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Did my drummer really just do that .....

noagreement

noagreement

Oct 12, 2006
197
239
Yo Philly!
#1
Maybe this is a common tactic, but my drummer hit me on the arm with his stick on Saturday night in mid-song to tell me to turn down. I was completely taken aback at first and didn't understand why it couldn't wait until the end of the tune.

Next thing I know, he taps our guitarist (standing in front of the drums) in the same way and indicates that we should be looking at him for the breaks in the song.

I will point out that there have been some tensions lately (but nothing particularly out of the ordinary drama) and it was a very small, cramped stage.

Is this common? Happened to anyone else? I decided to keep my mouth shut the other night, and I was glad that I did as it will be pulled out next time we are together. But it has to be one of the most disrespectful ways to make a point.
 
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#3
noagreement said:
Maybe this is a common tactic, but my drummer hit me on the arm with his stick on Saturday night in mid-song to tell me to turn down. I was completely taken aback at first and didn't understand why it couldn't wait until the end of the tune.

Next thing I know, he taps our guitarist (standing in front of the drums) in the same way and indicates that we should be looking at him for the breaks in the song.

I will point out that there have been some tensions lately (but nothing particularly out of the ordinary drama) and it was a very small, cramped stage.

Is this common? Happened to anyone else? I decided to keep my mouth shut the other night, and I was glad that I did as it will be pulled out next time we are together. But it has to be one of the most disrespectful ways to make a point.
Click to expand...

See how the drummer likes being hit with your gear? :blackeye:

Isn't the drummer usually in the back?
How are you supposed to watch him?
 
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#4
noagreement said:
I was completely taken aback at first and didn't understand why it couldn't wait until the end of the tune.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that his ears hurt, it was a friggin' distraction, and he didn't want to wait until the end of the song.

Next thing I know, he taps our guitarist (standing in front of the drums) in the same way and indicates that we should be looking at him for the breaks in the song.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't this kind of thing be worked out in rehearsals? And if not, maybe your drummer is right if he knows the changes and the guitarist doesn't.

Personally, if someone is screwing the pooch on stage, I would rather find a subtle way to fix it on stage rather than play through even a single song with dysfunction. It's a lesser of the two evils scenario, as things like changes and volume levels should be worked out beforehand, but playing through dysfunction is not only irritating for the musicians, but potentially tarnishes your presentation for the audience.
 
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#5
Yes - it's very common. I actually had a stick flung at me in the middle of a song because of a volume disagreement, followed by a series of dirty looks, followed by him "short sheeting" me on an accent. The final glare I gave him after that prompted a stick thrown right across the stage at me. I suppose drummers also wonder why they get fired so often. This guy decided to quit the band immediately afterwards, changed his mind, and is now acting like it never happened. So, yes, to your point - many drummers are very temperamental, especially the good ones.
 
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#6
Hi,

noagreement said:
Maybe this is a common tactic, but my drummer hit me on the arm with his stick on Saturday night in mid-song to tell me to turn down. I was completely taken aback at first and didn't understand why it couldn't wait until the end of the tune.

Next thing I know, he taps our guitarist (standing in front of the drums) in the same way and indicates that we should be looking at him for the breaks in the song.

I will point out that there have been some tensions lately (but nothing particularly out of the ordinary drama) and it was a very small, cramped stage.

Is this common? Happened to anyone else? I decided to keep my mouth shut the other night, and I was glad that I did as it will be pulled out next time we are together. But it has to be one of the most disrespectful ways to make a point.
Click to expand...

One drummer I work with, you might remember Rick, will throw a stick at me when I hit a clam. He's done it for 20 years. Sometimes I will grab his crash cymbal and choke it just as he hits it at the end of a fill. It's all in fun.

But, yes, work these things out in rehearsal and soundcheck so you can just have fun on stage.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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#8
Tony In Philly said:
I actually had a stick flung at me...
Click to expand...

lfmn16 said:
throwing things..
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Not to criticize your tolerance level, that's not up for debate, but I need to clarify with OP that his drummer merely tapped them on the arm to get their attention so he could communicate legitimate issues.

Throwing things on stage in anger (not playfully) would be crossing the line for me too.
 
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#10
Mushroo said:
The drummer is arguably in the worst position of anyone in the venue to evaluate the mix. If the bass (or any other instrument) is too loud, that is the sound guy's responsibility. I've never heard of any pro band that has the drummer mixing from behind the kit!
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FOH, you have a point.

