Confuzzled

[quote name='borisbrain' timestamp='1370054070' post='2096123'] The van is yours, and you let the band use it for gigs. Great. The others help pay for fuel but not servicing costs like exhausts and so forth. But you'd probably think the lead singer was off his/her trolley if he/she expected you to contribute to the taxing or servicing of his/her car. If the van was purchased solely for the use of the band then you'd have a very strong argument, but I'm guessing that you get to use it at all other times. [/quote] It was purchased MAINLY for band use, since for what I actually use it for I could easily get away with a little hatchback, but I happened to have the cash when the band started up (and I'm the oldest, so cheapest to insure ).

Thanks for this guys, some interesting opinions from both sides; I deliberately stuck this up on here and stood back for a bit to think things through myself. I've certainly got to have it out with the band, and need to make sure that if I'm going to spend more money keeping the van on the road that I'm going to see some (if not all) of it back, as I don't need the thing day-to-day and could be saving a packet were I to be on two wheels instead or just driving a little 1.3. I've put too much time, money and effort in to throw my toys out of the pram and quit, but I'm sufficiently pissed off at being taken for granted that I'd certainly have that in the gun cabinet. I'll let you know how things go (and then let the mods know so they can delete this thread, we're not supposed to have multiple accounts )...

Right, long-time poster going all mysterious to protect the innocent imagine these words being spoken by an actor with a face shrouded in darkness... Without giving too much away, I'm in an originals band, going quite well (some decent supports, internet radio play in the right places etc etc). However, I find myself getting quite pissed off at a few things, and wanted (mainly) to vent and find out what experiences others have had in similar situations. 1/ The band is something of a money pit, and I'm bearing the brunt of it. Being the only single one (although also the only one with a child to support :s) in the past six months I've sprung for band banner, posters, exhaust for the van (which I own, £300), self-done plug change and service for the same (still fifty quid or so) and lost the deposit I put down on a room when the gig didn't pull enough punters in (as well as paying for the website hosting every month). We're selling enough merchandise to keep fuel in the vehicle, but in the next few months we're looking at video shoot, buying in more merch, paying for a radio plugger AND spending a good chunk on keeping the van on the road (which I fear is AGAIN going to fall solely on me, as it's my name on the V5). In short, zero social life to pay for band stuff. 2/ Wouldn't mind that too much, if it weren't for the fact that (as actually pointed out to me by a very good friend of mine a while ago) I'm totally the whipping boy of this band because I'm quite laid-back. Whilst the guys will talk each other up in company and onstage, as I'm 'just the bassist' I'm generally belittled. It's not serious (well, with two of the guys I can be pretty sure it's not serious), but it still leads to me feeling a good way below valued a good chunk of the time. 3/ To take things to the next level, we DO need to refine our live presentation (amongst other things). However, the way that this has been approached is essentially for another band member to watch back a video of a couple of performances and come out with a written list (a f***ing WRITTEN LIST!) of, essentially, stuff that I shouldn't be doing. Now, a reasonable suggestion was made to do a few rehearsals as if in front of a crowd and look at how we present ourselves, but the way it's been handled makes me feel like we're in 1 Direction or something, where every last move onstage is choreographed and any spontaneity is drilled out. Goes against every fibre of my being, but apparently this is what's got to be done... Right, rant over, and well done to anyone who got through it - thoughts?