DRUMMER CAFE

Every time I set up for a gig, I always (out of habit) go out to the front and see what my kit looks like. Make sure the toms are straight, make sure my 2 crashes are at the same height, make sure a mic cord isn't covering up part of the 'Yamaha' on my kick, etc.

Then I think to myself what am I doing? Does it really even matter??? Am I being overly anal about this? Who cares what the kit looks like as long as it's comfortable and I sound good.

Just wondering if anyone else does this? Is having an aesthetically pleasing (to the audience) kit important to you? Or not?

I do the same thing when I watch myself play. Even on songs that I’m really feeling and really getting into, I still look like Charlie Watts when I go back and watch myself. I look flat out BORED a lot of the time, even when I’m not. Should I try to change that, or does it even matter? 

I'd be interested to hear what some of our professional touring guys have to say about this.

lol, ditto! I do the same rituals, ALL OF THEM! Then just when I get it right, I start over again. I will always see something I missed. (Obsessive compulsive disorder I guess). I think if you dont look good, or feel good you dont sound good. We also try to be more than musicians as well, gotta be entertainers, makes a big difference. Light shows, cool awesome well kept gear, fog machines, hair gel, deodorant all go well together. lol. I have seen guys though with old, crappy drums set up way crazy and what I would say not very ergonomic, and crooked didnt look like he cared for his gear, and was so fugly I thought geez he had to become a musician or else he'd never get any _ _ _ _ _! But man he killed the kit, sounded great so who knows.

I care about how my set-up looks and feels behind the kit.  I stand back from behind the kit (sometimes) to make sure (for example) that my Floor Tom is level with the Snare, which is how I like it. For the most part, however, I do an "inventory roll-call" from behind the kit while I'm seated. I check for instrument angles, making sure that as I move from  drum to drum my sticks are hovering about 2-inches, parallel above the surface.

The only time I make changes based on what it looks like out front is when something looks really strange ... and making the change would not affect how the kit feels or how I play it.

If the instruments are clean, as opposed to dusty, there's not much else I worry about. I know it will look great out front, and on occasion I do check out from to confirm what I already know.

I often step back and look at what my kit looks like. Partially to make myself smile because I think the instruments I have are beautiful, and partially because it brightens the whole stage show. Every little detail counts.

Even if the general average audience member doesn't notice. The 4 or 5 drummers out there will notice, and they may appreciate the little extra effort.  They might even say something about it to you after the gig.  And thats how you know you're appreciated.

aw, crap. I was afraid it wouldn't work.


well you can go to www.myspace.com/debbthedrummer and take a peek at the gig pics. you'll see a rather awkward-looking yamaha kick drum logo.

Not really.  I set up so that the drums are positioned for me.  Cymbals are positioned at heights and angles that make them easiest for me to play them.  I don't really care how that looks to the audience. 

That being said, I like them to look nice so, I try to keep fingerprints off the front bass drum head, chrome rims, and shells.  I try to keep cables routed in a tidy manner - not so much for looks, but for safety.

BUT - it's a gig, not a catalog photo shoot, so I'm not all Rain Man about it.

I keep the dust off and make sure the shells stay protected as much as possible, but I don't position my drums physically to satisfy any aesthetic goal. I set them up like I want them so that I can play everything from a relaxed, comfortable position. I may be sacrificing the dramatic effect of 10' cymbal stands or whatever, but my body thanks me.

The comfort of the kit is most important to me, so positioning of cymbals & toms for playability takes precedence over whether they look 'right' to the audience.

As for me, I look how I look, and try to dress as decently as my arm movements will permit.

There is one consideration I make for the look out front though, and that's to have a white or light-colored kit, so that the lighting refelcts on them for a more dynamic look. Dark drums tend to get lost onstage, and they also look smaller. Given that I really can't appreciate how the kit looks when I'm sitting behind it, a 'cool' finish isn't a priority.

Bermuda

I am first and foremost an entertainer. Yes I'm a musician but its all part of the show.

I'm not one to hurt myself for a little bit of flash on stage and comfort is important, but look at famous entertainers in the past who were known for both music and appearance.  Kiss's costumes probably weren't the best playing attire, nor did Michael Jackson's dance moves help his pitch while bouncing around.  A large part of entertainment has always been flash.

A question that comes to mind is whether you're a background band or a foreground band.  Are you there for easy listening quietly behind conversation or are you the main act or the reason the listener is attending whatever gig?  Is visual important in your specific case? Some yes and some no.

 
Yeah, I like to come down after setting up and walk in the middle or back of the hall to see what the arrangement looks like - if I have time. But most often I just see what it looked like in the photos that might be taken by a friend or someone. And the same regards sound. You can never tell what you sound and look like unless a decent video is taken of the show. But you get used to this, don't you?