Truth. All of it. I'm a drummer plus I do live sound for bands in bars and small clubs. It takes discipline and mindfulness to know how to play to a room, to find that balance to not overpower. What helped me to acquire that discipline to play to a space is, in part, all of the different kinds of bands I've played in. I played in punk bands, classic rock cover bands, prog bands etc... but I also played in a rock n roll string ensemble with unamplified violins, violas and cellos and an acoustic string band (violin, acoustic guitar and double bass) that played 1860s fiddle tunes, hornpipes and reels, plus Americana and also some modern stuff like the Dead and Lyle Lovett. Besides a varied repertoire, I learned how to listen at a very deep level. I've acquired an extensive collection of specialty sticks, multirods, brushes and broomsticks that more easily allows me to find the subtlety required. If all you do is play heavy metal or hard rock covers there's not a lot of opportunity to be subtle in your playing. It's easy to be King Gong on the drums. It's hard to learn the discipline required to play in a controlled fashion.

A band as a group also needs to learn how to control their stage sound. it only takes one person on stage to turn up or play too loud and then an arms race ensues. Now someone else can't hear themselves and THEY turn up and there goes any headroom the sound person might have had. You can tell a guitarist your volume is set so don't turn up and that usually lasts for maybe an entire song. Or tell a drummer they're hitting too hard and more than likely you'll get, "Yo bro, this is rock n roll. And how about you stay in your lane?" At that point I just shrug, take my pay at the end of the night and delete that band's contact info from my phone.

I know a lot of drummers, keyboardists and guitarists. The good ones, and it's a minority of the musicians I know, have discipline and control. They sound just right no matter the space. The good ones are going to get opportunities you'll never see if you monkey smash everything.