Comment what you carry in your emergency kit for a chance to win a sticker! If you are interested in anything that I talked about in the video, be sure to check out this link! www.amazon.com/shop/rdavidr

in my drum hardware bag i also carry a set of acoustic and electric guitar strings, set of bass strings, some guitar picks, a tuner, a capo, a guitar strap (or two), and a pack of 9 volt batteries. if the guitarist you're playing with had a dead 9v or broke a string on his guitar and you pull out the lifesaver from your drum hardware bag, you're getting a call when the next gig or project comes up.

A flashlight has saved my ass on tour so many times. Loading in/out of a venue during night, dropping a clutch inside the venue, fixing the van's exhaust at 2 am. Yeah, pack a flashlight!

Extension cords, adapters, batteries, a razorblade, bandaids, picks, a multitool, extra tips for headphones, rubber bands, a lighter, a charger, some paper for notes and a USB key/SD card. Wipes also never hurt.

I usually carry a few band-aids. I’ve knocked my knuckle on rims too often, and don’t like slinging around blood.

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up? Me: rdavidr

I would also put an extra spring for the bass drum pedal in my bag.

I carried rope with mine. Sometimes the floor of the venue was slippery (tiles and the like) and the kick drum had nothing to grip to, so I would tie it to my throne to stop it from going away on its own. Also paper.

Great advice, both in the vid as well as in the comments. I did some rearranging a few weeks back with the stuff I bring, and this is the current inventory (WARNING: BIG LIST) In my stick bag (which I bring to rehearsals and some short gigs where I don't set up my own gear), I have the following: - Sticks, mallets, brushes, etc - Small digital metronome (mostly for songs I have to sightread) - Voice recorder (to record rehearsals and sessions) - 2 drum keys (can't have enough, take my word on this) - SlapKlatz (gel dampening, like them better than Moongel) - Multitool (foldable pliers, also include a knife, flat and phillips head, beer/can opener etc) - Pencilcase with pen, pencil, eraser, sharpie, scissors etc etc (all the stuff I need to write out sheet music, quite a regular activity for a session musician) - Blank sheet music in a folder - Earplugs In my gig bag (which supplements my stick bag for actual gigs and lengthy rehearsals): - Practice pad (for warm up or dressing room rehearsals) - Spare drum key - Kickdrum patch (life saver!) - Drum tool (with typical drum set tools) - Thin cotton sheets (pillowcases) for dampening/effects - Flashlight - Music stand light (don't EVER think the stage lighting will be enough) - Batteries for said lights - Clothes pegs (you learn why the first time you have a sightreading gig in the open) - Spare kick beater - Hi hat clutch - Drop clutch (for twin pedal gigs) - Spare parts of every part on my kick (rods, washers, snare straps, felts, cymbal washers, screws, kick pedal springs, you name it) - Earplugs spares - Single use earplugs (for every single singer alive, they never think of their ears) - Water bottle - iPad (for sheet music or to watch porn during a gig) - Powerbank (for iPad) - Towel and deodorant (making an impression that lasts isn't always a good thing when you're a drummer getting off stage) - Duck tape, WD40 silicon oil spray, tie wraps, rope and string (not for naughty stuff, just to be able to fix anything ever) - Band aids and painkillers, just in case - Spare multi clamp, to fix anything onto anything (drummers know what's up) I also bring spare heads for any drum head, save my bottom tom heads, packed in the cardboard sleeve my kick drumhead came in. Also includes o-rings for my toms and a Big Fat Snare Drum I usually also bring a foldable music stand, a pillow for my kick if it's not already in there, and sometimes an extra kick pedal. Excessive? Absolutely. Until you need one of these things. My philosophy is that I want to be able to fix anything that could break and ruin a gig for me (which are quite a lot of things when you think about it), and it makes me feel very secure. Hope this helps anyone wanting to come prepared. All the best.

