Can you be a gigging drummer without a drum kit?

dazzlez

Senior Member
I usually practice in rehearsal studios that got a kit or on my V-drum kit at home.
I don't wanna buy a acoustic drum kit just to store away to take out to gig once every 3 months so here are a few questions...:

1. Is it normal that the venue you gonna gig at already has a drum-kit? Can I rely on it?
2. Can I use a great v-drum kit TD9KX2 as a backup if my band get a gig that doesn't have a drum kit or will people get pissed of? What could go wrong?
3. How do you do it? Anyone here without a acoustic drum-kit that frequently gig?

Thanx for all the great answers on my previous noob questions by the way! =)

/drummer without experience
 
Unfortunately, since you never know what kind of situation you will be going into, you need your own stuff. And a way to transport it. Having a V-Drum kit is cool, but if you're talking about using that "just in case", I hope you have your own PA big and powerful enough to do the job - you shouldn't expect venues to be able to plug you in and give you monitors so you can hear yourself, let alone have the rest of the band hear you. That's asking too much.

Unless I'm doing a gig where I'm told gear will be there for me to play, I bring what I have (basically a big four-piece). If it's a strange request a few days out, I might go to the venue beforehand to see it if its local so I don't walk into any surprises. The whole thing is about being competent, and professional, so you can do a good job. I even carry my own music stand and a vocal mic if I have to sing. Never assume there will be stuff for you, that's not professional.
 
Never assume there will be stuff for you, that's not professional.

This plus 1 bajillion. Imagine if your plumber operated like that. "Do you have a pipe clamp and a inch-and-a-quarter wrench?"

I would also point out that you would have a very, very tough time convincing anyone to let you into a playing situation on a regular basis without your own gear.
 
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I wouldn't entertain the thought of putting myself out on the circuit without a drum kit. How do you audition in the first place? If a band is looking for an e-kit, then fine. But if not, you're not gonna get a foot in the door in the first place.

As a general rule, musicians without their own transport have a hard time being taken seriously. How much worse do you think a potential band/employer is gonna think of a guy who doesn't even own the very instrument he's meant to be playing?

If you're serious about gigging, arm yourself with the essential tools in order to do it. Not doing so will see your potential gigs going to those who have bothered to prepare.
 
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Besides what has already been said, the idea of playing a kit that isn't mine fills me with horror. I've only done it twice and I hated it - nothing sounded the way I expected it to. I truly can't imagine why anybody would prefer to do it, but you're probably much less OCD than me anyway!
 
You can do it with an E-kit, I think. But you really need your own monitors and amplification. If you want to rely on house kits, you need to be early to every gig so you can fix what inevitable issues there are with them. I'd purchase a drum amp and some gear for a self-monitoring setup and use the e-kit primarily instead of backup, but hey- I play acoustic drums for a reason.
 
Plenty of venues have a house kit or someone from anothe band willing to kit share with you but the recurring theme I'm seeing is BYO cymbals, snare and pedals.
 
No one will take you seriously if you don't have a kit.
 
It's possible to a certain degree but not if the gigs are coming at you regularly. I bring my pedals,snare and cymbals to gigs at the moment. There has been 3 recent gigs I've done where a kit has been provided.

As much as I would like my own acoustic set, I don't drive so there's no point in me having one.
 
Here in the States, the availability of "house kits" depends largely on the city.

In Manhattan (New York City) for example, where parking is prohibitive and transporting drums is a pain, many clubs have kits available.

In Nashville, there are a dozen clubs in a short stretch of Broadway where live bands play every day and night, and those places have house kits (a lot of Mapex for some reason.) But elsewhere in the city, not so much.

In Los Angeles, I can name only a couple of venues where there's a house kit available, or mandatory (Molly Malone's.)

Bringing an e-kit is not going to work for most gigs. If it's a venue that is suited for it or requires it, they probably have one there (casino lounges for example.)

Every drummer I know - full time or not - has their own gear that they can bring to a gig, rehearsal, or studio.

Bermuda
 
Yeah..I'm kind of with Mr.Mayor here.You must have your own instrument.It's a tool just like a hammer is to a carpenter.

Not to have all your own tools ...IS unprofessional,unless you just rent(hire) them all the time,and that gets expensive

.Relying on others to furnish them,is the same as a fireman asking you for a hose,to put out the fire,in your own home.

No hose.......no home.

Buy yourself a kit.It dosen't have to be the best or biggest,but it has to be yours.

Steve B
 
The only way I can see this happening is if you already were an established musician before not having a kit, maybe you could get by for a while using house kits/loaned kits from a friend. But someone just starting out? That's an uphill battle for sure.
 
NO


......................

You know, KIS, you really have to get over this washy washy attitude of yours.

As for the OP, I agree with the others...gotta have your own kit to be taken seriously. I rehearse on someone else's kit just for the convenience of not having to move mine but even then I bring my own cymbals, stands and throne.
 
Thanx for all the great advice!

I think Bo hit it on the head with this in fairness. Can I ask why you are so against getting a kit? You can buy one for $30 if you don't care for quality and just practicality.

Well there is a few reasons:
1. I would hardly ever use it.. except maybe once every 3-6 months IF the venue doesn't have a drum kit... I practice at my v-drum kit at home and I rehearse with others at rehearsal studios and only bring cymbals... I already got a great bass-pedal & throne so don't need much more if there is a kit already at the venue except a snare maybe..
2. I haven't found many second hand kit's that I would want to take to a gig that cost less than 400£ my plan was to spend that money on quality cymbals instead and maybe a snare...
(Already got a throne and bass-pedal)
3. Storage... I don't know where I would store it and how small you can fold a drum kit (no experience). I can't have it unfolded ready to play at home anyways that for sure...

I think I'll just need to wait a little bit until I get more gigs lined up and know that I will use it... right now I'm just starting to play with others and they hinted that we will gig in 2-3 months...
 
I am currently in essex, and have seen on gumtree and ebay drumkits for under £55, quite a lot in fact. You can just take reso heads off and fold them up like russian dolls so get a cheap crappy kit where you dont mind doing this. Minimal area, minimal cost. Cymbals you can slide under your bed, of which it is worth spending a bit of money on.
 
Thanx for all the great advice!



Well there is a few reasons:
1. I would hardly ever use it.. except maybe once every 3-6 months IF the venue doesn't have a drum kit... I practice at my v-drum kit at home and I rehearse with others at rehearsal studios and only bring cymbals... I already got a great bass-pedal & throne so don't need much more if there is a kit already at the venue except a snare maybe..
2. I haven't found many second hand kit's that I would want to take to a gig that cost less than 400£ my plan was to spend that money on quality cymbals instead and maybe a snare...
(Already got a throne and bass-pedal)
3. Storage... I don't know where I would store it and how small you can fold a drum kit (no experience). I can't have it unfolded ready to play at home anyways that for sure...

I think I'll just need to wait a little bit until I get more gigs lined up and know that I will use it... right now I'm just starting to play with others and they hinted that we will gig in 2-3 months...

Not to question your logic, but if owning a kit is just not in the cards due to space and/or money, and you don't really have transportation, maybe this whole music thing isn't for you? I mean, you can practice and rehearse with your mates until you guys are perfect, and that's cool, sometimes people are just happy doing that. You don't need to gig. Of course, it sounds crazy because I wouldn't want to work that hard if I wasn't going to put it out there for all to see, but I've met people who just do music for therapeutic reasons - maybe that's where you're at?
 
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