Flakey band members

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1354178183' post='1882988']
I don't have to put up with one bunch of flaky egits anymore. The band folded last night, obviously in true flaky style though I got a text message near midnight to tell me what others had decided.

What a waste of time that was, nearly 18 months of getting absolutely nowhere. In hindsight I would have been better off...going fishing or something. I really do wonder sometimes if bands and music are really worth the pain in the arse it always turns out to be.
[/quote]

Yeah, i have been in one band, that never even played a gig. Other members weren't flakey, but it just went nowhere, and the whole thing was annoying me. so we went our own ways. the guitarist pinched the drummer, and formed a punk band that are doing quite well now.


[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1354182012' post='1883060']
The problem is, bands and music seem to attract the deluded and idle flotsam and jetsam of society, in a way that Accountancy (for example), does not. In my humble opinion, of course.

Any accountants out there want to form a band? Mick Jagger did quite well out of it.
[/quote]

I think it's because it attracts the kind of lazy waster that thinks they know a lot about music, but are normally just nothing more than wannabe metal or death core guitarists. (neither of which requires an insane level of skill.) they also seem to be the sort of people that are also "learning guitar" without any professional help. which normally means they haven't much theoretical knowledge about music or their instrument, and also generally have gotten into the way of a lot of bad habits. If you can get a musician that isn't just a waster wannabe, and a good lot of them aren't, try to stay close to them. They are invaluable, and maybe you aren't in a band with them, but that doesn't mean that you never will be, or can't call them in to help you record or some such thing.

[Tuono]

Long story.....dismissed the last drummer as he was guilty of pretty much all of the above and more. Got a new drummer, hurrah, he had to cancel a gig but couldn't give a reason. Hmmm, we never do that. It did however mean that our lead fiddle player could go to a party to which he had been invited but previously couldn't as it clashed with the gig. When the fiddlist went to the party he was a little taken aback to find our drummer setting up with another band; he wasn't as taken aback as the drummer was to see him!
This whole thing seems endemic to bands. Perhaps,if possible, it is better to play with friends rather than just 'bandmates'.Friends have a little respect for one another.

[discreet]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1354190662' post='1883260']
If you can get a musician that isn't just a waster wannabe, and a good lot of them aren't, try to stay close to them. They are invaluable, and maybe you aren't in a band with them, but that doesn't mean that you never will be, or can't call them in to help you record or some such thing.[/quote][quote name='Tuono' timestamp='1354191474' post='1883276']
Perhaps... it is better to play with friends rather than just 'bandmates'.Friends have a little respect for one another.[/quote]

Jamming tomorrow with three friends, two of whom I've known for more than forty years, (!) but then I'm a glutton for punishment.
I'm very optimistic about this and looking forward to it! When will I ever learn?

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1354191806' post='1883285']
Jamming tomorrow with three friends, two of whom I've known for more than forty years, (!) but then I'm a glutton for punishment.
I'm very optimistic about this and looking forward to it! When will I ever learn?
[/quote]

Haha. my best mate is a drummer, and i won't play with him. We have jammed before, but his tastes are just entirely different from mine, and has an entirely view on music. he has basically approached drums with the deathcore style, which i actually think comes from a lack of musical guidance when he was a bit younger. I just can't imagine what his kids will end up listenening to :/ oh aye, he said one time before that he never listens to any bands from before the 90's.... WTF!? that's where all the really good music is!

[discreet]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1354192327' post='1883298']
...he never listens to any bands from before the 90s... WTF!? that's where all the really good music is![/quote]

You got that right.

Edit: With the possible exception of The Black Keys... they just [i]sound [/i]like they're from before the 90s.

Edited November 29, 2012 by discreet

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1354192403' post='1883300']
You got that right.

Edit: With the possible exception of The Black Keys... they just [i]sound [/i]like they're from before the 90s.
[/quote]

With the exception of lots of stuff, but that doesn't mean don't listen to the foundations of modern music... i mean, MY GOD! that is like, standard study in music. being a drummer, i thought he would have at least liked to look up keith moon because of his antics... but nope.

[Monckyman]

Hey Marvin, sorry about the band fail man.
But.. although you think all that time was wasted, it really wasn`t because you`ve probably learned so much you don`t realise.
Put it this way, if you hadn`t had the last 18 months, you would have all those mistakes still to make.
But now you know better.
Good luck with your next band.
MM


(oh yes you will )

[Marvin]

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1354203063' post='1883545']
Hey Marvin, sorry about the band fail man.
But.. although you think all that time was wasted, it really wasn`t because you`ve probably learned so much you don`t realise.
Put it this way, if you hadn`t had the last 18 months, you would have all those mistakes still to make.
But now you know better.
Good luck with your next band.
MM


(oh yes you will )
[/quote]

Thank you

I was going to say I had a second band to fall back on, but I'm not sure whether the others want to keep going with that one

The flaky band never actually broke up apparently, I might add. The singer and guitarist chucked the keys out but didn't have the guts to say that to him. So rather they said the band had split. Couple of days later they contacted me saying practice as usual this week. Really

[mrdreadful]

Drummer and I are 'hobby' players and we're both very reliable so I wish to challenge the assertation that hobby players should be avoided.

One guitarist turned pulled a sicky on the first practice we were going to do with him. Turned up to the second and seemed pretty keen. And then just stopped answering emails.