You could possible keep all of the stuff in a stick bag. Like the one that vic firth makes. That leather one. It has a lot of pockets so it doubles as a stick bag and an emergency bag! :)

I keep a screwdriver 2 or 3 drum keys Extra cymbal felts and snare straps Mints And of course Vic Firth stickers to put on everything I own .

I carry a wife with me...she has EVERYTHING for the whole band. Let's face it, if one member can't play due to equipment failure, we all suck. As always, GREAT video Dave!!!

I always used a multitool that has pliers, a knife, various screwdrivers, a ruler, and even a file. It takes up less space. Also for a case .... say what you want but I use a makeup bag. There is three compartments with open areas, some compartments are divided into smaller compartments etc. It also has a clear plastic front where I put the tools I use often so I can get at them quickly.

I just like to carry a secondary drum kit in my emergency kit

Gaff tape, an allen wrench set, spare sticks, sunglasses, spare beater, drum key ratchet, moon gel, and some sort of painkiller like advil or excedrin. Headaches can totally kill your groove and I've done enough shows with headaches to know that I don't like it. A towel comes to mind too. And a can of Axe or something. And a spare shirt for those shows that are really hot. Love your vids Dave, keep them coming.

Got all of those things carried inside the front pocket of my old VHS Video Camera bag. The bag itself can fit all of my extra pairs of drum sticks, and my DW 5K Accelerator double-kick pedals (with linkage bar unattached, but included), and my kick drum straps (to prevent kick drum creepage). I wear glasses during a show; sometimes I don't; but for those sweaty hot stage gigs I keep a couple of straps for my glasses so they won't slip off my face during a show. Extras: several D-RINGS, two Dog Leashes, and a few Bungee chords... I gotta have those on hand in case I ever forget my kick drum straps. I keep larger tools (vise grips, drill, rasping file, gorilla glue, double-sided tape for use as drum stick grips, and a mallet) inside a gym bag, which I also bring along with me to gigs. All the rest of my drum hardware, mounts, throne, cymbal stands go into my wheeled carry-on luggage case. lol I used to use my old US Army duffel bag, until I lost a hihat rod. So then I started using a luggage case. As a substitute for a Sharpie marker, I use a black or blue dry-erase marker... I'm usually in a mad rush to set up my drum kit before a show, and I don't always have time to write a paper copy of my band mates' Set list, soOo I grab my dry-erase marker and quickly write the song titles (abbreviated) onto the batter head of my floor tom. After the show, I use rubbing alcohol to wipe the set list away with a paper towel... my floor tom batter is a Remo clear pinstripe batter, so I can see my set list against the background of my drum shell even under dim or color-changing stage lighting. A coated batter is okay, but then I'd have to sand the set list off after a show, LOL. An emergency kit is a Must-Have, it's always covered my ass before or during a show. Of course, every situation is unique. In case of an emergency when drum gear suddenly falls apart during a show, the best thing a drummer can do is Do NOT Panic, and calmly deal with the situation as best and quickly as possible; or just ask another drummer at the show to let you borrow an item, say, a hardware stand or a kick pedal. But, hopefully none of that would be the case. We've all been through it, we just gotta be prepared to roll with the punches. ;-)

Fun tip. I’m a drummer and a motorcycle rider and i learned that motorcycle chain lube works great on the threaded parts of the drum set. Particularly the wax kind of chain lube. Dip your threaded wing nuts in it and thread them. The wax kind of lube drys in about 30 minutes so you get the lubrication factor of grease or oil but it’s dry to the touch.

if you ran out of cymbal sleeves but have your duct tape you can wrap a few pieces around where the cymbal goes. its not ideal and you'll have to clean it off later but at least you won't have the horrible metal on metal sound.

I usually always carry a leatherman multi tool in my bag-o-stuff and that covers your knife or scissors, pliers, flat and philips head screwdrivers. Pretty much any of the tools you may need short of Allen wrenches and drum key. But I also have one of the pearl drum tech tools and it's invaluable. Has screw drivers and Allen keys that fit all pearl equipment (obviously) Long hauls on the road I'll carry a bigger bag that contains pedal springs, hihat tension springs, snare straps, snares, extra lugs, leg casings and screws in the case something would inevitably break I love being my own drum tech!! because I'm waaaaay to broke to afford one 😆 and also jealous of another man touching my drums 😡

You can use moon gels on cymbals too if you need to pull back the cut or sustain.

