Not letting people play

[felix]

Well I let my drumset be slutted out for an open jam night last week and I actually trashed on it harder than anyone else  :o...oh boy.

And I ran into "stone hands" last week at a gig...he didn't ask me to sit in  ;D...thank God.  At least he still comes to see us play

[RelientKngOdrums]

I AGREE WITH ALL THE TIGHT-WADS!!! (guys who are defensive towards their sets)

listen to this....

A few years ago my band entered in a BATTLE OF THE BANDS contest... which was basically a competition between all sorts of bands and the audience decides who wins.. This was at a time when i was really into rock.. and the band i was in was rock... so naturally, we were surrounded by rock bands... still with me? OK. So as everyone who knows rock bands.. we know that they aren't that "gentle" to their equipment in general (didn't say all).  
   So anyway... i'm at the contest with my set.. and i was approached by a punk rock drummer in another band who wasn't allowed to bring his set since the organizers thought that it would be "over-kill". So i thought he was nice enough, and i said he could play on mine at his bands turn...  At that time, the set i had wasn't that great anyway... a base model Sonor 5 peice (i recently got a sonor s-class pro 7-piece! emerald green! its awesome, ask me about it sometime.)
   So his bands is out performing, and i along with many other band members are to the side of the stage watching... and all the sudden in came in slow-motion, the band's lead singer/guitarist runs over to my set, puts his foot on the bass drum, and with all his force, jumps off of it... and i bet you can guess what happend..... the shroad (the thing-a-ma-bob that tightens the head and goes in front of it) cracks! Right on stage! The guitarist falls on his back, and the drummer looks at me....
   i look back just shacking my head, eventually showing him my wallet, as a gesture that he owes me cash...
  so at the end of it all, there was a drumset in much need of repair, a guitarists most embarrassing night (well-deserved), and me with a whole new view on letting people play my set, NEVER AGAIN! HAHA!!!  
  Well, not all that, just not people i don't know, or trust.... so thumbs up to the defense of your sets....
Thanks for reading, Jeff

[Tex_Hedron]

Why is it that drums are considered 'fair game', yet it's rare that anyone asks to play someone's guitar, or at least it's more easily understood when a person refuses?

I had a 'friend' crack my 22" ride cymbal because he thought it was a good idea to use it as a New Year's Eve noisemaker. (not THIS New Year's, this was awhile ago)

[JeepnDrummer]

Why is it that drums are considered 'fair game', yet it's rare that anyone asks to play someone's guitar, or at least it's more easily understood when a person refuses?

Yeah, I thought of that too.

I'm very protective of my kit now.  Even in my church there were several occasions when someone (people I did not know) just jumped behind the kit and proceeded to play.  To me that's akin to a stranger walking in your house uninvited.  As for people I know who can play and I know will not be belligerent, I have no problem letting them play.

Tom

[James Walker]

Why is it that drums are considered 'fair game', yet it's rare that anyone asks to play someone's guitar, or at least it's more easily understood when a person refuses?

It's just as bad (if not worse) on my steel pan gigs - everyone thinks they can play pan.  Almost every gig, I get someone walking up and saying, "can I try those things?"

At least they ask...

I was playing at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago, and during one song, I made a quick switch from pan to vibes, and (stupidly, carelessly) left my pan sticks out.  Up comes the restaurant owner, who proceeds to batter my pans with the sticks for about ten seconds while we're playing a song (at least he used the right ends, the ones with the rubber tubing), and then says something to me about "the next time you guys are here, show up a little early, so I can learn a song on these things and sit in."

And he was dead serious.

Ain't this a great way to make a living?  ;)

JW

[Thunderbolt1000T]

I got put on the spot new years eve at our gig to let my bass player's friend set in on my kit. Well, he proceded to pound the living snot out of them, with his less than perfect, ummm, timing. ::) I never thought of my Yamaha steel snare as painful before, even when I'm wailing on it. But, man, I couldn't wait for him to stop, because it hurt. He managed to pound it out of tune. Never again will he touch my kit. I can see from this board that I'm not the only one who has consideration for other people's gear, and have no use for those that don't. It just firms up my resolve that no one else will touch my new Tama's unless I know them very well.

