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Reasons For Getting Fired From A Band


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My guitarist friend and I got fired from a gig backing a Country and Western singer/guitarist. The sackable offence was switching to a reggae version half way through "Help Me Make It Through The Night". We were young and daft at the time but in fairness we richly deserved it.

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462976587' post='3047474']
I've never been fired from a band. Obviously I'm not trying hard enough. :(
[/quote]

Start a rumour that you're shagging the cornet player in a band where handfuls of psychedelics are viewed as a acceptable breakfast

Worked for me !

Edited by ahpook
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[quote name='pete.young' timestamp='1462987434' post='3047638']
My guitarist friend and I got fired from a gig backing a Country and Western singer/guitarist. The sackable offence was switching to a reggae version half way through "Help Me Make It Through The Night". We were young and daft at the time but in fairness we richly deserved it.
[/quote]

Ha! Ha! Bit of a no-no, really. :D

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1462989227' post='3047664']
Start a rumour that you're shagging the cornet player in a band where handfuls of psychedelics are viewed as a acceptable breakfast.
[/quote]

Christ, that must have been some psychedelic band to have a cornet player in it! :blink: The only cornet player I've ever worked with was a 20-stone bald bloke. I don't much like the idea of saying I shagged him just to get fired...

Edited by discreet
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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1462989813' post='3047673']
Christ, that must have been some psychedelic band to have a cornet player in it! :blink: The only cornet player I've ever worked with was a 20-stone bald bloke. I don't much like the idea of saying I shagged him just to get fired...
[/quote]

The band wasn't that psych, just the band members ! The cornet player in question was a lady in my case, but I didn't do no dirty with her.

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S'not quite the same, but I recall playing Free Nelson Mandela to a tentful of pi**ed white South Africans
at an annual gig that I'd done forever....I wasn't invited back.....
(I wasn't over-sorry, either, there's a limit to the amount of ar*e licking that I want to do....)

:ph34r:

Edited by taunton-hobbit
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[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1462864432' post='3046276']
I got fired from a band because I wouldn`t cough up £6000 to buy a rehearsal room. Apparently I wasn`t showing enough commitment.
[/quote]
[quote name='4stringslow' timestamp='1462866433' post='3046297']
Wow. I wonder what happened to that band? Do you know if their commitment got them anywhere?
[/quote]
[quote name='Oopsdabassist' timestamp='1462867480' post='3046319']
THAT...is impressive!
[/quote]

Yeah, never do anything by halves, me. The band in question has been going since about 97, has had numerous members, now have the rehearsal studio - money stumped up by someone "involved" with the project but not in the band - and are apparently nearing completion of their first album. It`s made G`NRs Chinese Democracy look like a rushed demo :lol:

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I've only been fired the once.

Back in 1985 I was in a five piece show band doing a summer season at Butlins Skegness (living the dream! :D ). We were based in the big family room - always smelling of chips & ketchup, kids sliding around on their knees, etc; playing six nights a week and doing all the latest chart stuff. During our break on a Thursday night we used to pop over to the beer keller to see a few songs by the "circuit" band - Brian Poole and Black Cat (yes the Tremolicious one).

Anyway one night we (the guitarist, drummer and myself on bass) were waylaid by the camp manager. He kept us chatting for ages and we were late back for our next spot. Our band leader, an elderly gentleman on "keyboards", who was partial to a drop of brandy, was furious. He sacked the three of us on the spot. Any attempts to explain were countered by the alcoholic haze.

So being the professionals we were, we finished off the night.

The next day, in the sober light of morning, when he realised that he and his partner as a duo were not quite the entertainment that the management were expecting, we got the closest he ever came to an apology - "About last night. You're still f***ing sacked... but take your time. No need to go just yet".

We stayed with them until the end of the season then left to form a trio that went on to play together for the next ten years

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[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1462931579' post='3047076']
Refusing to wear black with an orange tie :).
[/quote]

A high school buddy auditioned for a band out of NYC in the early 70s, He turned down the offer because he refused to wear make up.

The were unknown at the time. It was KISS.

Blue

Edited by blue
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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462999612' post='3047775']
A high school buddy auditioned for a band out of NYC in the early 70s, He turned down the offer because he refused to wear make up.

The was unknown at the time. It was KISS.

Blue
[/quote]

Lucky escape there! :lol:

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I was once kicked out of a band for no other reason than the drummer (who's band it was) was shagging my girlfriend & he didn't want me around to make things awkward.
She f***ed off with him shortly afterwards.
Glad to be shot of her if I'm truthful, she was a psycho.

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The only time I can recall being sacked, the excuse I was given was that I didn't play a sunburst & rosewood, '63 Precision... I suspect there may have been other reasons in the background, but they were a craven bunch* so whatever those reasons were, they were never articulated.

* - highlighted by the fact that they stole about £2k worth of my gear from a lock-up, but denied they had anything to do with it. Taking it all on tour and publishing a daily blog of said tour with lots and lots of photos, meant the police had a jolly-whizzy time knocking on doors and asking them to stop being quite so f'in stupid.

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Technically i suppose I was kicked out. I went to a practice for a new group, it went well and they sent me an email saying they liked me and would I join. Then they asked if I had any comments about them, and if i wanted to add any new songs. As they had 15 or so that I had never done, and I joined another group and was learning theirs, I said nothing yet as I was busy learning those. I sent a comment later saying I thought they were good, although the timing was off a bit on a few songs, which we could work on and maybe some of the songs weren't right for the singer.
Emailed to find out when the next practice was, and was told that they had decided I was good, but too busy for them, so they would look for someone not in another group. I was impressed they knew my work load.

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Never actually been fired from a band altho on an early occasion the band i was with heard i had auditioned for another band and they lined up a mate to take over if and when i left. That's the closest i've come to it. Maybe if i hadn't left i might have been asked to leave politely as we were all mates even after i left.

Dave

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I was working in music retail in the 80s. Everyone had Mark King/slap bass mania. One young guy was obsessed with Mark, to the point where he bought the same JD bass, Funkmaster strings, Trace Elliot amp - he even wrapped black gaffer tape around his thumb. One Saturday afternoon he came into the shop, face like a slapped arse.

'What's up?' I asked him.
'I went for band practice and they sacked me.'
'Why?'
'I slapped 'House Of The Rising Sun'.'

True story.

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For asking for a pay rise....

For telling my best mate that the female singer who his girlfriend was babysitting for had been calling his girlfriend some fairly unpleasant names...

For breaking down on the way to a gig, despite actually making it to the soundcheck...

I think they are the only occasions.

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[quote name='SisterAbdullahX' timestamp='1463312822' post='3050348']
For breaking down on the way to a gig, despite actually making it to the soundcheck...
[/quote]

Car or mental breakdown..?

Edited by discreet
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