Just a rant....

turbojerk

Senior Member
Ok rant time….

I have a fairly large gig on Saturday opening up for Burn Halo along with a few other bands as well. Well I just got a txt from our singer telling me that now 2 days from the show that I can’t use my kit and that they have some unknown 5pc that I’m supposed to use. Now I’m pist cause I REALLY don’t like using equipment that I’m not familiar with. I personally don’t consider myself as a “great” drummer, just average. That’s why I spend lots of time arranging my kit to suit my playing style and abilities. It really fries my ass when I get told to use something else than my own stuff. Just try and tell a guitarist that he/she has to use a house guitar…. Yeah right. I’m just real jacked that Drummers always have to deal with this schitt just because the sound guy is F’in LAZY!!! They keep playing the “change over” time card and I soooo sick of hearing about it….DO YOUR F’IN JOB! Christ, I only have a 4 pc set.

Ok, rant off…

Thansk for listening...
 
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I feel for you and totally agree. Just tell them "no"..see what happens..

Anyway, good luck.
 
Ha! I just told them I'm using my stuff and to deal with it! We'll see what happens(?)

I have used other "house" kits in the past and it’s always the same outcome, me not playing as well as I could have. It’s even worse when I have share a kit with another fellow drummer with their arrangement. Been there, done that too… Those days are over and at this point in the game I’m just as well to sit out of a gig that I won’t perform well at and be fine with it.
 
Hey, I personally quite like the challenge of playing on random setups.. I've even used a last minute setup of bins and cocktail jugs from a bar for a gig.. the cool part is trying to make it sound good. If you say no to those gigs you're limiting getting to play at all... I completely understand what you mean with guitarists etc getting to use the same setup all the time. But what about pianists? Often it's just the way it is, at least where I'm from.

IMO bringing breakables, bass pedal, a key and some felts/rubber tubing etc should do the trick until you're a pro and can call the shots.

Caroline
 
Hey, I personally quite like the challenge of playing on random setups.. I've even used a last minute setup of bins and cocktail jugs from a bar for a gig.. the cool part is trying to make it sound good. If you say no to those gigs you're limiting getting to play at all... I completely understand what you mean with guitarists etc getting to use the same setup all the time. But what about pianists? Often it's just the way it is, at least where I'm from.

IMO bringing breakables, bass pedal, a key and some felts/rubber tubing etc should do the trick until you're a pro and can call the shots.

Caroline

Ha,... Pro! LoL. Not going to happen....
 
That's rough... I too like to use my kit, and my kit only! Maybe if you offer to move the unknown 5 piece and set yours up for them it will be less of a problem? I don't see much difference in setting up your kit versus having to spend 15-20 mins adjusting and retuning the house kit... Then again, you may be surprised and find out the house kit is a really nice sounding set of drums? Doubt it, since everyone and their brother has probably played on it, heads are probably all jacked up, and cymbals are probably Planet Z's. Tough situation you are in, but be open minded and offer to do it all, if that's what it's gonna take!
 
That's rough... I too like to use my kit, and my kit only! Maybe if you offer to move the unknown 5 piece and set yours up for them it will be less of a problem? I don't see much difference in setting up your kit versus having to spend 15-20 mins adjusting and retuning the house kit... Then again, you may be surprised and find out the house kit is a really nice sounding set of drums? Doubt it, since everyone and their brother has probably played on it, heads are probably all jacked up, and cymbals are probably Planet Z's. Tough situation you are in, but be open minded and offer to do it all, if that's what it's gonna take!

I have considered being flexible about the situation. I’m going to offer that I set out to the side of the drum riser. That way all that is needed is a mic swap. Hell they have 10-15min’s to do that. Seriously if they have a problem with that there is an EXTREME amount of laziness going on.
 
That's why I always set up my own kit, no matter how big the gig. I never play a gig without my Sonors unless it's abosolutely impossible. I used to have an issue with rain, because I have a truck. I fixed this problem by buying a camper top. My old band practiced in our lead guitarists church every weekend. There was a 6 piece Pearl setup with Zildjians all the way around. But I still packed up my kit each and every weekend and I would move the pearls, and set my kit up. At the end of every practice I had to pack my kit up, and then move the Pearls back into place.
 
