Tonight's gig (Do you all consider hardware as breakables?)

jaykaydrums

jaykaydrums

Silver Member
so, did a show tonight with the metal band ive recently joined, first show with them and we went down really well :)

rider said everything was proided, just had to provide breakables.


NOW.....heres the question.

do you all consider hardware as breakables? as the usual thing for breakables round my way is sticks, snare, pedal, cymbals.

but tonight (even though we were told everything was provided), every drummer was apprently expected to bring their own hardware, which isnt what i consider breakables, luckily a very lovely drummer from one of the other bands let me use his stands and throne (to which i was eternally grateful and aid if he ever needs anything to hit me up and i'll provide what he needs if i can!)

SIDE RANT:

why do some soundtechs not listen when you ask them something??? my band ran backing tracks and a click track (which i had fed from the bands mini mixer in to my small mixer) and all i needed from the soundguy was vocals, so he ran a cable no problem from the stagebox to my mixer, gave me some vocals, i adjusted the level, no problem. come show time we all fire in, i suddenly get this HUGE clipping signal of guitars that overpower everything fed into my mixer and it deafens me a bit and throws me out of time! it got so bad to the point i had to mute the channel the FOH monitor mix mid-song because it was overpowering that much that was going into it and jsut rely on the click, guide guitar and bass tracks and backing tracks, no vocals whatsoever.

TLDR good FOH mix, really bad monitor mix.

/rant.

anyhoo, kit for tonight was a lovely pearl vision kit, with decent heads and tuned well, my amedias on full display (which got a LOT of compliments from drummers and the sound tech!), and my pearl virgil donati snare drum :) with yamaha flying dragon strap-drive double pedal. the guy who let me use his hardware has a czarcie kopyto double pedal and he let me have a quick try, it was absolutely rapid and so so so smooth!!

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drumnut87 said:
do you all consider hardware as breakables? as the usual thing for breakables round my way is sticks, snare, pedal, cymbals.
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I would agree on those items, but never heard of a hardware requirement (I assume that means stands?)

As for your mix not being the same for the show, the board either couldn't save the mix, or they just forgot to switch it to your band's presets, which could have been accomplished after the first song with a word to them. Guessing the board couldn't save mixes.
 
bermuda said:
I would agree on those items, but never heard of a hardware requirement (I assume that means stands?)

As for your mix not being the same for the show, the board either couldn't save the mix, or they just forgot to switch it to your band's presets, which could have been accomplished after the first song with a word to them. Guessing the board couldn't save mixes.
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yeah i was meaning stands :) nobody at the venue thought to tell us that each drummer needed their own in the provided gear list requirements (not that we could of brought any anyway as we only had one medium sized car with 5 of us plus guitars and pedals, my general breakables and a bass amp)

and was a behringer X32 digital desk, it didnt help that the 2nd band to soundcheck took over 30 mintues to soundcheck and left us with less than 7 minutes to set up and soundcheck our gear. they gave me a vocal-only mix in soundcheck, but then showtime they messed it up royally, to the point my hearings still a bit woolly today after a good nights sleep cause it was that loud and piercing.
 
They should specify stands in any itinerary but lets be honest most venues don't really care and stands get trashed when multiple crap drummers are let loose on them.

Just look at it as a lesson learned, I always used to take stands regardless, makes changing bands a lot quicker. You just take everything backstage and pack it away there. Don't be that guy who packs down on stage and makes every other band late!

As for the on stage sound that sounds par for the course. PITA band taking forever to soundcheck for a 30min set and it leaves you with no time for yours and the sound guy had probably had enough at this point.

Keep original gigs as simple as possible. Soundcheck quick, get on stage quick and get off stage even quicker. Thanks for reminding me that the original scene is just as annoying as it was when I was on it 20 years ago lol!
 
I don’t consider stands to be “breakables.”

What I *DO* know, however, is that I need to be prepared in the event of showing up to a gig where I don’t have the necessities.

I showed up to a gig where the drummer providing the backline told me to just bring my cymbals. It turns out he forgot his bass drum pedal. Luckily, I had brought one, as a backup. Also, he only had stands for 1 crash and 1 ride. It’s a good thing I brought another stand, too.

Unless you clarify, or get a specific list of the backline gear, you’ll never know exactly what gear situation you’re walking into.
 
mikyok said:
Don't be that guy who packs down on stage and makes every other band late!
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I’m on the opposite side of this viewpoint: Stop normalizing shows that have 15 minute (or less) turnovers between bands to strike one drum set and set up another! Also, don’t be that guy who complains about me packing up on stage! If time is tight, backline a kit. If not, get off my back!
 
I've been burned by the promise of backline enough to know that if it is at all possible I bring pretty much everything I'd need to play. If it's a solid backline kit, great, it saves me having to unload mine. But if anything is missing or not up to standard, I can pull what I need to do the show.

One thing I wish was more normal was venues/backline providing an EXACT LIST of what they are providing. That way there's no surprises. I would never think of stands/pedals as being "breakables," and I wouldn't expect a backline kit to not have them.
 
I don’t consider hardware breakables, it’s certainly not the norm but it has happened to me once.

Turned up at a gig where I was told to bring ‘breakables’ by the promoter so brought snare, pedal and cymbals.

No stands. Similar to you I had to borrow someone else’s.

Now I always ask people to detail what exactly they mean by breakables, so there is no confusion or nasty surprises.

It’s certainly not the norm though!

