How much will you compromise when sharing another drummer's kit?

larryace said:

I adjust the snare, throne, hi hat, and cymbal heights and angles if they are too wacky. I don't touch the racks, and the floor tom usually is no big issue. If anyone tries to interfere, I'm at the point now where I don't pay any attention. I'm playing them how I need them. I'll be a dick if pushed too, I don't care. I know how to treat drum equipment. I won't undo mem locks though, in that case I will work with what I have.

Most of the time everything is mem locked or unadjustable for one reason or another. In that case I adjust what I can and suffer like everyone else.

I let my kit get adjusted when I am the "sharer". I think it's rude to be the kit provider and forbid adjustments. Very dick-ey IMO. Another pet peeve of mine is the strength at which people tighten stuff down. Just way too much force to hold a cymbal stand height.

Sometimes you have to be a dick. If some guy is providing a kit and doesn't let anyone adjust anything, he's a selfish uncaring dick. Which gives me a right to be a dick right back to them IMO. I feel I've earned that right since I share my kit every week and allow almost all adjustments (no rack tom adjustment allowed, too problematic with my bass drum tree) I always return a kit I adjusted to how I found it. I don't adjust the toms, no matter what.

Click to expand...

As far as I'm concerned, allowing another drummer to use your kit is a privilege. Hauling even a standard "four by four" (four drums, four cymbals) with all the stands/hardware and everything else is a pain, and sometimes, for logistical or other reasons, just isn't practical or even possible to do. It's a big favor to allow you to use their drums, because, unless you can magically generate a drum kit, you need the drums to be there to play a gig, obviously, and they are facilitating it. They are helping you out in a big way.

If a drummer basically says "Sure, you can use my drums, but I would prefer if you used them as is, without any adjustments", and you argue, act like a diva, and have a hissy fit, not only are you not acting like a professional, you are acting like a total jerk yourself IMO. Bring your own drums if you want to have everything your way, but not respecting the wishes of someone who is making it possible for you to play a gig without hauling all that stuff is rude as hell.

Also, just my pet peeve, but I like when people show appreciation when you do them a favor. Last show I played, I provided the kit (show was set up through the bass player, who said it wasn't possible for the drummer to bring his own, I said sure) and the drummer didn't say a word to me all night, banged up my snare batter pretty good, and didn't even thank me for the privilege of beating the crap out of my kit. I would feel pretty crappy about myself if I did that to somebody else.

Otto said:

you can tell you are cattle when you are prodded into a generic stall and told to produce milk

what you accept tends to be what you get

Click to expand...

Good point. I don't care what people think of me I just say what I like and usually get my own way. I wormed it so I'm the only deummer using my own kit and all the other bands use the house kit.

I like my kit and I hate people messong with my rack or hitting them with their useless, drunk hands.

The way I see it is most people could use their own kits if they wanted to but, they don't want.
They want to turn up with a pair of sticks sometimes not even that), use your kit that you've spent all your hard earned cash on. watch as you set it up, then bash it like a neanderthal, go to the bar, get even more drunk, go to a nightclub afterwards then go home with no baggage (unless they bag a steamer), while you pack your stuff up, carry it out, go home and then have to drive back into town if you want to go out with the rest of the crowd and you can't deink 'cos you drove there.
No thanks, id they're not dedicated enough to buy their gear and WANT to play it then they can sit and watch.

I compromise on bigger gigs or festivals but, usually the people are more professional anyway. Don't care if I upset the local doylums though....

Chunky - Hellraizer said:

Good point. I don't care what people think of me I just say what I like and usually get my own way. I wormed it so I'm the only deummer using my own kit and all the other bands use the house kit.

I like my kit and I hate people messong with my rack or hitting them with their useless, drunk hands.

The way I see it is most people could use their own kits if they wanted to but, they don't want.
They want to turn up with a pair of sticks sometimes not even that), use your kit that you've spent all your hard earned cash on. watch as you set it up, then bash it like a neanderthal, go to the bar, get even more drunk, go to a nightclub afterwards then go home with no baggage (unless they bag a steamer), while you pack your stuff up, carry it out, go home and then have to drive back into town if you want to go out with the rest of the crowd and you can't deink 'cos you drove there.
No thanks, id they're not dedicated enough to buy their gear and WANT to play it then they can sit and watch.

I compromise on bigger gigs or festivals but, usually the people are more professional anyway. Don't care if I upset the local doylums though....

Click to expand...

I cant get away with that around here, if I want to use my own kit then everyone has to use it, and since id rather not do that then I am stuck playing the rental and the only bands that get booked for the paying gigs throughout the rest of the year are the ones that play the multi-band nights and you get very little time to adjust things, the dj usually plays only 2 songs while one band leaves and the next band starts so you only have about enough time to adjust the throne, snare and hats, check you mic and monitor and its time to start playing.

