TigerBill's DrumBeat Community Forums for Free Expert Advice on Drums and Percussion.

Basically I pace myself all the time. Usually these days I am coming from something like teaching or a session straight to the gig. I never eat right before the gig. I prefer to play on an empty stomach. I use Ginseng on a regular basis in small maintenance doses, never drink alcohol anymore and avoid any naps in the afternoons. Because I have a rack and the booms etc are always mounted it takes me at the most 30 minutes to set up. And that;s with the big kit with all the bells and whistles. I drink water on the gig, warm water if my voice is needed in the tunes. Since I'm always playing somewhere at something every day either teaching, gigging or in workshops, playing a gig at night is just more of the same really. I'm behind the kit basically every day of my life in one form or another. It's been that way for I guess about 5 decades at this point. I just make sure then when I do eat I don't stuff myself and basically stay away from a lot of starches in my diet because starchy food, especially potatoes carry an enzyme in them which will start the sleep process in the brain. If I have any blank periods in my performance schedules, and that does happen these days, I spend the time on my kit in my work space with the cans on my ears playing or working out tunes and routines on the kit
that may be useful in the future. I do drink coffee and have at times had to watch that intake or I get way to powerful on the kit for many of the tunes. Basically no matter what I am doing during the day it's always geared towards being ready for the gig in the evenings or sessions I might be doing whether they are rehearsals or recording.
All I can say for those who play once or twice a week is that you should eat very lightly before playing, stay away from alcohol as much as possible because even a glass of beer is like eating a whole loaf of bread and don't fall into the trap of taking a nap before going to the gig. Just set up a routine of steps as to what you will do with the run-up to playing and the playing. Most of the outfits I play with have all their tunes on CD and set lists so what I do is drop the recorded tunes in order of sets on a CD and listen to the CD as I drive to the gig. If it's a sight reading show it's easier for me. I have charts to go by which is basically a snap when the playing starts. Jazz gigs are different. I go to them with an open mind because it's Jazz and I'm hired for how I play in the tunes. I get to the gig early enough that I am the first one in so I can wheel in my rack, throw down the gig rug and mount up before anyone else walks in through the door. I can then just go sit in a corner and relax unless someone needs help in their setup as far as lights and P.A. are concerned. I just pace myself and stay relaxed and focus on what I will be doing during the night. I'm past having to wind down after a gig, I just go home, shower and maybe have a baked potato with no butter or anything so that I can start the sleep cycle. When I toured it was about the same routine except that I made sure I ran about 10 miles a day raher than sit around and wait and I never stayed up late after the performance. Just went to the room and did the baked potato thing and showered and went to bed to get ready for the next night. Driving is a relaxed thing for me so I can basically just relax and listen to the Music I'm going to be playing that night.

Edited by roger strange (Thu Jun 17 2010 05:05 PM)