Rookie mistake tonight

[B]

Due to quite a bit of miscommunication between me and a band leader, I ended up bringing a drumset to a festival gig only to discover from the stage crew that there’s a house kit that everybody is supposed to use.

I didn’t have a problem with that - I just put my gear back in the car thinking “cool - I just need sticks and my computer/in-ear rig for the show” and just relaxed for the 90 minutes I had to wait until we took the stage.

Show time comes and I go out on stage to see the guy who played before me and discover I have to use my own bass drum pedal, snare, and cymbals! The stage crew said it’s how they always do it, and I just assumed when you say “house kit”, it’s ALL of the kit (we do this at Disney and when we provide a kit, they guy gets everything)!

So I tell them I have to run to my car outside the venue to get what I need, but the stage manager wants us to start ASAP. I was blessed because the guy who was vacating just said I could use his Black beauty (that he put a new head on), his cymbals and his bass drum pedal. He was very cool with it and I felt even worse I didn’t have any cash on hand to at least give him a tip for helping me out!

I may have to find him and give him free tickets to Disneyland or something. This was such a rookie mistake. I should’ve checked what they meant by providing a house kit and not assumed it was the whole thing. But considering how much info between me and the band leader was just wrong, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised.

I suppose there’s no standard for this, but any of you experience this when told there’s a house kit? Maybe my arrogance got the best of me as I can pretty much play anything in front of me, but I shouldn’t have assumed “house kit” meant “the whole kit”? Which is weird because my last gig the house kit was everything!

It's taking me all morning to compose this reply. Rest assured, I did not think about it all morning, but I'm just getting to it now

But I had to think for a second about the terminology. And I came to the conclusion that house kit in my mind is generally something at a club that requires me to probably have something in my car to make more comfortable for me. Or that something on the house kit is janky or missing.

Backlined though means everything. Sometimes I'll call to make sure I don't need cymbals. If it's a fly date, I definitely won't.

But yes, definitely a difference between those two things in my mind, probably not everyone else's tho.

 

[Bo Eder]

It's taking me all morning to compose this reply. Rest assured, I did not think about it all morning, but I'm just getting to it now

But I had to think for a second about the terminology. And I came to the conclusion that house kit in my mind is generally something at a club that requires me to probably have something in my car to make more comfortable for me. Or that something on the house kit is janky or missing.

Backlined though means everything. Sometimes I'll call to make sure I don't need cymbals. If it's a fly date, I definitely won't.

But yes, definitely a difference between those two things

Well, in this case so many other things just weren’t communicated well to the band leader, and then nothing got to me. But it’s not like I didn’t have time to find out while I was hanging out and shootin the breeze with other band guys. And I should’ve done that. That’s where I failed. And I wasn’t even smoking pot (I swear that’s all I smelled backstage)!

 

[beatdat]

Rookie mistake? Or more a matter of a professional forgetting what it’s like to work with amateurs?

 

[Bo Eder]

Rookie mistake? Or more a matter of a professional forgetting what it’s like to work with amateurs?

Perhaps. But had I been thinking I should’ve asked what I needed to add to their house kit. Definitely not gonna forget next time

 

[B]

Perhaps. But had I been thinking I should’ve asked what I needed to add to their house kit. Definitely not gonna forget next time

Yeah man. Sometimes you just forget to make that call. You got 20 million things to do , like Lowell George said.

 

[Bo Eder]

Yeah man. Sometimes you just forget to make that call. You got 20 million things to do , like Lowell George said.

Yep - totally didn’t think about it. I mentioned smelling the marijuana backstage - maybe it was that.

Which brings me to another question: what is it with these band musicians drinking and smoking before a show? I’m not against somebody’s form of enjoyment but I got the impression at this show the performers really needed it. And I’m hanging out thinking, dude, you’re only gonna play for 50 minutes - if you can’t deal with yourself sober to do a show, maybe you’re doing the wrong thing?

I was just waiting so I can get on stage to do my thing, then get the heck out because I had things around the house I wanted to get done. I’m watching the other bands and they’re making use of their alcoholic drink tickets and smoking pot before they go on…. I certainly wouldn’t drink alcohol on my regular job (can you imagine going to your work and just pulling out some vodka for lunch?). I look at what I do as a professional task to do better than anybody else does it - any kind of inebriation is not cool. Maybe I’m getting too pragmatic in my advanced years…

 

[mikyok]

We've all been there. Festivals and organization doesn't really go in the same sentence.

At least you arrived over prepared. Up to the organizers to tell you what you need to use. Preferably more than as you're going on stage!

 

[Bo Eder]

We've all been there. Festivals and organization doesn't really go in the same sentence.

At least you arrived over prepared. Up to the organizers to tell you what you need to use. Preferably more than as you're going on stage!

And with the Devo band, I’m usually the guy getting in touch with the venue about ten days out tracking down the sound crew to discuss what we’re gonna do and what we need, but this band I let the leader do his thing and didn’t think I needed to check his work. Note to self to get in touch with the venue for ANY gig I’m going to be playing at!

 

[2 hit wonder]

I went to my local bike shop and saw the workers drinking beer during the work day. Lucky them, I thought. I frequently see bar tenders and servers having a shot bought by patrons. Lucky them, I thought to myself.
I've been around a bunch of people at jams and gigs smoking pot. They don't do it to escape themselves.

 

[Bo Eder]

I went to my local bike shop and saw the workers drinking beer during the work day. Lucky them, I thought. I frequently see bar tenders and servers having a shot bought by patrons. Lucky them, I thought to myself.
I've been around a bunch of people at jams and gigs smoking pot. They don't do it to escape themselves.

