why is it that so many band photos of where they play show an oriental rug on the ground. is it good for acoustics? is there some sort of superstition linked to the rug?
The short answer: Drums.
The kick (the big round one that is hit using a pedal on the floor) tends to slide across smooth floors. As you’re playing it start to get farther and farther away to the point of silliness.
A cheap way to remedy the situation in a studio, rehearsal space, or stage is to tape an old rug to the floor and put the drums on top. Not necessarily an oriental rug, just whatever is handy (some people do have stinky, old, phony oriental rugs stashed away at granny’s).
Carpets or scarps of carpet also come in handy for baffling if you need it to absorb sound too.
Shoot, I just checked your profile and saw you are a drummer. My apologies. If you’ve played long sets you probably already know about the wandering kick.