Very valuable video for gigging drummers. Thanks for sharing. In my case i bought a zip up tool set off ebay for like $10 and it’s got everything i need. Between that and a few spare parts, evverything fits in my meinl deluxe stick bag.

Thanks David. Another highly informative video. I've been playing 54 years and learned some stuff. Very cool.

David can you just hit 100k already? You genuinely deserve it

Lucky for me everyone always wants to use their kit for the whole show and im decent enough to play any other kit and feel at home on it. Really interesting to see what our set sounds like with different makes. Played a pork pie last night, fell in love with that kit. This is all entirely besides the point haha

yessss another rdavidr video, i havent watched any vids in a couple month but last night i binged it all

I need felts on top of my cymbals because I tighten them up until they all have similar sustain times. It also avoids overpowering the kit with the cymbals. You also had a good lifehack to avoid paying for moongels, using sticky plastic letters for children :P

Extra drum keys, felts, cymbal wing nuts, cymbal sleeves, skins, bass beaters with pedal nuts, extra tension rods, mini drill and bits, philips and flat screwdrivers, electrical tape, duct tape, extra pedal, extra pedal springs, pliers, microphone clips, hi hat clutch, box cutter, zipties, and snare string (or plastic strips).

the drum hack playlist was my first of your videos. I found it before I bought my set. You saved me lots of money. Which matters, with me on limited income. get that bit. you may need it on the car one day out on the road.

Sweet vid. Love the new place!

With regards to tools, I carry a multitool, a leatherman charge titanium. Can't count the times it saved my life. I also love to carry a micro-fibre cloth, I like to give the kit (especially the bassdrum from all the drumstick sawdust from playing cymbals) a good wipe to look clean.

Great video! I've discovered over the years that carrying enough cymbal sleeves for the total number of cymbals you want to use is super important. I can't count the number of times on tour that I was using borrowed or backline setups with NO cymbal felts or sleeves. On that note, I also keep a few different diameters and lengths of sleeves as well as 6mm and 8mm wingnuts to fit any brand of cymbal stand I might encounter.

I like the new lens in the first shot. It makes your kit look huge

Good Video David- I have been carrying a similar bag of useful items. In addition I carry a medium-small size crescent wrench (adjustable wrench) in addition to pliers. Now having seen your video I will now add the hi hat clutch. Thanks!

"So..." -every rdavidr video's intro

I carry an extra mic cable because in my experience they love to crap out right during the soundcheck. I also carry a cigarette lighter even though I don't smoke because someone might ask you for it and they might be a good contact to have.

Hi Dave, fun video. I carry all my tools and gadgets in a small Craftsman tool bag made of canvas. It's tough yet small and holds all the spare parts I need. Even a full roll of duct tape fits in.

I prefer to carry a tackle box because it's set up for emergencies with the 3 instruments I play (with mediocre proficiency 😉). I carry allen wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers, a couple of knives, cymbal felts and wingnuts, beaters, beater felts (by DW MDD can replace the beater itself apart from the rest of the assembly), guitar picks, guitar and bass strings, a patch cord, speak-on cable, power cable, mic, memory locks, pen, sharpie, moon gels, drum keys, a small socket set, truss rod tool, a flashlight, 9v batteries, an extra set of IEMs, and a phone charger. I also have some miscellaneous replacement parts I've accumulated over the years. My tackle box is pretty compact; a top tray with 3 compartmentalized drawers. It's no bigger than my double bass pedal case. I know I carry a lot of stuff, but I prefer to be over-prepared, especially when both my guitar player and bass player have taken advantage of my extra strings and picks lol

In my experience, the most important things to have with you at a gig are cymbal felts and plastic cymbal sleeves. I can't stress how important it is that you have these in your stick bag! and of course, gaffer tape

Great vid David. The drummer world needs people like you. ☺

I usually always have a multi-tool (Leatherman, Gerber) in my vehicle, so that would also be at the gig with me. I put everything in my stick bag pockets.