I share a Starclassic racked 5-piece with a few other drummers. The set-up never changed for months, just the seat kept getting lower and lower. So I started using my own seat because it is more comfortable anyway. I always bring my 18" crash and my own sticks even though there is a slew of them already there because I like my sticks wrapped. I'll play with some thunder rods on a couple songs too just for fun.

But last practice, everything was super low and all outta whack because some short kid was playing it. I was able to finally set it up the way I liked it to be and it was the best that kit has ever played for me...for obvious reasons. Usually I smack the rims a little because I wasn't entirely comfortable with the way it was. But it wasn't so bad that I needed to change it. We'll see if the next drummers make some adjustments. I'm interested in what the set will look like next time we jam.

tard said:

I cant get away with that around here, if I want to use my own kit then everyone has to use it, and since id rather not do that then I am stuck playing the rental and the only bands that get booked for the paying gigs throughout the rest of the year are the ones that play the multi-band nights and you get very little time to adjust things, the dj usually plays only 2 songs while one band leaves and the next band starts so you only have about enough time to adjust the throne, snare and hats, check you mic and monitor and its time to start playing.

Click to expand...

You should give it a try, push them a bit.

In my area about 10 Years ago the scene was great, really alive, great crowds etc. Usually there'd only be 2 bands on. 3 at the most so everyone had their own gear. No-one ever had their own PA so that was a bit of a problem.

Very quickly loads of wannabe event promoters turned up over night (usually an arrogant lonely member of the crowd from the scene) and they either buy a PA or rent one and get the bands to pay for it.
they started putting 6 to 8 banda sometimes more on one show, there'd be 1 kit, sometimes only a soundcheck for the 1st band. Often the bands would either get a free pint or 5 pound petrol money! while they walked away with all the money.

This just wouldn't do for me. My last band was popular at time so we headlined alot of the shows, the promoeter used to hide from me 'cos I'd always corner him and take about half of his cash.
Why do these talentless, thoughtless idiots get to make the most money out of the the people actually turning up with their own material and providing entertainment?

These shows still go on today but, the really good bands have disappeared and turned into digital internet bands. my band have to a certain extent and we're very picky now about what shows we play, who with, where and the situation with gear.
The scene is ran by just an average pub drinker who justs asks bands to play, vooks the gig and gets the cash, it's really ruined the scene. The crowds are none existent. I've seen a few big, signed bands play the 02 acedemy round my way, a good venue and have had to play the small room and still get a smaller crowd than we used to get when we played a dingy little pub when we were teenagers. It's sad.

The small room in the acedemy is 500 pound to book plus you have to get over a certain number of people in or you get fined. with the crap turn outs and playing with other bands how can you possibly make any profit?

It's nearly always a loss and to me it's the only venue worth playing in the area now.
Things are not good!

I hate having to use other peoples kits and not the biggest fan of letting them use mine.

Generally I will listen to a bands music beforehand to get an idea of the style of the drummer before I say they can use my kit. The caveats to using my kit are - use your own snare, sticks, cymbals. I also let them know they may want to bring their own hihat stand as I use a remote speedy hat.

I let them adjust my kit to however they need it to be. I know my equipment back to front and can change it back to my preferred setup quite quickly.

Last night I played a gig and one of the members didnt pass on the message to bring their own hihat. I adjusted the remote speedy in the most conventional manner I could.

My new setup is going to be a real pain and not possible to share. Its a traps a400 with the mics built into the rack, Remote speedy hat with the hat mounted off the rack and sleishman double pedals. I am just going to be up front and say not kit sharing at all.

Xenu said:

I hate having to use other peoples kits and not the biggest fan of letting them use mine.

Generally I will listen to a bands music beforehand to get an idea of the style of the drummer before I say they can use my kit. The caveats to using my kit are - use your own snare, sticks, cymbals. I also let them know they may want to bring their own hihat stand as I use a remote speedy hat.

I let them adjust my kit to however they need it to be. I know my equipment back to front and can change it back to my preferred setup quite quickly.

Last night I played a gig and one of the members didnt pass on the message to bring their own hihat. I adjusted the remote speedy in the most conventional manner I could.

My new setup is going to be a real pain and not possible to share. Its a traps a400 with the mics built into the rack, Remote speedy hat with the hat mounted off the rack and sleishman double pedals. I am just going to be up front and say not kit sharing at all.

Click to expand...

I have a simimar problem. I have a rack and it's set exactly how I want it and I'm obsessive with the detaiks, hate stuff moved. Besides, I tighten things so tight no-one can ever undo them so I have to do it for them. Plus, I'm tall so I've modified my floor tom legs so they go alot higher and they hav memory locks underneath so you's have to completely undeo my set-up. And also lower my main rack bar to get the rack toms lower.
It's no good.

Was recording a band tonight in our studio, my kit was set-up and mic'd so I said just my kit. He didn't have much experience. Firstly my drums were physically too high for him to play as he's alot shorter than me. then she stsrted smashing my very expensive ride like it was a crash! ah my God! I felt every blow!

In the end I ended up recording the drums for him as he wasn't used to a click and they wanted all parts down in 6 hours (1 song).