So, I might be playing drums tonight at the gig instead of guitar, because the leader of the band forgot to book a drummer. And, while I've played drums in the studio to record my own songs, (which means, play, play, mess up, "dang", rewind, try again) I was looking for some tips on how not to suck too much tonight.

It'll be blues/classic rock/funk so I'm sure I wont be doing any Cobham/Buddy Rich crap, but, still, give me some tips!
[Edited 11/1/04 6:47am]

Stay on time and don't try all of the fills, concentrate on always coming back to the one. Kick, Snare, Hi-Hat and an occasional splash

Pretty much what slave said.
Don't EVEN try to get complicated with fills and such.

Just focus on the 2 and 4 and count like a mother for that ONE. If you can, practice today with your limbs at your desk until that one feels just as natural as breathing.

A good two hour warm up by yourself before the gig, with our without drums would do you a world of good for tonight.

OR
you could bring that drum machine with you and put a click track through some headphones. The rest of your band won't believe how IN TIME your are!

As far as putting a little icing on it as to not sound too bland, add some licks sparse, one limb at a time and always come back in on the one. as in keep a strait groove, but throw in a double kick hear and there then a triplet on the snare and maybe throw in some sups in the high hat ONLY if you are comphortable in knowing where that one is AT ALL TIMES.

Oh and like your web site says. Don't be so friggin' loud. You can always tell when someone doesn't play that often when they beat the living hell out of the skins with the look of a mad man.

There are lots of things you can do with your right hand as long as you stay focused on your foot and left hand. (Kick and snare) If you feel that your can't control your volume on the snare. (nervousness can do that) count with your breathing to calm your butt down.

During the blues sets, use a lot of rim shots and ride out on the ride cymbol. Let yourself be the least heard but be dynamic in a slightly louder crash here and there.


If all else fails, bring a set of hand percussion instruments. Tambourine, shakers (love shakers) and some bongo thingys for a nice long accoustic set.

JUST REMEMBER THAT YOUR JOB IS TO BE THE TIME PIECE FOR THE WHOLE BAND.
The licks don't matter a dern if they ain't in time. I want to hear a recording ok? I got a funny feeling you'll do just fine though.

Oh yeah!

Sit the base player right in front of you (almost facing you) where you can see him very clearly esspecially his foot. (just in case you get lost)

So come on , how did it go? I reckon you probably had a ball . And maybe needed a few of these after !

Yeah man, how did it go?

yes yes.
Spill it.

Let's seeeee. This was probably the BEST weekend I've ever had playing/performing my stuff. And not because I was in front of a million people, cuz I wasn't, and not because somebody offered me a record deal, cuz nobody didn't, but it was just ON.

capital O, capital N.

Friday:
Andrew calls and says, "dude, let's just do the show acoustic - more money, easier gig, no pressure". So I stop looking for a drummer/drumkit/abilities, and grab my acoustic and head for the bar.

I get to the bar and Andrew says, "I found a drummer, but I forgot to book a bass player. Go get your bass". So I turn around and run back to the crib to get my bass and amp and some bass toys. (I'm only 10 minutes from the gig so it's no big thang).

I get BACK to the bar and Andrew says, "hey man, you remember that bass player I was telling you about? The 18 yr old kid? I called him, he's on his way up, you got your guitar right?" which I DID, so I was ready to go. We started out the night as a 3 piece and played the funk and the rock. Some idiot asked for Sweet Home Alabama and I thump-popped that sucker out of the park. Some girl came up and showed us her, um, prized possessions for us to play some song. It's never happened before, honest, and well, needless to say, we played that lame ass song too.

And then the funky-ass 18 yr old kid shows up. And then we cut it loose. Once the band was oiled up and ready to go, we started cutting into the Otan catalog - from "Everybody Everybody" to "Oh Face" to "She's Too Rich For Me". The thing that blew me away is that Andrew had been listening to these songs - really LISTENING, so the little things I put in the demos that nobody ever picked up on - he was nailing them. Honest, the twelve people in the bar were the luckiest people on the planet on Friday because we were awesome. And hey - you know the Prince live version of "Sex Machine" that goes from "Gett Off" into a slower grumpier version of "Sex Machine"? Hell yeah. We did that too. I did Nasty Girl. I did Erotic City, and then, with that same groove, I went into "Comfortably Numb".

It was SICK. (But in a good way)

So then, Saturday comes and goes, I get me a couple of naps on, Sunday, I get boy 2.0 in his little pumpkin costume, go through the neighborhood, watch his head explode from learning that people just GIVE you goodies if you go to their door and ask. I'm sure when we go on our walk today, he'll be trying it again.

And then I went to the gig. This is the Sunday night, 10 til 2 gig. The loud as holy all giddyup gig. The nasty stank gig. My favorite.

I walk in, and our usual drummer is out on the road right now, so some new dude is there who, first thing he says is "hey Beau, I love the new song - "Love Sandwich" (WTF? That crap isn't online is it?) I don't even know this guy. BUT. He has a recording studio and needs a web site, ahhh, symbiosis is such a beautiful thing.

Now, while I saw no boobies at this second gig, it was still a better gig. After playing with Andrew for what, 6 months? we're tight - vocally, guitars, the thing is just sticking together like a 2-day-old-PBJ sammich. We played "Oh Face", "Superhot Ladycop", (my favorite, still), "Lover Not a Fighter" (my country twang thang), "Mary Jane", "Adore", some D'Angelo, some Isley Brothers, and a ton of other stuff. Andrew went into his classic rawk mode - doing shit like "Jack and Dianne", which, honestly, if I never hear that song again, I'll do aiight, but hey, he likes the tune, what can you do.

This thing is getting awesome. Andrew's stopped saying, "We're Andrew Black and the Believers" and is now saying "We're Heavyweight" which is the new project he and I are working on. There'll be a website soon, and all that crap. This is coming together fantastically. I'm loving it.

But hell yeah, I'm REALLY hurting this morning. Spose I should get some work done.

boobies


I had a blast last night with my son too. (He just turned 2)

I got him saying "Tickerteet" and after a few houses, he was a natural. I really had to watch out for him cause he's just a little guy and all the bigger kids was just stomping past him. Sure enough, this morning he was right in my face going "tickerteet"! It was just too friggin' cute watching his little eyes light up.

Sounded like last night was a double blast for you. I'll let you get some coffee now.

Holy crap, that's what i call having way too much fun! It happens...onya Dude !
otan ..... :

Great update, thanks for taking the time to type it.

Isn't it amazing when everything you've been working on and every little thing points to you and says "You are on the right track and you kick ass"?

It's what I love about life.

Now get some some sleep, you crazy mutha