Mickeyboro Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 If you have experience of re-enlisting a former bandmate, please feel free to share. Has it worked for you? Do previous problems recur? If someone quit without warning would you trust them again? Ta! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markbunney Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 2 minutes ago, Mickeyboro said: If you have experience of re-enlisting a former bandmate, please feel free to share. Has it worked for you? Do previous problems recur? If someone quit without warning would you trust them again? Ta! If they quit without warning and left you in a mess, I wouldn’t trust them again. Our ex drummer just did this to us, but said he would be available for any emergency cover - no thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I’d echo the above 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acebassmusic Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 (edited) 1 hour ago, Mickeyboro said: If you have experience of re-enlisting a former bandmate, please feel free to share. Has it worked for you? Do previous problems recur? If someone quit without warning would you trust them again? Ta! It very much depends on the wider context.....I have been in bands where: 1) a good person has quit immediately with no discernible reason then I would have reservations about having them back 2) a good person has quit immediately with good reasoning (family / work / life has thrown them a curve ball as it does) then yeah I'd consider them again 3) a time wasting, egotistical, "I'm better than all of you", narcissistic, over confident / undertalented, total twunt.....er, I'm not thinking of anyone in particular....honest! Then I would possibly pass on the chance. 🤣🤣 Edited March 22 by Acebassmusic 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 (edited) That you've started a thread about it suggests you see the red flags flapping but think/hope someone might come along and tell you it's actually ok to ignore the flapping red flags? flap flap flap We see them, too, even from here 😉 flap flap flap Edited March 22 by Doctor J 2 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeystrange Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Drummer in my old band quit on three or four separate occasions. We (eventually) had him back each time because he was our friend and an incredible drummer. Yes we did trust him. To the point where we joked about him quitting again. I guess it depends how well you know them and how good they are? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 Keep em coming chaps, thanks! Funny how drummers keep cropping up. It is a drummer, he quit without notice but now his replacement has moved in he is suggesting he might have made a mistake. We are using him as a dep initially but the future divides our band. One wants him in, one is undecided. And there’s me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Mad drummer was sacked then singer and guitarist rehired him, against my advice, only for him to be sacked again mid gig. Yes he was that mad. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Mickeyboro said: Funny how drummers keep cropping up. A decent (I'm referring to ability, rather than temperament, personality, etc, which you tend only to find out about over time) drummer will always be in demand, so it isn't that surprising. They get more offers than most musicians, so are more likely to be offski. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Mickeyboro said: he is suggesting he might have made a mistake. Sounds reasonable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I have been in my current band just over a year and we’re about to move onto drummer number 3 . We have a gig next Friday, which the outgoing guy said he’d cover, although his departure could still be regarded as without warning (I actually doubt whether many folk who quit give a lot of notice). Would I use a previous member of a band again once they’d departed? Probably, provided they were good at the job and not absolute jerks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 11 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: If you have experience of re-enlisting a former bandmate, please feel free to share. All the time. Musicians drift in and out of bands all the time, for a variety of reasons. Generally situations change over time and what was an issue might not seem a big deal a couple of years later. If you need them, they can play and are not complete d1cks, then why not? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 It depends on the people. There are musicians who I've played with in several different bands and who I would have no hesitation in playing with again. I've only had one bad experience (unsurprisingly with a drummer) who quit the same band twice, initially after falling out with the original singer and then later after begging to be allowed to rejoin, with her replacement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asingardenof Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 If they've let you down in the past they'll let you down in the future, is a good rule of thumb I reckon. If they had good reasons to quit last time and didn't really have a choice I'd give them a second chance, but if they either ghosted you or were a bad bandmate before they quit then they can do one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 If the reason they quit is still present, you can't rule out them quitting again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 (edited) Some people make bad decisions. I'd take someone back if they were very good players, a nice guy and promised to make better decisions next time. Edited March 22 by chris_b 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 8 minutes ago, chris_b said: Some people make bad decisions. I'd take someone back if they were very good players, a nice guy and promised to make better decisions next time. And sometimes people make decisions that make sense at the time, but things change and they then make different decisions. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 My first Sixth Form band did the classic burn brightly and then implode! The band split and the whole band reformed behind my back as a new venture. I had committed the cardinal sin of spending too much time with my then girlfriend, rather than hanging out with the group. We didn't speak for a couple of years but have all been mates again since the early 90s. I then tried a short lived band with the guitarist 20 years ago but with his impending fatherhood, he was the problem this time. Understandably. Fast forward to lockdown 2020 and we tried again. The plan was to jam some of the old songs from Sixth Form, probably once. We're releasing our second album next week. We've made several music videos, a film and played from Lancaster to Southampton and done over 50 shows together. Aside the sulking of Sixth Form, we've never had an argument and the relationship is stronger than ever. Last year, we managed to get two of the original sixth form band to come and join us for a reunion show. I have this picture framed in my bedroom. It will happen again. There's a lot for being older and wiser. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeyboro Posted March 22 Author Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Woodinblack said: If the reason they quit is still present, you can't rule out them quitting again. It’s yours truly😮 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SH73 Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 I quit a band before, the same band twice, but they wanted me back 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 4 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: Keep em coming chaps, thanks! Funny how drummers keep cropping up. It is a drummer, he quit without notice but now his replacement has moved in he is suggesting he might have made a mistake. We are using him as a dep initially but the future divides our band. One wants him in, one is undecided. And there’s me! I would tell the original drummer to look elsewhere. We're doing absolutely fine and you're not required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 5 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: Keep em coming chaps, thanks! Funny how drummers keep cropping up. It is a drummer, he quit without notice but now his replacement has moved in he is suggesting he might have made a mistake. We are using him as a dep initially but the future divides our band. One wants him in, one is undecided. And there’s me! You need to arrange some kind of drum-off at your next gig and let the audience decide.... Or, more realistically, did he think quitting would make you beg him to come back and he can't stand it that you've moved on? Some people need constant reassurance but adults don't tend to do that so much for each other. There could be millions of other reasons but if it were me I'd invest time in the one who wants to be there and hasn't quit at all, rather than one who has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilorius Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 14 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: If you have experience of re-enlisting a former bandmate, please feel free to share. Has it worked for you? Do previous problems recur? If someone quit without warning would you trust them again? Ta! My exband-mates are mainly ok. They contact me on my birthday and send some interesting invitations on new projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 1 hour ago, Mickeyboro said: It’s yours truly😮 Ah. I said in another post. If the drummer and bass don't work together, you do t have a band. I spent too many years in a band thinking I was the bad player, won't be doing that again given a choice. As soon as I left and started playing with other drumemrs I realised where the issues were. Maybe the drummer has found that out as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 If he's a good drummer and everyone gets on with him then I'd probably have him back. It kinda depends a bit around his initial decision to quit too. He's admitted he made a mistake, but was there any specific reason he left in the first place? If there was and it's still an issue (eg. Doesn't like the set, too many/not enough gigs, doesn't get on with everyone) then he'll likely end up leaving again unless something changes. Life's too short to be holding grudges though, so I wouldn't say no just because he left once. If you don't have him back, what are your other options? That's another one to think about. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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