On drums...

I've recently mentioned how I haven't split sticks,cymbals or dented skins in many years. Years ago I played Thrash/Death Metal , and used to smash the life out of things , but Blues Rock, Age, Cost, Effort ........Whatever it was, I just stopped breaking stuff.

Been playing heaps of low volume gigs, but the last 2 weeks we've played 2 gigs (1 each week) in the CBD of Melbourne at high energetic volumes, original tracks, 45min set. It had been months, yet we still had almost weekly low volume 3x '45min set' gigs.

We had rehearsed hard, and we're pumped to play LOUD .
First gig, very stiff, split a stick 2nd song,but, still not pulling the body I wanted from the kit, so I hit harder, and played stiffer,and I became fatigued easily .
Second gig, same routine, worse stage sound , played smoother, yet more forceful when needed. Way more solid , and still hit quite hard, harder in fact (so I was told, by more than 1 person). Didn't break anything, and....
We Rocked .
Although we were well received on both occasions, you know when you are On, and when..........
I had the same routine, and felt good prior to gig on both occasions. The stick breaking completely threw me, I even dropped a stick several songs later, could never quite get it back, bizarre .

Don't know why I started this thread, maybe just to see if any of you guys have had similar experiences when playing Live.
That comfort zone can be difficult to catch when the gig starts off a little unplanned. Mental Attitude has SO MUCH to do with performance . I've been playing Live weekly or fortnightly for ages now, and haven't been thrown like this in years, What gives..

Cheers

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Jeff
Gots ta luv da Beech
Australia

Happens to us all, Jeff.

Sometime it just isn't flowing and we try to force it.

Easy in in theory, but in practicality it is difficult to respond to 'it ain't working' by relaxing.

Hell, if everything was the same, there would be now highlights.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

And those bad gigs seem to be felt more by the band. The audience is usually clueless not really knowing the difference between a bad sounding Jeff's band and a good sounding Jeff's band.

Ever had a really bad night and express that to the other members after words and they reply "really?"
Ever walk off a stage from one of your worst performances ever and have most of the people in the audience tell you how great it was?

Sometimes I wonder if some of those really great nights, weren't so great. ha


Number one rule for me has always been "loosen up before you go on". My absolute worst experiences have occurred by not doing so.

Awesome post Jeff.

They never were...

I remember my worst gig - ALL the people told us that we sounded amazing... Marta and me couldn't stop laughing...

And our best gig (that was almost all jazz) was in front of 20 people who were talking all night...


So - just keep it up... And don't worry about the audience... They have a life of their own...

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Couldn't be said any better.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

hahahahaha
Daym Goki.....hurt my belly.

Sure. No broken sticks for fifteen years, but certainly gigs where I wonder, "What's up with this?" In my old age, my response is: "Who's asking?"

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Gregory