Subbing (Part 3) : Rehearsal and Performance So, you've prepared yourself for the subbing situation and now have to meet with the band for a rehearsal. The first important rule to remember involves something familiar to drummers - TIME - as in "BE ONE TIME". Remember that the rehearsal is primarily for YOU. To make the most out of your time together, I suggest taking a trimmed down version of your kit so that you are not wasting time setting up and tearing down. Before you begin to play, suggest an agenda to the band leader. For example... I might say - "We have 2 1/2 hours so I'd like to go over songs A, B, C, E, H, K, Z first because they are the most difficult. Songs L - R are ones I'm most confident on so we'll leave them to the end. And, songs S - Y I'd like to just play a verse and chorus with you to get use to your style. To warm up lets start with D,F,G - they are moderate tempo tunes - and should setup a good vibe between us." This agenda works well for more a more extensive song list. If you only plan to do 1 set of originals then I'd suggest running the set in set list order until you run out of rehearsal time. Always have your notes, a metronome, and a recording device with you. Usually, you can identify the person who will be easiest to cue off of at the show. This person rarely is the frontman or leader because they are most likely going to be busy entertaining the crowd. If you did enough prep work going into the rehearsal, then the practice should just be uneventful. Remember before you leave to get directions, times and other relative information about the gig. So its "show day". Again .... be on time. Take an extra snare (or at least head) and an extra bass drum pedal with you just for peace of mind. You don't want all your effort to go out the window because of a gear breakage problem. If you have your own monitor mix, make sure you can hear enough vocals, keyboard, guitar as you need to be able to follow the material. In between soundcheck and show time - RELAX. Forget about the music for a while -unless the leader wants to review something. Think positive thoughts and get into the mode of "I am going to drive the band". Make sure you know the set times and be on stage ready to play for those times. One time I subbed for a band whose last sub-drummer was at the bar getting a beer when the band was onstage being introduced - not good! You need to put yourself in the position of the band leader who has to get paid by the bar owner at the end of the night. He shouldn't have to answer questions about why the band didn't start on time. As a sub, one of your main roles is doing your best to ensure that the band (with their regular drummer) gets asked back in the future to play that room again. From the time you count the band into the first song KEEP YOUR EARS AND EYES OPEN. If you blank on a tune keep the groove simple until you recover and never count in a tune that you momentarily forgot. It is better to stand up and quietly ask the guy next to you on stage to hum the intro for you. That takes 8 seconds and is far better then just winging it! Not related to playing, but equally as important - be friendly and socialize on break. If you do your job well, most people in the crowd won't know you are not the permanent drummer. If you find yourself being approached on break, promote the band - ask the person to come out again or tell a friend, etc... There is a science to the art of playing music when it come to "pinch hitting" for someone. Get a routine that works for you and stick to it. The more opportunities you get, the better you'll become at subbing. The great thing about it is that there is always room for improvement. Lastly........Remember to get paid before you pull away from the venue! :-) "Subbing" in alot of ways is like the dating part of a relationship. Everyone in the band is usually very polite to you. If your helping them out in a pinch they are very appreciative and considerate. You get to learn new things about the other players. Every song is a new experience. In turn, you go out of your way to try and be accomodating because you want to make a great impression in hopes that there will be other "dates" (subbing opportunities) with them or other people they know. And best off, its legal to get paid for that kind of "dating". I hope you enjoyed the three part series I've written - Happy subbing!