[RelientKngOdrums]

i don't know what people are thinking..... i mean it happens to all drummers... you have a set out somewhere, and someone you don't know, or know just walks up to it without asking, and proceeds to play on it... most of the time in a way you wouldn't want them to... they just have to understand that these are extremely expensive things, and not to be corny or anything, but when you have a certain set for a good period of time, you become very protective of it like any other thing, and it becomes very special to you. I hope i haven't come off like some sort of freak over my set, but i think you guys know what i'm sayin...

[Misenko]

I guess i'd fall somewhere in the middle of the argument. I've let people borrow equipment before and I generaly let people play the drums as long as I feel they won't wreck it.

There are SOME guys I wouldn't let near it with a barge pole, but others I know and are OK.

Misenko.

[RelientKngOdrums]

yea... thats me as well... i guess that's everyone, we just have to be caucious of who we let play 'em

[Louis Russell]

And he was dead serious.

I think Dead should be the key word here James.  Its hard to deal with the management at times.

[Rok]

I have had too many things broken to have people sit at my kit.  I once had a guy a friend of the guitar player bust every batter head on my kit in 3 songs.  So after that no one plays my kit.  So if I have to leave the stage so does my stick bag, usually give it to the bartender.

If someone wants to sit in it is a simple no, if they are presistant about it I get the bouncer over to get this guy out.  

Lets get real you don't show up at peoples work and say let me do your job for half hour, and you should consider your gigs the same.

If I am asked by the band to do a sit in that is different, but around the working drummers guys just don't ask, it's the amature who will ask.  Besides its your gig not theirs.  You worked hard to get the gig, they need to respect that, and if they want to play they need to get their own band and pay their dues.  However, I will give them some names of guys who run open stages, and  they can play at those gigs.

I I am hosing a jam night then I have a set of CB's and a set of cymbals for that specific use.  That is the only kit I let people play, end of story.

[LT500man]

If I know the guy I might let him play a tune... but if I don't its not only NO, but HELL NO! of course if he wanted to put a $5000.00 down as a deposit I might concider it! LOL

[Roger Beverage]

The most diplomatic way out of this one is " Gee, I'd really like to have you play, but there's this dude in the audience who is a real a*******, and if I let you, I'll have to let him".

[Mark Schlipper]

diplomacy is for the weak.  if some one asks, kick 'em in the shins and say "im sorry, what were you saying?" ...  ;D

[felix]

Either that or just play so kick ass that nobody DARES get up and play.

[Mister Acrolite]

The most diplomatic way out of this one is " Gee, I'd really like to have you play, but there's this dude in the audience who is a real a*******, and if I let you, I'll have to let him".

This is a VERY effective ploy - I've used it before. Make it somebody ELSE's fault, and everybody's feelings are spared.

As a side note: whenever I leave my drums in a club overnight, I always take two things home with me:

• my stickbag
  
• the top part (the seat) of my drum throne
  

It seems to deter any off-hours drummers pretty effectively.  I guess it tends to make the term "sitting in" seem a little more - er - intrusive. ;D

[AndyDierker]

Those threats fall on deaf ears when you start playing the biker bars in town...  ;)

[Louis Russell]

I'll put a dent in your head."   >:(

But then again their head will heal and my drums will not heal themselves :'(

[tsk]

If the drummer is a pro it is always nice for me to hear my kit and cymbals from the audience.  It changes my perspective on the sound of my drums and tunings.  Also I always appreciate my drums more when I hear them from a distance played by a PRO.

[guerrillawar]

the only times i ever sit in is when i know the guy or i'm asked.  i'll aske my friend kevin after praise band plays, and he lets me cause i normally help him pack up, and he kinda tought me to play.  i find a good way to get in good enough for someone to ask you to sit in is to ask if they'll teach you the song. the next time they'll often ask you to play.