Who Played the Biggest Drumset with a Touring Band?

[Vistalite Black]

Please be specific in your answer … We want to know the number of bass drums, toms, snares and cymbals.

If it’s, for example, Peter Criss or Alex Van Halen, which tour and how many pieces?

P.S. Terry Bozzio and the Guiness record holder don’t count as we’re talking only touring bands.

 

[TomC727]

I am very curious what the answers will be.

 

[robthetimekeeper]

It's probably Peart. Back when he had the three sided kit with all the chimes and electronics.

 

[Steech]

 

[JDA]

lol/

 

[DrFrankCoco]

Whoever the drummers for spinal tap were. Before they ignited.

 

[JDA]

yes he was sane.

https://media2.nekropole.info/2014/10/Ed-Cassidy.jpg

Cassidy was born on May 4, 1923

 

[VintageUSA]

For me personally, the biggest touring kit I've actually seen at a live performance was Mangini with DT.

 

[crestiferJ]

alex van halen had a huge kit on the ou812 tour. i couldn't guess how many pieces. it was basically three complete double bass kits in a circle on a huge riser. one kit had standard ludwig power toms, i think 3 rack toms, 2 floors, plus some other random stuff. the 2nd kit was ludwig bass drums but with north fiberglass toms and floor toms, the third was ludwig bass drums with a bunch of clear octabons and some simmons pads.

when i was a kid i had a paiste ad poster that showed a diagram of the kit. will try to find the pic.

thats probably the largest kit i've seen at a show.

 

[crestiferJ]

i did see terry bozzio do clinic at a high school outside of st.louis with his first monster DW kit. it was pretty ridiculous. i just remember a buddy of mine did the sound for it and he was telling me how there were so many channels for all the microphones. i know it was hours to load it in to the venue, set it up and get it mic'd up for the performance.

i have no idea how many toms he had but there were like 8 bass drums and way too many cymbals. i'm sure most people here have seen photos of that kit.

when i've seen terry live a few times with jeff beck, he had fairly big kits but nothing like that dw kit.

 

[TonyVazquez]

Beats me...

So many legendary Rock drummers
are playing kits that are so huge
they gotta put the tours on hold
and sue UPS to hurry up bringing
the rest of the kit to the venues.

 

[crestiferJ]

i've been playing basically a kick, snare, rack tom, floor tom, crash, ride, hi hats and one cowbell for 30 years.

i can't imagine ever wanting more than that for almost any gig.

even when i've had techs and someone to set up and schlep the gear around i never wanted or needed more than that.

but my inner 14 year old still loves looking at these giant kits. haha.

 

[Vistalite Black]

British Steel built a drum kit for Carl Palmer that weighed 5,000 pounds. It’s the heaviest, for sure. http://www.wisconsinmusicman.com/2012/05/carl-palmer-and-his-five-thousand-pound.html?m=1

 

[WLVN]

British Steel built a drum kit for Carl Palmer that weighed 5,000 pounds. It’s the heaviest, for sure. http://www.wisconsinmusicman.com/2012/05/carl-palmer-and-his-five-thousand-pound.html?m=1

There's a lot of detail to that kit here:

Ladies of the Lake File Cabinet - Carl Palmer's Stainless Steel Drums, Drums & Percussion, Nov. 1974

 

[Houndog]

Don’t think anyone will beat AVH ….

 

[Vistalite Black]

Here are some details on Alex Van Halen’s 1988 Ludwig OU812 kit:

Six of these bass drums were used with this set up and all fitted with either black or white radial horns although some had a different type to the Altec Lansing ones used previously. The front heads were also either black or white with a reverse color Ludwig logo. The toms on one side of the kit (the side he would mainly use in the show) were three power rack toms (possibly 12", 13" and 14" all on RIMS isolation mounts), a 16"x18" floor tom and some clear 8" octobans in front. The second side had electronic toms (Simmons) and the third had North 'curved' toms (8", 10", 12" and 14") along with a 16" curved floor tom. Alex acquired the North toms from the Pro Drumshop in Hollywood, California. The bass drums are set up as three pairs and not connected to any outer ones. Each of the three 'kits' also had their own 8"x14" Tama Rosewood snare drum.

This has got to be the biggest, right?

ALEX VAN HALEN DRUMS 2

A site dedicated to Alex Van Halen's various drums kits throughout his life and career including of course with Van Halen.

users.tpg.com.au

 

[Quai34]

And I thought sometimes that, maybe I'm a little ridiculous with all my 32 cymbals on the kit!!!!

 

[yetanotherdrummer]

How about Keith Moon?

And he actually hits all of them..........every song.

 

[type85]

This guy!

 

[cornelius]

British Steel built a drum kit for Carl Palmer that weighed 5,000 pounds. It’s the heaviest, for sure. http://www.wisconsinmusicman.com/2012/05/carl-palmer-and-his-five-thousand-pound.html?m=1