*spoing*

[shermarama]

Playing the drums is ace and makes everything better. Not that it was so bad but I spent most of today's practice being stupidly exuberant. I don't do anything in the way of drum exercises or training at the minute, the kit in the loft tends to have its real heads permanently on, not the practice ones, and anyway the loft's bloody freezing at this time of year. She says, like she's done any in months at all, regardless of season. I keep thinking I ought to, it'd do me some good for sure, but the truth is I'm still getting better all the time anyway. Playing gigs makes me think about making it even but exciting and trying to get people's attention, playing practices and writing new songs lets me try out new bits and bobs, new moves, that get fine-tuned as they wear in. Tonight the second run-through of By The Nads was the fastest I've ever played it, I bet, and with certainly the best kick-drum I've managed at that speed before.

Yeah, other weird thing in those practice rooms is the kick drum. It's typical at gigs to be able to hardly hear, if at all, your kick drum. To save weight I don't carry my kick pedal about any more and use other people's, which is a stupid idea as they can be set all sorts of odd ways. I still do it but I think the last time I had a really satisfying borrowed bass pedal experience was playing with British Beef and their drummer's loooovely DW, and that was most of a year ago. Yet, Monster's practice-room kits always sound excellent, produce the sort of massy thud you want from floor tom and kick, and you can hear everything you do. Their bass pedals work better than the ones you fleetingly glimpse as they're taken out of their own custom flight case, or the overall kit combination does. Or maybe I just really kick arse at drums tonight.

Comments

[drummygirl.livejournal.com]

playing drums is ace! I agree.

Maybe because you play all the time you don't need to do exercises, but I have to practice every week. I'm still trying to get my drum rolls faster and I guess I started playing drums really late so feel like I have a lot of catch-up to do.

I still need to give you your cymbals case back! Everytime you're doing a gig in London I seem to be doing something else. When's your next few gigs?

[shermarama]

Ah, yes, if I didn't play as often I'd need to do at least a practice a week. At the minute the longest I ever go is maybe seven days and that's unusual; in the last two weeks, for example, I think I've played two practices and three gigs and that's with one band not doing anything at all at the minute. Thing is a lot of drumming manuals tell you should practice for at least some time every day, and then I see these people at gigs who've brought little practice pads along and sit doing busy stuff with them, and that's the stuff I never do. I can still roll a lot faster than I could, say, a year ago, but this is because I put some in BFs songs.

Next gig is this here Wednesday the 7th, an all-girl night with four bands which promises to be a laugh, at the Purple Turtle in Camden. Erm, and then I think we've actually got nothing booked for a while.

[aphroditemf.livejournal.com]

I don't know if you'd be interested, or if you know any other drummers who might be, but Oz is selling his Remo drumkit for £600. I don't think that includes cymbals, stands or snare. He's got a new Premier kit instead, and wants a good home for the old kit.

Probably not me, ta.

[shermarama]

I've already got a usable kit, perhaps not as good as the Remo one but it cost a lot less than £600, even after buying a whole new set of heads. £600 just for shells is kind of steep...

I had a listen to the songs on the Sons of Survival myspace page last night. Good to hear Oz still being very much himself!