What we learned from our Istanbul experience is that this touring group, band and crew together, can cope with surprises and make the best out of a given situation, and also that we need a different drum kit… something better suited to our music. The conventional drum kit tends to sound great in large venues, but can overwhelm the guitar in small venues. So, Michael is cooking up a new kit. The snare has to go for starters. It is an instrument that was designed for military use, like the bagpipe, to be heard far away, bright and insistent. Fine for an electric band, but perhaps not well suited to our music.
Michael wants to put something acoustic and organic together, rather than going the way of the tupperware kit from 1996, and came up with several great ideas. We hope to have everything in place for the Spring tour that starts in less than three weeks – I think we added a show in Buffalo in the very beginning of May – but perhaps we should keep it a surprise, shall we…
Hmmm … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4No-_RSj64
Very true about the snare and too noticeable, standing out too much, with a bright timber and too strong. I still like the “Ancient Man”/”Modern Man” dichotomy from several tours back. My son totally chastises me for the electronic drum sounds, but they are ‘controllable’. Sorry for the late reply, have been out riding an MS 150 bike ride with a young lady from El Paso, who has MS.