Who says you can't sound like yourself on a backline kit??

[Skyrm]

 

[CC Cirillo]

Ja.
He sound jest like Tony Villems.

 

[Swissward Flamtacles]

I don't know who says that, but thanks for sharing! Tony's movements are ridiculous - so precise and fast that it looks like the video is running at 20% extra speed..

 

[hsosdrum]

The sound is in the drummer, not in the drums. If I played any DFO member's drumset I would sound way more like hsosdrum on them than I would sound like that member.

 

[RogersLudwig]

That left foot!

 

[sternerp]

It depends on the quality, heads and tuning of the back line kit. One festival I played at had an entry level kit with cheap cymbals, not tuned, and a throne that was stuck in the lowest position. It was quite a challenge to get it to sound like “me” when I had to stand up to reach the ride cymbal. One club I play at has a pretty decent house kit, but I bring my own snare drum because the house snare is tuned too loose for my liking.

 

[Houndog]

It’s not the sound/tone that matters
Play the events in time with your voicing and subdivisions and dynamics ….
And you’ll sound like you on pots and pans .

 

[hsosdrum]

It’s not the sound/tone that matters
Play the events in time with your voicing and subdivisions and dynamics ….
And you’ll sound like you on pots and pans .

I'll just add that a lot of a drum's sound/tone is the result of how it's struck.

 

[Tarkus]

Why shouldn't he sound like himself?

The Premier drums have been high end in these days. I guess he tuned them himself to 'his sound'. And I would say in that (low) tonal quality of the recording you can't distinguish sounds of Gretsch, Ludwig or Premier.
He adjusted the pedal to his demand. And he might have even used his own cymbal set, what is the main sound of his playing.
This is, what 'defines' his sound, and is an important part of the performance. Although all that happened before he hit the first note of that concert.

On a side note: a few days later, somebody who I know very well was born close to that concert hall.

PS: Did anybody notice what happens to the HiHat in the very last minute? Looks mooney. ..

Greetings from Germany
Markus

 

[Polska]

Like most, I've played some really crappy backline kits. I do think you can get your own sound and feel if you bring your snare and cymbals. Even if I have to simplify or mostly abandon fills due to the terrible toms, I feel at home with my snare and HH at least.

 

[Houndog]

I think you guys over estimate the individuality of your snares and cymbals .
Just play the show ……..

 

[mebeatee]

My “sound” depends on who I’m playing with and for, so it changes and so does the gear. Having said that, pre-covid I played back line kits exclusively with one touring combo, always bringing my snare and cymbals (with bd/hat pedals) so the “sound” was still there. This, more importantly than me was the overall sound of that particular band, just like whatever guitar was used for instance.
Having said that....

I think you guys over estimate the individuality of your snares and cymbals .
Just play the show ……..

.....ya took the words out of my mouth.....yes I have done a couple of gigs on cardboard boxes with a plastic bucket and still retained my “sound”.
Also if there is drum kit and 10 folks play it you’re going to have 10 different sounding kits from the same kit.....
bt

 

[Drumbumcrumb]

I read a story (maybe in a biography of Monk? Idk) about TW - Tony and a couple fellow musicians were touring Japan and they went to this real dive bar… you know the place, it’s universal. So there’s this horrifying drum kit and you can imagine how bad of a cymbal setup. Tony’s contemporaries are at the bar debating: Is TW’s sound about the K’s? Do the great cymbals ‘make’ him great? And then Tony sits down at the worlds jankiest backline and absolutely brings the house down, crushes it as per usual. Obviously, his greatness traveled with him regardless of gear on hand.

The moral is: if you’re Tony Williams, you just rung what you brung and don’t sweat the details!

 

[hsosdrum]

If you have your own unique musical voice on your instrument you will speak through it no matter the brand or quality of the instrument. If you don't have a unique musical voice the best-quality instrument on Earth won't give it to you.

 

[LarryJ]

It's definitely the drummer. I once did a gig on a DW kit, and sounded just as bad as I do on my Act Ones.

 

[Seb77]

he might have even used his own cymbal set, what is the main sound of his playing.
This is, what 'defines' his sound, and is an important part of the performance.

Judging by the radio recordings of this tour, which all have different cymbals, they were part of the rental equipment. Or, equipment shared with the other band of this tour package (Newport in Europe). Some cymbals sound great, others, as in this case, not so great imo.

I was looking for the "Walkin' "drum solo I remembered, seems that piece was skipped in the above video.

Here you can see TW didn't even seem to care to bring proper spare drumsticks, at some point he seems to have to resort to a mismatched pair, one stick being broken...

Details of the concert and tour: http://www.plosin.com/MilesAhead/Sessions.aspx?s=671107

 

[paulwells73]

The liner notes of the CD box set that includes material from this tour (Europe 1967) has a quote from Gary Burton, who was also on the bill. He said that Tony was frustrated during this tour because he wasn’t able to bring any of his own gear, including cymbals. Not sure why he wouldn’t have been able to at least bring a cymbal bag with him, but tons of photographic and video evidence show him using different cymbals on every night of the tour. The cymbals in the above video (they look like Paiste) are as far as you can get from Tony’s regular old Ks of the time, but he still sounds like Tony!

 

[TonyVazquez]

I've played on some really good backline kits; and I've play on some terrible backline kits.

On my band's latest CD, I used the studio's drum kit. It was a vintage Ludwig that belonged to the soundman's girlfriend; and its kick drum collapsed due to a loose spur while I was recording a song.
Luckily the soundman fetched another kick drum from his garage for me to use.
I played the studio kit as though it were my own drum kit.

I don't like to play on anyone else's drum kit but my own, because I never know if that would be my last living day.
On the other hand, I must swallow my pride and play whatever drum kit is available.

In the long run of it, it's really an honor to play on someone else's drum kit and I humbly accept it as a compliment.

I once let 3 other drummers play my drum kit during a show.
One of those drummers was the Fleshtones drummer Bill Milhizer,
and I was to go on stage right after him.
I stood by the stage ready to assist him in case anything on my kit went wrong.
On the contrary, his set performance went smoothly.
I almost cried watching him play his heart out, he was like a kid on a new toy drum kit. That innocent happy face of his lit the room with so much love for being a musician in the first place.
After the show we talked backstage with a couple of drinks and laughs... dude is all heart and soul.

No matter Whose drum kit you use,
be prepared to win new friends and fans,
especially if they are famous rock stars
or just some kid in a wheelchair.
You will inspire people whether you realise it or not.
It's about the music and how drummers express themselves on a drum kit,
it's not about the drums alone.

 

[Skeet6]

I'd love if folks stopped "photoshopping" and "colorizing" pictures and videos that should be left alone.
Mike B