Things you learned not to do

I worked in a fairly high-end recording studio in NYC for couple years, and the amount of times a singer pulled this is countless.
Famous, not so famous, and all in between... A lot of singers have LSD ;) and they act accordingly, ime. I saw everybody from school kids to an actual damn Ghostbuster :D in that place, and singers were the worst.

That said, it wasn't always singers...at least one Top Line drummer did the same, albeit in a less dramatic way. But, still, "arrived, cater to me" was a thing.

I've never found threats to have a positive impact on the matter. I've always attributed said tardiness to two factors:

I. Other musicians have equipment to set up and tune. Vocalists, not so much. Some feel they don't need to arrive as early and thus end up being late.

II. Some singers have a flare for the dramatic. They like to make "entrances." Being on time bores them. They aren't showing up to work but rather to "perform." It's kind of like being fashionably late to a party. They want the tone of the room to change when they walk in.

It's cool. Whatever. Business as usual regardless.
 
Things I've learned, so far, as a musician-

Be on time- this means early.
Be prepared- this means know your stuff.
Be sociable- this means don't be an ass.
Be part of the group- this means even if you are a hired gun, play the gig like it's yours.
Be sober- this means just that, unless it's not that kind of band. Then, be as professional as possible.

Things I've learned, so far, as a drummer-

Don't hit yourself.




True story.
 
Things I’ve learned:
Don’t drink alcohol during a gig.
Drink water during a gig.
Play like I’m having the time of my life. The positive vibe is infectious.
Park as close as possible to the load in door.
 
I quit burying the beater into the bass. Always have time for your fans. Know the songs before band practice.
 
My teacher always stresses to not beat the drums to death when I play because you have no where to go as far as accents go
 
Dont use fart spray in a small basement bar. I didn't do it but was there. That smell lingered for hours.
 
Don't use a dremel tool (with a grinding disc) to cut a port hole in a bass drum head. It works but it takes forever to complete and looks really awful up close afterwards.
 
Don't use a dremel tool (with a grinding disc) to cut a port hole in a bass drum head. It works but it takes forever to complete and looks really awful up close afterwards.
I wish I had seen this. Being able to cut a circle with a grinding wheel in basically papery plastic sounds impressive. And frustrating too.
 
Don't grab a drum throne by the seat post unless you want grease on your hand.
 
Empty can heated on a stovetop works great, and takes 10 seconds to do.
If you have a can of the desired size (5" or 6" so you have the option to add a port hole ring afterward). An empty can of whole tomatoes doesn't fit that scenario.
 
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