4. You Need A Good Drummer
I often joke about drummers as they are a simple folk, failed musicians who like to just hit things. See!? That was a joke! Relax my percussionist friends! I'm about to big you up! It is essential you have a good sticksman if you want your band to sound good and play well. They are the most important member of any live band. Singers and guitarists may want to re-read that line a few times. Trust me. Why such an accolade I hear you ask? Any band can get away with having a lumpy bass player, a less than stellar guitarist or even a ropey singer. If the drums aren't right though, you might as well pack up your stuff now. Having a useless drummer is like building your house on sand, quick sand. If you dont have the correct foundations, the unit will break down and sound just plain wrong, time and time again. No amount of showboating from the frontman or guitar noodling/slapping will ever cover that. When one of those instruments makes a balls up, most people won't even notice. When the drums mess up or are keeping time like a knock off Rolex, suddenly even the most tone deaf of audience members become a fully fledged music critic and start talking of it sounding "weird" and "off." The drummer's job is to keep everyone locked in synch and shape the template of the music. They are the conductor, the engine, the heartbeat of the band if you will. Never forget this. However, It is probably for the best if you just continue to refer to your percussionist as "The guy at the back hitting things". Never let the drummer know these revelations I have shared with you. If they catch wind of this, their ego will inflate tenfold quicker than you can say "Phil Collins and Genesis" and you will have to contend with another insufferable messiah complex along with your frontman/guitarist/electric leg whistle player. How do you know a drummer is at your door? The knocking keeps speeding up.