cocktaildrum.com

We're playing the hard rock again on Friday January 27th! Neon Swing X-perience is playing at 10, then 3 Brick Shy is playing at 11 and the Inconsiderate Few are playing at 12.

If you're near Pittsburgh, PA stop in.

-Joe

Hope you don't have to furnish the kit after the last time with all the problems.
Mango'

Playing this Sunday with singer songwriter Rob Wortzel at an outdoor arts festival. We're doiong a 1 hr set, semi-acoustic (folkl, blues, Americana) and I'll likely be playing my cocktail kit with only a mic on the bottom head....if that. The music is not loud, except for a couple pop-rock tunes, so I'm hoping I'll project ok without significant micing. Playing into the wind is always tricky!

Sine this is my first outdoor gig with a cocktail kit, any tips on tuning for better projection would be appreciated!

Yesterday's outdoor arts festival gig went well, though it poured for a bit during. All was ok for us since we were under and overhang.

I did bring an AT30 clip on condensor for the bottom of the big drum and it made all the difference. Would have mic'd more if there was a sound check for us and more channels on the board available.

I did note that the smaller sized drums, as well at the top of the big drum, sounded way thinner outside. For all of the outdoor shows I've played on a trad kit, this kind of makes sense since we're talking about smaller volumes of air and smaller diameter heads. Good to note when taking the cocktail kit outside.

One happy schlepping note - yesterday was the FIRST time in my 35+ year drumming experience that I was able to carry my entire kit in one load into the gig....from several blocks away, no less! Case (holding big drum, snare, tom and cymbals) and Djembe bungied to a small hand roller, harware/hand percussion bag over the shoulder. How freakin amazing is that?

More amazing was the setup/breakdown time and the sheer joy of playing a minimal kit. Downside, sadly, is that cocktail kit playing is a bit tough on my frame. After the hour-long set, I noticed a bit of fatigue in my left leg and hip and this morning I'm feeling it in my back as well. I'm in decent physical shape, but for some reason cocktailing (the way I do) has proved to pose somewhat of a physical challenge for me. Perhaps it has to do with my limited cockail drumming experience with has included marathon rehearsals and longer than usual sets and gigs. Could be that I'm happily shlepping more gear at once javascript:emoticon(':?') I'm not sure....

Anyone else dealing with physical aches and pains associated with standup cocktail drumming? If so, any good ideas for dealing with these physical issues?

Hey multiperc, was reading your festival gig post and I experience something similar as far as the pain thing goes. When I play Cocktail I bring a stool and kinda "sit" on the front edge; this allows me to operate both foot pedals similar to my sit down set but I notice it really gets me in my lower back/hip, I think, from the angle my hips are at when I'm siting on the stool. So what I do is alternate between sitting and standing, on the simpler stuff I stand and don't play hi hat. Also, I've noticed, as I get older if I stretch before I play I have less fatigue at the end of the gig.