I just need to get this off my chest.

HeadForTheSticks

Junior Member
So last night I played a gig sharing the bill with three other bands. One of which was a national act Three days before the event I was asked by the organizers of we could use my drum kit as the backline kit for the night. Because we were the opening act and I've shared the bill with two of the three other bands before I felt reasonably comfortable sharing my kit. We had a great set and the crowd really seemed to enjoy what we do. All was good until the headlining band. Halfway through their set I noticed the female singer put her foot up on my bass drum. That got my attention as I take good care of my gear and wouldn't treat someone else's gear that way. But no big deal, I can let that go. Then.... then.... she jumps up on top of the bass drum. Both feet she stands up with full body weight, boots straddling the mounted tom, singing and head banging as I look in horror. I find the organizers I tell him thats not cool. He tells me to wait until they finish their set and he'll take care of it. Afraid she might think it was such a great idea and try that stunt again I approached the sound man and asked if he could catch her between songs and ask her to please not jump up and down on my kit. He wasn't interested in having that conversation so I took it upon myself to approach the stage between songs and politely and firmly ask her not to stand on my drums. She apologized and said she thought it was the house kit. Oh btw, the reason I was asked to use my kit for the night was because the house kit was "broken". Gee, I wonder why. So at the end of the night i approached said singer, sincerely complimented their show and explained that i didn't want to be a jerk but i consider my drums a musical instrument and treat them accordingly. She thanked me for allowing her drummer to use my kit and said "I'm glad you said something because I definitely would have jumped up there again."
All in all it was a great night and everyone had a blast.... except the drummer who was the first to arrive and last to leave with freshly boot scratched bass drum. Hope the shell isn't cracked.
End of rant.
 
Simon Phillips used his bass drum as a trampoline- so it must be ok. If she was less than a hundred pounds it will probably hold but If I jumped on it once with boots on it would collapse I’d wager. She should have at least done like barrel roll with the kick- I’d pay a dollar to see that lol
 
I just need to get this off my bass drum more like it! Sheesh that is some next level jack assery, along the lines of the low class drummer thread. Im not that precious about gear, but that would make me feel panicky. You handled it well HeadForTheSticks
 
Yeah, I mean, let's see how she'd feel if you start crashing cymbals with her mic!!! Just thoughtlessness.

And I agree with No Way Jose's line of questioning. . .I wouldn't let them use my kit again.
 
Why is ok to jump on the house kit then? If it’s not yours, don’t abuse it!

The thing with Simon jumping up and down on his vas’s drum is different - he was demonstrating seating and steering his bass drum head, which I do and the bass drum of on its bearing edge and can handle the weight. When it’s on it’s side in the playing position a hundred pounds standing on it would make it go out-of-round if you did it enough.

You handled it like a pro, hopefully that doesn’t happen again.
 
So last night I played a gig sharing the bill with three other bands. One of which was a national act Three days before the event I was asked by the organizers of we could use my drum kit as the backline kit for the night. Because we were the opening act and I've shared the bill with two of the three other bands before I felt reasonably comfortable sharing my kit. We had a great set and the crowd really seemed to enjoy what we do. All was good until the headlining band. Halfway through their set I noticed the female singer put her foot up on my bass drum. That got my attention as I take good care of my gear and wouldn't treat someone else's gear that way. But no big deal, I can let that go. Then.... then.... she jumps up on top of the bass drum. Both feet she stands up with full body weight, boots straddling the mounted tom, singing and head banging as I look in horror. I find the organizers I tell him thats not cool. He tells me to wait until they finish their set and he'll take care of it. Afraid she might think it was such a great idea and try that stunt again I approached the sound man and asked if he could catch her between songs and ask her to please not jump up and down on my kit. He wasn't interested in having that conversation so I took it upon myself to approach the stage between songs and politely and firmly ask her not to stand on my drums. She apologized and said she thought it was the house kit. Oh btw, the reason I was asked to use my kit for the night was because the house kit was "broken". Gee, I wonder why. So at the end of the night i approached said singer, sincerely complimented their show and explained that i didn't want to be a jerk but i consider my drums a musical instrument and treat them accordingly. She thanked me for allowing her drummer to use my kit and said "I'm glad you said something because I definitely would have jumped up there again."
All in all it was a great night and everyone had a blast.... except the drummer who was the first to arrive and last to leave with freshly boot scratched bass drum. Hope the shell isn't cracked.
End of rant.
Life is like school, it's an education process. Hopefully you've come away from last nights experience enriched with a renewed sense of how the world turns in today's day and age, or as I like to say, you've been educated.
 
Why is ok to jump on the house kit then? If it’s not yours, don’t abuse it!

