AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) I am just about ready to scream. Please someone else share their band politics tales of woe here so I feel better. I just want to play music, why is it ALWAYS so political!! I am reminded now of all the reasons I jacked this in before! Different instrument, same sh1t! Edited March 31, 2009 by AM1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eight Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Ah, but remember why you ended up back in a band again. Hope its nothing too serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Here you go: Drummer in band turns down gig after gig, causing politics. Eventually bandmembers can't be arsed with it, so two of us call it a day. Drummer pipes up: "...but I was up for playing a load of gigs this year..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='450920' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:09 PM']Here you go: Drummer in band turns down gig after gig, causing politics. Eventually bandmembers can't be arsed with it, so two of us call it a day. Drummer pipes up: "...but I was up for playing a load of gigs this year..." [/quote] I've been there, disgustingly familiar. It is SO hard to find other musicians with the same level of commitment, I don't know why I thought things would be any different this time around. I'm so frustrated and angry right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 NEVER join a band....find a formed one,and TAKE them over!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Find a new band, that's the solution. Worked for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='450924' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:13 PM']Find a new band, that's the solution. Worked for me.[/quote] I have done, multiple times!! The same soul destroying bullsh1t kicks in, again and again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARGH Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='450925' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:15 PM']I have done, multiple times!! The same soul destroying bullsh1t kicks in, again and again.[/quote] I know how you feel..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='ARGH' post='450923' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:13 PM']NEVER join a band....find a formed one,and TAKE them over!!![/quote] Thats what i do,blow them away it would be nice to think bands are a democracy,but if i am honest im playing the music i want to play. Get funky or f*** off.Sorry. Stand up and be counted bass players. Edited March 31, 2009 by YouMa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorick Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 drummer goes "my equpment, my band, my rules"!!! I walk just before record company wants to sign band!!! F$ck 'em all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I must be really lucky then, because none of my bands is like that at all. We generally have a great time and it's almost always really friendly and professional and loads of fun. It could be because most of the band members are full time professionals, so we have to get on with it and do a good job of giving value for money to the punters. There's the occasional mad bickering in the bigger band, but it never lasts long and I'm never involved. Then again I behave myself and be the arch diplomat. I couldn't possibly suggest a solution to your problem. People are people. My mate can never find a band that he's happy with either. I just suggest he's tells them to f*ck off. He does, he leaves, they find a new bassist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='silddx' post='450939' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:29 PM']I must be really lucky then, because none of my bands is like that at all. We generally have a great time and it's almost always really friendly and professional and loads of fun. It could be because most of the band members are full time professionals, so we have to get on with it and do a good job of giving value for money to the punters.[/quote] I think that's the crux of it. Doing it for a full time living is a lot different to doing it as a hobby and also having a day job. I feckin hate the music biz! I'm feeling a great degree of fury right now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='450943' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:34 PM']I think that's the crux of it. Doing it for a full time living is a lot different to doing it as a hobby and also having a day job. I feckin hate the music biz! I'm feeling a great degree of fury right now![/quote] I'm not surprised, I've had to deal with idiots, time wasters, weirdos and talented prima donnas before now, and spent a lot of time and money. It's valuable experience though so not time wasted. I was lucky, I had a relationship with a girl that was connected to the people I play with now, so I was already friendly with them. The trick is to be trusted to be cool and do a professional job of being a bassist. Having personal connections obviously cuts through all the bollocks and arrogance of auditions and it's SO convenient for the band. It really is who you know, not what you know most of the time. I have a fulfilling day job and an extraordinarily fulfilling musical life. The balance is right, I wouldn't want to be a full time pro, semi pro is perfect for me. Luckily my day job is fairly flexible. Sorry, doesn't help much, I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobo_Grimmer Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Oh dude, i've been there too. I used to be in a band a few years ago where 'this' has to happen 'that' has to happen. Drummer taking loads of drugs and never turning up, our singer trying to tell us what to play. Me being the only one that drives! I used to say look! we're sposed to be doing this for fun. i work hard all day so i can earn enough money to keep the roof over my head, spend money on music stuff's and have a great time with some friends jamming. What's all this nonsense!. We did still play some awesome gig's but in the end we all split. I learn't a lot from playing in that band, maybe not musically but about people. I also played in a blues band for a year or so. All the guys and girls were almost twice my age. I found that i was learning a lot off them but still i never got a say i was told just to play and i don't enjoy being told to shut up just because i'm the young doesn't know anything bass player. God dam! I wish They could see me now Bast.... Hem....sorry.... Rant rant...... The band i'm in now we have no rules per say we all agree or we don't do it. we enjoy