[Mr. Foxen]

+1 on Dreadfuls drummer. I jammed with the guy for a year because he was so reliable and committed, bringing all his breakables on the train to practice impressed me, so I kept on playing for a year even you he could barely play drums.

[Marvin]

[quote name='mrdreadful' timestamp='1355079993' post='1893816']
Drummer and I are 'hobby' players and we're both very reliable so I wish to challenge the assertation that hobby players should be avoided.
[/quote]

I hope you don't think I'm some wanna be pro . Music is my hobby. In fact, it was the others in the band who thought we could 'make it', just turned out I was the most reliable. You'd ask the keyboard player if he was ok for practice the following week, he'd reply that he wasn't sure. The guy was out of work, no money, couldn't afford to watch the TV. I must admit I lost my temper one week and sarcastically asked what it was in his extensive social diary that was possibly getting in the way... karaoke down the pub apparently

Edited December 9, 2012 by Marvin

[alstocko]

I've just replaced my keys player for my jazz/funk/r'n'b project. It was a real ordeal getting a new one in for the upcoming gigs!
He decided to let me know that he had gone home from uni till January because he's "broke" a day after he left. I told him to go and copulate with himself.

He has already missed four of the last six rehearsals, three of them without good reason...

[ahpook]

so many of my musical endeavours have foundered recently i'm starting to think that the best thing i can do for the london music scene is to retire !

lots of commitment problems really - i wonder whether at 42 i've reached the point where almost all my peers doing music do it as very much a 'kick about' and i'm the odd one out wanting everyone to come to every practice having done the musical 'homework'.

i'm finding it hard to find reasons to look for another band or to get something going myself at the moment...it's a real shame.

[martin8708]

I know of at least 2 guitarists who now just do solo pub / eateries venues and I am starting to see the logic behind this move .
They don't have the hassle of getting everybody together for rehearsal / gigs and they play the music they enjoy and get to keep all the gig money .
I don't know if I getting old and sentimental , but there seemed to be more band loyalty in my earlier years of playing .

[Marvin]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1355090646' post='1893971']
so many of my musical endeavours have foundered recently i'm starting to think that the best thing i can do for the london music scene is to retire !

lots of commitment problems really - i wonder whether at 42 i've reached the point where almost all my peers doing music do it as very much a 'kick about' and i'm the odd one out wanting everyone to come to every practice having done the musical 'homework'.

i'm finding it hard to find reasons to look for another band or to get something going myself at the moment...it's a real shame.
[/quote]


This.

Being committed, putting in the groundwork, doing your homework all seem to count for nothing.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='the_skezz' timestamp='1353535329' post='1875875']
. My punk band turned to sh*te because of people ****ing about one by one..... then the guitarist couldn't be arsed to learn solos.....
[/quote]

Punk with solos? maybe he had a point there....

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1355080823' post='1893834']
I hope you don't think I'm some wanna be pro . Music is my hobby. In fact, it was the others in the band who thought we could 'make it', just turned out I was the most reliable. You'd ask the keyboard player if he was ok for practice the following week, he'd reply that he wasn't sure. The guy was out of work, no money, couldn't afford to watch the TV. I must admit I lost my temper one week and sarcastically asked what it was in his extensive social diary that was possibly getting in the way... karaoke down the pub apparently
[/quote]

Couldn't afford to watch TV but could afford to be in a pub all night? I don't know about england, but here, if you aren't drinking enough, they move you on. One time my mate bought 1 pint of cider on his 18th birthday in a pub, and nursed it for well over an hour. the landlord told him he couldn't stick around and not drink, because it was going to get busy, and we were taking up space in the front bar.

The guy is now constantly going on about getting drunk. This was just over a year ago when one pint did him an entire night. He even went got an extension on his overdraft so he could drink, citing that "You can't drink with no money". I pointed out that an overdraft was debt, so he actually had less than no money.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='MiltyG565' timestamp='1355259578' post='1896162']...citing that "You can't drink with no money". I pointed out that an overdraft was debt, so he actually had less than no money.[/quote]

Perhaps, but he seems to have been only interested in liquidities.

[the_skezz]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1355094966' post='1894073']
Punk with solos? maybe he had a point there....
[/quote]

Well ok, but just the one in Agent Orange's Bloodstains wouldn't have killed him. Possibly. This is the bloke who, during our biggest gig, forgot the time signatures for a song he'd wrote and we'd practised in the dressing room half an hour before.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='the_skezz' timestamp='1355265402' post='1896238']
Well ok, but just the one in Agent Orange's Bloodstains wouldn't have killed him. Possibly. This is the bloke who, during our biggest gig, forgot the time signatures for a song he'd wrote and we'd practised in the dressing room half an hour before.
[/quote] different time signatures, guitar solos... it's progunk!

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1355264552' post='1896228']
Perhaps, but he seems to have been only interested in liquidities.
[/quote]

hehehe

[mrdreadful]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1355080823' post='1893834']
I hope you don't think I'm some wanna be pro . Music is my hobby.
[/quote]

Nah, you're alright Marv... it was another dude who was insisting hobby players should be avoided! Wannabe pros are a right pain in the arse... "you've got to have commitment to practice every night for 6 hours and the best gear money can buy or I won't play with you!"