Sharing kit etiquette on gigs.

Really interesting read!

I'm looking to take part in my very first pub jamming session and I'll be taking a drum kit to be used.

I've a couple of DW kits which I'm too precious over to share, but I kept my very first kit, a Pearl Forum Kit, for such occassions as I'll not mind who gets up and plays it.

I'm debating the cymbals and snare though. I usually play a Black Beauty snare with a DW performance series snare as backup, and Zildjian K and A cymbals. I'm not keen on sharing either the snares or cymbals.

However, the original cymbals and snare that came with the forum kit are pretty dire!!!!

Maybe I should take the ropey cymbals and snare the first time to see how the ground lies and what the set up is, and have decent cymbals and snare with me but in cases for if I'm the only drummer there? Or do I buy a cheap snare for such occasions.
Tough decision.
I'm not the best at pushing myself forward and so, depending on who turns up, might not play for long.

Where are you based out of interest?

From my personal perspective it's the cymbals I'm more concerned with. I have some beautiful stuff which I'd hate to see damaged.

My snare. It's a nice Gretsch...but I'm happy for people to use it. Basically I struggle to see what damage anyone can really do to a snare if it's seated on the stand properly for example. I think the snare is the least 'breakable' part of a kit really....it gets pretty much battered mercilessly by me and hasn't needed a head change for a long long time.
 
I'm based in Essex (although originally from Yorkshire)

Yes, that's a good point re the snare, although the thought of someone spilling beer on my Black Beauty.......
 
On a lighter note, I sit in for a few songs occasionally with a friends band. One of his cymbals has about a 1/2" crack in it. EVERY time after I play, when gets back up behind the kit, he yells out "That friggin Bruce Worcester, comes up here and breaks my cymbal!" :)

What's even funnier is that he is a mountain of a man, far larger than I am, and hits harder than me for the most part.

Most everyone in the room knows each other, and both of us, so it's become a running gag.

My gear isn't so high end that I'm really worried about any of the folks around here that are liable to be using it. And since I know them all, it wouldn't be an issue if any of us damages anothers gear, we'd all make it right. Wouldn't happen, since we're all pretty respectful of stuff.

I'm sure that with unknowns, it would be more worrisome. Maybe once I get the cool new stuff that I hope too someday, then I'll be concerned. I'd likely use older gear if I was backlining, if those fancy DW's finally end up in my possession :)
 
Where are you based out of interest?

From my personal perspective it's the cymbals I'm more concerned with. I have some beautiful stuff which I'd hate to see damaged.

My snare. It's a nice Gretsch...but I'm happy for people to use it. Basically I struggle to see what damage anyone can really do to a snare if it's seated on the stand properly for example. I think the snare is the least 'breakable' part of a kit really....it gets pretty much battered mercilessly by me and hasn't needed a head change for a long long time.

I think there's quite a bit of potential for someone to intentionally mistreat it, throwing over the stand like in that one post on page one, for instance. That can lead to bent rims, broken bits, or damage to a wood shell. But in regular playing, I think the worst that can happen is a broken head.

I'm not sure where the thought process is for some folks to intentionally damage drums (or any instrument, for that matter). I've come upon shared drumkits that have obviously been done intentional harm by someone, as if the broken heads and cymbals could be replaced out of thin air or something. Mystifying.
 
I'm based in Essex (although originally from Yorkshire)

Yes, that's a good point re the snare, although the thought of someone spilling beer on my Black Beauty.......

We play a lot around Yorkshire....unusually for Lancashire based band...Doncaster and Sheffield. A very vibrant punk scene over there compared to the scene over this side.

Made lots of Yorkshire muso friends as a result :)

I take your point on the spilling beer front. Hadn't considered that.
 
I think there's quite a bit of potential for someone to intentionally mistreat it, throwing over the stand like in that one post on page one, for instance. That can lead to bent rims, broken bits, or damage to a wood shell. But in regular playing, I think the worst that can happen is a broken head.

I'm not sure where the thought process is for some folks to intentionally damage drums (or any instrument, for that matter). I've come upon shared drumkits that have obviously been done intentional harm by someone, as if the broken heads and cymbals could be replaced out of thin air or something. Mystifying.

Aye. A lot of my thinking and comments are based on the fact that, other than some scrote chucking my bass drum pedal aside on one occasion, none of my gear has ever been wronged. I'd perhaps change my tune a little if it had.
 
Pretty much 99% of shows I play are Kit/Backline share, and I´ll always albeit through gritted teeth let others use my ´B-kit´shells. I try not to share throne or hardware, as I have a lot of stuff on clamps and It takes me an age to reset everything at the right heights if someones dicked with the memory locks. If something is even an inch out I´ll have a bad gig.

I went out and bought a Sonor 3007 in ´hyper´sizes for kit shares, I don't take my Masters premium on the road unless its a festival or a show where nobody is using my gear. You might think I´m being too precious over my gear, but in the past I've had drummers playing with the rack tom resting on the kick... Cowbell clamps chomping up my kick drum hoop etc...etc.. Just don't want that to happen to a £700 kick drum!!
 
In New Orleans when we do stuff like a shared bill if there isn't a house kit we'll usually do bring your own cymbals, sticks, snare and maybe bass pedal. If i don't know the drummer I usually feel sketched letting him just bang away on the drums I use to make money. But if it's a homie who I know isn't going to try and beat my gear through the stage then I feel cool with them using whatever they need. I like hearing my set up played by my friends so I can hear how my stuff sounds from the other side of the kit. Also I always figured if someone broke anything that they would just throw me some money if it was a head, or if they cracked a cymbal (worst case) then help me get a new one at least.
 
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