That sounds mysterious. What is narcism when mixed with escapism? Seems like they’d cancel each other out

 

[2 hit wonder]

That sounds mysterious. What is narcism when mixed with escapism? Seems like they’d cancel each other out

1) Some European societies frequently enjoy an alcoholic beverage at lunch on a work day.

2) Maybe the smokers do it so that they rememeber to bring all the gear that they might need for a gig, lol?

I'm sorta guessing about this part but I'm sorta leaning toward believing that they don't do it to feel entitled to determine why people behave a certain way.

 

[Bo Eder]

1) Some European societies frequently enjoy an alcoholic beverage at lunch on a work day.

2) Maybe the smokers do it so that they rememeber to bring all the gear that they might need for a gig, lol?

I'm sorta guessing about this part but I'm sorta leaning toward believing that they don't do it to feel entitled to determine why people behave a certain way.

So they do need it to be able to deal with an audience who could possibly be indifferent?

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

I'm so glad that 99.9% of my gigs are "bring your own everything" gigs. Given how relentlessly mediocre people are in my neck of the woods, if I had to do backline house kits on a regular basis I probably would have quit by now. Stories like this just confirm my feelings about "house kits".

thankfully, I can't remember the last time I had to use a house kit at a show....

We’re a machine. It always goes off without a hitch. This particular one was my Talking Heads tribute band and there’s only three of us and computer tracks on about 8 of the songs. Just so long as we have the blonde bass player, I don’t think anybody notices anything else View attachment 139379

man, that is a sweet Fender....oh!!!

Yep - totally didn’t think about it. I mentioned smelling the marijuana backstage - maybe it was that.

Which brings me to another question: what is it with these band musicians drinking and smoking before a show? I’m not against somebody’s form of enjoyment but I got the impression at this show the performers really needed it. And I’m hanging out thinking, dude, you’re only gonna play for 50 minutes - if you can’t deal with yourself sober to do a show, maybe you’re doing the wrong thing?

I was just waiting so I can get on stage to do my thing, then get the heck out because I had things around the house I wanted to get done. I’m watching the other bands and they’re making use of their alcoholic drink tickets and smoking pot before they go on…. I certainly wouldn’t drink alcohol on my regular job (can you imagine going to your work and just pulling out some vodka for lunch?). I look at what I do as a professional task to do better than anybody else does it - any kind of inebriation is not cool. Maybe I’m getting too pragmatic in my advanced years…

wait...you didn't get into music to get stoned or high? weirdo

 

[2 hit wonder]

So they do need it to be able to deal with an audience who could possibly be indifferent?

It's my understanding that it makes them more aware of the 'now' of their playing and the interplay with the band and crowd. IOWs, more keenly aware of the vibe and how they can join on and support it. Especially in the jam scene.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

It's my understanding that it makes them more aware of the 'now' of their playing and the interplay with the band and crowd. IOWs, more keenly aware of the vibe and how they can join on and support it. Especially in the jam scene.

that has not been my experience with "members in altered states" in my bands...they usually become a liability both musically, and socially....

 

[2 hit wonder]

that has not been my experience with "members in altered states" in my bands...they usually become a liability both musically, and socially....

But I remember a post you made once on the topic several months ago. Not saying you contradicted yourself on the topic but you did say that sometimes it seemed that it might have helped an individual perform.

I'm indifferent for the most part. I've been heavy into the formal/informal jam environment until recently. The heavy drinkers have been most frequently the liabilities I've experienced.

 

[Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX]

I'm indifferent for the most part. I've been heavy into the informal jam environment until recently. The heavy drinkers have been most frequently the liabilities I've experienced.

yeah....it has happened to me in every genre I have ever been a part of

but I am not indifferent if it ruins it for those of us who actually put time and effort into a gig being successful, and then someone messes it up b/c they make the selfish decision to get "altered".

After the performance, do what you want, but NOT before or during. That is just childish....

 

[Bo Eder]

thankfully, I can't remember the last time I had to use a house kit at a show....



man, that is a sweet Fender....oh!!!


wait...you didn't get into music to get stoned or high? weirdo

She’s a fan of the Jazz - I think because the neck is a little narrower?

Well, I got into music to be good at it

 

[JimmyM]

I really don’t care what anyone else does unless they jack the show. I’ve worked with alcoholics, potheads, even an occasional junkie or two (didn’t know they were at the time). Nowadays for me it’s more like the folks I work with have a drink or two during the night (I don’t touch alcohol anymore…never really liked it and always had such a low tolerance to it…cheap date, as they say), or a couple swats (which I enjoy immensely ).

I have rarely had to deal with anyone jacking the show over it since the 80s, maybe once. So I’m all about live and let live.

And I got into music for the girls.

 

[Bo Eder]

I really don’t care what anyone else does unless they jack the show. I’ve worked with alcoholics, potheads, even an occasional junkie or two (didn’t know they were at the time). Nowadays for me it’s more like the folks I work with have a drink or two during the night (I don’t touch alcohol anymore…never really liked it and always had such a low tolerance to it…cheap date, as they say), or a couple swats (which I enjoy immensely ).

I have rarely had to deal with anyone jacking the show over it since the 80s, maybe once. So I’m all about live and let live.

And I got into music for the girls.

I live and let live too, I was just alluding to the fact that you don’t need it if you’re only playing for 45 minutes. Heck, it takes longer for the stuff to get into your system then it does to do the show, doesn’t it?

So for the folks that do it to alter themselves to enjoy it more, it seems like more time. I’d rather show up, hit the stage and then leave before everybody else