Stage mix and volume levels, a drummer is just as qualified as anyone else up there.
 
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#11
electracoyote said:
Not to criticize your tolerance level, that's not up for debate, but I need to clarify with OP that his drummer merely tapped them on the arm to get their attention so he could communicate legitimate issues.

Throwing things on stage in anger (not playfully) would be crossing the line for me too.
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I was actually referring to the guy that had sticks thrown at him, not in fun. I agree, a tap on the arm with the stick isn't justification for rage quitting. I will say that in my main band the drummer and I have periodic eye contact throughout every song and always at critical points. I probably look back at him 20 - 30 times each song. Coincidently, it's also the tightest band I've ever been in. I wonder why? :whistle:
 
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#12
lfmn16 said:
I was actually referring to the guy that had sticks thrown at him, not in fun. I agree, a tap on the arm with the stick isn't justification for rage quitting. I will say that in my main band the drummer and I have periodic eye contact throughout every song and always at critical points. I probably look back at him 20 - 30 times each song. Coincidently, it's also the tightest band I've ever been in. I wonder why? :whistle:
Click to expand...

Yeah, if you have a competent drummer who knows what to do behind the wheel, it's actually kind of a natural and good thing to stay in touch with him on stage.
 
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#13
I would not be offended if the drummer did what he had to do to get my attention. Eye contact should be part of the routine.

The two guitarists in my old band were in their own little world. They were oblivious to the rhythm section and would play louder and faster as the night wore on. At one gig, the drummer had enough (between the volume, the runaway tempos, and the lead guitarist's toxic I.B.S. cloud). Throwing a drumstick at the lead guitarist mid-song had zero effect. Between songs, the drummer leaned forward over his kit and told the two yutzes "if you don't turn the F* down and play to my F* tempo, you will be playing the rest of the gig without a F* drummer." Seemed to do the trick for a while, I think he hurt their feelings.
 
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#14
@electracoyote definitely appreciate the response. This was a really small venue and we only had one guitar - I certainly wasn't overly loud (and that's not really the point). Regardless, I am never offended by a polite request to turn down (but it is a rarity!)

The stick slap on my arm and my guitarist's back mid song were unexpectedly insulting. It just has never happened in my all years of playing - and I ain't 20 anymore!
 
#17
noagreement said:
@electracoyote definitely appreciate the response. This was a really small venue and we only had one guitar - I certainly wasn't overly loud (and that's not really the point). Regardless, I am never offended by a polite request to turn down (but it is a rarity!)

The stick slap on my arm and my guitarist's back mid song were unexpectedly insulting. It just has never happened in my all years of playing - and I ain't 20 anymore!
Click to expand...

Again, I'm not going to debate people's tolerance levels and what constitutes an "insult." That's entirely up to you, although I will observe that some people tend to focus on condemning the style of the messenger instead of addressing the more important contents of the message. Your drummer had what I consider two legitimate concerns, and I personally would not put him on the spot about touching you with his drum stick; rather, I would be far more concerned about discussing stage volume levels and why the guitarist either doesn't know the changes or isn't looking at the drummer for them more often.

You can embellish and focus on the "slap" (whatever that means) and forget that a drummer is kind of stuck on his stool and can't walk over to you to communicate. It's your call.

If you trust and value your drummer like I trust and value mine, I'd be forgiving of the tap on the arm and thank him for raising two issues that can tarnish or improve your shows. Then we'd work it out before the next downbeat.
 
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#18
A multitude of questions come to mind: was there blood pollutants, previous disagreements, was the drummer simply in a pissy mood, the stage was cramped was he getting speakers directly into his ears, was the band too loud (odd in my world for the drummer to be the first to get that), did something get mentioned or will there be something mentioned about the action?
 
#19
BassCliff said:
Hi,



One drummer I work with, you might remember Rick, will throw a stick at me when I hit a clam. He's done it for 20 years. Sometimes I will grab his crash cymbal and choke it just as he hits it at the end of a fill. It's all in fun.

But, yes, work these things out in rehearsal and soundcheck so you can just have fun on stage.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
Click to expand...
Ah, the sign of an accomplished bass player, when they give you €%÷! for every clam. I swear, when people suck they can hit "color notes" all night. If you're the type who hits one quacker in a four hour gig, everyone has to take note or point it out after the show.
 
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