#Drum Cymbal Wing Nut

[themusicpilgrim]

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[malumsmermaid]

Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare?

Happy Halloween everyone! This is the halloween event fic for the collab discord!

I chose the prompt of “Person A sells their soul to Person B, a crossroads demon,” for Mashton.

Word Count: 4.6k

Pairing: Demon Michael x Ashton

Description: So I made this an alternate timeline. 5SOS is still 5SOS, but, they don’t really take off until after Ashton is already 18, and Ashton joins the band much earlier than Michael does, for the sake of the prompt and my plans.

Warnings: Demons, mentions of death

Event Masterlist        My Masterlist       Buy Me a Ko-Fi

Ashton took a deep breath, giving the book and bag of supplies sitting in his passenger seat an anxious glance. He’d bought the spell book from a local used bookstore months ago, assuring his two friends that it was just as a joke. This week however, curiosity and desperation took over, leading him to dig through his closet until he found the note-laden spell book, still in the bag it was placed in the day it was purchased. 

He steeled himself, grabbing the book and bag and turning off his car, climbing out and taking sure steps towards the intersection of the streets. He grabbed chalk from the plastic bag, trying not to look too long at the other ingredients for the summoning. He set the book next to him on the ground, shivering as it fell open to the exact page he needed. “Okay Ash,” he breathed, “get yourself together and let’s do it, for the boys. Six guitarists in six months is fucking ridiculous.” 

He dug in the cloth bag for the box of chalk, taking a piece out and walking to the center of the intersection. He kneeled on the pavement, focusing on the crossroads he was at mentally as he drew out the symbol illustrated in the spell book. He knew that Luke, Calum and himself had a great fit for their band, the only thing they were lacking in their balance was the right guitarist. He had a feeling that if they didn’t find another guitarist soon, and if this seventh guitarist wasn’t the missing piece they’d been searching for, the two younger boys may lose hope and give up. He maintained focus on his goal as he meticulously followed the instructions laid out in the book.

Everything completed he took a step back, eyes closed as he focused on what he needed. When he opened his eyes again, there was a cloaked figure in front of him, orange glowing eyes showing from beneath a hood. Ashton stood his ground, even with the lit candles flickering out, staring the orange eyes down as he waited for the crossroads demon to speak. Ashton thought he could make out a smirk on the demon’s lips as he sized up the eighteen year old in front of him.

“Was this just some dare from your friends or do you actually need me for something, kid?” The demon’s voice was low, almost bored.

Ashton squared his shoulders, standing up straighter and sticking his chin out, pushing down even the slightest bit of fear. “I truly believe my band has a good chance of making it in our field, we just are failing desperately at finding the right guitarist.”

The demon blinked, “You’re willing to sell your soul to a demon...for a guitarist. Not the success of the band, just the guitarist.”

Ashton nodded, sighing, “We’ve been through six guitarists in as many months. I’m here for the perfect guitarist for our band. The success will follow from that.”

“Are you sure about that?” the demon asked, fingers fiddling with the large sleeves of the cloak. “This is really what you want to sell your soul for, no little extra guarantee that it will actually work out on top of this guitarist?”

Ashton looked at the ground, silent for a moment, before looking up into the glowing eyes through his fringe, “It really is. I think my bandmates may give up if this next guitarist doesn’t work out, and I don’t want that to happen. Besides, if it had been one of their ideas, I would’ve made sure I was the one to do it. They don’t deserve that.”

“And you do?” The demon retorted, though his voice took on a concerned note.

Ashton paused, eyebrows pulling together before shaking his head. He reached his hand across the sigil he’d drawn in the road, “Do we have a deal?”

The demon took in Ashton’s unwavering position, his refusal to back down, convinced that this was the measure he had to take for his friends. “Deal.” The demon responded, grasping Ashton’s hand in his own. “Guitarist lucky number seven will be at your next rehearsal,” he stated before turning around and getting ready to disappear back into the darkness, “Can’t wait to see how this one turns out.” He muttered to himself.

Ashton gathered what remained of his ingredients, taking them to the car and grabbing his thermos full of water, rinsing the chalk off of the roadway before finally getting back in his car and going home.

~~~~~

Two days later Ashton was setting up his drum kit in Luke’s house. He was anxiously tightening a wing nut to a cymbal when the doorbell rang. Luke frowned, putting his guitar down and going to answer the door. Ashton could hear Luke talking to someone and hummed, continuing his set up. Soon Luke returned, another boy following behind him. “This is Michael,” the blonde started, getting both Ashton and Calum’s attention. “He told me that he heard from a friend that we were looking for another guitarist?”

Luke’s blue eyes were questioning, wondering if his other two bandmates had spoken to anyone about the recent opening. Calum looked just as confused as Luke and Ashton whirred through some excuse he could make up. “I uh, may have mentioned it to one of the people at the barbecue I went to after practice the other night. Didn’t think they’d actually know someone looking for a band though, guess I was wrong.”

Luke simply shrugged and nodded, turning back to Michael, still hanging behind him. Ashton caught the guitarist’s eye and...did he just wink at him? No, he had to have imagined it. Michael’s brown hair fell in his face and he crouched on the floor, pulling his guitar out of the case and tuning it, knowing that the band would need to hear him play before anything was decided.

Ashton finished setting up his kit and took a seat in front of the Hemmings’ Christmas tree. Calum was on one side of him, fidgeting with the shoulders of his tank top, Luke on the other looking at Michael. He’d pulled his guitar strap over his shoulder, guitar hanging on his back as he fidgeted with the strands of his hair before stepping up to Calum’s keyboard. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves before he started playing the opening notes to Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold. He swung his guitar around and began to play. He leaned into the microphone and began singing the lyrics as well and Ashton thought he caught another furtive glance and a smirk from him. 

Luke got to his feet halfway through the song, stopping Michael. “Dude, if you can get along with the three of us as well as you can play guitar, I’d say you’re in. What do you guys think?”

Calum spoke up from his spot, “Yeah, hang out with us some after practice today and same at the next and if we’re all getting along, I’d say it’s going to work out.”

Ashton simply nodded his agreement with the other two boys and got to his feet, going to settle behind his drum set, ready to start practice. Michael was beaming as he moved to the other side of the living room stage, looking at the tabs Luke was showing him for one of the original songs that he wanted to work on today.

~~~~~~~

Michael blended into the group with ease, Ashton and Calum welcoming him in before the first rehearsal with the new guitarist was even over. Ashton brushed off his apprehension about the looks that Michael had been giving him, he was a nice guy and there was no way he could know about the deal the drummer had made. By his third rehearsal, Michael had come up with a name for the group, the other three boys having been struggling with that for a long time, especially with the more pressing issue of keeping a guitarist on the forefront of their minds. 

Soon, 5 Seconds of Summer were posting more videos to Luke’s youtube channel and playing more local shows. With Michael fitting in so well with the group they were now working harder than ever before. After a few months, they finally got a call from a label. They worked out the details with their parents and began touring around the country, and then across the world. 

The years went on and the band’s success continued to grow, multiple albums debuting at number 1 and playing larger and larger venues. During one tour Ashton dyed his hair black, posting a picture in front of a window, captioning it “feeling like a demon again.” Michael was in another room, and he let out a low chuckle when he read the caption, double tapping the photo and carrying on.

It was coming up on ten years since Michael joined the band, ten years since Ashton made a deal with the crossroads demon. He wasn’t really in the mood to celebrate his 28th birthday when it came along, knowing in five months, he would no longer be himself, if he was even still here. They finished recording their sixth album and Ashton went back to Australia for a month, spending time with his family. When he got back to LA in mid-September he began pulling away from his friends, only responding to band related texts immediately, sometimes taking three days to reply to even Calum when he tried to check in. He tried to say that he was working on a second solo album during the lull before they had to start promoting the new record, but he knew that would only hold them off for so long.