playing together and that's it. I come away from jamming now Feeling great. I look forward to playing all the time now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='silddx' post='450952' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:50 PM']I'm not surprised, I've had to deal with idiots, time wasters, weirdos and talented prima donnas before now, and spent a lot of time and money. It's valuable experience though so not time wasted. I was lucky, I had a relationship with a girl that was connected to the people I play with now, so I was already friendly with them. The trick is to be trusted to be cool and do a professional job of being a bassist. Having personal connections obviously cuts through all the bollocks and arrogance of auditions and it's SO convenient for the band. It really is who you know, not what you know most of the time. I have a fulfilling day job and an extraordinarily fulfilling musical life. The balance is right, I wouldn't want to be a full time pro, semi pro is perfect for me. Luckily my day job is fairly flexible. Sorry, doesn't help much, I know.[/quote] Some people want to be more than happy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='yorick' post='450937' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:29 PM']drummer goes "my equpment, my band, my rules"!!! I walk just before record company wants to sign band!!! F$ck 'em all!!![/quote] Heh. I did that once, well it was more my songs, my band. Mostly because our original guitarist had left and I wasn't happy with his replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='silddx' post='450952' date='Mar 31 2009, 10:50 PM']I'm not surprised, I've had to deal with idiots, time wasters, weirdos and talented prima donnas before now, and spent a lot of time and money.[/quote] Yeah. Been there (and more) in spades, to the point of not wanting to pick up an instrument again. Me and the Frankenbass just wanna rock and roll, not deal with soul destroying political crap! I think I need to go and sit in a darkened room for a while! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='YouMa' post='450958' date='Mar 31 2009, 11:00 PM']Some people want to be more than happy though.[/quote] Not quite with you, old chap, what do you mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='AM1' post='450963' date='Mar 31 2009, 11:03 PM']Yeah. Been there (and more) in spades, to the point of not wanting to pick up an instrument again. Me and the Frankenbass just wanna rock and roll, not deal with soul destroying political crap! I think I need to go and sit in a darkened room for a while![/quote] You'll get over it. Give it a little time, get pissed, recover from the HO, make a plan. EDIT: Sorry, that sounds a bit patronising. Keep at it, it should happen for you eventually. Took ages for me, but you have to go through this sh*t. Edited March 31, 2009 by silddx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 i was having a bad day saturday and may have gotten in a bit of a tussle with the guitarist over a...well, over a chair. i was a bit on edge that day. the only thing injured, i think, was his pride...and his foot. and my hand. but that's what he gets for not liking a single f**king song or idea i ever write, ever, and for spending an hour getting me to sing on the last EP (i don't normally sing - i'm not very good ^_^) only to decide behind my back that it wasn't good enough and that he could do better, and for constantly shoving the bass down on the mix, and for not realizing that no, he doesn't actually get to take up the whole mix from 80Hz to 10kHz, and that the bass control on HIS eq is there for a reason -- turn it down! Also, believe it or not, not EVERY thing that goes wrong is the drummer's fault -- and being unnecessarily harsh on the drummer is not going to solve anything! and for once, don't put your psycho-b***h of an ex girlfriend who only ever hurts you ahead of the band, and for once get off your *** and actually do something, and for just bl**dy once don't decide to listen to other people and start thinking that you're just going to ditch the band! he's lucky i love him, or else i think i'd deck him just about every practice. rant over. how's that for band politics? ^_^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) I just tend to walk away - I've just left one outfit and turned down £6k worth of work this year because I'm not prepared to compromise musicality for what promoters think Joe Public may or may not want. (Oh, and an asshole of a moody keyboard player!) Not a problem - One hour after I quit, I got a big theatre job for some serious money. Nay problemo There's always more work or other bands around the corner... Edited March 31, 2009 by OutToPlayJazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='450993' date='Apr 1 2009, 12:02 AM']I just tend to walk away - I've just left one outfit and turned down £6k worth of work this year because I'm not prepared to compromise musicality for what promoters think Joe Public may or may not want.[/quote] Ah, but most of them don't want Jizz, er, Jazz. I'll get mi coat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 The only problem we have is our guitarist is always turning down gigs and doesn't like us playing without him but we do it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YouMa Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 (edited) [quote name='AM1' post='451010' date='Mar 31 2009, 11:23 PM']Ah, but most of them don't want Jizz, er, Jazz. I'll get mi coat! [/quote] joe public loves my jazz especially the female ones,when i shower it on them. Edited March 31, 2009 by YouMa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krysbass Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I never cease to be amazed at how irritatingly uncompromising some people are in a band situation. I constantly compromise on song choices to keep other people happy and I therefore expect to see a certain amount of magnanimity coming from everyone else. But no – my last couple of years re-discovering the band scene has unearthed more than its fair share of control-freaks and prima-donnas who selfishly put their needs and aspirations over and above every one else’s. Maybe it’s the way of the world? To be honest, it’s things like companionship, that it continues to improve my playing and that I get to go gigging that keep me doggedly persevering with the constant stream of set-backs. I’m just grateful I don’t do it for the money – but then professionals might perhaps behave more, er, professionally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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