The thing with Simon jumping up and down on his vas’s drum is different - he was demonstrating seating and steering his bass drum head, which I do and the bass drum of on its bearing edge and can handle the weight. When it’s on it’s side in the playing position a hundred pounds standing on it would make it go out-of-round if you did it enough.

You handled it like a pro, hopefully that doesn’t happen again.
Crap Bo if you have to explain it takes all the humor out of my post. I bet if I jumped on the drum head or shell, with boots on, it would crack like an egg. Now I qualify-I said "jump". So 220 pounds how high do I need to jump to exceed the resistance of the plastic or wood (I bet Mr.InsanePollock could figure that out LOL). I bet it wouldn't have to be that high? I think he handled it well-anybody "standing on my drum" would initiate a visceral reaction and sympathetic overdrive that hopefully someone nearby would see me melting down and keep me from going nuclear. Not cool jumping on the drums-unless you're the owner. But it also demonstrates how not losing your cool it all turned out great. So kudos for keeping your cool.
 
I wasn't even there and yet your story got me thoroughly pissed. lol

Hope your kit is alright OP!

Do we gotta start following the Air Force's lead and put "No Step" on our bass drums?

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EDIT:
Or better yet, make one of these with a drum on it.
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Wow. That is just serious disrespect, whether it's a house kit or not! Unfortunately, we live in a "throw away" society, and that's just the attitude some people have, even when it comes to instruments. It boggles my mind. Sorry this happened to you, and I feel your frustration. I gig my drums regularly, but I take very good care of them as well. All it takes is a knucklehead with no clue, like this singer, to mess it all up.
 
Heck Andy can design a high grade aluminium/alloy frame that will retro-fit in the bass drum and hold upto 500 lbs, AND without adding mass or alteingr the acoustics. No one else could do all three-strength, low mass, acoustically neutral. My brother threw and broke a 5A on my head when I was ten years ago (yeah explains a lot). Don't worry a few years later I got him. He was a Boy Scout and showing my other brother, a Cub Scout, a hangman's knot-and yes the fool got on a bucket and put the noose around his neck. So of course I kicked the bucket-what kid didn't play kick the bucket LOL. He lived if your wondering so no harm done-oh wait no he got down and pummeled me into unconsciousness. Yeah didn't exactly think that one out.
 
Thanks for all the replies. What a great community of people here.
Yea I really struggled with how to handle this in the moment. I was losing my s%$t when I saw standing on my kit. Luckily my friends and bandmates were doing their best to keep my calm. It seems the organizers were afraid to upset the headlining act. Hadn't I stepped in and said something, little to nothing would have been done.
I think this incident exposes a deeper issue. I think that in general most venues and some, if not most musicians don't view drums as a musical instrument. How many guitar players are asked to share their guitar with all the bands on the bill? Occasionally I'll see amps being shared but in my experience most guitar players will insist on using their own amps even if it's an inconvenience and takes more time in switching over between bands.
Anyway, I'm glad I kept my cool and I don't see me sharing my kit again unless the club wants to double my pay to cover damages. And we know how likely that is!
Thanks again folks for letting me vent and being such a supportive bunch.
 
Gah. Yes, she should know better than this.

If she is going to jump on a kick drum, the her drummer should bring one with him that's been reinforced just for that person. I'd get something like this.

17190365_916146311821507_1706661240852761497_n.jpg


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Thanks for all the replies. What a great community of people here.
Yea I really struggled with how to handle this in the moment. I was losing my s%$t when I saw standing on my kit. Luckily my friends and bandmates were doing their best to keep my calm. It seems the organizers were afraid to upset the headlining act. Hadn't I stepped in and said something, little to nothing would have been done.
I think this incident exposes a deeper issue. I think that in general most venues and some, if not most musicians don't view drums as a musical instrument. How many guitar players are asked to share their guitar with all the bands on the bill? Occasionally I'll see amps being shared but in my experience most guitar players will insist on using their own amps even if it's an inconvenience and takes more time in switching over between bands.
Anyway, I'm glad I kept my cool and I don't see me sharing my kit again unless the club wants to double my pay to cover damages. And we know how likely that is!
Thanks again folks for letting me vent and being such a supportive bunch.
I see the problem as more deep-rooted than the simple recognition of the property of others. We live in a me society today where respect and integrity no longer balances the actions of some.
 
I hope you've learnt a lesson here (don't let random yahoos use your shit), the major bummer is you've leaned it harder than most of us had to.

You did well to keep your cool. What that gobshite did was nothing short of rude. Playing the gender card there, if it had been a bloke it could have got physical.

Reckon their drummer didn't use his kit because the bass drum was broken......wonder why
 
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