Heat management

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
Who here perspires when they play drums? Do you perspire heavily? Do you have a heat management strategy? Mine crapped out a while back. One of the guys in my bands has this great squirrel cage type fan that really does the trick. That's probably my next piece of gear. Sometimes I am totally soaked, sometimes I am relatively dry. But I have the capability of looking really wet when I play, and it happens more time than not. Not too fond of that look. When I come off break, I don't feel like a Don Juan when I have to peel my shirt from my chest. Stress causes it too. Small stage, running late, crowded bar, during setup, Larry's all wet.

How do you handle this issue? Someone takes band pics during break and I look like I stood out in the rain, while everyone else stayed inside.

Do any of you gals glisten while you play? Is it more a male thing?
 
I'm definitely a sweater

I used to bring a little clip fan....still do sometimes in the summer

I always have my towel

in the summer I sometimes bring a change of shirt and drawers because I'll be drenched down to my boxers
 
Small floor fan...to the left of the HH. After I load in and setup,I change into light tee shirt! As my technique improved over the years...I use less energy with more output. Elipical machine 3 to 4 times a week helps!
Some gigs with lots of lights and poor AC.....just going to sweat!
Denis
 
Small floor fan...to the left of the HH. After I load in and setup,I change into light tee shirt! As my technique improved over the years...I use less energy with more output. Elipical machine 3 to 4 times a week helps!
Some gigs with lots of lights and poor AC.....just going to sweat!
Denis

Sounds like Denis has this subject on lock!

I'm usually not too bad, i think nervousness is the #1 thing to make me sweat, but i would like to have a fan stuffed in the back of my car just in case
 
I can soak my socks. I like to put the fan low by my hi hat foot and blow air up on my legs and face. Like a race car needs to keep the undercarriage cools itch air flowing at all times. Yeah a race car.
 
I start to sweat just thinking about playing.Those small fans help,but I still wind up drenched,and there's usually a puddle on my snare.

Look at some vids of Buddy Rich.Sweat used to pore off of him in a steady stream..I guess there's no getting away from it.

A little OT,but that beat up looking Strat that Rory Gallaher used to play,had It's finish worn of from his sweat.True stuff.Not all sweat is the same.Some is kind of corrosive if it contains a higher consentration of enzymes.:)

Steve B
 
I start to sweat just thinking about playing.Those small fans help,but I still wind up drenched,and there's usually a puddle on my snare.

ugh i hate that!!

Remo needs to patent a WATERKING head too!
 
My band's so laid back that I sometimes don't sweat even a bit after practices and gigs. Nice, after all the "heavy sweating" I did playing rock. I still always carry a towel - like Douglas Adams, I see the potential multi-functional value of towels.

Yeah Larry, I glisten. It looks great with cellulite and wrinkles!
 
Sometimes if the venue is warm or I'm nervous about the tunes, I sweat. Usually not too bad though. A friend who is busy every night, sometimes with multiple gigs in the same day, works hard at keeping in shape. Running and working out whenever he can. I should do more of the same. More endurance and energy.

The squirrel cage fans are great. Much more air than the bladed ones. Also, bladed fans can do funny things to sound when it reflects off of the blades. A few times I've thought that some speaker was blown only to figure out that the warbling distorted sound I was hearing was reflections from a fan.
 
Because I have to wear a hockey jersey when I play shows with my band, which is really hot, I play in my underwear. I think I might have mentioned this before. It's great because I can do it and it fits in with the show. I know I can't get away with that on other gigs. For those I have a pair of nice shorts that are pretty breathable and a pair of swim trunks.
But nothing beats playing in your underwear.
 
Always had a towel and a fan when I played live. Not one of those pissy little clip on fans either......an asthmatic, emphysemic with one lung at the top of a stairwell could provide more air flow than those things. I never used anything shy of a 30cm desk fan.
 
Hi. My name is Ineedaclutch, and I'm... I'm a sweater (not of the cloth variety). I live in a very hot and humid region, and I can't imagine gigging without a fan. I use either a tower fan or a blower with additional outlets. The great thing about both of these fans is they don't leak into the overheads. The tower covers a greater area, but the blower (pictured) is efficiently directional and perfect for outdoor gigs.
 

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The Patton fan ..... is my friend.​
 

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In my band, the heat management "strategy" is all LED lighting :) Outside of that gig environment, it's a couple of towels & suffer. in general though, it takes a lot for me to get sweaty. At most gigs, the other guys are soaking, & I'm just fine :)
 
I have a fan, play barefoot and in a t-shirt. Have plenty of cold water and a towel.

It's not really a problem. I sweat a lot more when conducting than when I play drums.
 
Plenty of water and a towel at the side...I do sweat but not so much like when I'm eating super spicy food.
 
Don't drink too much! I find if I have too many beers I sweat more, on gigs I normally have a few cups of ice water and thats it.
 
Happens to me even on the coldest of nights... I've always been a very warm guy by default. I use a 40 degree sleeping bag even when camping on snow. I sweat playing drums while everyone else in the room is wearing big sweaters and coats.

Sweat from playing has really never been a source of shame for me... Then again, I can't recall what has been a source of shame, other than an off night behind the kit. I don't care if I look sweaty, but I hate being uncomfortable.

So anyway, I've adopted something from my hiking/camping when I play he drums... And that is: not wearing cotton. In the summer when it's hottest, I don't mind looking a bit dorky to stay comfortable, and I wear "wicking" materials from the outdoor outfitters. Those garments dry so fast that I stay comfy even when dripping sweat. A towel for my sweaty hair, and it's not really a big deal. Like Anthony, I also bring a change of clothes when it's really warm.
 
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