Do You Really Care?

[Guest Jecklin]

"...I've played with the greatest fu****g musicians in the world, how DARE you play like that for me...."

Just wow! Was his ego chemically boosted?
I really want to hear what the set was like.

Edited June 7, 2016 by Jecklin

[kodiakblair]

The man's a fool.

[peteb]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1465339174' post='3067437']
Isn't the context that that band had just played a crap set. And that shouldn't happen at that level.

Blue
[/quote]
I thought the whole point was that the pianist used to secretly tape his many tantrums, which happened on a regular basis regardless of quality of the performance.

Didn't he famously threaten to sack a trombone player because he took issue with his beard??

I thought that a lotof people in the industry thought that hegot away with that behaviour because he was a black belt karate. He used to room with Sinatra in the early days in the Tommy Dorsey band and apparently they came to blows on a number of occasions. There is a story that Sinatra paid several of his 'acquaintances' to beat the sh1t out of Rich after one occasion. Despite this they remained lifelong friends...!

[Number6]

I think Buddy may have spoken to me like this but he would have only done it once.

Music, nor anything is worth being treated like sh*t for.

[blue]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1465339260' post='3067441']

Who says they did play like crap? A drummer with anger management issues?
[/quote]

When your playing with the "Greatest" you have to bring your "A" game or face the consequences.

Blue

[blue]

[quote name='Number6' timestamp='1465342550' post='3067464']
I think Buddy may have spoken to me like this but he would have only done it once.

Music, nor anything is worth being treated like sh*t for.
[/quote]

Again, all I hear is love and passion.

Don't discount when he says;

"You Guys Were Breaking My Heart Out There"

Blue

Edited June 8, 2016 by blue

[blue]

Why am I the only one on Buddy's side?

Blue

[4stringslow]

If he didn't rate his band then why not just fire them? My admiration for Rich just went down.

[blue]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1465341280' post='3067458']

I thought the whole point was that the pianist used to secretly tape his many tantrums, which happened on a regular basis regardless of quality of the performance.

Didn't he famously threaten to sack a trombone player because he took issue with his beard??

I thought that a lotof people in the industry thought that hegot away with that behaviour because he was a black belt karate. He used to room with Sinatra in the early days in the Tommy Dorsey band and apparently they came to blows on a number of occasions. There is a story that Sinatra paid several of his 'acquaintances' to beat the sh1t out of Rich after one occasion. Despite this they remained lifelong friends...!
[/quote]

Yeah, I think Frank threw a huge glass pitcher of water at Buddy. It missed Buddy's head and put a whole in the wall.

Blue

Edited June 8, 2016 by blue

[Les]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1465344909' post='3067474']
Why am I the only one on Buddy's side?

Blue
[/quote]

To be honest Blue he's coming across as a bit out of control in parts.

I'm no expert on Buddy Rich but I know who he was and I find it difficult to imagine you'd get in his band without being a world class player yourself so how bad did these guys mess up ?

Or was this just an every night "here we go again" rant on the bus for everyone ?

[blue]

[quote name='Les' timestamp='1465348577' post='3067486']


To be honest Blue he's coming across as a bit out of control in parts.

I'm no expert on Buddy Rich but I know who he was and I find it difficult to imagine you'd get in his band without being a world class player yourself so how bad did these guys mess up ?

Or was this just an every night "here we go again" rant on the bus for everyone ?
[/quote]

I guess It's relative. He was pissed off, I'll give you that.

I would bet the band saw this coming.

He said they were missing ques and sucking all over the place.

Blue

Edited June 8, 2016 by blue

[Geek99]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1465339174' post='3067437']


Isn't the context that that band had just played a crap set. And that shouldn't happen at that level.

Blue
[/quote]
I do thInk there is a cultural difference here, spent a lot of time in US and I do think we could use /a bit/ of the "so try harder" mentality /sometimes/ - doesn't make getting medieval on someone ok though and profanity unneeded

[lojo]

I've not watched the clip but get the jist as I've seen similar before .