If there is a touring package AND several local bands it makes sense. I've worked on a small festival tour where the headliner and direct support shared a kit.The 5 signed bands beneath them shared another. Backstage space isn't limitless. Not a single drummer on the tour was playing his own kit.

I don't like playing someone else kit either but local support doesn't usually have much leverage to make demands.
 
Been there, done that. Be sure to bring your own pedals.
 
Ha! I just told them I'm using my stuff and to deal with it! We'll see what happens(?)
.

On one hand I want to high five you for standing up for yourself. On the other hand I'm curious to see if this will cause problems with the others involved.
I'm with you, people need to learn to deal with this fact. We should all unify and demand our own kits. All you have to do is get your set up and miced in the same amount of time you would have had anyway, not too hard with a few friends and a little prep work beforehand.
 
Here is my brief history on this and will explain why I’m being such a hard-ass.

There was on show I played several years ago where I used another drummer’s kit. All that I used was my cymbals. The only problem was that he liked to play his ride high to the right. I prefer low and to the right. Out of respect I didn’t want to readjust his boom to allow for me to do as I’m used to so I just put my ride into place high right which is normally a crash for me. I played a few songs uncomfortably but Ok. And then it happened. I kinda forgot about the ride placement and went for a crash but it wasn’t there. I hit the ride with the intent of a crash and I wasn’t mentally prepared for the back feed from the stick and neither was my grip. So off went the stick bouncing all over and landing out of reach. Normally not a problem (been there, done that) since I’d just grab another from my stick caddy. Well guess what,… not my kit and no stick caddy. My stick bag was in reach but unfortunately laying on the floor to my left…. So I had to switch hands and go for a left handed grab and it wasn’t good. I totally went out of time and damn near train wrecked us all! That was the last time that I used another kit but my own and I said that I’d NEVER do this again…

So that being said I’ll be that biggest asshole that I want to be. It's WAY better than the embarrisment I felt from that show for sure…
 
On one hand I want to high five you for standing up for yourself.

I don't consider it "standing up for yourself"...it sounds more like being stubborn. I love my kits, and I've spent countless hours adjusting tuning and shopping for hardware that gets them just how I want them to be, but I seldom loathe playing on someone else's kit. It's always an opportunity to play around with different drums/tuning/cymbals. I have never played on a kit that left me completely unable to actually play a gig. If it's unpleasant, just buck up, dig in, and say to yourself, "At least it's only for this gig". It shouldn't be unpleasant, though, because you didn't have to haul your own drum set at least. The only thing making the experience a bad one is your attitude about it. Here's some tips for getting over your anxiety about using drums other than your own:

1. The drums are not positioned to your tastes? You can either adjust them, or if that's not the case, you can bear to *suffer* the *ungodly inhumanity* of having to strike a drum that's a few inches away from where you'd normally like it. Oh...is it a few FEET from where you like it? As long as the kick, snare, and hats are within reach, you're good to go.

2. The tuning is bad/different/not how you like it? Take the opportunity to explore the palette of sounds you can get from a tuning that you'd normally not choose to use yourself. Even if the heads are pitted-in Hydraulics with towels thrown over them, you can still play the gig and express yourself on the drums. Heck, Phil Collins did it.

3. Are they not your preferred brand/finish/sizes? They're probably not anyone else's, either. Your playing is more important than your image. You will sound like you when you play, even if the drums aren't to your liking. Your attitude will also come through in your playing. Do you want to sound like the drummer who's really into the music and having fun, or the guy who really doesn't want to be there playing on the drums he's sticking his nose up to? It's your choice.

4. Remember, the sound guy has the power to shape your sound. Don't be difficult, or else he might just "set it and forget it" when it comes to your sound in the mix. If you're at least cordial, or even hopefully outgoing and positive, he might just spend a little more time tweaking as you go along to make sure that you sound really good. But, if you show up at the gig, stubborn as all get out, whining about having to use the backline kit (or even setting up your kit against their wishes--holy cow, man! I recommend that you DON'T do this!), then people are going to either ignore/avoid you or throw it back in your face. Don't be that guy. Be professional, or at the very least, mature.

