Memphis Drum Shop

Groovin’ In Memphis Featuring Cody Dickinson Groovin’ In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris ‘Pat’ Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Groovin’ In Memphis Featuring Tikyra “Tk” Jackson Groovin’ In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris ‘Pat’ Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Groovin’ In Memphis Featuring Terence F. Clark Groovin’ In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris ‘Pat’ Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Groovin’ In Memphis Featuring Marlon Mitchell Groovin’ In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris ‘Pat’ Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Groovin’ In Memphis Featuring Marles Flowers Groovin’ In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris ‘Pat’ Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Groovin' In Memphis Featuring Charles Streeter

Groovin' In Memphis is a video series featuring Memphis drummers hosted by Chris 'Pat' Bounds at Memphis Drum Shop.

Sakae Bubinga Snare Drum (and others) Now Available

World-renown Osaka, Japan based shell makers Sakae Rhythm continue to amaze with the latest product offerings we just loaded on our website. The Bubinga drum you see in the video above features:

10ply (10.0mm) shell

Union Lugs

STR01C Strainer and STB01C Butt

SN1420-0636 Snare Wires

Mighty Halo 2.3mm 14x10 Hole Hoops (Top and Bottom)

With such a thick (10.0mm) shell and the Mighty Halo hoops, this drum is a dream to play and tune. We started with the drum at "zero" (finger-tightened the tension rods only) and made two complete turns on the top head - it sounded like a dream! Full of body, fat, articulate sound (and it took us literally 2 minutes to get it sounding that way right out of the box). 

I've been playing in bands for a long time. I've seen members kicked out, replaced, quit, die, and every possible outcome in between. I've even been guilty of some of the band crimes that get one expelled from groups and have then been released back into the gig-less wild. If you've ever been there, you know that it is NOT a fun place to be. There are infinite reasons for having your musical career cut short. Some of them are unavoidable. These are the reasons that ARE avoidable, and should be avoided at all times if you expect to keep your coveted gig:

  1. Overplaying: 

    This is a problem that plagues drummers from every skill level. It is widely (and unfortunately) believed that if you have the technical ability, you should wear it out all the time. No! Bad drummer! Stop it! Don't get me wrong, having chops is awesome. Seeing and hearing someone tear a kit up with precision and grace is incredibly impressive. But, do you know why they call playing in the pocket "playing in the money"? Because it gets you paid!! If you want to keep your gig, learn how to sit back and blend in with your band mates. Listen to what they're doing and play off of each other's strengths. Learning when NOT to play is one of the most important things you can ever do and will keep the money gigs rolling in.

  2. Being Late:

    Question: Would you be late for a job interview? For a first date? For a flight to your island vacation? No? Then DON'T be late for your gig!! You have the amazing opportunity of being able to play in front of people that wish that they did what you do. Yeah, it can get tiresome at times. And yes, things can seem monotonous. But you've put in years of work, striving towards the goal of getting paid to do what you love. If you really think about it, you should be the first one there, giddy like a little kid about to go on a school field trip that you're about to play music in front of people. Show up on time, set up your gear, play music, have fun, get paid. 

  3. Being Intoxicated:

    This is often confused with having fun. Having fun at your gig does NOT mean you have to get hammered. Quite the opposite actually. Do you know what's really fun? Playing a solid gig where everyone is tight. It is far more impressive than the amount of booze that you were able to choke down before-hand. I'm not saying you can't drink at a gig. Sometimes free food and/or beer is the ONLY kind of payment you'll be able to get. But make sure you pace yourself and remember that your band mates, the crowd, the sound guy, and everyone else can tell when you've had too many. Don't let that get in the way of you keeping a good gig.

  4. No Transportation:

    This one is geared more towards drummers specifically. I've had no problems in the past (and present) picking up guitar players and singers and bassists because they have 1 or 2 pieces of gear that they can just put in yourcar. But if you are a drummer, YOU NEED YOUR OWN VEHICLE. As you are probably aware, your drums take up a lot of space. Like… ALL of the space. I don't think anyone has ever said "Hey, lemme just throw my drums in your car real fast" that didn't get laughed at. Being a drummer can be a burden. There's a lot of heavy lifting, you don't get much attention, and there's 1001 jokes specifically about how dumb people think you are. But you've chosen this path, and it's your responsibility to get your instrument from A to B without having to inconvenience someone else.

  5. Being Musically or Gear(ly) Unprepared:

    If you've gotten this far down the list and THIS is the one that surprises you...then you might want to reevaluate your career choice. Have your own gear. End of discussion. Especially drumsticks. Always buy more sticks than you believe you will need. It is literally a piece of wood that you are beating against metal. They will eventually splinter and break, and when they do, you will want to have more. A drum set without sticks/brushes/mallets/etc, is useless. Here's some equivalent comparisons:

- Guitar with no strings

- Gun with no bullets

- Truck with no tires.

 If you show up to a venue and the band has to cancel or play without you because you don't have the necessary items required to pull the gig off, then you may be looking for a new band.

  6. Disrespecting the Sound Guy:

    This one is for everybody and may be the fastest way to lose your gig, and possibly getting punched in the face. If there's is anything I've learned from touring, it's that sound guys can be your best friends or your worst enemies, and it all depends on how you communicate with them. If you show up to a venue and start barking orders or taking way too long to load up/sound check, then you may just be in for a bad gig, if you get one at all. Remember that this is their day job. They have to deal with multiple bands every night of the week, make them happy, and you'll get a great sound and repeated gigs. Act like a diva and you may find him outside smoking a cigarette when your monitor mix goes out.

  7. Not Being a Team Player:

    Hey, you got the gig! Congrats, you're in a band now, and unless it's of those "Rocky Starrington & his Silent Minions" kind of bands, chances are good that everyone is an equally contributing member of the group. Do NOT be the dude that rocks that boat. You're going to have to make sacrifices. You're going to have to deal with things that you may disagree with. You may have to play venues you hate, or cover songs you despise, but it's worth it in the end to make sure it stays a cohesive and communicative group of musicians that make decisions for the betterment of the GROUP and not the individual. Don't lose the gig by being an uncooperative, overbearing, and over complicating dill-weed.

What ways have you ever lost a gig? If you have never lost a gig, please share how you're able to keep it!