Is it just me?

Well... unless people show up in my basement... gonna stay that way :) People think that it's weird that i only play for myself and don't want to play out or around people
You and me both sir, you are not alone in this.
 
I recorded myself last night for the first time in a couple of years... i think my recording setup is bad.. everything sounded ok in my head when i played. but... yeah... somehow Reaper was changing tempo just enough to annoy me.. and making the volume of my hats... hell i can't even make it funny.. i'm never playing in front of a human, recording is brutal :)
 
I recorded myself last night for the first time in a couple of years... i think my recording setup is bad.. everything sounded ok in my head when i played. but... yeah... somehow Reaper was changing tempo just enough to annoy me.. and making the volume of my hats... hell i can't even make it funny.. i'm never playing in front of a human, recording is brutal :)
You should have taken pictures. I bet guitar and bass players would have transposed in front of you!
 
I'll tell ya...I don't have an issue with this. To be at a gig where I get to hide & still get paid is paradise.
 
I'll tell ya...I don't have an issue with this. To be at a gig where I get to hide & still get paid is paradise.
for me it's less about me being seen (or not being seen) and more about having necessary interaction with the other musicians without them having to turn their back on the audience.

That's why I feel the drummer stage right or left facing in is the best position... a simple head turn and we are connected

I can see everyone and they can easily see me

The tradition of being stuck in the back is super old fashioned and not necessary
 
for me it's less about me being seen (or not being seen) and more about having necessary interaction with the other musicians without them having to turn their back on the audience.

That's why I feel the drummer stage right or left facing in is the best position... a simple head turn and we are connected

I can see everyone and they can easily see me

The tradition of being stuck in the back is super old fashioned and not necessary
This is everything right there. I'm usually behind something where I can't see anyone, or behind the bassist I need to communicate with and his very large cabinet!
 
Sorry bout my babbling post earlier, got bout 3 hours of sleep in the last 4 days (20 mins last night) and didn't want to make a thread whining about how bad i am... on the upside, i wish i had recorded myself consistantly for years as i now see it's value for seeing every massive flaw i miss when playing :) and back to your normal thread stuff... i'm gonna try to sleep..
 
Sorry bout my babbling post earlier, got bout 3 hours of sleep in the last 4 days (20 mins last night) and didn't want to make a thread whining about how bad i am... on the upside, i wish i had recorded myself consistantly for years as i now see it's value for seeing every massive flaw i miss when playing :) and back to your normal thread stuff... i'm gonna try to sleep..
I applaud your move, I still refuse to know. It sounds good in my head with the hearing protection on, the neighbors don't complain, so I'm good with that.
Ignorance is truly bliss.
 
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I suppose I have the opposite situation here, being in a three piece where the other members stand on either side of me. Green sparkle drums are also hard to miss, they pop right off the stage. The kit itself doesn't really obscure me either, and I tend to hope that giving the crowd a clear view of my playing is going to add to the entertainment value of the show.

I'm not the most outgoing person, but I try to remember that people think drumming is cool, and it's one more way to hold audience attention.... but they have to see it, first. I personally think bands and stage layouts should be pushing to make drummers quite visible unless that drummer specifically prefers to lay low. I suppose I'm also bitter about being in the crowd myself and struggling to watch the drummer, ha
 
Lol.. too funny. I've been musing about this for years. There are several things that bury the drummer - the ratio of band members to the stage size.. the smaller the stage or larger the number of band members - the greater the drummer vanishes from view. There are some things that help;
- don't let people park amps, stools, guitar stands, in front of your kit
- don't let Diva singers use a big honkin music stand that blocks out the view. Arggg! (learn your frickin lines!)
- keep a couple of small clip-on lights in your trunk.. in case the lighting sucks . At least you will be lit up no matter how drunk and asleep the sound/lighting guy is.
- a riser always helps.. as does a stage big enough for your band size.
- fog and lights can be a bad mix.. talk to the tech if they are using it and tell them to keep you lighted when they flood the stage.
My dream arrangement is a stage big enough to allow the drums to be more upfront with the singers who hog the limelight - always!
Or positioned sideways at the front, so the audience can actually see the drummer. I saw Joey Baron play like this once at Yoshi's jazz club - and it was kinda cool! (yes the Yoshi's where TOP had that unfortunate train accident)
 
Next gig, when you get to the venue, set your drums up to one side, but at the front of the stage, and refuse to move. You won't be in the way, and the audience will love seeing you.
I'm cool with that, & as we have a substantial keys setup - drums one side, keys the other makes a good aesthetic.

We're at a festival today - standard band layout, but as there's a drum riser + sufficient lighting, I think we're good to go.
 
There are a lot of gigs where it's best for a drummer to be heard but not seen -- I think of some of these huge pop shows or musical theater or whatever. I don't have any big desire to being seen in every circumstance. But there are some gigs where I'd be furious if the drummer wasn't visible and well-lit. If I went to hear a favorite drummer and he was tucked away behind gear and horn players and all that, I'd want my money back.

For some bands, the drummer is a huge part of the show. For others, not so much. When we're a big part of the show, light us up and make sure the audience can see us.
 
Nevermind the contortionist obstacle course to get behind the kit in the dark

That's definitely not fun. I have played with people who would consistently bury me behind equipment. I am always set up early because I have it down to a quick science. I leave the stage area, go grab a beverage, and when I return to play I find myself needing an olympic gymnast move to get into the kit. It's kinda stoopit on their part.

Same for sound guy who likes to mount mics inside my plane of play. I push them out of the plane when no one is looking. :)
 
I couldn't care less if people don't see me. I don't give it any thought.
 
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