By October Ashton’s nightmares of the orange-eyed demon he’d been having from time to time since they met were now nightly. The first week of November he just gave up on sleeping entirely, throat raw from waking up screaming as the cloaked demon dragged him out of bed and down through his bedroom floor into darkness. 

At the end of the week without sleep, Ashton once again found himself spending the whole day sitting on his couch, staring intently at a blank page of his journal. The room grew dark around him as the sun sank in the sky. The last few golden rays travelled through the windows when he recognized the sound of Michael knocking on his door. Before he could get up or even respond to the sound, the door opened, Michael walking straight in. Ashton wearily raised his head, looking at his friend standing in the doorway to the living room. “You look soulless.” Michael said, “Trust me, I would know.”

Ashton shook his head, placing his elbows on his knees and leaning his head on his hands. “What do you need Mike?”

“I know why you’ve been avoiding us, pushing everyone away.”

Ashton let out a dark chuckle. “Sure. Take a guess.” He muttered, keeping his head down.

Michael stepped further into the room, boot stomping on the hardwood. “Ashton. Look at me.”

There was something different to Michael’s voice, and Ashton found himself unable to disobey. He sat up, turning to look at the blonde and gasped. The same glowing orange eyes that had been haunting his nightmares were staring straight at him, coming from Michael’s face. Ashton scrambled backwards until his back was against the far arm of the sofa, the guitar that had been next to him dropping to the floor. Michael frowned, stepping forward, picking up the instrument from the ground, checking it and carefully beginning to tune it again while Ashton searched for words. 

“Y-you!” He choked out, “Get out of Michael!”

The demon sighed, eyes fading back to green as he fiddled with the guitar. He snapped his fingers, turning on some lamps. “Ashton,” he said, voice soft, “I’ve been Michael the whole time, from before you came forth to make the deal to now.”

Ashton shook his head, “So I wasn’t being paranoid about the looks you were giving me when you tried out for the band.”

Michael chuckled, nodding. “I was sort of hoping you’d notice much sooner. I was just drawn in by your confidence that all you needed was a guitarist. And you were right.”

Ashton was still pressed against the arm of the sofa, so Michael stayed where he was, tenderly cradling Ashton’s guitar, letting him set his boundaries, letting him figure out how he felt. Finally, Ashton shifted, actually looking at Michael, no longer pinning himself to the end of the couch. When he spoke, his voice was raw, “It’s just...god, Michael. I’ve trusted you with things I wouldn’t tell anyone else. I’ve been vulnerable with you...I--I’m in fucking love with you.” Ashton’s scoff turned into a disbelieving laugh. “I would fall in love with a demon, makes so much more sense now.”

“Hey now,” Michael said, voice soft as he moved to sit next to Ashton, hand resting on the drummer’s thigh. Ashton didn’t pull away and Michael carried on, “I gave up my original job out of curiosity after we met. The past ten years I’ve spent with you...and the band...I’ve been closer to my old mortal life, old feelings, than I have been in centuries.”

“What do you mean?” Ashton asked, hazel eyes meeting green.

“I mean, I wasn’t always a crossroads demon, if that’s what you’re asking. In my old life I was a travelling minstrel, and one day, I performed the same ceremony you did, summoned the demon who would be my master in order to make a deal.”

Ashton tilted his head, understanding crashing over him and he nodded, curls bouncing. “Did you make the deal you expected me to make? Asking for success and fame?”

Michael chuckled, “No, Ashton, I assumed that’s where you were going because I’ve been a crossroads demon for four hundred years. The number of times I’ve heard that request in the past fifty years alone...it’s not a hard assumption to make.” 

Ashton nodded, quietly waiting to hear Michael’s story. Michael hummed, leaning back into the couch as he began. “It was a festival, celebrating the arrival of spring. We were playing in the market square and a boy caught my eye. I later learned he was the son of the lord and lady of that region and doubted I had much chance. But I had to have him. So, that night, I made a deal and within the next fortnight, I was a regular in his bed. 

His parents knew nothing of the matter and within two years he was married to the daughter of some duchess, but we had an understanding with her. She had little interest in lying with her husband anyway, her heart laid with one of the maids who helped her dress.

Much too soon my time came and I became a demon. I stopped aging, learned my trade, and began my work. I still spent nights with my beloved, but he continued aging, and soon, at least to me, it became clear that he couldn’t keep up with me anymore. I held his hand as he crossed over. He and his wife never had children, even for the sake of appearances, and so their line ended with their deaths. He chose to be reborn, I check in on him once every century, but I always miss when he would be my apparent age. The two times that I caught him in his later years, his soul recognized me for who I was and we had long talks when I came by, but nothing more.”

Ashton stared, nodding as he listened to Michael’s century’s old tale, of who he had been before Ashton was even a thought. “H-have you found him in this century?” He voiced.

Michael chuckled, “Yes, I have. As much as you remind me of him, you aren’t him. No, he’s the man you’ve known as my dad the past few years. Hate that I had to put that sort of spell on him, but I needed a cover. But, like I said, my timing has been off, probably the curse of being a demon, can’t keep up with the man I loved.”

Ashton nodded slowly. “But you know why I can’t tell anyone why I’ve been pulling away. Luke and Calum wouldn’t understand. I...I don’t want to hurt them.”

Michael hummed, pulling Ashton to rest on his chest. “I know, but I have a plan. I’ll get us both out of this. But first you need to get some sleep.”

Ashton wanted to protest, to explain his nightmares, but the warmth of Michael’s body and the song beginning to fill his ears were making his limbs heavy, eyelids drooping.

~~~~~~

Ashton awoke in his dark room, feeling more rested than he had in months. He was dimly aware of the other body in his bed, but opted to continue to lay still, see if sleep would claim him again, unsure how long he had been out. “Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Michael murmured, shifting to face Ashton.

Ashton didn’t jump, he wasn’t as foggy as he would normally expect upon waking up. He still remembered his conversation with Michael before he’d fallen asleep, and he still felt comforted by Michael’s presence, despite now knowing the truth. “How long was I out?” He hummed, turning to look at Michael’s silhouette.

Michael shifted, picking up his phone to check the time. “So it was like almost 7pm when you fell asleep the other night, then all of yesterday, I cleaned up the house by the way, and now it’s 5am the next day. Thought you were gonna wake up a few times during the day, but you just rolled over after mumbling something.”

Ashton blinked as he tried to take that in. He didn’t think that he’d ever slept that long, even at his most jet-lagged or exhausted following a long tour. “Makes sense, it’s been so long since I’ve gotten any sleep, since I’ve slept without any nightmares.”

Michael nodded, tentatively reaching out. Ashton moved closer, letting Michael place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Looked up tickets, got us a flight home tomorrow afternoon, figured you’d be awake by then. Do you wanna get Luke and Calum together for lunch or dinner today and just have a boy’s night, have a heart to heart?”

“But we can’t really tell them all of it, can we?”

“Up to you, I don’t mind them knowing, my plan includes shrugging off my old job, getting rid of these guys.”

Even knowing the truth, the sight of Michael’s glowing orange eyes still made Ashton flinch. “Let’s just plan getting together today, and decide what we’re going to tell them when we get there. I’m going to go do some yoga, stretch out after being in bed so long.” Ashton got out of bed after Michael nodded, stretching out his back as he walked around the bed. “How about dinner? Then we can come back here and talk more.”

Michael agreed, “I’ll send them a text later to get everything planned, doubt they’d appreciate a 5am text.”

~~~~~~

Ashton ended up deciding against telling Luke and Calum the full story, since it sounded like Michael was planning on no longer being a demon by the end of the week, and he still wasn’t sure he wanted to explain how Michael had really become part of the band, by Ashton making a deal with the demon. They’d been nothing but supportive, reminding him that they’re always there if he needs to talk. Michael was sitting next to him, occasionally giving him gentle touches and reassuring looks as he explained some of what he’d been going through. 

