
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Larry, you obviously never get out of the house to make a statement like that.

Showmanship goes back to the early days of the drum set.

Gene Krupa, Papa Jo Jones, Sonny Greer.

Dismissing showmanship is dismissing the history of the drum set.
 
That's why I switched to Mag-Lev. Those "crawler" type coasters always were prone to jamming when one gear got slightly off from the other. And between the heat from my pyro and the moisture from the stage fog, the control box would pretty much be guaranteed to short out during a show.
 
Within some bands gimmicky stuff detracts from the music and drummer but in others I have seen gimmicky stuff (stick catches, standing up drumming, dressing up in custom really draw the otherwise fairly negative audience into the music they would have otherwise ignored.
 
"Roller coasters? How lame. I want my drummers on the outside of a rocketship." I agree Larry if the drums and drummer don't burst into flames and combust before our eyes what a pathetic gimmick. Start with flaming sticks-like a flaming baton-that as you play sets each part of the kit on fire-till all aflame and finally you burst into flames too. Maybe spew flames from your mouth like a dragon-just smokin' hot drumming. Course you could tie that to a rocket so you better coverage and more viewers-so great idea.
 
KamaK said:
Potty mouth is the worst! The solution is to go potty 'before' you get on the inversion table/bar.
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Right, or before movement of the table begins. They make aviator piddle packs for such occurrences.
 
I understand showmanship and trying to entertain, but how about entertaining me with lyrics and music. A really stink band can light their guitars on fire, or do head stands. I come for the music. The circus is down the block. Look for the tent.
 
Well this thread has brought out all the grumps, hasn't it?

Here's a picture of a really stink guitarist burning a guitar:

guitar4.jpg


And here's a video of some talentless hack drummer playing upside down.

Please excuse me while I go and play on your lawn...
 
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