Cowardly and underhand band politics...

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Lord Sausage said:

So the consensus of the thread is all bass players are angels and the rest of em are bastards! 😅

 

The thread, yes. BC in general, bassists are mostly angels with the odd exception:

 

 

[Lozz196]

1 hour ago, Lord Sausage said:

So the consensus of the thread is all bass players are angels and the rest of em are bastards! 😅

I think it’s because our “low” behaviour is mostly on our basses.

[gjones]

It sounds like you haven't been sacked from your band, in reality it sounds like the guitarist they auditioned, recruited them for his own Rock/Blues band. it sounds like the drummer, singer and new guitarist, have formed a totally different band, in a different genre, with different members and (I assume) with a different band name.

 

A band that you wouldn't want to be in, even if they had asked you.

 

If I were you, that's how I would look at the situation.

 

 

[solo4652]

2 hours ago, gjones said:

It sounds like you haven't been sacked from your band, in reality it sounds like the guitarist they auditioned, recruited them for his own Rock/Blues band. it sounds like the drummer, singer and new guitarist, have formed a totally different band, in a different genre, with different members and (I assume) with a different band name.

 

A band that you wouldn't want to be in, even if they had asked you.

 

If I were you, that's how I would look at the situation.

 

 

Yes - That's I think you're probably right. In reality, it isn't the alleged major change of musical direction that I (maybe/probably) wouldn't have been interested in that angered me, it's the sly and underhand way that I was replaced and ousted that grated my gears. For me, that's not an acceptable way of behaving in any walk of life. I've moved on, and I'm already talking to another band about possibly joining them. 

[Count Bassy]

On 30/05/2025 at 09:32, Dan Earp said:

My beef is the PA. First 5 piece singer turns up 15 minutes before start and walks away as soon as money given out. 

They're a singer. What else did you expect?

[TimR]

I'm finding more recently people are having problems directly talking to people face to face and discussing their problems and feelings openly.

 

Resorting to messenger, WhatsApp, emails etc, where all meaning gets lost.

 

I have recently fallen foul of someone who has been saying things like "Some people might feel..", unfortunately unless those people actually say they don't want to... directly to me, then it's a hypothetical "some people.".

 

Now, that 'someone' has thrown their toys out of the pram, said they're not being listened to, and walked. If they'd said in the first place: "I'm sorry but I don’t want to...", we could have sorted it all out a lot soon. 

[AndyTravis]

I had a really odd experience recently.

 

To me it was a side project and I was invited along. 
 

Things were going well, I was encouraged to play more, be louder “the bass needs to drive this song” etc.

 

We got to the point of booking a studio and recording, we decided to maximise value for money by tracking guides at the guitarists place.

 

All good.

 

Then it’s decided a song should be slowed right down and it loses (to me) it’s dynamic and ultimately is quite boring to play, and listen to.

 

I make my feelings known. I’ve been around a bit and had varying levels of success…but I know from a listeners point of view what works and what doesn’t.

 

I had no hand in writing the songs, just the bass parts so wasn’t overly attached to them.

 

Anyhow - the drummer who’d invited me and the singer/guitarist/songwriter obviously had a chat and decided my opinion wasn’t needed.

 

a very first for me - I got sacked…

 

At the time I was very angry. I didn’t actually ever feel comfortable with the singer guy…really not my kind of guy. So overall I’m not arsed.

 

The songs were a bit meh but I enjoyed the parts I did… I can incorporate some ideas into new stuff.

 

but the drummer I really liked - I’ve been in 2 bands with him before.

 

but how he handled his business now means I’ll most likely never speak to him again - a shame, but I haven’t got time for people who act like he did.

 

Life is too short. And I haven’t a band I’m happier in now we’re actually doing something - I admit I had my head turned in a lull.

 

Anyhow - I can do whatever I want in this band so, that suits me. Being given absolute freedom means I’m much happier playing root notes on the whole 😆

 

 

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, AndyTravis said:

I had a really odd experience recently.

 

To me it was a side project and I was invited along. 
 

Things were going well, I was encouraged to play more, be louder “the bass needs to drive this song” etc.

 

We got to the point of booking a studio and recording, we decided to maximise value for money by tracking guides at the guitarists place.

 

All good.