David, i love your channel so much! Actually it's my favourite drum channel. I love how you actually care about your subscribers and how simple and fun your videos are. You are really underrated. Maybe you are not as professional and virtuose as some other drummers at KZfaq, but it just makes you better, because you're closer to people who are watching you. I love this friendly vibe in your videos and that random funny stuff like hammering sounds that are matching the music in the background. Keep it up! Love ya

Don't forget a backup snare drum and a bass drum pedal next to you on stage! You can adapt to any other gear not working, falling apart or drum head breaking but those are essential and you need them next to you so you can do a quick change. It's probably a good idea to have a spare head for your bass drum and snare stashed in your car so you can change them between sets if need be.

Great tips. Really enjoy your program.

I have most of that stuff including the hi-hat clutch. I was really surprised how much I actually take when I watched your video. I think it's a subconscious thing. However there is one thing that I do take that you don't, a pad of paper. Just in case someone forgets to print off a setlist you're the life saver.

I carry a leatherman style multi tool. You get a knife, pliers, screw drivers etc all in 1. Also a hoodie string to tie the bass pedal to the throne if you get a bit of bass drum travel.

that drumstick wingnut trick is probably the most important thing i learned in high school, our band teacher was a percussionist

Here is what I carry to every show: 1. Tools: I have a tool bag I throw in my car. It is fully loaded with wrenches, screwdrivers of every size, hex/allen keys, a small hammer, a utility knife, tape measure, and some pliers. The tape measure is helpful for winning fights with guitar players over stage space! lol.. 2. Leatherman multitool and swiss army knife 3. Small drill with drum key bit. It makes quick changes a breeze. 4. Various drum keys: An old 90 degree angle key with allen key on other end (from Gibralter pedal I had), Evans magnetic key, Evans spin key, Rhythm Tech torque key. These keys also help me change heads and tune quicker. I leave the magnetic key on my floor tom for quick access. 5. Drum Dial tuner. I use this more at home before the gig and use the torque key for speed, but sometimes I have more setup time and can double check with the dial. 6. Moongels 7. A roll of Gaffer tape, for muffling, etc. 8. spare plastic snare straps, snare cords, felts, rubber cymbal sleeves, tension screws, velcro strips, screws and washers (for lugs) in a zip lock bag. 9. Spare clutch. I use a Gibralter quick release clutch and my spare is a normal one with a washer that can come loose, but at least I have it anyways. 10. Spare bass drum beater 11. Hearos musician ear plugs. A must for me. 12. Milwaukee Inkzall marker. Like a Sharpie but better! Writes on anything! 13. A good small flashlight 14. Pens, pencils, highlighters, my daily planner, and small notebooks. For networking, notes, phone numbers and saving last minute dates that may come up. 15: Power strip. Your bandmates will have several , but if they forget, yours will come in handy. Trust me. 16: Chapstick, Deodorant anti-perspirant, Asthma Inhaler, allergy pills, tissues, mini first aid kit, band-aids, sunglasses, bug spray and sunscreen (both in summer only) because Maine is awesome for outdoor playing in picturesque places. Island boat party? Check! 17: iPhone and charger cable. I put all from number two down in my favorite LL Bean backpack, which is my gig pack I take on every show. It has a huge pocket underneath for a pair of shoes, I keep my Teva sandals in it in the summer. It has a bungee net for jacket or sweatshirt, and many pockets for all my little items. Plus my stick bag fits in it too.

