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like this

I've seen in a few live concert, where people, especially the frontman, stand on the drumkit. Is it okay to stand there? Will the kick be broken?

I'm specifically thinking of having a mic in front of the kick, because it's for a live set. How bad is it, for the kick and for the mic? And if it's not really bad, how to avoid accidents like falling from the kick or something related with that?

seseorang
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    I'd be inclined to say stand on anything you own - it's yours to do what you like with. However, the drums are not yours... 'Sorry' has never effectively replaced gear someone else has broken, but that's all we normally get! – Tim Aug 16 '15 at 17:32

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The front rim of most kick drums is very strong - a rigid metal circle - so standing on it isn't in itself likely to damage the drum. It also won't damage the mic, as it is usually on a low stand in front of the drum.

However you are right that there are obviously safety concerns:

  • You could fall backwards into the kit
  • You could fall forwards and fall to the stage
  • You could catch the mic on your way down, whether falling or stepping, and this could knock the mic over. Kick drum mics are usually robust so I wouldn't worry too much about that, more about the fact that it won't be pointed at the drum any more

As far as falling goes - not a lot you can do other than try and make sure your singer isn't too drunk etc :-)

Doktor Mayhem
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  • knocking mics to the floor violently is NEVER "ok." Mics are precision instruments. A dynamic mic is certainly "more" robust than a ribbon mic, but robust is a relative matter... – dwoz Aug 16 '15 at 19:33
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    Dwoz - you missed the whole point of my post and focused on the lighter point. – Doktor Mayhem Aug 16 '15 at 20:23
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Put simply: A drum is not constructed to hold a 175 lb person. It will not likely collapse, but could certainly go out of round, making it difficult or problematic to tune in the future. That drum is anchored by a couple thin stabilizers that are held by a pressure screw.

It may be "rock and roll" to stand on the drumkit...and it's all good for the show, but it most likely means damage to the instrument...which is sort of also rock and roll, but more like EXPENSIVE rock and roll.

dwoz
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The phrase goes "only one way to find out", and it needs to be treated with caution. Both drums and drum mics come in a large number of varieties and may, or may not, withstand that kind of punishment. It's potentially quite an exciting stunt on stage, but it comes with an element of risk.

How willing are you to risk damaging your kick drum?

How easily can you afford a new one?

Some people choose to take the risk when it could really cause problems for the band at future gigs.

Often for very large touring productions, there will be spare instruments handy, just in-case. (But we really are talking about bands which have 'made it', here. They'll also have such luxuries as guitar techs and drum techs, gear sponsors and carpenters, in case things really get nasty.

There was an incident at a gig where I worked for a while, the singer demolished their drum kit while the drummer was playing, cymbals flying everywhere, it was pretty exciting. Only, they did it when there was £10,000 worth of moving lights on the drum rise. Needless to say, the venue owner was not happy.

In short, it's a bit like climbing lighting rigs, swinging mics by the cable or throwing a guitar around you on it's strap. Just because it can be done, and it is possible to do so safely, does not mean it should be. In all such cases, don't you dare do it when it's my gear at stake ;)

Think about what you're risking, gear (yours, shared or venue-owned gear), and health. If it's only your things at risk, you need to make a judgement about how much risk you want to take.

AJFaraday
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