10 Pros & Cons Of Being A Touring Drummer | Drum Beats Online

Being a touring drummer can have a lot of pros & cons. Here's 10!

Life on the road can be awesome and hard at the same time! There are so many different facets to what life looks like for a touring drummer at all different stages. So I thought I'd give you some of the pros and cons to my specific situation of being a touring drummer. I hope you have fun with it!

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[DrumBeatsOnline]

What do you think would be your biggest pros & cons of touring?? Let me know below!

[jeremywarf]

I've been playing for 16 years now and I've never been able to find a stable group of musicians. That's a con on it's own.

[thomyyyyyy]

The amount of work you’ve put into this video really pays off, its really great

[Eric-robw]

If you’re not a touring drummer this video is called “20 pros about being on tour.” 😬

[jakekennedydrums]

At this point in my life, all I want to do is play music for people everywhere. Anything else on top of that is a bonus:). One day I’ll be out on the road!

[GoodAttitudesServices]

When I toured Europe with my band it was in a station wagon . So we had to load all the gear on the racks on top of car and strap the drums on top every night. And after show we sometimes had to drag all the gear upstairs to someone's apartment and then drag it all downstairs the next morning . And most of the time we slept sitting up in the station wagon . Or when it was cold we slept under the car . Or on a park bench. No showers and no laundry . It was rough and I felt and looked like I was homeless. But that was when I was young . I couldn't take that ruggedness now in my 50s, . But all and all it was a life changing experience .

[JeffRandallDrumming]

Love it dude! I’ve experienced many of the same things. It’s the down time that kills me on the road. Staying busy with something productive day to day when I’m not working has been key. Seeing new places is my favorite part. Stay well!

[LemonRumor]

I'm going on my first tour as a drummer in two weeks and loved this video!

[OneMansLoss]

When you're a drummer, everything is drums. Proof: 3:47 - the shadow of your weight is a cymbal on a stand.

[tommyestrada]

When band mates replace your IPA with Coor's light.
When the house sound tech is constantly hitting on you (and you're not gay).
When the bus driver is tired (drunk/high) and now you have to drive while everyone else sleeps.

[zacdrake]

As a former touring musician/drummer ( back in the 70's) the biggest con was definitely the downtime! We spent an average of 10 hrs a day on the road driving to the next gig. There were no computers, iPads, video games, cell phones or even TV on the bus. So listening to music, the lost art of handwriting letters, chatting with the group and sleeping was about all there was to do! We did meet lots of people but 90% of the time, we were back on the bus right after the show and headed to the next gig. No real time to develop relationships, hence the letter writing! Pros were playing to the large crowds, seeing the country(mostly out of the bus window at 70 MPH), honing the show to perfection and feeling somewhat like a "star" It was far from perfect, but created priceless memories and some lifelong friendships. Oh, yeah, CON: Denny's and Truck stop food!

[jedidrummerjake]

I did too and gotta say; You gotta LOVE LIVING out of a suitcase. We toured our asses off for the simple reason we could and didn't care what happened the next year. Success is like a hollow tree. I'm lucky enough to teach percussion now as my career. Never the less, its the best job in the world. If you're young, go for it. Just have a back up plan.

[Rockin_Ross]

You’re spot on with all of these! Touring with guys you don’t want to kill after 3 shows is always a gift!

[vincentm]

This video really applies to any musician actually as Im a bass player and learned from it. Im much older than you and at this stage in my life Id probably not enjoy sleeping in bunk beds and smelling sweat after a gig. But for a young strong guy this seems perfect.

[joelmccoy]

I totally feel you on the being stuck in not so great places. I did an out of town gig with a tribute band once in a small town in Nebraska. There was absolutely nothing for miles AND no phone signal. (This was before smartphones) so I couldn't even call or text friends back home. I was stuck there for 2 days.

[troytree]

Pro: u get super good, in the pocket with energy and u become a great listener. Ur playing reaches an entire level above when u started.
Con: most venues did not have great monitors and sound guys can careless if your opening for the main act to accommodate. However, this Did not keep me from having fun and playing my best. This gives u another tool to take with u or makes u an experienced drummer. This made me a solid drummer. Every note I played was heard and in time.
Great Video!

[bhaveshsolanki]

This is brilliant to watch especially for guys like me who can only dream to go on tour would have loved to experience this!

[skullkid]

That boxing ring set looked pretty sick my guy.

[calebhenson]

This has been a dream of mine. Lord willing. Knowing the pros and cons is going to help me. But I want this to be my MAIN career. That can pay the bills, put food on the table for me, the family, and retire off of. Excellent video. Appreciate the tips!

[drumteacher]

I spent a lot of time on the road! It’s a lot harder than people think it’s not all fame and glory! Having a good roadie is everything!! Nothing better than not having to haul, set up and tear down and haul all your gear! Being away from family is really tough! I really miss my wife/ kids on the road! Also bandmates can be really annoying or really awesome! Annoying being higher! Lol! Gigs are fun travel is exhausting! Fans are fun too, but often they don’t understand how much work tours are!