 

Then it’s decided a song should be slowed right down and it loses (to me) it’s dynamic and ultimately is quite boring to play, and listen to.

 

I make my feelings known. I’ve been around a bit and had varying levels of success…but I know from a listeners point of view what works and what doesn’t.

 

I had no hand in writing the songs, just the bass parts so wasn’t overly attached to them.

 

Anyhow - the drummer who’d invited me and the singer/guitarist/songwriter obviously had a chat and decided my opinion wasn’t needed.

 

a very first for me - I got sacked…

 

At the time I was very angry. I didn’t actually ever feel comfortable with the singer guy…really not my kind of guy. So overall I’m not arsed.

 

The songs were a bit meh but I enjoyed the parts I did… I can incorporate some ideas into new stuff.

 

but the drummer I really liked - I’ve been in 2 bands with him before.

 

but how he handled his business now means I’ll most likely never speak to him again - a shame, but I haven’t got time for people who act like he did.

 

Life is too short. And I haven’t a band I’m happier in now we’re actually doing something - I admit I had my head turned in a lull.

 

Anyhow - I can do whatever I want in this band so, that suits me. Being given absolute freedom means I’m much happier playing root notes on the whole 😆

 

Sounds as if someone felt threatened by your experience and knowledge. Shame it cost you a friend.

[Gank Bass]

When I was in my teenage years I got kicked out of an indie band just as we were on the cusp of actually making some kind of headway (BBC introducing, some local radio play, bit of a following etc)

 

I got a call one day from the singer saying his mum had cancer and he wanted to stop all band activities to focus on caring for her which I totally understood.

 

A few days later I see a post on our Facebook page saying I left to pursue different avenues. Nobody else in the band had any objection or contacted me.

 

The band stalled and fell apart including some poor financial decisions leaving a few of them in debt and off speaking terms.

 

I see a lot of people saying to poach the singer but for me he is complicit. Find people you can share your passion with and think how lucky you are to not be tied to the sh*ts before it got really messy would be my hot take!

[AndyTravis]

24 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

 

Sounds as if someone felt threatened by your experience and knowledge. Shame it cost you a friend.

A proper mate sticks with you - “nah, I think he’s onto something” not “I think you’re on a different page to him”

 

bullet dodged as far as I’m concerned.

 

The guitarist/songwriter guy was an odd personality…it wouldn’t have lasted.

[AndyTravis]

2 minutes ago, Gank Bass said:

I got a call one day from the singer saying his mum had cancer and he wanted to stop all band activities to focus on caring for her which I totally understood.

If that was the ruse to move you on, that’s heinous 

[theplumber]

Was in a covers band a few years ago and after a few months of weekly practises we had only done 3 gigs...all unpaid! I suggested we all tried contacting local pubs to see if we could get some bookings. I phoned around a bit and after a couple of hours had managed to get bookings in 3 separate pubs. Next practise I turned up and gave  the news to the band .One by one they knocked back the pubs saying...''too far away'' and ''shithole'' Ok I said,what have you got? As you can imagine they had nothing. So after a pretty tense practice we had a bit of a chat. I said that if we don't get gigs soon I am going to have to pack it in. They said they would have a meeting the next night when they had more time to chew things over. I decided then and there that I was not going to the meeting. Needless to say the very next morning when I open up our Facebook page I spotted that in the band line up it had been altered to Bass Player ?.........I contacted the singer next day and she said that I had ''Taken the fun out the band''

[Dankology]

5 hours ago, AndyTravis said:

I had a really odd experience recently.

 

To me it was a side project and I was invited along. 
 

Things were going well, I was encouraged to play more, be louder “the bass needs to drive this song” etc.

 

[snip]

 

How ironic that you should post this on the same day I was readying tracks to send to you for your advice re arrangements etc

 

You're a good man, with impeccable musical instincts. Their loss.

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, Dankology said:

How ironic that you should post this on the same day I was readying tracks to send to you for your advice re arrangements etc

 

You're a good man, with impeccable musical instincts. Their loss.

Whenever you need me mate x

[Dan Earp]

14 hours ago, Count Bassy said:

They're a singer. What else did you expect?

As I provide a decent PA I now say we all arrive at an agreed time to set up and no one goes home till everyone is packed……unless they’d like to provide the PA of course.