Have a good gig! Let us know how it turns out...
 
Here is my brief history on this and will explain why I’m being such a hard-ass.

There was on show I played several years ago where I used another drummer’s kit. All that I used was my cymbals. The only problem was that he liked to play his ride high to the right. I prefer low and to the right. Out of respect I didn’t want to readjust his boom to allow for me to do as I’m used to so I just put my ride into place high right which is normally a crash for me. I played a few songs uncomfortably but Ok. And then it happened. I kinda forgot about the ride placement and went for a crash but it wasn’t there. I hit the ride with the intent of a crash and I wasn’t mentally prepared for the back feed from the stick and neither was my grip. So off went the stick bouncing all over and landing out of reach. Normally not a problem (been there, done that) since I’d just grab another from my stick caddy. Well guess what,… not my kit and no stick caddy. My stick bag was in reach but unfortunately laying on the floor to my left…. So I had to switch hands and go for a left handed grab and it wasn’t good. I totally went out of time and damn near train wrecked us all! That was the last time that I used another kit but my own and I said that I’d NEVER do this again…

So that being said I’ll be that biggest asshole that I want to be. It's WAY better than the embarrisment I felt from that show for sure…

Or, you can do what the rest of us do, and chalk it up to being a learning experience...
 
If you want to do festivals and events where there are a large number of bands, using a house kit is just going to happen from time to time. It's just part of being a drummer.

While I always prefer to use my own kit, I can't say it bothers me much to know I have to use a house kit. If anything, it's a nice break from having to lug around the gear.
 
There is no reason you shouldn't be allowed to adjust a backline kit.

Support slots are a huge help to local bands that are trying build a following. Is your band really prepared to pass on these gigs because their drummer refuses to adapt? If you don't,someone will.
 
I don't consider it "standing up for yourself"...it sounds more like being stubborn. I love my kits, and I've spent countless hours adjusting tuning and shopping for hardware that gets them just how I want them to be, but I seldom loathe playing on someone else's kit. It's always an opportunity to play around with different drums/tuning/cymbals. I have never played on a kit that left me completely unable to actually play a gig. If it's unpleasant, just buck up, dig in, and say to yourself, "At least it's only for this gig". It shouldn't be unpleasant, though, because you didn't have to haul your own drum set at least. The only thing making the experience a bad one is your attitude about it. Here's some tips for getting over your anxiety about using drums other than your own:

1. The drums are not positioned to your tastes? You can either adjust them, or if that's not the case, you can bear to *suffer* the *ungodly inhumanity* of having to strike a drum that's a few inches away from where you'd normally like it. Oh...is it a few FEET from where you like it? As long as the kick, snare, and hats are within reach, you're good to go.

2. The tuning is bad/different/not how you like it? Take the opportunity to explore the palette of sounds you can get from a tuning that you'd normally not choose to use yourself. Even if the heads are pitted-in Hydraulics with towels thrown over them, you can still play the gig and express yourself on the drums. Heck, Phil Collins did it.

3. Are they not your preferred brand/finish/sizes? They're probably not anyone else's, either. Your playing is more important than your image. You will sound like you when you play, even if the drums aren't to your liking. Your attitude will also come through in your playing. Do you want to sound like the drummer who's really into the music and having fun, or the guy who really doesn't want to be there playing on the drums he's sticking his nose up to? It's your choice.

4. Remember, the sound guy has the power to shape your sound. Don't be difficult, or else he might just "set it and forget it" when it comes to your sound in the mix. If you're at least cordial, or even hopefully outgoing and positive, he might just spend a little more time tweaking as you go along to make sure that you sound really good. But, if you show up at the gig, stubborn as all get out, whining about having to use the backline kit (or even setting up your kit against their wishes--holy cow, man! I recommend that you DON'T do this!), then people are going to either ignore/avoid you or throw it back in your face. Don't be that guy. Be professional, or at the very least, mature.

