[ChrisH]

Know your limits on what you can play good with confidence, dont try to paly like someone else if you are not at the level they are yet. Become as versatile as you can. When I play live it is nothing like a recording session

[slingerland59]

I'm still haunted by a terrible gig I played as a teenager. I filled in for an experienced jazz drummer and wasn't quite ready. The horn players were merciless in their criticisms of me. To be fair it was a very quiet museum opening affair with no miking and monitors and I couldn't hear the upright bass or piano at all. A women from the audience came up to me with her son and poured on the complements so that counteracted the criticism from the players a bit. But I learned my lesson, as ChrisH has said. It's one thing to challenge yourself. It's another thing to get in too far over your head.
More advice...learn from your mistakes. Keep practising to turn your weaknesses into strengths.

[Tainojim]

That brings me to a time when I was but the band wasn't. A Frat house, playing a gig where all the pumped warm beer is free.

Since I was a responsible kid at 16 and wanted to make sure that my kit would get back home in one piece. The rest of the guys were 5 years older than me, so they got stewed. To the point of being plastered.

In the middle of a solo, all I could here was "YOU SUCK". Right there I put down my sticks and as soon a I started to pack up my kit, they all started saying I'm sorry, we're just screwing with you.

Since it was a free gig, I left anyway with my gear. The next day I heard that the guys amps and guitars were smashed up in a brawl.

Lucky me, I left just in time. I still had my kit, no band due to no equipment and was told by some people that were at the gig, that they needed a drummer.

My response to all of them was "YOU SUCK". I was referring to their irresponsibility not being able to hold their liquor.

Sometimes it's not you, it's them.

[dtxtremeiiispecial]

You can do more than you think you can. Believe!

[Buddy]

Originally Posted by Tainojim

That brings me to a time when I was but the band
Since it was a free gig, I left anyway with my gear. The next day I heard that the guys amps and guitars were smashed up in a brawl.

Lucky me, I left just in time. I still had my kit, no band due to no equipment and was told by some people that were at the gig, that they needed a drummer.

I was referring to their irresponsibility not being able to hold their liquor.

.

good story man Same thing happend to me....sorta. It was some girls twenty first birthday party and you know what that means and lots of it. I hate the stuff and decided to keep the rest of my band away from it. well the one guitarist is gone now. ANYWAY! we played our set and left at around 11ish.

When we got back to our bassists house we were a lil amped up just like anyon after a show normly is. So at about 2:30ish we got a phone call that the cops had come in and busted up the party. We heard that most if not all of the people were arrested! DUDE!!

I think when we were their we were keeping those drunks from doing anything stupid. But I guess when we ledt they had less to do. and well.. HELLO MR> POLICEMAN!!

[ryanavellanosa]

just be yourself...everything else follows...;

[chungiemunchin]

Practice - practice - practice: there are method books, some actually great, which can take you beyond your own ideas and expedite your improvement. I am studying David Garibaldi's materials right now and I am suddenly getting so many new ideas to use in creating my drum parts on our band's original tunes. Try to practice a minimum of one hour a day, and spend 80 per cent of that practice time on things you aren't good at or haven't learned to do yet. With each new thing you learn, you are adding more to your overall vocabulary. The more you CAN DO, the better your ideas will be in a musical context. Finally, remember that you shouldn't practice on a gig or when playing with others.......that's your time to play music. But that time will be enhanced by the time you put into your own personal practice.

[deanc54]

Learn to FEEL the music you are playing, and play rythmically, not mechanically. Let go, and try not to out-think yourself. In other words, shut down the internal dialog, and be the drummer you know you can be. Do some loosening/warming up excersizes & get your head in the right space before you start playing. Last but not least, consistently offer thanks to the powers that be that you even have the opportunity to play the drums.