No , if that is a symptom of caring I don't care that much , I surround myself with band members of similar or slightly high standards to my own and we pitch ourself accordingly, get to play one fun functions and fund our band, that's it.

I've experienced this kind of coaching in sport , sometimes it works I guess.

[Bolo]

It is abuse. Like beating your wife 'because you love her' like locking up your kids 'teach a lesson'. It's abuse and we know better than that now.

[bartelby]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1465338792' post='3067431']


Why?
[/quote]

Victim blaming is a popular pastime in the US.

[Marvin]

Vile little man. Exactly the sort of person the world can do without.

I'd be concerned if I thought I needed to be intimidated and bullied in such a manner to up my game.

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1465344909' post='3067474']
Why am I the only one on Buddy's side?
[/quote]

It's a good question. Maybe the responses you've received are telling you something you need to hear. This kind of rant may have been o.k. 30 years ago (and I don't doubt his supporters would have gone to some lengths to defend it), but today it would be considered abuse - certainly in the UK.

It's not what he's doing; it's the way he's doing it. Inexcusable IMHO; and defending it on the ground of being passionate about his art is pretty specious.

Edited June 8, 2016 by leftybassman392

[CamdenRob]

What a prat...

We still get the odd red faced table thumping shouter in the construction industry. They are rare but I do look forward to encountering them in meetings... it's the highlight of my day.

Edited June 8, 2016 by CamdenRob

[RockfordStone]

I worked for a guy who used to act like that, trust me blue, after several years you don't keep motivated and working on your craft, you end up in a cocktail of pills.

I get he was a top player and his band needed to be sh*t hot (and no doubt they were top professionals if they were working with him), but no matter how much you care about a performance there is no need to shoot people like that down, especially in front of others.

Where you see passion, I see bullying.

[gafbass02]

Reminds me of a couple of the rants I saw on tour with a US rock band back in the mid '00's.
I was chatting to the guitar tech one evening as he was packing up during the encore, when he suddenly disappeared into a cloud of blood, the headline acts guitarist had thrown his guitar at him from the stage, body first ( a full on swing from the headstock end) and hit him straight in the head.
The reason was it had gone out of tune.
Another time I watched the singer go crazy because the bass amp was in the wrong place and was apparently 'crushing his head'

[Muzz]

In my 'real job' in IT, I've worked with two people who were as close to genius in their field as it's possible to be, and neither of them treated people anything like the way that arse did. Genius is no defence for bullying, and it's got nothing to do with 'caring'. You can inspire and motivate perfectly well (actually far better) with different approaches. I'll reiterate: this man is a dick.

[peteb]

[quote name='Geek99' timestamp='1465359278' post='3067493']

I do thInk there is a cultural difference here, spent a lot of time in US and I do think we could use /a bit/ of the "so try harder" mentality /sometimes/ - doesn't make getting medieval on someone ok though and profanity unneeded
[/quote]
I don't think that there is a cultural difference at al. There are plenty of bullies over here, I've met them at work and even been in bands with a couple (not fun) and even been accused of it myself (to a far far lesser extent of course). I mentioned Steve Vai before as an example of a band leader who refuses to accept anything but the very best, yet still manages to be a decent human being - there is no need to be like Buddy Rich unless your an overly aggressive little a-hole who knows he can get away with it. By all accounts Rich was hated in the business.

[neilp]

I'm half on Blue's side here. IF it's in the context of a really poor set - which is how it seems - and assuming this isn't the first one, then it may be a little bit over the top, but it's not the piano player's reputation on the line. If you can't stand the heat....

There are many, many "band leaders" out there with equally explosive debrief styles and equally huge egos, but Rich at least had the talent and dedication tohis own craft to back it all up.

[neilp]

Rich may have been hated, but I bet he had no problem finding a bass player when he needed one...............

[thebrig]

Blue, I'm sure its not, but if that type of behaviour is acceptable and expected within bands in the USA, I can see why you always insist on only playing for money!