Band name on BD head: Corny? Cool?

[scottboundy]

I was thinking about putting the name of our band on the head of my bass drum. I think it is good for marketing but I don't see many bands do it anymore.

Is it considered cool or corny?

Thanks
:)


Photoshopped version

[Chris Whitten]

Corny IMO.
Some kind of logo or band related image would be better I think.

[Eskil Sæter]

Neither, it's advertising. Whatever makes your band name stick in the heads of the audience is a good thing :D

[Bart Elliott]

If you are looking for a vintage look, or if you are a tribute band, it could be cool. Other than that, I think it's a bit corny nowadays.

Here's a rule of thumb ...
If the band is named after an animal or a bug, you can put the name on your Kick drumhead.  

[flimflam]

In my area alot of bands are just putting their website address on the front head.Some are plain and some are designed well.

[Dave Heim]

I have the old-style initial shield logo on two of my bass drums.  But personally I think the band name on the bass drum head is a bit corny.  

If you decide to go that route, you may want to consider getting the band name on a vinyl cling sign that you can easily remove if you change bands or play in multiple bands.

[Dave Heim]

In my area alot of bands are just putting their website address on the front head.Some are plain and some are designed well.

OK, in that case, I'd rather have the whole band name/band logo out there.  The website thing doesn't do anything for me at all.

[Bermuda Schwartz]

I think band names are cool, especially if it's a different band:

[chillman4130]

Haha Bermuda that's hilarious!

I think ChrisWhitten had a better idea. If your band has some kind of graphic associated with it that has no words or letters in it, I think that is a more modern and less cheesy alternative.
For example, this is my band's "official" graphic or whatever. I don't have it on my front head, but I would put it there quicker than I would put my band name.

[sleepybrIghteyez]

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. You should take your time with the design though and make it look real nice. Something noticable. Something other than spelling the band name out with tape.

[johndurg]

Just to let you know, getting a custom drum head could cost between a bunch.  You could also get a bunch of nice stickers for your band and put one of them on your bass drum.  That could be tasteful and you could obviouly use the rest of the stickers to give out for promotion.

[Jay Northrop]

I think if done differently its cool.The only band I want on  my head though is my black metal band Tyrant. My other bands The Storm Front and Metadox have really cool art work that speaks for itself and I think any names on it ( aside from Peace across the top ) would ruin the look I would be going for.I think its up to you though. What do you think looks good?

[William Leslie]

We were putting band names on out BD heads forty/fifty years ago. However, we stayed with the same band for ages. We didn't go from one to the other every couple of weeks and we didn't gig with more than one band. Now a days you mite gig with two or three bands in the same week and having a name on could confuse people seeing  the band for the first. Better to have stands with the name on to go with the band you're playing with each at that time. As I said, it could be several different bands in any given week. I like dave's logo with the initials in a sheild. That has always been cool .

[Donald Mcnany (boomerweps)]

Check out www.drumart.com and you WILL see some COOL resonant head art, with & without band names.

A LOGO looks good. A name is alright, especially if you aren't using a large banner behind you. Keep the band name visible somewhere so the punters can keep you straight from the other bands on before & after.

Boomerweps

[SlimChance]

I've been thinking about doing this.  I think it depends on the style of music and the general aesthetic of the band.  My outift is an old-school country band, and our act is "retro" enough that it might make sense.  A graphic or logo would seem too "uptown" for us; we're really not about being "cool" or "now"; but if I got a nice cowboy lookin' font, maybe with some rope script, it might add something to our presentation.  

I guess it all depends- what kind of package are you trying to present to your audience?  Are you Cool?  Are you Hip?  Are you blazing a new trail, or are you part of a long tradition?  Are you a bar band, or are you doing showcases in front of national headliners ?  I mean, I thought long and hard about whether I could reasonably wear a cowboy hat on stage, (or anywhere for that matter).  In the end, I'm wearin ' the hat, and its going over big time.  I'm taking flack if I don't wear it!

