Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast

Tour Prep, Gear Gab, and Stage Smarts with Buddy Gibbons

·1 hr 15 min·5 clips

Buddy Gibbons once played an entire show locked to a flashing computer screen after his in-ear system blanked out.

Host Dave Hamilton welcomes back guest Buddy Gibbons, a composer, drummer, and music director, to Gig Gab episode 484. Buddy is preparing for a major summer tour with Stephen Kramer Glickman, part of the Big Time Rush nostalgia tour. He last toured over 20 years ago with Kenny Rogers Jr.'s band Shiloh. Buddy discusses the technical challenges of modern touring, including using click tracks and backing tracks, and recalls a past tour where a system failure forced him to play to a flashing computer screen. He explains his gear choices, such as the Roland SPD-SX Pro for triggering samples and the Porter & Davies drum throne for monitoring. Buddy emphasizes physical preparation, having recently recovered from two torn rotator cuffs through intensive physical therapy, and nutritional planning for life on the road. The tour structure is unique, featuring opening acts Caitlin Tarver and Stephen Glickman as integral parts of the nostalgia experience rather than traditional supports. Buddy shares stories from a recent test show where the band got off the loop but recovered through teamwork. He talks about the importance of band trust and camaraderie, citing James Taylor's tour where musicians valued the 'hang' above all. Buddy reveals his tour creature comforts: rollerblades and a high-speed remote control car. The conversation delves into technical details like drum head choices (switching to clear emperors for durability), microphone preferences (Sennheiser 421s and boundary mics), and cymbal selection (recently switching to Paiste). Buddy also mentions considering VR headsets like Apple Vision Pro for bus bunk comfort. The episode concludes with Buddy's website and social media details.

As heard by us

A drummer's tour prep turns into useful talk about live rigs, changeovers, and keeping a band moving.

Gig Gab spends its hour on the practical side of getting a summer tour ready, bringing back a guest after seven years and following work as a composer, drummer, and music director for Stephen Kramer Glickman on a worldwide run.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get the road-prep talk, plus a small reminder that Roland's naming convention is doing too much.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Gig Gab - The Working Musician's Podcast