Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
Last night I had a unique gig. I was called to play with a singer/guitar player and a bass player who I never played with before. Just three of us. Blues and funk gig, easy stuff. Soft music in a winery. I was familiar with about half the songs. Here’s the kicker, the bass player did not show up. The guitar player and I played the gig.
So I decided I would need to play more musically and play a little heavier on the bass drum. Everyone thought I played good. But I did not enjoy it too much. It was frustrating. Because it exposed how much the same I sounded on a lot of the songs. I know two or three funk beats and after a few funk songs and a few shuffles I was getting tired of hearing my same old drum beats. (But people were dancing!) To be fair the guitar player played a lot of the same sounding songs. But with no rehearsals and no bass player I struggled trying to make the songs sound musical. Not an easy thing to do. I felt very "Exposed", it was like being a front man on drums. I used sticks, rods, brushes, cross sticking, everything I could think of. I really missed a bass player to play off of, if you know what I mean. I kept thinking “what would Steve Gadd play”. Oh heck, Steve Gadd would turn down the gig and not be playing at this level.
I’ve been playing drums for over 60 years but it was still a trial by fire for me. I was sure everyone heard every little mistake I made.
Just wondering if anyone else has been stuck in a situation like this?!?!!?
.
So I decided I would need to play more musically and play a little heavier on the bass drum. Everyone thought I played good. But I did not enjoy it too much. It was frustrating. Because it exposed how much the same I sounded on a lot of the songs. I know two or three funk beats and after a few funk songs and a few shuffles I was getting tired of hearing my same old drum beats. (But people were dancing!) To be fair the guitar player played a lot of the same sounding songs. But with no rehearsals and no bass player I struggled trying to make the songs sound musical. Not an easy thing to do. I felt very "Exposed", it was like being a front man on drums. I used sticks, rods, brushes, cross sticking, everything I could think of. I really missed a bass player to play off of, if you know what I mean. I kept thinking “what would Steve Gadd play”. Oh heck, Steve Gadd would turn down the gig and not be playing at this level.
I’ve been playing drums for over 60 years but it was still a trial by fire for me. I was sure everyone heard every little mistake I made.
Just wondering if anyone else has been stuck in a situation like this?!?!!?
.