The drum set is like a giant monster of little parts; and there are so many things that can go wrong with this contraption. For the first fifteen minutes of sound check, I usually spend quality time going around the drum set, along with my drum tech, tightening loose parts and making sure everything is screwed in correctly. Then, I make sure the drums are tuned, because things like humidity and vibration can make the drums go way out of whack. I will also check for things like cymbal cracks from the night before. Next, we’ll test the sound with the monitor engineer to get the stage going. After that, we’ll check the front of house sound and make sure everything is cool in the room. There have been many times in which, after a two or three-hour sound check, and the audience doors are about to open, the sound is still totally messed up. When that happens (and it will happen), you just have to wing it and do your best with what you have.