Ashton slept the whole flight back to Australia the next day, only waking during a spot of turbulence to find Michael had rested his head on Ashton’s shoulder, also asleep. Once they’d landed, Michael rented a car and they went to get dinner before checking into the hotel. “Let’s get some rest,” Michael said after he set his bag down, taking a seat on the bed. “Then tomorrow night we’ll go back to where we first met and get this reversed, neither of us will have anything to worry about anymore.”

Ashton nodded, and both men took turns getting ready for bed. There were two beds in the room, but Ashton looked over at Michael anxiously. “Can I sleep next to you? I...I don’t want to be alone in a bed again.”

Michael nodded and Ashton flipped off the lamp by the bed he’d originally claimed, crawling in next to Michael. He moved close to him, scared to be touching him, still not entirely sure where they stood. Michael however, closed the distance after he turned off the lamp, pressing his body closer and throwing an arm over Ashton’s shoulder.

The pair slept soundly through the night, spending the day laying low, having lunch and dinner out at quieter local cafes. As the last rays of sunlight disappeared below the horizon, full moon rising higher in the sky, Michael drove out to the crossroads where Ashton had summoned him just a month shy of ten years ago. He pulled over, reaching into the backseat for the bag he’d brought with him. Ashton followed him to the center of the intersection, watching as Michael began the summoning ceremony Ashton had followed, but in reverse order. The asphalt swallowed up the ingredients as Michael threw them down, the demon chanting in an ancient language as he circled the ground. He traced glowing orange runes into the road. 

Once there was a glowing circle surrounding the runes, Michael stepped back, arms open wide as he continued chanting, Ashton hesitantly stepping forward to stand at his side. Michael fell silent as before them appeared a figure far more terrifying than anything Ashton’s nightmares had conjured. Ashton was petrified, rooted to the spot. Michael gave him a glance before looking back at the entity before them. “Hey Cain, been a minute. Could you do human form, for the sake of my best friend here?”

The figure began to shrink, swirling shadows of dark fog turning to flesh and animal skin clothing, terrifying features morphing to human. “Cain?” Ashton squeaked, “Like Cain and Abel, Cain? Like…”

Michael simply nodded, “Told him about 150 years ago that he owed me a massive favor, now I’m cashing in.”

Cain snorted, now fully human, leaning on a wooden club. “I have existed for millenia, young minstrel, that may as well have been yesterday.”

Michael simply rolled his eyes, carrying on. “Look, you owe me big time and that’s what matters. Ash owes me his soul and his day is coming up, but I don’t want it anymore. I’ve spent the last ten years with Ashton and our bandmates and I’ve been more in touch with my mortal side than I’ve been since my beloved died the first time. After watching him die that first time, and then several times after that, I’m done. I have a new love and I can’t go through that again, watch him age and die. And none of that redemption myth stuff that goes around. I want to be mortal, I want to grow old for the first time in my entire existence, and I want to do that with Ashton.”

Ashton blinked, staring at Michael before he turned to look at Cain, who was deep in thought over Michael’s request. “That definitely is well within your right to request, and fills my debt to you without leaving you in debt to me...well thought out, minstrel.”

Michael’s face remained neutral and Cain held his hands out on either side of him. In his right hand, a scroll with what Ashton recognized as his signature at the bottom, in his left, a glowing ball of light. Cain released the ball of light, which began to float toward Michael as the scroll tore in two and burst into flame. “The deal is complete.” Cain stated, disappearing into shadow as the ball of light reached Michael, floating into his chest.

As soon as the light touched Michael’s chest, he collapsed onto the pavement, Ashton gasping and rushing to his side. Shadows poured from Michael’s eyes, nose, mouth and ears, sinking into the ground. Ashton crouched on the road, holding Michael’s head in his lap as the last of the shadows trickled out and faded away. The blonde’s eyelids slowly fluttered, finally blinking open fully. Ashton stared down at him, an extra glimmer of life showing in Michael’s green eyes that Ashton didn’t think he’d ever seen before. “Ash,” Michael croaked, trying to push himself up, but Ashton firmly pushed his shoulders back down.

“You just got blasted back by that bright thing, you need to chill for a moment.” He stated, hands staying on Michael’s shoulders.

Michael remained still, smiling up at Ashton. “It was my soul, my original soul, the one I signed over,” Michael whispered, “I can feel it.” He paused, then his eyes widened, “Do I look fucking ancient now?” He gasped.

Ashton chuckled, shaking his head, “No, you look like Michael, the same Michael I’ve known for the past ten years, just a little more soul behind your eyes.”

Michael rolled his eyes at the joke before looking up at the stars. “I meant it, when I said I wanted to grow old with you.”

“I know. I do too, I’m glad we have that option now.”

Michael smiled and they sat there quietly until Ashton felt that Michael had recovered, finally getting to their feet and driving back to the hotel. They spent the rest of the week in Australia, Cain’s deal hadn’t undone Michael’s spell on his parents, and both he and Ashton were glad of that, visiting with both their families while they were there. 

Once they were back in LA, Michael began moving his things into Ashton’s house. They had dinner with Luke and Calum, and the other two men could tell that something had changed between their friends, but didn’t push it. They knew that they’d be told when Michael and Ashton were ready.

Months later, Michael and Ashton were in their garden, sitting around the fire pit. They’d told Calum and Luke about their relationship at New Years, to which Luke yelled “Finally!” They’d all laughed and hugged before staring into the sky as fireworks exploded across the city, well ahead of midnight. 

Tonight was the last night of peace before they were set to go back into the studio. Ashton cuddled closer to Michael on the bench, lazily poking at the burning logs with the hook. “Y’know,” he whispered, “I feel like, if we were both human the whole time we’ve known each other, I’d still offer you my soul.”

Michael glanced at him, green eyes wide and eyebrows raised. Ashton giggled, dropping the metal rod to the grass and leaning up and giving Michael a kiss.

“Like in the I’m totally in love with you way, you worry wart.” He said. “I trust you with my heart and every bit of my being. I know that you won’t hurt me.”

Michael hummed, smiling at Ashton, watching the flames dance in his hazel eyes. “You know what?” He said after a couple of minutes, “I’d give you my soul too.” Michael tore his gaze from Ashton for a moment, sticking his skewer into the flames, watching the marshmallow goo that was still stuck to the metal blacken and drip into the fire. “Feels a lot better this way.” He observed, “With my first love I signed over my soul to get it, but to you, I’d give it freely.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to be.” Ashton whispered.

Michael nodded, dipping his head for another kiss. “I love you Ashton Irwin.”

“And I you, Michael Clifford.”

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[queenarticlearchive]

September 11, 1976

Phil McNeill

New Musical Express

If punters queue when they’ve already got tickets…

…You’re witnessing A Phenomen. And such was the situation when Queen played the Edinburgh Festival - with supporters of The Young Pretender paying their man and his men the ultimate tribute… But what of the music? What of the future? Is our combination-clad Hero prancing up a blind alley?

It’s a freezing Edinburgh wind that whips up the bare slope by the Playhouse Theatre to torment the massed masochists who queue, strung out a full quarter of a mile, for Queen’s first British gig of 1976.

Masochists? Am I revealing my prejudice against the four wonderboys already? Actually, no: masochists because they’ve all got tickets already, and, while the pub the other side of the theatre stands almost empty, these kids are catching pneumonia for nothing in their impatience to reach their already allotted seats.

Baffled, photographer Chalkie Davies and I forsake the Scotch queue for the one inside the pub…

Later, in the Playhouse, Supercharge do their obscene thing to the delight of the packed audience. They’ve lost keyboardist Iain Bradshow, at least for tonight, and the consequent weakening in the band’s already clanky rhythmic mesh is disturbing. But that famed Scots audience does its nut.

Whether it’s the Bay City Rollers spot, the new punk rock leapabout or a completely serious, lopsided semi-funk song, the response is probably as strong as Superchange have ever had anywhere - and this is distinctly an off night!

The Liverpool layabouts troop off and the “We want Queen” chants strike up as scurrying roadies prepare a spartan stage: no clever backdrops and stuff, just Roger Taylor’s mounds of cymbals in front of that ever-present gong and Brian May’s mountain of AC30s.