I use a toiletry bag, like what you might use when camping or traveling. It's durable and small enough, but you can also use a small messenger bag like I used to a year ago. I don't know which I prefer. Both work great.

a few things i would add are the drum multitool it has 3 different drum keys a bunch of common drum hex/alan keys as well as a phillips mini screwdriver and on the other side is a hole you can use to quickly tighten/loosen wing nuts, as well as a flat head screwdriver for parts like the china cymbal mount amongst others, earplugs which wether you are playing or watching a gig they will become invaluable, and maybe a special drum key such as the one that tightens/loosens 4x instead of one, or the drum key drill bit for quick head replacing, what i use as my emergency kit is usually the pouch of eithre my cymbal bag or stick bag, otherwise fantastic suggestions david! also another common reason for allan/hex keys is for drum racks

Hi David, thanks good video, I carry a spare pedal spring but also a spare cheapo pedal. I've found the thread on the hi hat clutch can loosen and the top hat flaps around, I use PTFE tape on the threads and in an emergency you could use cellophane from a cig packet! I once had my pedal spring break and used a load of elastic bands from the beater and attached it to the stool !

I used my cymbal bag that also included an extra pair of shoes. Hammer. And 3 sets of sticks. Aside from felts. Drum keys and screw/nut drivers

More for recording, if you have a floor tom that won't stop ringing. Use three or four cotton balls mesh together and flattened out. Take off the top head and drop it in the center on the bottom head and put top head back on this will stop the ringing.

I am obsessed with 3,5 inches deep piccolo Snare Drums with Remo Ambassador Coated drumheads

Instead of a flashlight I have a headlamp, which is fantastic for setups and teardowns. I usually have a Leatherman-style multi-tool in my stick bag on top of the pliers and screwdrivers in the crash kit. And band-aids - I've lost count of the times my fingers have gotten dinged up setting up or tearing down, and they also work for extra muffling!

Instead of cymbal sleeves, I also use small plastik hoses. An assortment of cable adapters is also good to have. I prefer the slapklatz damper over the moongel. They have different sized pads and the packing is better.

Very useful video Dave! I'm be traveling to Memphis for the Youth Blues Showcase in January, and all of the places where I'm playing, I'm gonna have to use a house kit. I'll definitely be puting together one of these kits soon. Thanks!

i carry pretty much all of the same exact stuff with the addition of pedal springs and assemblies. and it all fits in the accessory pouch of my cymbal bag.

I have a drum multi-tool, a knife, some pliers, extra felts and tension rods, and a pencil as well as dampening material (electric tape included) all in a little tackle box with removable dividers in it. I keep my extra bass drum beater in my stick bag because it has a separate holder for it.

I carry it in a small toilet bag. At the time I was putting all those things together i didn't find a proper box, so I took a toilet bag :P Apart from all the things you said, it also contains a Triangle (+ Holder from K&M I can mount to any stand), a Shaker, Eggs, Claves and a mount for my cowbell.

A crescent wrench is a really nice thing to have as well I also like to have some stuff for other members of the band like picks capos mike covers cords and some strings

You could replace the square bit with a hex wrench for bass drum pedal fine adjustment. Old Trixon hardware on the drum lugs will break off instantly with the first attempt to turn. There is no alternative but to drill them out, best to leave them be. Wing nuts always get dropped in setups over or near water or other impossible places to look for them or they are commonly stripped out on the house drum kit :) I carry 2 sharpies, one black, one gold or silver for dark surfaces, also snare strainer string or plastic strips to keep snare wires on. ya never know.

I liked the info rdavidr

Dave, i,m new to you're Channel, but enjoy what you Teach! And Play!👍👍

Small adjustable crescent wrench for nuts that have sides. Pliers are great for stuff that’s meant to be finger tight.

For the container I like to carry microphone pouches. Like the ones from shure that come with an sm57. If you need more space you can use more of those. If you have more than one pouch then consider using a double bassdrumpedal bag for a single pedal and throw the pouches in there.

As always very informative. Thanks!

i use my cymbal case patch since i already have to use the case. multi tool, moon gel, drum key, sticks, xlr cable,snare strainer from old drum heads cut out, back up in ears headphones(always keep back up in case in house blows your headphones),cymbal felt and sleeves.

