Here's an ongoing collection of useful ideas and concepts for drummers out there.
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tuning drums
The 3 three things that matter most when getting a great drum sound are:
the drum, the head (and how it's tuned), and how the drum is struck
(technique). As far as tuning goes, every drum has a 'sweet spot' where
it sounds best and resonates most. You can hear it. If the heads are too
tight, you'll choke the drum, too loose, and it sounds flappy.
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Start with new heads (which kind of head is a whole other discussion,
but single ply heads resonate well and are multi-purpose), and do your
best to tighten up the lugs with even tension. Generally, your playing
head will be looser than your resonating head (I'm assuming here that
you play drums with heads on both sides), and the playing head should
have some give when you press it with your thumbs. It should also feel
good when you strike it with a stick. Again, the resonating head will be
tighter, but not by a lot. Most importantly, use your ears, and listen
for that sweet spot.
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two snares are better than one
You may not think about carrying a whole extra snare to a gig, but what if you broke a lug casing on the snare? This happened to me once, and I must have hit the ultimate rimshot or something. Replacing a broken head is one thing (always carry extra heads as well), but if you crack a lug casing, you're pretty much screwed. So avoid any further drummer jokes, and carry around an extra snare. Plus, you can do the Steve Jordan thing and switch snares during a set.
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playing other peoples drum kits
Face it, if you are out there performing music, there will be a time when you'll have to play someone else's kit. Wether it's sitting in at someone's gig, or playing a 'house kit' at a club or a music festival, you will have to adapt to a kit that's set up quite different.
I've experienced this a lot while on tour, at rehearsal rooms, and even at recording studios where there is a drum kit already there. I think it's common knowledge that a drummer should always carry around a snare (or two), cymbals, and a kick drum pedal to any situation where they have a house kit. These are the signature elements that help you sound like you.
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What I would like to suggest here, is that when you are up there on a foreign kit, try changing it around as little as possible. When I've done this in the past, it has sometimes opened my eyes (and ears) to playing the drum set in a new way. Maybe the ride cymbal is quite lower than you usually play it, or the toms are at a weird angle, or the crash cymbals are too high! So what. Give it a go and see what happens. You can always tweak things in between songs if you have to...