Darkness...gaspo… a clashing gong… squeals of delight from the youth next to me...yer usual symphonic electronic atmospheric fanfare sort of thing… fading up into the Gilbert and Sullivan middle section of “Bohemian Rhapsody”...a welling up of dry ice...clamorous welcome from the audience..the youth next to me digs his elbows in my ribs and bounces on his seat in delirium…

And they’re on, racing straight out of the recorded “Bohemian Rhapsody” into a live rendition of the heavy riff section that follows. Lights flash madly, there’s smoke all over the place, the youth next to me is screaming with joy, as are 3,000 other lunatic Scotspeople. If explosions aren’t going off it feels like it, and I jot down what Freddie Mercury is wearing in an attempt to keep a grip on my reeling brain.

A white boiler suit, it says here. What professionalism. That’s like a war correspondent noting the time as the wall he’s leaning on gets demolished by a tank.

The relentless sensory bombardment continues as Queen bomb out of “BoRhap” - “just gotta get right outta here”, and how can I disagree? - into a harsh melange of heavy metal riffs plastered with flash harmonies, which in turn gives way to a fast intrumental.

Basically it’s rubbish, a theatrical synthesis of the grossest lumps of regimented noise the sometime power trio can contrive. As they thunder away Mercury emerges from the wings once more, looking like a frog in a balletic white skintight catsuit, and magisterially conjures up giant flashes that erupt deafeningly out of the stage.

The audience do likewise from their serried seats.

Queen have arrived, in more ways than one. Britain’s most successful group of the decade poutingly confront their loyal subjects.

The drift of the piece is obvious, maybe. The crowd loves ‘em and the critic hates them. Well, as it happens I quite like them, but generally that’s a fair picture of rock press attitudes to Queen: at the end of the gig, when the only possible view of the band involved standing on the shoulders of the person jumping up and down on the seat in front of you, I picked out two isolated, sour faces. Critics.

It wasn’t always like that: briefly, at the beginning of ‘75, Queen had a mass audience and critical respect. Dave Downing, whose newly published book, Future Rock, ranges incisively across the whole spectrum of heavyweight rock - Dylan, Reed, Bowie, Floyd, et al - reviewed “Sheer Heart Attack” alongside Sparks’ “Propaganda” in Let It Rock, January 1975:

“I find Ron Mael’s lyrics offensively lacking any conviction but pride in their own cleverness…. The arrangements conquer all in their streamlined assurance…. I have visions of a Gilbert O’Sullivan gone progressive….”

Change that to Gilbert and Sullivan and it could easily be directed at “A Night At The Opera”. However, Downing had this to say of “Sheer Heart Attack”:

“In stark contrast we have Queen’s third album….this is the best new band I’ve heard for a long, long time….Queen have convinced me that the division of rock into heavy soft has been largely a way of covering up the lack of energy in either. Whether rocking, ballading, whatever….they’ve got energy to spare. They have the old Beatles-style oomph.

“....Brian May’s guitar stalks Freddie Mercury’s vocals with as much power, and probably more ingenuity, than Ronno achieved in the heady days of ‘Panic In Detroit’....

“....Freddie Mercury’s voice is equally amazing, hampered only by the lack of lyrics to do it and the music justice. Some rock bands get hampered by depth-lyrics; I think Queen would just grow.

“But that’s a hope rather than a criticism. The superb gloss on this record covers the real gold, rather than, as I fear in Sparks’ case, just substitutes for it….”

Right, Queen at the time of “Sheer Heart Attack” were poised, ready to choose pretty much whichever direction and status they fancied. They had fought through the original drawbacks of being camp followers churning out rather grotesque Led Zeppelin rip-offs, to become a tough, stylish unit coasting on the back of a devastating single, “Killer Queen”.

Although they lacked Bowie’s way with words, the initial implications of the name still clung to them, and it seemed, listening to “Sheer Heart Attack”, that all they needed were some hot lyrics and a little discipline to instate them as not only the most popular Britrockers since Bowie, but also the best.

The first thing that hits you on that album, after a snatch of fairground FX is vibrant power as May leads the ensemble through the whirlwind of “Brighton Rock”. It explodes with a kind of seaside energy to match his mundane holiday romance lyrics, and stakes out May’s own preferred patch on the words map: storytelling.

That type of power is almost entirely absent from “Opera”, and even in “Brighton Rock” it gets horribly dissipated by a ridiculous guitar solo, May following himself up and down the scale in a meaningless exercise quite divorced from the rest of the number.

Another type of power also missing from  “Opera”, is found in “Now I’m Here”, a Who-ish (“I Can See for Miles”) feel leading into brilliant beefy harmonies - very much in the mould of Roy Thomas Baker, Queen producer throughout their career, and now used to good use on Sunfighter’s “Drag Race Queen” - which wouldn’t get a look-in among all the breathy harmonies of “Opera”.

It’s great rock, strong and goodtime, apparently about Queen’s US tour with Mott the Hoople.

Elsewhere on “Sheer Heart Attack”, however, lay the seeds of Queen’s decline.

“Bring Back That Leroy Brown” was the first indication of their capabilities completely outside rock. As such it was immaculately performed, a camp minstrel pastiche, but unwelcome.

“Lap Of The Gods (Part One)” featured and unnecessarily ostentatious intro; “Flick Of The Wrist”, a murkily heavy song with a uplifting Baker buzz of a chorus, May’s guitar splattered all over the place in another facet of aggression that would soon disappear, was unfortunately a prototype for the appalling “Death On Two Legs”.

“Death”, the opening track of “ANATO”, is seemingly aimed at their previous manager to John Reid. Astounding dense musically, its lyrics are horribly strident and self-righteous, a blinkered, vindictive tirade that says more about the writer than his subject.

This sort of unflinching immaturity epitomises the Queen scene to some extent: infants on the loose with the weapon of technology, everything sublimated to technique.

“Flick Of The Wrist”, its predecessor, was similarly nasty - and apparently dealt with the same topic - but it succeeds where “Death” does not because the singing is sublimated to the music and, particularly, because the words are secondary to the melody.

In Edinburgh “Flick Of The Wrist” comes fourth, and it’s not as good as the record, possibly because they’re struggling somewhat on the faster songs.

They’ve already done “Sweet Lady” from ANATO”, Mercury singing well and the band thundering confidently. But suddenly Brian May’s guitar goes out of tune from all the crashing it’s received, and he drags the tempo. The final crescendo almost catches fire, but could do better.

Freddie toasts Edinburgh with champagne before he and May, moodily posed under blue spots, venture timorously into the medievally romantic “White Queen” from “Queen II”. Freddie goes to the piano for May’s curling, echoed solo, and we catch up with ourselves on “Flick”.

Here May’s problem is highlighted, he can’t get a decent uptempo solo together. The song is pounding along, but it’s like a cover-up, charging through seemingly pointless changes with throwaway solos, as if they’re attempting to dazzle you with workrate, a treasure trove of superficialities.

John Deacon plays a strong bass, holding up the song if necessary, and Roger Taylor, while seeming rather detached from proceedings up on his high riser, plays solid, varied drums. Mercury’s singing is superb, and on this might it’s mainly May whose playing isn’t quite up to scratch.

The medley comes next, and it brings a little warmth to the garish, posturing event. John Deacon’s “You’re My Best Friend” comprises the first part. Like “Misfire”, his semi-Caribbean pop-rocker on “Sheer Heart Attack”, it’s the friendliest track on “Opera”, and, while May and Mercury mess with every musical genre known to man, the only straight rock song apart from Taylor’s exhilarating “I’m In Love With My Car”.

Onstage, Mercury’s lead vocal floats beautifully on the band’s okay harmonies, and the audience clap along with the lazy rhythm. May’s guitar solo isn’t loud enough, and he hits a horrible chord at the end of it, but it’s a good break.