Pliers are great when you're using someone else's hardware and they've tightened the crap out of the wingnuts for some reason.

Props to Dave for deciding not to do what most other youtubers do and aim for maximum usefulness, instead

Clothes pins. Super helpful.

Dude! Robertson bits for the win.

I don't even play drums, why i like this channel so much

Nice vid! I caryy extra water bottles, and a spare t shirt. And stickers for dampening and bass head to beater protection.

3.32 min that's 100% me if I try to eat with China sticks😂

I also carry a bass drum beater chain, I use an older pedal parts wear out. Good to have in case.

I use a Crown Royal bag to carry my emergency stuff like pedal screws, hh clutch, tape, felts, sleeves etc.. Stick bag has the screwdriver and snare straps. Spare 9v batteries in the gig bag.

I add a couple extra little things - not tools for the drum kit specifically but definitely things you may need on a gig. - Tissues - Band-aids - paracetamol - a good musli bar

Zip ties are very useful. Much better for fixing your kick pedal than electrical wire! lol

If you break a snare strap you can use a drinking straw or two in a pinch. I carry ribbon as an alternative to Mylar strips.

Quick drying super glue. A gerber multitool. Slip joint pliers and a crescent wrench.

One thing I learned to carry to a show was sore throat lozenges. I got sick the day before my last gig and had to play while sick. Those things made the show way more bearable.

thank you so much for the video

Good idea!

You educate me on drums more than all of my drum teachers combined.

I dig the Wrigley's box. I keep extra bass pedal springs in mine.

I use the exterior pocket of my stick bag to carry tools. I just got the tama multi tool. That saves a lot of space.

Is that the $20 Walmart cymbal?

I carry a pair of vice grip pliers. Also instead of duct or gaffers tape, I carry packing tape. The kind with the strings running through it. Had to repair a snare head mid-show once and the head gave out in another place before the tape did.

I keep a drum key keychained on my car keys so I'll never forget it

I carry 3 drum keys, extra snares, 5 wing nuts, 10 felts, 5 hihat felts, and 5 cymbal felts, and 5 wing nuts with the screws on the bottom, a knife, a flashlight too, and pliers, and 4 cymbal sleeves, and last but not least, 2 hi hat clutches, And moon gel

Great, thank's for the video. I use to do The same thing!

i started using double sided velcro instead of zip ties. comes in a roll you can cut it to any length you need and it doesn't have sharp shards of plastic to slice your hand open. its great for any kind of cable management and reusable. edit spelling

I would also carry around pen and paper, a set of allen keys, and a $20 bill. Excellent idea on bringing a second bass drum beater. I once broke one in half at the intro of the first song. Had to play the song with my left foot, grab the singer's mic, and ask if any of the other drummers on the bill would let me borrow their beater. Took a healthy 5 minutes out of our set and was quite embarrassing on my part...

Medical tape for fingers . Headache tablets . Having to do a set with a headache sucks. Even the best kits have small grub scews so a small allen set is a given. Bust bass drum leg rest it on two of the three legs of a cymbal stand . Oh I almost forgot my most important thing A FLOOR MAT , anything carpet etc . A stops your kick getting scratched if playing on a hard suface and B, if the grips on your kick pedals isnt enough then it can stop your bass wandering off in a paticulary busy tune.. Cheers si.

knives are underrated asf.. i used mine countless times when playing live

Cool video. I carry pretty much the same as yourself but I multi-purpose tool you know the ones where it's a knife, screwdriver, pliers etc.

9:09 the magically appearing drum key :) lol

I use a stick bag for my stuff 💁 but also there's a good oil called "3 in 1 motor oil" or something like that. Its the best oil if something is squeaking etc. Hope I helped

When I saw the title of the video I thought you were running out of ideas, but the video was actually pretty good!

I always always always carry I polish rag or bandanna. A)to dampen the snare or floor tom. B) yes, I clean off finger prints off my Snare when I finish it. (I only play at church and I take my personal Bad ass snares....Ludwig’s)