cocktaildrum.com

The angle on a conventional drum pedal (and on all the converted pedals that I've seen stock on cocktail drums) is WRONG for standing players!!! It is designed for a sittling player and none of the cocktal drum makers seem to get this. Some of you are mentioning the effects of this on your ankles an...

I just noticed that somebody has a brand new-looking DW 5000 Sidekick bass pedal for sale on Ebay. The bidding has started at $1 so no telling how many folks will get in on it. If you play a single cocktail drum (rather than the full Club Jordan style with small snare and tom attached on the side) y...

Our band, Davis' own Odd Man Out, is the featured act for the opening night of the Davis Farmers Market Picnic in the Park series. We're playing on Wednesday, March 12, 2008, from 4:30 to 8:30 pm (yeah, 4 sets) at Central Park, 3rd and B Street in Davis, California. Because it's the start of the Wed...

I don't remember the name Jam Session but I seem to remember the Expresso kit with the cymbal pack being called the Expresso Regular Grind or some such coffee-related phrase.

Sound familiar?

Bruce (the K)

I realized that I left out a crucial bit of info. My Peace Manhattan has a 14 inch diameter x 18 inch length bass drum. When I attach the 14 x 5 1/2 snare to it, with about an inch in between, I have a typical 14 inch x 24 inch cocktail drum. Since most 14 inch floor toms are 14 or 16 inches in leng...

yeah the hihat on the left and 'toms' out in front suggest more of the trad kit layout. I'll take a guess that the positioning of a hihat on the left had to do with the availablity of the left foot for the pedal. but not so with a closed or cable hat! This comment really made it all click for me. S...

I've been messing with my Peace Manhattan cocktail kit in order to pare it down and make it easier to carry and set up for our new unplugged format gigs. You might wonder how one could minimize a cocktail drum. Aren't they already minimized? Turns out, I was able to shrink it down from 3 bags (cymba...

Matthew, They have two buildings next door to each other. One is a long, narrow room with a long bar. They have rock bands in there on weekends. The other building has a small main dining room and then an enclosed porch shaped like an L that wraps around two sides. We played in the corner of the L. ...

Just wanted to report that our gig went very well. A bunch of our friends who commute with us on the Amtrak Capitol Corridor train came down for dinner. Our lead guitarist wasn't available but we rocked out as an acoustic trio and my Peace Manhattan cocktail kit made me look good. We heard that Gove...

My band, Odd Man Out, is playing during dinner at Little Prague, a Bohemian restaurant in downtown Davis, CA, on Saturday, October 20, from 6 ot 9 pm. We're playing acoustic on this one (except for our bass player, who has to cheat and use a small amp to be heard). I use ProMark Cool Rods to keep th...

My band, Odd Man Out, is playing a benefit for Davis Community Meals, a local non-profit that provides food to those in need. We're playing from 6 to 9 pm on Saturday, October 13, at the Davis Art Center, located in Davis Community Park. We take a break from 7 to 7:30 pm for an auction. We're using ...

My band, Odd Man Out, is playing at the Davis Farmers Market on Wednesday, August 22, from 5:00 to 8:30 pm, with a half-hour show at 7:00 pm by the B:C:Clettes (get it?), a women's dance troupe from British Columbia that dance using BICYCLES! That's all I know about them. The Farmers Market is locat...

Matthew, That's very exciting news. There are lots of us "Grape-heads" out here that were awed by the combined talents of that band. My neighborhood band plays Moby Grape's 8:05. I remember touring the Rockies in '67 as part of a high school garage band. Somehow, we got into this little co...

I too wanted to be more centered over my kit so I got a DW Sidekick pedal. I also got the heel blocks DW sells for their pedals so my ankle isn't bent at a funny angle and my heel can rest on the pedal. It makes a big difference in how comfortable I am and how long I can play while standing without ...

One more thing you might give some thought to is offering a heel block for those who want to play standing up. The angle of the pedal is very different from the angle you need when seated. It makes a huge difference to be able to rest your heel on the pedal. DW sells a set of heel plates to adjust t...