JapanAxe Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I occasionally dep on bass for a band. The regular bass player is fine with this, as he leads a very busy life and needs the occasional break to mitigate his over-commitment. strangely, the rhythm guitarist in the same band is definitely [u]not[/u] happy to be depped, by me or anyone else. I [i]think [/i]this is because he reckons it just won't be the same band without him. When it comes down to it, it is the drummer's band, but he doesn't want to upset the rhythm guitarist by taking more gigs and depping out that role. Very odd! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 [quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1398858772' post='2438307'] we had an issue with our drummer once, he double booked so we got a dep in, he wasn't happy about it, but understood it was for the band and it was his fault he had double booked........ he is now the ex drummer... and the dep is our full time drummer.... funny ol' world. sounds insecure to me, but if he is the right man for the job you won't feel the need to replace him, he just needs reassuring [/quote] didn't that happen with Green Day? that really would piss anybody off, make you feel like Pete Best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I will not permit our band to use deps anymore, they tried it once before, against my wishes and it was a disaster, we have all worked really hard to become the unit we are, if you start chopping and changing musicians every other gig, then to me, you are not a band just a bunch of journey men musicians. I am proud of our band and our reputation and will do anything to protect it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1398880289' post='2438644'] I will not permit our band to use deps anymore, they tried it once before, against my wishes and it was a disaster, we have all worked really hard to become the unit we are, if you start chopping and changing musicians every other gig, then to me, you are not a band just a bunch of journey men musicians. I am proud of our band and our reputation and will do anything to protect it [/quote] head, nail, hit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I think you have to get over insecurity. Our band is very difficult/impossible to del, being a Beach Boys tribute and we all sing - so when I was booked on another gig, I had the great idea of asking the original bass player if he'd come back to do it. He knew the songs and harmonies, and he did it - and then when we needed a new sound man, we got him to do that because he knows the balance better than anyone! There's no problem - and even though I replaced him, I don't worry he'll want to return. Very handy solution for us! The old guitarist on the other hand, wouldn't come back - so we don't have a del for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Our old drummer was a proper PITA and kept marking himself "unavailable" on our calendar. Refused to let us bring in a dep for ages until we threatened to kick him out. He reluctantly agreed that if he got to choose the dep we could use one. Stupid prat asked his mate who's twice the drummer he is. Funny thing is our old drummer one snogged his mate's girlfriend so when we jokingly asked the dep if he wanted to do it full time he laughed and said he'd love to. Rest is history lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Depends on the gigs really, if it's a functions band with a set made up of covers then I really don't see that there's an issue with getting a dep in, provided that they're competent and comfortable to play the stuff. Originals stuff is different, as bands tend to be more protective of their own material. I would't have an issue with getting a dep for the originals band I play with because I know I'd do everything I possibly could to play the gig in the first place, and just because I couldn't make the gig shouldn't mean that the other chaps didn't get paid. Just my view of course, m'lud.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='paulears' timestamp='1398883961' post='2438688'] The old guitarist on the other hand, wouldn't come back - so we don't have a del for him. [/quote] Here's one Edited April 30, 2014 by Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I remember when a friend of mine asked if I would dep for his bass player as he couldn't make the gig. The gig started and after the second song, who should turn up but the bassist I was depping for. He came up to me between songs and asked if he could get up and play a tune or two. I handed him my bass and he never sat down again until the gig was over. I just put his behaviour down to insecurity, as he was obviously scared of losing his job in the band (I should have realised he was serious when he turned up in leather trousers). At the end of the gig I got paid and he didn't, as his band thought he was as big a dickhead as I did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1398880289' post='2438644'] I will not permit our band to use deps anymore, they tried it once before, against my wishes and it was a disaster, we have all worked really hard to become the unit we are, if you start chopping and changing musicians every other gig, then to me, you are not a band just a bunch of journey men musicians. I am proud of our band and our reputation and will do anything to protect it [/quote] I'm with you there. You don't want a people in a band that are not ready to put the commitment in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBollock Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I only ever depped for bands twice and both times I was offered the bass position. I stopped doing it after that because I liked the players I was depping for and it annoyed me. The first band offered me the position against the drummer's will, who got really angry, he absolutely hated me, not my playing, me. He hated even more that their bass player kept coming to me for lessons. Mind you, I kept doing stuff that he hated, like joining a local band that he idolised. Blimey he was a twat. And I sound like a braggart, but I am tired and it's funny (to me). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I am getting really bad with typos - del boys works though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 [quote name='gjones' timestamp='1398888009' post='2438752'] ........ The gig started and after the second song, who should turn up but the bassist I was depping for. He came up to me between songs and asked if he could get up and play a tune or two. I handed him my bass and he never sat down again until the gig was over. [/quote] What reason did he give for not taking the gig in the first place? Turning up to a gig and playing it, which he initially turned down would sound quite a few alarm bells, IMO. Tough to recover from dickhead territory... I doubt he will last... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 Does the dep represent the band well enough? I'd rather lose a gig for the band that have a band member for the night to do the gig, and do a lacklustre gig as a result. In addition, in an originals band I feel the band composition plays a more important role, and that all members should be there, at least on "good" gigs. For a regular function band, where the money is I would have no problem with deps, in fact they would be desirable from my point of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1398896043' post='2438906'] Does the dep represent the band well enough? I'd rather lose a gig for the band that have a band member for the night to do the gig, and do a lacklustre gig as a result [/quote] +1 and to add to this, damage the bands reputation enough to lose future gigs. Accepting gigs and needing deps is ok so long as people understand the contribution to the whole band sound the depped musician makes. If they don't (as is sometimes the case in semi pro set ups where, say the contribution of the rythmn section is underestimated) then it can be a problem. Depping is fine so long as you are competent to cover the ground. I've been in bands where dates have been negotiable as bookers are trying to fill several slots - and the band member/leader doing the organisation accepts the first date offered in the full knowledge that, say the whole rythmn section is not available. This is poor organisation and shouldn't be accepted - I have known the result to verge on catastrophic and lose repeat work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted May 1, 2014 Share Posted May 1, 2014 Our band calender Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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