Rack owners stage question

[KeithNYC1]

For those of you that own a rack for your drums, how do you get them on and off stage if you are not the only band, without help from band mates?
I'm wondering if putting a temp caster under one leg support to roll them on stage might work?
Thoughts?

Please don’t think about rolling anything on stage! You are asking for an accident, and there will never be room. I’m guessing from your question that you don’t have much experience playing out? I wouldn’t worry too much. Hard shell cases will your kit and make setup and breakdown much much easier.
without knowing your setup- I always liked pearl racks, they easily collapsethat collapse, and are not too expensive.

 

[RockrGrl]

My idea is to have my rack folded with 1 wheel on one leg. Roll it out on stage and attache toms & cymbals. I will ask the other members of the band if there were backline equipment last time they played with multiple bands. I have no problem playing acoustic if its there. No, its been awhile since I've played since I've played out especially in a multi-band situation. I'm used to being the only band for the night.
What were you trying to say about the hard shell cases?

 

[Beekeeper]

I made this rack system which rolls through an average door, rolls right into my trailer, then rolls right up on stage, All I do is remove the snare, floor toms, pedals, and fold in the outer most cymbals.

 

[poot]

Just from my experience, I can count the number of stages where there was room to do this on 2 hands. And the ones with stages where there was room to do this while other bands were playing can be counted on 1 hand.

I've found racks to be (much) more trouble than they're worth on any multi-band bills. Especially since you're already throwing a wrench into the system by not playing the existing kit that's set up.

^This.

 

[poot]

Please don’t think about rolling anything on stage! You are asking for an accident, and there will never be room. I’m guessing from your question that you don’t have much experience playing out? I wouldn’t worry too much. Hard shell cases will your kit and make setup and breakdown much much easier.
without knowing your setup- I always liked pearl racks, they easily collapsethat collapse, and are not too expensive.

^And this.

 

[mkelley]

Split the front bar in two. DW has a clamp which allows positioning so you could ease a wing nut fold the rack in and lift it off stage

 

[RockrGrl]

I made this rack system which rolls through an average door, rolls right into my trailer, then rolls right up on stage, all without removing the drums and cymbals.

You must play places that are all on a ground floor or have very wide ramps and doors! I really like it!

 

[Beekeeper]

You must play places that are all on a ground floor or have very wide ramps and doors! I really like it!

Thank you!! Actually it will roll through an average 32" wide door (and roll up any 32" wide ramp). It requires an additional person, but, we just lift one end up, set those two wheels down on the stage, lift the remaining end up and roll it on. Kinda like two guys rolling a gurney into the back of an ambulance. The area that holds the pedals folds up for transport. I just have to take the floor toms and snare off. Still, it all takes about 5-10 minutes to be completely ready to play. It's great when some sound nerd who hates big kits waits until you're completely set up and says "we need you to move about 2 feet in blah-blah direction". The whole thing moves as quickly and easily as a desk (a desk on wheels that is!) All of my microphones (not pictured) are mounted to the rack as well so they are always right where I want them. The bass drums are internally mic'd. I'm in the process of building a new rack that is completely welded together alleviating the need for clamps (to hold the rack together) and thereby significantly decreasing the overall weight!

 

[RockrGrl]

Very cool! You might be able to make a living making those for drummers. Still though, how do you get it up stairs?

 

[Beekeeper]

Very cool! You might be able to make a living making those for drummers. Still though, how do you get it up stairs?

Stairs are my nemesis!!!!! I have played a gig or two involving stairs but its horrible. At a show in Austin, a rooftop place on 6th street. The venue had "a guy" a kinda "jack of all trades" who solved every problem that could arise. He actually laid down plywood over the stairs (2 floors worth!) and we pulled my rig up with a rope! it was hilarious but it worked! Evidently he had done this before to get large P.A. speakers up there. No elevator, no other way up. Kind of a silly place to have bands if you ask me, but whatta ya gonna do? Everywhere I play, drummers come up to me wanting me to build them a rig. I am working on a website to sell these racks. Looking for a catchy name...any suggestions? LOL. DRUMRUNNER is my favorite but it's taken by some company that sells dollies for 50 gallon barrels...the kind Walter White used to melt bodies! Anyway, thanks for your kind words, I'll announce it here first when we're up an running!

 

[Tornado]

Hauling in drums and hardware sucks, but count your blessings. You get to sit down the entire gig. Everyone else has to stand. You get more mileage out of that the longer the gig is, of course. A guitarist jokingly asked me why I got to sit, and I said, "because I hauled all this **** in here, that's why!"

 

[turnerma81]

I made this rack system which rolls through an average door, rolls right into my trailer, then rolls right up on stage, All I do is remove the snare, floor toms, pedals, and fold in the outer most cymbals.

So second kick is just for looks? That's a pricy stage prop.

 

[cribbon]

Very cool! You might be able to make a living making those for drummers. Still though, how do you get it up stairs?

It looks like this guy Jeff Bonomo has it all figured out. You might want to contact him on FB and get the lowdown:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/443925062707909/user/647899293