When NAMM Gets Weird

A true NAMM story about entitlement, legendary drums, and knowing when not to sit at the kit.

NAMM always delivers at least one “you had to be there” moment.

I ran into Henry Go, who used to be with Innovative Percussion and now works for KHS America. KHS distributes brands like Mapex and Sonor, so Henry was showing me around the Mapex area and sharing some solid info. While we’re talking, a drummer walks up, pulls out his sticks, and is about to play this kit.

The problem is, the kit is a Jack DeJohnette drum set. It was for display only.

Henry says, “You can’t play these.”

The guy says, “Why not?”

Henry says, “They’re not for sale. They’re for display only.”

The guy says, “Well how am I supposed to know if I want to buy them?”

Henry says, “You can’t. And they’re Jack DeJohnette’s drums.”

Then the guy says, “Well… he’s dead.”

That’s when Henry shut it down. “You gotta go.”

Stick bag zipped. Dude walks off angry. All because he couldn’t play Jack DeJohnette’s drums at NAMM.

Moments like that make NAMM feel like a massive Guitar Center, and anyone who knows me knows how I feel about that place. I love the hang, meeting people, and I really loved giving my GenNext talk on building a career in musical theater.

The rest of the showroom circus? I can only take so much

Tell me I’m not the only one who’s witnessed this kind of behavior at NAMM, or any other trade show. What’s your “you gotta be kidding me” moment?

Clayton Craddock is the drummer for the Broadway musical Cats: The Jellicle Ball, now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre. He is the founder of Broadway Drumming 101 and the author of Broadway Bound and Beyond: A Musician’s Guide to Building a Theater Career, available at broadwayboundbook.com.

His Broadway and Off-Broadway credits include tick, tick…BOOM!, Memphis, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Ain’t Too Proud, and The Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical, along with extensive subbing on shows such as Rent, Motown, Evita, Avenue Q, and the Hadestown national tour.

Clayton has appeared on The View, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Today Show, and the Tony Awards, and has performed with artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Ben E. King to Kristin Chenoweth and Norm Lewis.

www.claytoncraddock.com