The two-note chime at the end of “You’re My Best Friend”, a similar device to the end of “Killer Queen”, leads into “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

On record, “Bo Rhap” epitomises the heavy-handed idiocy that bugs their last album. There are actually a few great touches in the rambling epic, notably the guitar break that follows the operatic bit, with its sudden halved phrases towards the end and the subtle way May’s fade out figure is continued by Mercury’s solo piano. But the rest is cumbersome and, where not plainly stupid, pompous and unimaginative.

For some reason Brian May seemed to have lost all feeling for rock on “Opera”, and the first guitar break on “Rhapsody” was the album’s sole unscrambled solo bar the period piece, “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon”. And as for Beelzebub…

But the words of “Bohemian Rhapsody” are even worse than the music. The basic scenario would seem to be the romanticised alienation of a “poor boy” who indulges Mercury’s gun fetish by killing a man, leading to some kind of tug-of-war between, er, two forces. Life and death? Heaven and hell? Does Freddie know?

There’s that brief stab of “just gotta get out of here” defiance, but we finish on the fatalism of “anyway the wind blows…” A vague tale of idealised emotions that quite possibly means nothing at all.

Mercury’s songs do have a tendency to be vague to the point of meaninglessness - where they’re not utterly trivial anyway. Triviality I can take- “Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon”, for instance, where Queen’s technical skill turns a brief, twee ditty into a tour-de-force, with a great guitar break in what I think of as Brian May’s Mrs. Dale’s Diary style and one particularly wonderful harmony line on “there he goes again” - but the depths of pretension are plumbed on Mercury’s more “serious” songs.

These are actually fairly rare, but Mercury’s deepest opus outside of “Rhapsody” is probably “In The Lap Of The Gods” on “Sheer Heart Attack”, a portentous, monolithic singalong which I like a lot musically, but whose only discernible meaning is, like the conclusion of “Rhapsody”, that old vague predestination schtick.

The rest of Mercury’s oeuvre consists of live ballads (the melodically poignant, lyrically incomprehensible “Lily Of The Valley” from “Attack” and the more narcissistic, less focussed, meandering “Love Of My Life”, least memorable on “Opera”); bitchiness (that horrible duo, “Flick Of The Wrist” and “Death On Two Legs”); and weird period pieces (“Leroy Brown”, “Lazing”, and “Seaside Rendezvous” from “Opera”).

“Seaside Rendezvous” is pretty interesting stuff, illustrating the bizarre purism that prompts Queen to boast “No Synthesisers” on their album sleeves. A long, ‘20s-style piece, it’s fully orchestrated with instrumental passages by both brass and woodwind sections - performed entirely on vocals!

It’s astounding. Queen are perfectionists, as we all know; perfect confectionists. Even Mercury’s lead vocal is done, as on a lot of the album, line by line to get that bursting out of the speaker effect.

And therein lies their undoing, for they seem to have spent so long working on “A Night At The Opera” that they completely lost sight of the record they were making, coming out with shallow perfection without the least hint of the fire of “Sheer Heart Attack”.

However, returning to Freddie’s oeuvre: the next song in the Edinburgh medley, following on from “Bohemian Rhapsody” - and missing the operatics, thank god - is “Killer Queen”.

What a song. Although they take it slower than on record it still sounds slightly rushed, the ideas fall so thick and fast.

It has so many virtues that “Opera” lacks: interesting music (that got neglected on “ANATO” in favour of performance); brevity; flash (“Opera” is positively pedestrian compared to the swagger of this mid-tempo marvel); and it’s unpretentious in its triviality, something that none of the work - at - it - for - six - months - to - get - the - vocals - sounding - like - George - Formby’s ukelele trivia on “Opera” could claim.

Back live, it transforms into the noisy “March Of The Black Queen” from “Queen II” and thence to the end of “Rhapsody”. Kimono Taylor’s gong jerks us into a snazzy rendition of “Leroy Brown”, purely instrumental, and end medley.

“Brighton Rock” follows, red hot and awful tight, Taylor’s falsetto screaming over the top, until…

Oh no, it’s this guitar virtuoso bit, where the others go off and leave May to fiddle about with his patented delayed action devices. The man has little idea of stage craft standing awkwardly on Freddie’s promontory and dashing back to his amp every now and then to twiddle another knob. The performance is clever, but he’s hardly playing great music - enough’s quite enough.

At points during this intermediate solo May hits something good - a glassy, Japanesey section, a mellow, symphonic bit - but his individual slot is plagued by the fault that haunts Queen and devalues what good stuff they do play: they’ve got no taste. Don’t know good from bad.

They can perform, and they’re very bright boys (according to Larry Pryce’s unwonderfully written and uninformative Official Biography Of Queen, Brian may or may not have a PhD in Astronomy, Mercury a degree in graphics and illustration, Deacon an honours degree in electronics, and Taylor a degree in biology) but as for taste…

As if to emphasise that point, Taylor returns to do his dumb trick with lager on his tomtoms and they lumber into a bunch of monotonous, archetypal heavy metal riffs.

Next song, “‘39”, has the four down front - May on acoustic and Taylor on tambourine and bass drum.

My, they look well-coifed. Mercury demonstrates his fine voice again.

A newie, “You Take My Breath Away”, from the album currently known as “A Day At The Races” - half-finished - shows Freddie still pludding the fragile ballad vein, a hesitant, precious ditty accompanied by lone piano, old fashioned and unexceptional.

But then it’s Brian’s big moment, composition-wise: “The Prophet’s Song.” In Pryce’s book May explains that the plot came to him in a dream: “...a dream concerning revenge, only in the dream I wasn’t able to work out what it was revenge for.”

So out of the astronomer’s subconscious comes this Noah’s Ark parable seemingly set in the present, with a ship full of humans apparently heading off into space.

Musically it’s “Old English”, according to Roger Taylor, the rock equivalent of a Prussian military division marching to the Crusades, marred by the most fatuously self-indulgent acapella nonsense imaginable in the middle.

If Queen were chameleons to begin with (Zep meets Bowie), they’re even more that way inclined now, changing personality completely from one song to the next (George Formby meets Cecil B. DeMille meets…) It’s a treatment to which May’s songs lend themselves.

“Good Company” is a very English tale, another vague moral story, done Formby style, with an extraordinary guitar ensemble imitating a complete trad jazz band, another labour of months for a trivial piece of flash.

“‘39”, the acoustic song, seems to be another slice of science fiction, an obscure folk tale which disguises its meaning frustratingly well. Nice feel, though.

Onstage “The Prophet’s Song” is launched amid billows of dry ice and taped wind. As they muscle their way through the heavy chorus I keep expecting them to bump into one another in the confusion, but they manage not to. Anyway, the others clear off when Mercury goes into his ridiculous echoed vocals workout, a one-man Swingle Singers, appalling narcissism.

The audience, to their shame, seem entranced by the spectacle of the great poseur and his myriad voices. Nauseating.

At the end of the song to revolving globes descend and a tape of jangling piano speeds dizzyingly. The globes rise - UFOs taking off?

Anyway, it gives Fred a chance to change into a grotesque black outfit, and suddenly we’re back into the flashing lights/strobes.racing adrenalin scene again with “Stone Cold Crazy”, very fast and heavy, May playing a good scientific solo.

Freddie goes pianoing again for “Doing All Right” from “Queen”, slow and laconic with waterfalling guitar and lovely harmonies, but that gives way to a lousy solo over an unexpectedly Brazilian riff and more unnecessary changes. What are they trying to hide?

“Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon” is neat, and then the crowd get “Keep Yourself Alive”, which they’ve been baying for. It’s an okay song, but they do it terribly heavy and insult the listener with their soulless, declamatory attempts at communication.

Queen almost boogie on “Tie Your Momma Down”, also from the new LP, the most straightforward song so far with a slide break that veers towards a 12-bar. Freddie postures crassly under the rather inept lighting.

“Liar” from “Queen” comes in on a Bo Diddley beat, and as it gets into typical Queen HM jaggedness May slings out a real nasty phrase that sneers at the ineffectual stuff he’s played all evening.

