I was flipping through channels last night and came across a Garth Brooks concert from Ireland. Right in the middle of the stage was the drummer, and the entire drum kit was enclosed in what looked like an aluminum frame with plexiglass panels, sort of space ship-shaped. It looked pretty ridiculous actually, and not at all “country”. Not being a fan of Garth Brooks- or of country music- I was really puzzled what the purpose of this thing was.
I was a stagehand years ago and worked on many concerts for different types of music, and I know that occasionally there is a sound baffle placed between the drum kit and other musicians, but this thing went way beyond that.
I think you’re right about baffling. Consider that some drummers only play “loud.” Maybe you’ve seen the pictures of Pete Townsend playing in an isolation booth onstage to protect his hearing?
Wow, that is odd-looking. Apparently one incarnation of it is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
"I also have to say a big “thank you” to Mike Palmer who also took a few minutes to talk to me about his drum pod being in the Hall of Fame. He told me the “bubble” was created for technical reasons when Garth was trying to develop a microphone that would hang on the front of his shirt. They needed to isolated the drums and the amps so as not to get any bleed over. However, the bubble soon turned into a playground, not just for Garth and Jimmy on stage, but for Taylor, August and Allie during sound check! "
