“How many drummers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?”
“None. They have machines for that now.”
Ah, an oldie but a goodie. However, machines can’t do everything. They certainly can’t rock like humans. And I doubt they can design instruments or construct what one music rental company in Germany did this summer. They’ve constructed what they’re referring to as the world’s largest drum kit, an enormous contraption of cymbals, snares, and ingenuity. And it looks even more impressive when you watch this time-lapse video of it being put together.
With the ongoing pandemic keeping rock venues closed this summer, the GateToHell Backline company filled their time by building the massive drum kit at Germany’s Turock club in Essen, which we first saw at Laughing Squid. (While GateToHell has dubbed its drum kit as the world’s largest, it’s worth noting that Guinness World Records hasn’t bestowed the company with the title, which still belongs to Dr. Mark Temperato of Lakeville, New York.)
However, the final product is spectacular. It almost looks like a weapon of some futuristic war. If the Allspark got loose inside a recording studio this is what would walk out. Seeing how it was put together piece-by-piece, starting with just a stool for the drummer to sit on, highlights just how remarkable it really is. It involves hundreds of pieces, a structural frame, and a whole team working on it. Ultimately, this is as much a feat of engineering as it is a musical instrument.
GateToHell Backline
Pretty incredible. But how does it sound? Uh, like every other drum set.
I mean, you can add as many pieces as you like, but a human drummer still only has two arms and two legs with which to play at any one moment. If you close your eyes and listen to Jürgen Reil of the band Kreator play it you wouldn’t know this was any different from a normal kit.
Multiple drummers probably can’t crawl inside at the same time to play this set the way we’d want. Think they can build a machine to do it instead?
Featured Image: GateToHell Backline