The Essential Eight Checklist

boomstick

boomstick

Silver Member
I have heard many horror stories about musicians showing up to a gig without some essential item. So far, I have managed to avoid this nightmare scenario, partly because I am very meticulous by nature, but also because I always run through my "Essential Eight" checklist before leaving for a gig. This is not a complete list of all my equipment. It is a short list of the bare minimum I need to perform, and I have it memorized so I can run through it quickly at any moment. The list:

1. Snare Drum
2. Snare Stand
3. Kick Drum
4. Kick Pedal
5. Hi-Hats
6. Hi-Hat Stand
7. Sticks
8. Throne

As long as I have these 8 items, I can get through any show just fine. Without any one of these items, I will either have a very hard time playing, or I won't be able to play at all. This method has served me well so far, and pretty much eliminates any worries about forgetting something essential.

To spark the discussion, how do you insure you don't forget something essential? Any stories about forgetting something important?
 
My own "checklist" is down to three steps:

1. Put all the drums, cymbals and hardware in their cases.
2. Put all the cases in the car.
3. After the gig is over repeat steps 1 and 2.
 
Boomka said:
I have a kit I use for practice/teaching and a couple I use for gigs. My gig hardware rarely leaves the box, and the drums don't come out of their cases unless they need tuning/work.
Click to expand...

Me too. I've got my "gig hardware" case, and my kit and cymbals are in cases, ready to go. When I'm at a gig, I have a mental checklist I go through as well, but it's a tad longer...
 
I haven't yet gotten to the point where I have full gig set and home set. So, I have to use some stuff for both situations. Otherwise, I would love to have a gig bag that was always ready to go.
 
My gig kit stays cased most of the time in between gigs. I always try to load it into my vehicle the same way. It's a tight fit when everything is loaded, so If I end up with any extra space, somethings wrong... I also take two pedals, two snares, and an extra kick batter. Before I close the hatch I always make sure I can see my stick bag, and cymbal bag.
 
boomstick said:
1. Snare Drum
2. Snare Stand
3. Kick Drum
4. Kick Pedal
5. Hi-Hats
6. Hi-Hat Stand
7. Sticks
8. Throne

As long as I have these 8 items, I can get through any show just fine.
Click to expand...

A good list. As long as you remember the hi-hat clutch! LOL.

I once forgot it. Thankfully, it was just a rehearsal, not a show. Whew.......
 
Before the gear leaves the house, (or club on the way out) I count:
1-4 drum bags
2-cymbal bag
3-1 gear box (heavy, but holds EVERYTHING except the HHat stand)
4-hat stand
5-stick bag
6-check again
7-check again
8-checkagain
 
Good advice! I need to develop a checklist. I am just using my memory, and man, that is even failing....
 
i have (almost) everything piled in one spot in my house and i just grab everything from that pile and put it in the car. the only tricky thing is my throne, which i also use on my electronic kit in another room. i've almost forgotten that before, but so far i've managed to remember it.
 
Boomka said:
I have a kit I use for practice/teaching and a couple I use for gigs. My gig hardware rarely leaves the box, and the drums don't come out of their cases unless they need tuning/work.
Click to expand...

Pretty much the same boat here although there are a couple items I've yet to get 2 of to facilitate a full gig kit seperated from my practice kit.

Second hats, throne and snare stand are all that I need now to complete this, from there it's a matter of knowing how many cases need to get loaded. Of couse I'd like to get "better" of the mentioned so that what I have now becomes part of the practice kit, the issue is now $$$.

I did once "lose" my clutch after a gig, a few shows and a couple weeks later I did a breakables only gig and I completely forgot that I put my spare clutch on my stand in the hardware bag, moving it out of it's normal spot in my "extra parts" parts bag I keep in my pedal case. Was thankful to borrow another drummers clutch.
 
I am sort of obsessive-compulsive when it comes to forgetting things, especially my expensive things. Fortunately it seems to come naturally; I don't stress out when I pack for a gig. I just pack and perform a little check. So for me it's about the same checklist as Con Struct has.
 
the only thing I forgot recently was my throne but luckily load in was 3 hours before the gig and It was a local gig so I had time to go back to the studio to get it.

I have:
hardware case
kick case
floor case
tom case
snare case
cymbal case
stick bag
fan
rug

I am constantly paranoid about forgetting things. When my band is loading out i'm usually in the trailer packing things up because i'm the only one that fits in there and knows how everything goes in it. Alot of times other band members will take something like my stick bag or back pack and put it in the wrong place and it drives me nuts. I keep extra sticks in my hardware case because i'm worried about my bag going missing and not having sticks.

One time I was like 3 hours from home in a strange town at a gig and my cymbal case wasn't in the club and I was freaking out but it turned out it was in the van.
 
In my early days, mostly playing dives in a rock band, I'd often forget my stool. Good thing most venues have at least one chair and some phone books (to adjust for height).

...can't say that most clubs have an extra bass drum pedal or cymbal stand, though. Or, a spare snare head...
 
i'm more paranoid about leaving stuff behind at the club than forgetting to bring it to the show. after the show there's always a mad rush to get all the gear off the stage so the next band can go on. then once you get it off stage, it's dark and there's crazy drunk people all around and other drummer's gear to mix your stuff up with. sometimes i think it's a miracle i don't leave stuff behind more often than i do.
 
In my area people only really take 'breakables' snare cymbals and bass drum pedal so that's all I take to a gig. Unless I'm headlining.

Tom
 
boomstick said:
I have heard many horror stories about musicians showing up to a gig without some essential item. So far, I have managed to avoid this nightmare scenario, partly because I am very meticulous by nature, but also because I always run through my "Essential Eight" checklist before leaving for a gig. This is not a complete list of all my equipment. It is a short list of the bare minimum I need to perform, and I have it memorized so I can run through it quickly at any moment. The list:

1. Snare Drum
2. Snare Stand
3. Kick Drum
4. Kick Pedal
5. Hi-Hats
6. Hi-Hat Stand
7. Sticks
8. Throne

As long as I have these 8 items, I can get through any show just fine. Without any one of these items, I will either have a very hard time playing, or I won't be able to play at all. This method has served me well so far, and pretty much eliminates any worries about forgetting something essential.

To spark the discussion, how do you insure you don't forget something essential? Any stories about forgetting something important?
Click to expand...

Mine works like this:

1. Gig Bag (personal effects, tools, repair parts, etc)
2. Snare(s) case (always 2 snares in one case)
3. Rack Tom case
4. Floor Tom case
5. Kick Drum case
6. Fan case (you BET a fan!!)
7. Cymbal case (sticks and vocal mic are inside pocket)
8. Trap case (stands, pedals, throne and extraneous hardware for that individual kit.)

I would add 9 as a rug, but the rug is ALWAYS in the vehicle, I never take it out.

Eack kit is individual, I do my DAMNDEST not to share hardware between kits as THAT'S where FAIL comes in.
Borrowing from one to hardware another. For ME that's a no-no.
 
jeffwj said:
I always count my bags before I close the storage hatch on the bus. Seven bags means that everything is there.

Jeff
Click to expand...

That's what I do. Always works.
Many years ago I trusted the roadie ( = friend of the band who had a van) to load the kit - as we left I said, is everything in? He said yep - arrived at the venue with no cymbals !!!
 
I agree with Big_Philly. I have OCD so no problem there. I don't worry about forgetting anything before a show, it's after the show when I drunk that I worry about forgetting stuff.

My top 8

1. Sticks
2. Cigarettes
3. Gig Kit
4. Cymbal Bag
5. Cool shirt
6. Jager
7. Pedals
8. Red Bull

haha i kid..i kid
 
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