As it dissolves into aimlessness it becomes obvious that Queen live are some great songs, an image and a lot of noise. Their heavy metal is no better than the likes of Nazareth, unfocussed, with no real dynamics outside of structural party tricks. A cover-up job for essentially lumpen music… yet they are capable of so much more.

“Lap Of The Gods” picks things up, its relentless chorus rising and falling on good chords - a rare commodity for Queen, as is its stable rhythm - and as the stage vanishes beneath dry ice they kiss goodbye.

Now this I don’t believe. Never in my life, outside of the likes of the Rollers, have I encountered such a hysterical response to a band. It’s like a riot, kids charging about in the smoky darkness, and if Queen don’t get back there soon this lot are going to knock the place down.

The encore is the great “Now I’m Here”, followed by their “Rock’n’roll” medley of “Big Spender” and “Jailhouse Rock.” They really shouldn’t do that. Mercury’s got no idea about getting down and having a good time, and his attempts to get audience participation are laughable. It’s scrappy stuff, and even their rock’n’roll is spoilt by too many changes!

As for where Queen go from here, the two songs they played from the next album were undistinguished, and can give no hint of what it will contain.

Nowever, it’s pretty obvious they’ve driven so far up their particular blind alley that there’s virtually no hope of them ever fulfilling the potential that was there in “Sheer Heart Attack.” They could have been giants of real music, but it seems they are destined to remain the most perfect indulgence in rock. Masters of style, void of content.

[apex-academy]

Chapter 3: Down Down Down and the Flames Went Higher (#31c)

All of the instrument cases look about the same, at least. But the drum set...

“There’s something missing. Right?”

At least, one of those little stands looks awfully naked. Did the cymbal in the coffee shop come from here? There aren’t many other places it could have come from, so if I identified it correctly...

“The killer must have come in here to get it.”

There are some partial fingerprints on the... thing. The wing nut-looking thing that it looks like you unscrew to take the cymbal off. But a lot of good that does me without fingerprint powder and whatever else you need for that.

KOTODAMA GET

Drum Set: The drum set in the music room appears to be missing a cymbal. Fingerprints are visible on the stand.

[BACK]

[drumparts]

How to choose the right used drum sets?

You would have to put proper attention and information on choosing the right drums, especially when you are considering buying the used drum sets for sale. Not all aesthetically pleasing drums are necessarily able to produce good sound or can last for a long time to cover your major performances. Thus, find the below tips on selecting the right used drum set.

Check the condition of the Drum shell

The first thing to note is whether the drum shell is round without sporting any visible warping or not, so you know that they are properly maintained by the seller. Moreover, while choosing the used drum sets for sale in Ottawa, you must look at the bearing edge for any cracks or chunks missing.

Inspect the drum Hardware

Inspect the drum hardware for any visible rust, missing lugs, or tuning rods. Check for the condition of the snare stand, rubber feet, tripod brace, cymbal filters, memory lock, wing bell, wing nut, etc. All these are vital for the stability of the drum set. When choosing your used drum sets for sale, also make sure to know about the additional components of the drum set, for example of cymbal stands, pedals, throne, and hardware, etc.

If you are purchasing from a physical retail shop, you have the great opportunity to play out the drum kit first before deciding on whether you should buy it or not. However, if you are finding a good deal online, check out the consumer’s reviews to determine whether you can get good value for the purchase and the platform’s return policy. If you are interested in buying used drum kits, check out the collections of Dave’s Drum shop to find your perfect fit.

[greendrumsg]

Drum Set That Has Been Used. How Do You Pick The Best One?

1.       Shell

 Extensive wood condition information on toms, such as bearing edge, thickness, and whether or not they are fractured. This is critical since it is intimately linked to sound quality and tone. The same can be said for an iron shell.

 2. Hardware

 Examine the boom, straight, and snare stands, as well as the rubber feet, wing bell, tripod brace, wing nut, cymbal filters, foam, and memory lock. This type of hardware is usually overlooked because most people are only concerned with looks and sound. Though the stability of the drum will be highly influenced by this hardware.

 Tension Rods are a type of rod that is used to hold things together.

 Check to see if the tension rods are still in good working order. Don't be alarmed if the condition is a little rusted; it's pretty simple to fix. Before cleaning, it should be self-cleaned with a brush and then soaked in gasoline.

 4. Hoops / Rings

 Examine the ring's or hoops' surface. Is it a flat surface? Because it will make a tom sound overtone / flanging if it is not flat. When we play the drums, we can sense it.

 5. Mount Bracket

 The tom and bass drums are connected by a bracket. Examine the bolt to see if the wing hat is still in excellent shape.

 6. Lugs

 One by one, inspect the condition of the lugs. The lugs of an ancient drum usually have cracks in them.

 Check with the state that is in a tense situation. Is Tom still drifting from his position or is he solid? Less stable conditions will undoubtedly influence a drummer's comfort when performing the drum kit.

 8. Drummer

 On the toms, floor, snare, and bass drum, check the skin / drum head. Examine the surface of the snare bed, as well as the strainer on / off, to see if everything is still working properly. The state of the drum set is determined by the drum head. Because this has a significant impact on the drum's sound.

 Some of the suggestions above may be helpful in determining how to select a used drum set. At the very least, you'll avoid some common blunders when purchasing a used drum kit. Have fun shopping!

 Check more details at http://greendrum.sg/

[thedrumheads]

#Repost @istanbulagop ・・・ The Istanbul Agop Clap Stack is uniquely shaped, tempered to create a tactile, acoustic reproduction of analog 8 bit handclap. Decay can be adjusted by loosening or tightening your cymbal felts and wing nuts. Designed with Agop artist Trevor Lawrence, Jr. #istanbulagop #cymbals #drumheadspod #drums #drummer #percussion #music #musician #drumming #drumfam #bateria #thedrumheadspod #drumlife #drummerlife #percussionist #drumcommunity #drumsharing #drummers #instadrums

[drumscovande]

Gibraltar 8" cymbal boom rod for drum rack with clamp no wing nut or cymbal wash https://ift.tt/3iE5CxB

[hamfatter]

Currently, Pearl Drums has WL-230 “Wing Lock” and Tama Drums has QC8 “Quick-Set Cymbal Mate”. But I like the M-8W wing nut. I replaced it with a new NP-70 nylon tube. #pearldrums #pearl_drums #sabian #sabiancymbals (石川県西部緑地公園陸上競技場) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6NgxfSBqTL/?igshid=14u8ud8h0xun8

[nardi-nut]

An Ideal Place to Buy Drum Cymbal Wing Nuts!

Are you looking for quality drum cymbal wing nuts? Get in touch with Nardi Percussion! The nuts we offer are compatible with all cymbals, cymbal stands, and drum kits. And that is what will protect your cymbal from excessive wear and tear. So, drop us a message immediately!

[cloutshoes]

Hi Hat Cup Felt Cymbal Sleeves with Base Wing Nuts Cymbal Washer and Drum Keys for Drum Set

Hi Hat Cup Felt Cymbal Sleeves with Base Wing Nuts Cymbal Washer and Drum Keys for Drum Set

23 Items Cymbal Substitute Equipment Cymbal Felts Hi-Hat Clutch Felt Hi Hat Cup Felt Cymbal Sleeves with Base Wing Nuts Cymbal Washer and Drum Keys for Drum Set (Black)

Cymbal Substitute Accent Set Consists of: three x cymbal sleeves with base (8 – 10 mm), 6 x cymbal felts (8 – 10 mm), four x hi-hat clutch felt (6 – Eight mm), 2 x hello hat cup felt (6 – Eight mm), three x wing nuts (Eight mm),…

[musicgeeks-blog1]

Reliable Straight Cymbal Stand That Won’t Break the Bank

Whether you are a student, professional drummer or simply need a reliable straight cymbal stand for your gigging needs, Griffin’s cymbal stand got you covered! You need a high quality straight stands features slip-proof cymbal positioning and sturdy, double braced legs that will easily support your standard crash and splash cymbals, without the fear of tipping over.

Griffin boast a sturdy and long lasting gear system cymbal tilter with steel washer, wing nut, vinyl tubing and cymbal felt to prevent rattling, as well as an adjustable height feature with memory locks, these are great stands for both studio or stage use. The special rubber feet at the base will prevent the stand from slipping or moving around, while you are performing, so you are free to focus only on your music!

Save Stage Spaces

A great solution for simple and complex set ups, this deluxe straight cymbal stand by Griffin will safely accommodate all your standard crash and splash cymbals, without taking up too much space. Sturdy and durable, this stand is equipped with rubber leg tips to offer the ultimate in functionality and ease, without sacrificing stability. Its sleek, chrome finish makes it perfect for on-stage performances and will add an unbeatable look to your drum set.

Long-lasting Quality

Featuring double-braced legs for extreme stability and two interlocking poles that allow you to adjust the height from 29″ to 52″ this stand will suit the needs of all drummers. Offering slip-proof cymbal positioning and a gear system cymbal tilter with steel washer, wing nut, vinyl tubing and cymbal felts, this is a reliable, light weight cymbal stand that will keep your cymbals safely in place during all your practice sessions or on-stage performances.

Easy to Set-Up

Designed for the nomadic drummer, who is constantly on the go, this premium, straight cymbal stand is lightweight to carry and easy to fold down to a compact size for effortless transport. What is more, the convenient memory locks will make sure your preferred height settings will remain in place, saving you precious set up time in every new venue.

Best Value on the Market

If you’re looking for the best straight cymbal stands at the lowest price on the market, you need look no further! Here at Griffin, we always make sure that we bring to you the highest quality percussion hardware gear at the most attractive prices that won’t break the bank.

Avail it with Confidence

Geeks from Geekstands.com back this product by a One year full factory warranty is included with all new purchases. With nothing to lose, order yours today and get equipped with the best percussion hardware gear for your stage performances!

[danihost-blog]

DW DWSM2345 Quick Release Drum Key Wing Nut - 2 pack

DW DWSM2345 Quick Release Drum Key Wing Nut – 2 pack

2-pack of Spring-loaded Cymbal Toppers with Integrated Felts and Drum Keys

[temptation-revelation]

Alesis DM7 USB Kit http://bit.ly/2xbbOak

Crushing bass drums, cracking snares, melodic toms and shimmering cymbals are all at your fingertips when you sit behind the DM7 USB Kit. Experience the thrill of busting out beats on eight total drum and cymbal pads powered by a sound module with over 400 sounds. Between the stable rack, triple-zone snare pad, choke-able crash and USB connectivity, the DM7 USB Kit gives you flagship electronic drumset features at an ultra-affordable price.

With a built-in metronome, lessons and a performance record feature, the DM7 USB Kit not only accommodates your development but also contributes to it. If you’re looking for a kit to get you drumming fast with advanced features hard to outgrow, look no further than the DM7 USB Kit.

NATURAL FEEL AND FEATURES

The DM7 USB Kit gives you five, great-feeling, velocity-sensitive drum pads that are designed to withstand heavy hitters, without sacrificing their ability to capture performance dynamics. Play all day and night without driving your neighbors nuts due to the pads’ responsive rubber surface that is quiet and resilient. No need to purchase new drum heads every few months like an acoustic drumset; these pads are tough. As smart as it is tough, the large snare pad has three separate zones to allow discreet sounds to be performed at once. Now you can open a track with a solid snare sound, lay down a mellow cross-stick in the verse and then crank up the chorus with a blistering rimshot, truly replicating the versatility of an acoustic snare drum.

Just as tough as the drums, the DM7 USB Kit’s three cymbal pads give you fantastic feel and performance. Providing the same level of realism found in the snare pad, the crash cymbal allows you to immediately stop or “choke” the sound by grabbing the pad with your hand. This technique is often used to great effect in just about all music genres, but isn’t always available in electronic drums.

SOUNDS AND CONTROL

The DM7 drum module will have you banging out beats in no time. An intuitive, easy-to-use layout quickly scrolls through the 50 preset kits built from the more than 400 individual sounds. Once you’ve found the right kit, fire up the flexible metronome and practice exercises to get on the path to perfection. When you’re ready to lay down those practiced beats, play along to the 52 internal songs to see if you can keep up! Also, the DM7 module allows you to connect and mix your iPod through a 1/4″ line input to play along with your favorite songs. Record up to 10 performances and then listen back with your friends to show them how awesome you are.

As your skill progresses, the DM7 drum module will continue to grow with you. Tweak the pitch, panning, and reverb level of individual sounds and then create up to 30 custom drum kits to express your personal sound. The DM7 USB Kit can also be used with your favorite music software. Through a standard USB connection, you can use the drum and cymbal pads to play and record straight to your computer. The possibilities are endless.

HOLDING STRONG

The last thing you want to do when you get a drum set is spend hours assembling it. No worries; the DM7 USB Kit ships with a pre-assembled rack that lets you get to jamming quick. Four posts give the DM7 USB Kit a solid, balanced foundation that won’t inch away from you as you play. Drum and cymbal pads are all fastened using large wingbolts that allow you to obtain a comfortable grip and tighten securely. Cymbal arms feature mini-boom tilters for a great deal of flexibility when positioning, and the kick pad is equipped with retractable spurs to hold it in place.

BFD is a trademark of FXpansion Audio UK Ltd. Toontrack is a registered trademark of Toontrack. Reason is a trademark of Propellerhead Software AB. iPod is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

KEY FEATURES

Five-drum, three-cymbal drum kit with USB-enabled drum module

More than 400 stereo sounds in 80 kits

Large, triple-zone snare pad for triggering head, rimshot and cross-stick sounds

Crash with choke feature to immediately stop the sound

Flexible metronome and learning exercises to help you become a better drummer

Record your performance, listen back, and share with friends

30 custom drum kits let you mix and match your favorite sounds together

Customize individual drum and cymbal sounds’ volume, pan, tuning, and reverb settings

Eight studio EQ settings create the perfect room, club, or stadium sound

1/4″ line in mixes your iPod or other music player to play along to

Pre-assembled, four-post rack for quick setup and stable support

Rack clamps feature large wing-bolts allowing fast, secure adjustment

Mini-boom cymbal tilters position your cymbals exactly where you like them

Retractable spurs hold the large kick pad in place when being played

Headphone output to play all night long without disturbing the peace

Line out to connect to an amplifier, PA or recording system

Works with iPad via Apple USB Adapter (sold separately)

USB connection to play and record to your favorite computer music software

Includes ToonTrack EZ Drummer Lite software

Includes:

DM7 USB drum module

8″ Triple-zone snare pad

(3) Single-zone 8″ pads

Kick pad with stand

8″ Hi-hat

12″ Crash with choke

12″ Ride

Hi-hat control pedal

Rack, complete with mounting hardware

Cable snake

Module mount

Power supply

ToonTrack EZ Drummer Lite software coupon card with download link and authorization code

Screwdriver

Drumkey

Quick start guide

SPECS

Snare: head and dual rim trigger zones Toms: single zone pads Kick: pad with stand, accommodates single and double pedals Crash: single zone with choke Ride: single zone Hi-hat: single zone with control pedal DM7 drum module Sounds: 418 Kits: 80 (50 preset, 30 user) Tracks: 52 with mute-able drums Effects: stereo reverb Master Effects: EQ (8 settings) Metronome: adjustable tempo, time signature and sound Editable Per Instrument: voice, volume, pan, pitch and reverb level Record: 10 songs Display: backlit LCD Audio I/O: ¼” headphone, ¼” line In, ¼” line Out MIDI: USB (class compliant for Mac and PC)

Shipping Dimensions: 33.8″(D) x 22.4″(W) x 13″(H) Shipping Weight: 48 lbs.

Source: http://www.alesis.com

  The post Alesis DM7 USB Kit appeared first on Electronic-drums.info.

June 02, 2019 at 06:38PM http://bit.ly/2uPZlHc

[groupiesmusic]

Pro Studio Tips, Part 1: Gear Choices, Drum Tuning & Muffling

Recording in a professional studio can be inspiring and fun, but also overwhelming for drummers of any experience level. This article will discuss some pro tips for choosing the right gear to record, tuning it properly, and using basic drum muffling techniques to make your drums sound great in any studio situation.  

Putting Together Your Studio Rig

It’s always a good idea to plan out your setup a few days before you go in to record. Think about the type of music you will be playing and make sure all your gear will be a good fit for that style. Remember that your job as the drummer is to support the song and be musically sensitive when you play.

That sensitivity should carry over to your gear choices as well. A lightweight jazz kit with a 16-inch bass drum may not be a good option for a hard rock band, while a massive rack of toms and a china cymbal probably won’t be necessary (or popular) when backing up a folk singer.     As an engineer and drummer, Charles Burst of the Seaside Lounge Studios in Brooklyn, New York, puts it: “What works on stage doesn’t necessarily work well in a recording environment. For instance, the cymbals you use live because they cut through the cacophony will be sometimes too harsh and overwhelm the drums and other instruments in the studio.”

It’s important to consider how different types of drums, cymbals, and sticks can produce a range of sounds. If you’re not sure what gear to use, do some research and listen to a few recordings in that genre. Check out the amount of sustain or ring the drums have, and whether they are tuned high or low.

Drums with wooden shells have a slightly warmer tone, while metal drums have a bit more attack and are brighter. A thick, heavy ride cymbal will have a less decay then a lighter one. Small, shallow toms will sound thinner than deeper ones, and wooden-tipped sticks produce a mellower and warmer tone than nylon. It’s also important to consider how your drum sound fits in with the arrangement and the other musicians.

As Burst puts it, “the mix of a song is like a living room that you can only put so much furniture in. You can’t have too much stuff in the room, and the stuff has to have space between it to work aesthetically. A big, fat snare sound is great by itself, but might be overbearing in the context of everything else.”

If you decide that your own gear isn’t right, plan ahead and try to borrow or rent something that might be a better match. Some studios have their own “house” drum kit you can use, however, it’s a good idea to bring your own cymbals, snare, kick pedal and drum throne to make sure that you can get the sound you want and be physically comfortable.

If possible, check out any studio or borrowed equipment ahead of time. If you’re not sure about what gear you’ll be playing, it’s often smart to bring your own stuff despite the extra lugging. You’ll be glad you did once you get set up and dial in that perfect sound.

It’s also important to make sure all the equipment you’re using is in good condition to record. Check to make sure the drum heads are in decent shape (more on that later), and that the hardware can withstand a long day of playing, i.e., no broken boom stands, loose floor tom legs, stripped screws, missing felts or wing nuts, busted snare throw-offs, or duct-taped pieces. Once the recording process begins, you’ll be able to focus on the music itself rather than worrying that your gear may fall apart in the middle of an awesome take.

  Tuning Your Drums for the Studio

Once you’ve made your gear choices, it’s time to get everything in tune. Once you finish your setup, most engineers will put separate microphones on each drum (called “close-miking”) to have maximum control and flexibility in getting a good sound. They will also place a few mics above the cymbals (called “overheads”), and another one slightly away from the kit (called a “room” mic) to capture the broader, overall sound of the kit.     Having all these microphones means that every detail of your sound will be under a microscope. To avoid getting a dull-sounding or “dead” tone, check all the heads beforehand to make sure they are not too beaten up. If you decide to change a head, it’s best to plan ahead and do it a few days beforehand, if possible. New heads tend to stretch as you play them and often take a little time to “settle in”. If you change it immediately before you record, you could end up fussing with the tuning during the first few songs.

When changing a drumhead, tighten the lugs in a crossways pattern to make sure the head stretches evenly across the hoop. If you’re changing a snare head, make sure the throw-off is in the “open” position (i.e., the snares aren’t touching the bottom head which will obscure the pitch of the drum).

There are plenty of automatic tuning devices on the market to help you along, but it’s a good idea to get used to tuning your drums by ear for studio and live situations where you might not have a lot of time. Use a stick to lightly tap on the area near each lug to hear the pitch and gradually tighten each one until the pitches are uniform.     For some styles, a higher-pitched tuning that cuts through the mix will be a good choice (for example, R&B or Jazz), while rock and other heavier music might call for a lower, “beefier” tone. Again, it’s important to consider the style of music and how your sound fits in with all the other instruments. For resonant (bottom) head tuning, it’s usually a good idea to tune it tightly, especially on the snare. The goal is to eliminate unwanted overtones (more on that below) without choking off too much of the drum’s natural sound.

While your drums will undoubtedly sound a little different in the confines of the studio than in your house or rehearsal space, checking the heads and tuning prior to the session will help you get the tone you want without keeping the engineer and other band members waiting. Plus, any tuning or other preparation you can do in advance will create more time you can spend actually recording your tunes. Once you’re set up and the engineer has the mics ready, have him record a little bit of your playing while he’s dialing in the sounds.

The drums often sound different in your headphones than they will through the studio’s large speakers, so you’ll want to quickly check out your overall sound in the control room before you start tracking. Don’t be afraid to ask the engineer or your bandmates for a second opinion on how the drums sound. There’s nothing worse than having to redo a solidly played take due to gnarly overtones or other unwanted sounds…which brings us to the important topic of drum muffling.  

Drum Muffling

All the buzzes, rattles and rings that seem like no big deal at home will be magnified and captured for all eternity in the studio. While some recording situations allow for a “wide open” drum sound, it’s often a good idea to filter out any unwanted resonance before you begin.

Silicon muffling products such as Drumtacs are a great choice for snares and toms because they dampen extra ringing without drastically changing the sound of the drum. They also are easy to add and subtract from the top or bottom heads and should not impede your playing since most are only about the size of a quarter.     Another popular muffling strategy involves placing small squares of duct tape on the heads, which you should try to space them evenly along the edges of the drum. In the case of famed drummer Steve Jordan, you can also tape a bunch of paper towels from the bathroom to your snare.

While this technique may seem a bit extreme, it serves as a fine example of the unconventional measures some drummers take to get the sound they want in the studio. In this case, the paper towels deaden the drumhead to create a tone with almost no resonance or sound decay that is the hallmark of Jordan’s unique sound on recordings with D’Angelo, John Mayer, Keith Richards, and many other well-known artists.

There are also plenty of other muffling options for your snare and toms. Some drummers use plastic muffling rings, a small towel on the drumhead, or the old-fashioned “wallet-on-the-snare” technique.

Regardless of what method you choose, getting those overtones under control is a critical part of the recording process. The engineer can do a lot to alter the drum sound in the mixing and post-production phase with effects like reverb and compression, however, starting with a good recorded drum sound goes a long way.

As Burst says, “any sound that is coming from your drums, the mics will pick up. Try to isolate the overtone that is bothering you and eliminate it. Check the tuning and make sure you have even tension across the head. Sometimes there is also a loose lug or two that causes a funky sound.”

Along with the snare and toms, it’s also important to make sure your bass drum has the right tone. A small pillow or blanket inside the drum will often do the trick, and you can experiment by placing it closer or further away from the batter head to get a range of tones. If the bass drum you are using does not have a hole in the resonant head, you can lean a small pillow against the head to kill some of the extra ringing.

Burst says that “for most kinds of music, you want a hole in the bass drum, and in fact, a lot of recordings from the ‘70s had no resonant head at all. It totally depends on the type of music you’re recording”. The best approach is to ready for anything, and always keep your ears attuned to the sound you’re producing.

Now that you have chosen an appropriate rig, tuned it up, and muffled out unwanted overtones, you’re ready to dial in that perfect drum sound and get to work on your hit record!  

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