Have a good gig! Let us know how it turns out...

+1 on this.

Been there, done that many times.
After going though the same feelings as you have right now (years ago) here's what I realized:
The truth is, no one cares that you aren't using your kit, or that your kit is better.

They won't even notice that the sound is different. YOU will, the band might (maybe, they're just guitar players after all...), but the audience? Never.

I'll be doing at least 3 festival gigs in a few weeks.
The kits are average, not tuned the way I would (of course), and the stages I'll be playing on have different kits.
The kit on the National stage I play on is pretty nice, the other is NOT.

On past festivals, the sound crews have been the same, they'll see me and have asked me to tune the kit forcryinoutloud. At least they said "Please", "so we can get a decent sound".

To be the most comfortable, bring your snare, your pedal and cymbals. Your seat too, if you don't all have to ride in one vehicle to get to the show area.
With your snare, you'll hear what you are used to, and the feel of it. The pedal is the same.

If it's a back line kit, or one you are asked to use, I'd say it's going to be assumed that things will be adjusted. That's just the way it is.

I had to use the drummer from Trans Siberian Orchestras kit opening for Stryper.
There was a mix up in booking, they still really wanted us to do the show, but it was in my hands, and I just sucked it up because there was no time, or room to use my kit.

Talk about a different set up!
His toms were way higher, his hats were waaaaay higher, and his cymbals?...I had to reach to hit any of them. It was all on a rack and locked down, so even if I wanted to adjust anything, I couldn't.

The guy was cool (his name is Jeff, he's in the latest Pearl catalog), and we got along great, but it was just a screwy situation. I could have been a prick and thrown a fit, but it was only a 45 minute set, and it was fun anyway.

It was a packed show and people loved us, so even though it wasn't anything anyone planned to happen, Styper and their crew were great, Jeff was cool, and it was a win all around.
I still liked my kit better than his, which was a Masters, but it was a nice kit--even though the whole time I was uncomfortable.
You just do it.

Good luck, and just have fun at the show. It's not like you have to use the kit for more than an hour or whatever your set time is.

* The worst kit--which should have been great, was a Tama Star Classic with an Aquarian SuperKick head...but it had a GIANT comforter stuffed inside of it!
That's the way the guy liked it (???!!!), it took about 2 songs for the FOH to just get a sound out of the drum. Actual drumhead couldn't even be seen trough the mic port!

We could adjust anything we wanted, but there was nothing we could do to fix the bass drum. At least we were a couple bands down the line up, so there was bass drum coming through the PA, but you could not hear it behind the kit.
...On top of it, he was LATE bringing the kit to the show, which was a corporate thing!!

HAVE FUN at the show!!!
 
Or, you can do what the rest of us do, and chalk it up to being a learning experience...

If you read the post I did use the experience as a learning one. NO MORE PLAY OTHER KITS.

whining about having to use the backline kit (or even setting up your kit against their wishes--holy cow, man! ...

As far as whining,... Umm not really. You may as well ask NASCAR drivers to switch cars before a race. Extreme example but not too far off. And I don't really give two schitts about image.
 
Numerous times I've seen a name pro be in a situation where he has to play a kit that is not his, and may not even be set up for them, and they just walk up, sit down and shred as if the kit was set up their specs.

At the John Bonham Tribute show, each drummer was allowed to adjust heights, but everyone had to use the same Bonham Ludwig kit, without re-arranging anything. Here were the biggest names in drumming all forced to use the same exact kit, and I can't say anyone complained, nor did it affect anyone's performance.

So, I figure if the big names can use a hose kit without too many issues, I can too. It just comes with the territory.
 
If you read the post I did use the experience as a learning one. NO MORE PLAY OTHER KITS.



As far as whining,... Umm not really. You may as well ask NASCAR drivers to switch cars before a race. Extreme example but not too far off. And I don't really give two schitts about image.

Wrong attitude, but that's just my opinion.

Do what you want.


Good luck in the future.
 
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