Lesson No. 2

For Drummers

    .

    Your first to last professional gig - all of them.

I have come up with a flow chart to follow when being called for a gig (questions to the contractor), this could actually be lesson 3, but I have decided that Lesson 3 will be about marketing yourself.  Knowing what is in lesson 2 will have you prepared for the onslaught of calls you will no doubt receive after your marketing campaign - learned in lesson 3 - is launched, and maintained.

What about questions from the contractor to you?  The contractor called you, so they already know you can do the gig - either from knowing your playing or from referral.

Before the list, do some of your own research.  Get to know the names of your local band leaders/music contractors.

    First, the narrative.  Ask the contractor the following, unless they have already started to tell you.  Just follow along and check everything on the list as you go through the initiation.

1. Am I bringing only Drum set, hand drums or both? Any other special drums, cymbals, traps needed?
2. Private party or public gig?  (If pit orchestra gig, you will need to ask what other instruments you will or may need to bring or need to be ready for - tympani heads might suck-tune when you get there, so get there as early as allowable)
3. Will there be charts or is this to be memorized from rehearsals? (Usually you would know depending on the contractor, but an appropriate question when this is your first knowledge of this contractor)
4. Will there be rehearsals?  Times? (Also find out if rehearsals are at the gig site or elsewhere)
5. Televised or radio broadcast or photographs for news or promo? (The answer may lead you to questions of signing waivers as, This would come into play especially if you are a Musician's Union member - and again, knowing your contractors ahead of time may avoid you sounding petty or ignorant, but NOT if this your first contact with this particular contractor)
6. Recorded?
7. Indoors or outdoors?  If outdoors, is there a chance of moving indoors, rain dates (for your budgeting purposes) or cancellation?
8. Dress style?  Tux, nice suit, casual, Hawaiian shirt (You are determining here if any special attire needs to be rented or purchased by you or furnished by the contractor, but you should own at least 1 tux with 2 white non-ruffled cufflink-less shirts and 2 black ties and one red if you should happen to be leading, 1 good suit, 3 good ties, 1 casual getup, 2 Hawaiian shirts - one native and one "tourist")
9. Are their stairs (does not matter if indoor or outdoor) or ramps or inclines to go up or down to the drum setup area?
10. Are there any credentials I need to prepare? (you would usually only ask this after you have found out the answer to number 2 in the list)
11. How early will the owner/venue operator allow band arrival and setup?  (IMPORTANT:  Determine if there are very early setup times and late or no sound check times before the gig - this may require you to rent a room or drive back home, affecting cartage or mileage charges/allowances)
12. Are there any special actions I need to take upon arrival to the gig site ? (pick up parking permits, security badges, pagers, 2-ways, cell phones, etc.)
13. Are there any times for lighting or sound checks I need to attend?
14. (If needing electronic drums, your power and sound requirements will pretty nearly match a keyboardist's station)  Is there sufficient band power?  May I call the venue ahead to check my technical requirements?

Don't think for a moment that any of these questions are "overkill"; depending on the musical and budgetary situation some of them will and some of them won't sound silly.  Get to know your area clubs, sound engineers, and contractors.  Go to local jam sessions or start your own and invite all the area drummers.  Why not?  You're here, now, right?  (This alone should tell you something about idea sharing) 

If this is your first contact with a contractor from referral and you have not been contacted by the referrer, then all of the questions above should have answers or at least a "Not Applicable" to your satisfaction. 

A referral is not usually based from a casual conversation at a party, but on a deliberate hunt for talent almost as soon as it's needed, and your referrer would be good to give you a heads-up call in this case.

A few links to consider: