I worked with a drum machine for a long time. I'd say its feasible what you're proposing, but its not a dead easy option. You must apply yourself to a manual which is frequently written by the biggest idiot in the drum machine factory. be prepared to sweat blood.

There aren't so many drum machine acts around these days. The fashion is for backing tracks. Make sure you get one that is dedicated to live work - like the Roland CR8000 used to be in the 80's. They are different from the Alessis SR16 machines which are really for songwriters working at home. For a magic period there were hybrid machies like the tr707 and tr505 (Roland) capable of doing both. You could do all kinds of time signatures in segments and switch them around - sometimes with a footswitch.. You need a footswitch control that starts on the beat - rather the metronome working away doing its own thing. You need incidentally a non latching footswitch - otherwise you have to press the bloody thing twice. Your music shop should be able to convert latching to non latching!

I used all kinds. When I first started in the mid to late 1970's working pubs and country nights in little clubs - the best acts used to rip the drum machines out of old organs - they were spectacular machines with all kinds of bells and whistles!

Best of luck - I'll be interested to know how you get on!

Incidentally - some of the acts I worked with were absolutely terrific musicians. But they worked very working class places WMC's, pubs, holiday camps. the folkies were snotty about them even then - but the best ones ( the names Dave Curtis and Royston Jones spring to mind)were absolutely excellent.

Its possible, but its not easy! If it were easy - every bugger would be doing it, as they say in Yorkshire.

al