Glad to read that you got around it!
 
i would of taken my own stands, but there was only one medium sized car for 5 people, 2 guitars, a bass, a bass amp, the backing track mixer, all my usual breakables and my own mixer, so there wasnt any physical space to take my own stands.

ive told the band though that they need to get crystal clear instructions as to whats provided and what i need to bring. (usually its about as clear as mud)
 
Stands aren't breakables, the wingnuts and felts get lost/taken. Threads strip, but....you're not hitting or kicking them.

I didn't appreciate the crew at a good sized venue stacking my Signia drums individually on the concrete pad off stage as part of the striking process while the headliner's stuff was all in place behind us already.
I'll bring a moving blanket next time to fix that.

During and after that concert several people said we shoulda been the headliner. I'll attribute some of that to people not being familiar or appreciative of a Kid Rock tribute. They were alright, tho.
 
caddywumpus said:
I’m on the opposite side of this viewpoint: Stop normalizing shows that have 15 minute (or less) turnovers between bands to strike one drum set and set up another! Also, don’t be that guy who complains about me packing up on stage! If time is tight, backline a kit. If not, get off my back!
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I'm referring to sharing a backline kit! Very rare to see 2 kits on an original gig.

Unfortunately due to divas during sound check it makes the turnarounds tight. Been that way for decades.

If I've paid to see a band and someone can't take their gear off stage to pack it away backstage like breakables and cymbals on stands and it cuts the headliner short, you're damn right I'll be that guy! It's not professional and really rubs other bands the wrong way.
 
Wouldn’t consider them as breakables but I have played nights where drummers are told to bring stands to speed up the change over. So you have your stands set up nearby at the right height and a team carry them on as the other drummer has their stuff carried off. I had that on rock/metal nights, and also at fringe festival shows. After a month of daily shows it gets super slick, like 2 minutes to be on stage ready to play! Needs to be communicated in advance though.. I’ve never heard of these being described as breakables. Maybe thats what they intended and got the terminology mixed up.
 
Breakable are sticks and heads. And cymbals, I guess.
 
I don’t consider stands to be breakables, but people are people and things never go right. For a backline or a “bring breakables” gig, I take snare and stand, throne, hh clutch, pedal, cymbals, and stick bag with assorted felts and sleeves. In my vehicle lies a full set of DW Ultralight hardware, spare snare, and a pedal because of this exact scenario.

Unfortunately you didn’t have room for that, but this will happen again.
 
Agree with most here, stands are not breakables, yes I carry a spare boom stand in the car as well as felts, plastic holders and wingnuts just in case. If you want to be extra flexible you can add one of the L arm mounts for a tom or other stuff too which helps cover bases. I sometimes carry my own hi hat stand as well, depends on the venue.
 
caddywumpus said:
I’m on the opposite side of this viewpoint: Stop normalizing shows that have 15 minute (or less) turnovers between bands to strike one drum set and set up another! Also, don’t be that guy who complains about me packing up on stage! If time is tight, backline a kit. If not, get off my back!
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If you're packing up on stage and there is a band waiting to get on stage after you then you're being majorly inconsiderate. (To put it nicely)
And why on earth would you want to have more time between bands if it's not necessary? Sounds like the perfect way to lose a crowd.
 
I don't think I've been in a situation where there is no hardware on a backline kit before. Bad hardware, yes, or too few stands for my preference. Should be specified in advance though, on a tech. rider. I might bring an extra cymbal stand or two if I can drive to the place myself, otherwise it's usually snare, pedals, cymbals, sticks. Maybe a throne as well, I'm too old now to survive on a student level throne 😅.

Backline kits have kind of been the norm for me for a long time now, unless we are the only band for the night. Have not used my own kit for over a year. You get used to it, but I miss knowing exactly what I will play and how it's set up and sounds.
 
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Recently, I've told drummers who use my kit to feel free to use my kick drum pedal and my drum throne these days if they want. I usually just pull my cymbals and snare off. I've never heard of bringing your own hardware/stands, but I'm not into the metal scene.
 
drumnut87 said:
anyhoo, kit for tonight was a lovely pearl vision kit, with decent heads and tuned well, my amedias on full display (which got a LOT of compliments from drummers and the sound tech!), and my pearl virgil donati snare drum :) with yamaha flying dragon strap-drive double pedal. the guy who let me use his hardware has a czarcie kopyto double pedal and he let me have a quick try, it was absolutely rapid and so so so smooth!!
Click to expand...
So you too agree that cheap pedals (or I should say cheaper pedals not bad quality just not top of the line) don't play the same as top of the line pedals? (such as the Czarcie Kopyto). I believe it is not just a psychological thing, you can physically feel the difference in...Smoothness? when playing higher end pedals.
In my case Axis pedals allowed me to do much faster singles than I could do with any other pedal at the time. I later tried a very solid DW and even a Roland pedal, both felt the same (very smooth with no slack even though they were chain driven).
I can imagine how great the Czarcie's must feel!.
(Khrim stated that at first they felt too heavy for him, then he got used to them and of course now he still uses them).
 
I'm in the other boat completely - I almost never get asked to share a kit or use backline, mostly because I'm in the sticks and there's not really any way to provide backline equipment. On the contrary, I often get asked by out-of-town bands if they can use my kit. I usually ask them to provide at a minimum their own snare and cymbals (unless it's someone I know very well and trust).

To me, breakables does not include hardware. But then, if someone were to say "we have a kit, just bring breakables", I would say, "More info, please - what specifically do you expect me to bring?" Understanding that breakables means different things to different people, and why set myself up for failure?

If the scene is such that someone gets their nose bent out of shape because I dared ask specifics about the musical instrument I'm expected to play at a performance, it's not my scene. And why would it be acceptable to jerk the drummer around about this? They're already making a compromise having to play an instrument that's not theirs. Only grand pianists seem to have similar issues.
 
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