Least amicable band split stories...

[Len_derby]

Around five years ago we had a guitarist who was a habitual drink-driver. His average intake on gig nights was four pints of beer, after which he’d drive home. Looking back, we cut him too much slack. He was younger than the rest of us and we tried advice and persuasion on him, to no avail. Eventually we sacked him, but in his eyes we were the bad guys. 

[colleya]

21 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

I once left a band by going to the toilet during a rehearsal and escaping through the toilet window.

 

Did they not get suspicious when you took your bass with you?

[AndyTravis]

Was with a girl of questionable morals who bedded the singer in my band.

 

So I broke the singers nose.

 

I think that was a pretty acrimonious split.

 

I dumped her too. Then shagged her best mate.

 

seemed appropriate at the time.

 

 

[SimonK]

55 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Was with a girl of questionable morals who bedded the singer in my band.

 

So I broke the singers nose.

 

I think that was a pretty acrimonious split.

 

I dumped her too. Then shagged her best mate.

 

seemed appropriate at the time.

 

 

 

That's the most "rock 'n roll" so far - certainly compared to sneaking out a toilet window!

[Jackroadkill]

52 minutes ago, SimonK said:

 

That's the most "rock 'n roll" so far - certainly compared to sneaking out a toilet window!

 

Oi!!

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, SimonK said:

 

That's the most "rock 'n roll" so far - certainly compared to sneaking out a toilet window!

Me between 1998-2008 was glorious.

 

In all honesty i much prefer my life now, but some of the stuff i did.

 

That was one of the less fun episodes.

[Boodang]

I've told this before ages ago but it's my fav band breakup story so here goes...

We had a song where the lyrics before the solo was 'call out my name'. The drummer and I had developed the habit of calling out 'w@nker' at this point, the vocalist not being our fav person (the reason at end of story). Well, on this occasion it's gets to that point in the song, I shout out said word with more gusto than normal, the drummer decides for some reason not to join in and the band goes unexpectedly quiet at this point. Much to the amusement of the audience the vocalist lunges at me during the solo while I try to keep playing the bassline and fending off the attack with the pointy end of my bass whist running around the drum kit as far as my lead will allow. 

At the end of the gig the vocalist just walks straight out. Apparently he stormed off in a huff but as he always left straight after the gig and never helped pack up the gesture was lost. He never returned and I, unfairly in my opinion, got the entire blame for the episode. The band didn't survive after failing to find another vocalist. 

[Jackroadkill]

22 minutes ago, AndyTravis said:

Me between 1998-2008 was glorious.

 

I had a similar experience in that same period.  I look back on it and wonder how the hell the fallout isn't still with me.

[paul_5]

8 hours ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Still, life's too ridiculous for short grudges!

Fixed. 😄

[AndyTravis]

1 hour ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

I had a similar experience in that same period.  I look back on it and wonder how the hell the fallout isn't still with me.

I’m still waiting for a knock on the door from Nicky Campbell (he’s a knob BTW) or Davina McCall…

 

”you didn’t know it, but here’s your spare son”

[BigRedX]

Considering that I've been playing in bands for almost 50 years now, I have only been in one acrimonious split.

 

It brought about the end of a band that I had been involved with for 13 years through numerous line-up changes that had seen every member except me replaced at least twice and had left me as the "de facto" band leader, although I had always been one of the main motivating forces behind the band. The falling out occurred between myself and singer, who was a complete diva and simultaneously very insecure musically, unlike me who knew exactly what I wanted musically and if anyone didn't agree with me, then they could f- right off. (I'm a lot more relaxed these days.) I had actually tried to leave the band a few months earlier as I had become completely fed up with having to organise the other band members musical lives, but they had talked me out of it and things were actually looking quite promising as we were on the point of securing a development deal with a studio owner who was also a member of a reasonable successful 90s band. I don't recall what set the agreement off, and therefore it was probably something completely trivial but it ended up with the two of us screaming at each other. This happened at my house where we also rehearsed and recorded and I'm surprised that none of my neighbours called the police thinking there was a domestic going on. Eventually the singer stormed out and the rest of the band made their excuses and left looking very sheepish. Considering how desperate the singer had been to "make it" at the time, as far as I can tell, she's done almost nothing musical since. I've run into her twice in the last 20 years when we have said "hello" to each other and that's been it.

 

Interestingly the demise of the band led to a very interesting musical development which involved being asked to put together a retrospective CD compilation by the very first band I was in for a US indie label and took up the best part of the next two years of my life. When I was ready to join another band I found one where I could just turn up and play bass and not have any involvement beyond that. That kept me occupied for another 4 years until I joined The Terrortones.