cocktail drums and guitar duo

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dickdog
Posts: 52
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 7:51 pm
Location: Michigan

cocktail drums and guitar duo

Post by dickdog »

Are any of you in a cocktail drums and guitar duo? The guitar player in my band and I were thinking about doing some duo stuff, to play in some small clubs or opening slots at bigger venues. We would be playing Americana music.
metrodrum
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:09 pm
Location: Arlington, Mass

Guitar and drum duo

Post by metrodrum »

Hey There.... Matthew from Metrodrum here... I play exclusively in a duo - guitar and drums, (sometimes we play as a trio, with another guitarist too) - I use a cocktail drum exclusively also, in fact I've stopped playing traditional kits, have no need for them anymore.

Recently I did a gig in Cambridge, a short subway ride from where I'm located. I brought one of my Clubster models - a straight up and down traditional snare on top, kick on bottom cocktail set with an xhat and a 16" cymbal for my crash-ride. I was playing with a duo who both played guitar and sang.

I threw the Clubster into a conga bag, which fits it perfectly, and carried my little gig bag with hardware etc... Jumped onthe subway - took it for 5 stops, walked 4 blocks to the gig. The duo was amazed ( It was a pick up gig, never played with them before ) and when I set up and played, they were thrilled with the sound and portability, and cool factor of the cocktail drum.

A big hit all around. I also play with a artist in NYC, and will drive down with other bands sometimes, throwing my cocktail drum inthe back of the car, taking up little space.
Great portability. - small footprint, and less equipment that a guitarist carries!

typically I put one mic on the kick, and in larger venues, another on the tom rim to pick up the snare tom and hat. Gives me more than enough coverage - especially with americana style music. Plus the clubs are not put off by a big drum set and the associated stage space, and volume issues.

Matthew@metrodrum.com
traleeman
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:07 pm
Location: Boston Ma

Post by traleeman »

Can you post a picture of that kit w/ the x-hat and all???? Thanks
Mike Strehlow
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 7:38 pm

Re: Guitar and drum duo

Post by Mike Strehlow »

metrodrum wrote:typically I put one mic on the kick, and in larger venues, another on the tom rim to pick up the snare tom and hat. Gives me more than enough coverage - especially with americana style music. Plus the clubs are not put off by a big drum set and the associated stage space, and volume issues.

Matthew@metrodrum.com
I've seen reference to "Americana" style music. Can you describe that for me? Thanks.
metrodrum
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 4:09 pm
Location: Arlington, Mass

Americana - it's a catch all - I think!

Post by metrodrum »

Well, the folks I've played "americana" music with range from acoustic folkie types to plugged in full bands - I guess it encompasses music ranging from the Bob Dylan stuff to alt country leaning folks like the Old 97's and The Drive By Truckers. I think if you pushed the genre, you in include older C&W material, Carter Family (one of my favorites) - Many artists who get locked into the Alt Country moniker are using it
to break out from what the more mainstream deems "country music"

My 2 anyway.

Hey btw, in an unbashed promotion, Modern Drummer just review 2 of my kits and loved them!

Matthew
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