[SteveR]

Not a good idea if you play in multiple bands.

[Danno]

Check out www.drumart.com and you WILL see some COOL resonant head art, with & without band names.

Nice stuff, and reasonable prices, too. And they'll do a head either way, full paint or a stick-on.

[KEW]

Thatââ,¬â,,¢s my badge logo in the jpeg on the left.  Iââ,¬â,,¢ve had band names painted on 28 inch heads and put them up on the wall or on a stand behind me.
And Bermuda I like the idea of the Beatles drumhead. ;D

[drumwild]

I got tired of changing heads for bands, so I just have a drumwild.com logo on there. People can look it up if they want.

Also, I have a HeadBlade.com logo on there, and get some stuff from them in exchange for it. Hey, it's free shaving cream!!! WOO!

But I may replace it soon with something totally cool that has nothing to do with anything.

[paul]

In the days when I only played in one band I usually had the band's name on my drumhead.  Now I have my initials on a logo head.  Most of the drummers I see around town just have either a plain head or the logo head that came with their drums.

I do enjoy it when someone tells me they're not familiar with "PM" drums, though.

I like having the band's name/logo on a drumhead.  When I had two bass drums the band was on one and my name on the other.  Looked pretty cool, IMO.

[smoggrocks]

wow, i feel stupid. never knew it was considered corny. i kinda like it, myself, 'specially if you're playing with a bunch of other bands. i'd want someone to remember us.

maybe it's not corny. maybe it's... maizey :P

[Roger Beverage]

I currently have the band name along with the initial logo because

1.  I want a vintage look for the band

2. We often play for functions where the event itself is the draw and people ask "Who are you?"

If you are fortunate enough to have a string of steady gigs and are established in you area, then a name on the head would be unnecessary.  However, if you are constantly scuffling for gigs, then the name on the head is only additional to the banner, the business cards and the handouts and the mail list.

Roger

[drumwild]

maybe it's not corny. maybe it's... maizey :P

that was corny right there, I don't care who ya are GITTER DUNNNN

Saw a band the other night that had the name/logo on the bass drum head, as well as THREE BANNERS behind them on the stage. I purposefully forgot who they were.

[Tony]

I say whatevr floats your boat.  It's like choosing a snare or cymbal; if it works for you then do it.

[TheBeachBoy]

I have our band name written on my white reso head.  Then again, it works since we have a 50's/60's vibe and sound going.  I personally think that the band name logo that you photoshopped looks ok, but a logo would look equally ok,  I guess it depends on the style you're going for.  The name worked for the Beatles, but John Bonham used an image on his: 2 different styles of band, 2 different concepts for bass drum art.

[Mark Schlipper]

What I've learned from Mr. A is that if you put your bands name on the head, the band will break up within a month.  

[Mister Acrolite]

What I've learned from Mr. A is that if you put your bands name on the head, the band will break up within a month.  

That's not quite it. What I've learned is that if I put a band's name on my bass drum head, I will soon be fired from that band.

[Mark Schlipper]

That's not quite it. What I've learned is that if I put a band's name on my bass drum head, I will soon be fired from that band.

Well, whats a band without you on drums ;)     I knew it was something tragic regardless  ;D

[drummer1202]

I play in a punk band and we really don't have any art. I bought silver sharpie markers and colored in the band name myself on a black reso head.  I think it looks nice, and people will remember our name, although that may not be such a good thing.

I also did it on my snare, just so I could easily identify it from afar.  I had a friend who's snare was stolen at a gig.

[spirit]

Logo a great idea if you play in just one band!

http://www.blues-is-truth.co.uk/herman.htm

[Vintage Ludwig]

I opted to put my name on a couple of my bd heads ala Rich/Krupa.  That way, people know who the drummer is at least-and if the band dissolves, I wont be stuck with a useless head!