Would someone's extreme political views prevent you being in a band with them, or working with them?

[EliasMooseblaster]

12 minutes ago, BassTractor said:

I see the user manuals online that teach you how to deal with these people, and it's always about keeping the communication open and about asking them questions and about letting them talk until they understand something isn't quite right in what they say.
I've not seen that happen, and do feel I've not tried hard enough.

It's a horrible position to be in. On the one hand, it isn't your job alone to talk people down from these extreme positions; on the other hand, if none of us challenge it then it just gets validated elsewhere and the problem grows. Even if you can't see the change from your own efforts, maybe it's enough to help them plant the first seed of doubt that might germinate further in the future, if enough people encourage them to actually think about the rhetoric they're repeating.

[TimR]

4 minutes ago, Misdee said:

The bigger question is who gets to arbitrate which views are extreme? We live in a world full of extremities, and all too often the most powerful get to define their opponents as extremists as a way of undermining the truth. Besides which, are extreme views necessarily wrong? Your liberal views on certain subjects are considered extreme by a lot of people. It's all about context.

 

Beyond all of that though, the older I get the more reluctant I am to condemn people for what they believe. I've come to realise that we all believe all sorts of crap at one time or another, mainly as a way of getting through life's difficulties. People who believe in  the most unpalatable ideas are often the most vulnerable or most damaged in one way or another.

 

I draw the line at people who are being willfully ignorant of facts and move on from thoughts and the odd conversation to full on organising actions.

 

It's like the flat earthers, I now don't believe any of the actually think the world is flat, they're just grifters who make money from it and are on some kind of power trip.

[Wombat]

The flat earth society has member all round the globe!

[Mrbigstuff]

3 hours ago, paul_5 said:

I wouldn’t gig with someone with extreme political views, and more importantly I’d tell them why - you have to call it out so that they know it’s unacceptable, otherwise they’ll just carry on until they find someone who’s prepared to accept it and never question themselves.

Calling it out just gets the response of being woke. Abhorrent behaviour and values have been normalised and justified by far right influencers, backed by some of the richest people in the world.

1 hour ago, Skinnyman said:

Yeah, but I bet you feel just a little bit dirty though, don’t you?

My gf has one and I can tell you that anyone who has that little pride in themselves does not clean the car interior well 😂

[Downunderwonder]

So long as they aren't asking for me to correct their worldview I can work with them. I get you are more talking about the evangelical sharing kind of misfit though.

[AndyTravis]

I’ve no idea about my band members views on political, religious or gender issues.

 

Then again, they all seem to be a fairly educated, intelligent bunch.

 

So if they came out with something offensive to me - I’d have to ask if it was a difference of opinion or if they were loony Roundabout painters…

 

If someone is racist or bigoted - I call

them out and then remove them from my life.

 

So I’d either sack them from the band - or quit.

[Sean]

I wonder how many of the people here who have said that they'd just get on with it and play in the band, letting the other "-ist/-phobic" people have their opinions, tick any of the targets of "-ism/-phobia" boxes themselves?

 

I cannot imagine that if they were gay, black, trans, or whatever that they would tolerate those bigoted people. For example, if you were gay, there's absolutely no way you're going to tolerate being in a band with a couple of openly homophobic musicians. 

 

I've been really lucky through the years generally and in my current main band you know you're in safe hands with zero tolerance for any of the -ist nonsense. 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Sean

[Mrbigstuff]

40 minutes ago, Sean said:

For example, if you were gay, there's absolutely no way you're going to tolerate being in a band with a couple of openly homophobic musicians. 

Yet sadly I’ve read anecdotes indicating for many years, across many industries, people did. 

[TimR]

Depends if it's a hobby band or your main source of income. 

 

Finding yourself on a tour as a paid side musician might have a different slant on it. You may not have to spend any free time with them, just rehearsals and performances, or you may have to spend hours on a bus with them. I guess in those circumstances you'd have to wait until you get other work, or just hope they don't attract any media attention.

 

Wasn't there a pretty famous bass player here who had an 'audience with' tour. He was given quite a bit of stick here for it's content and never posted again. 

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by TimR

[Dan Dare]

1 hour ago, Downunderwonder said:

So long as they aren't asking for me to correct their worldview I can work with them. I get you are more talking about the evangelical sharing kind of misfit though.

 

This. If they are up to snuff musically and don't wish/try to convert others to their worldview, I could put up with it, provided they don't subscribe to any hate-fuelled stuff. So flat earthers would be OK, whilst those who shout at hotels wouldn't.

[casapete]

29 minutes ago, TimR said:

Depends if it's a hobby band or your main source of income. 

This is key for me.

 

If it’s a hobby band then I’d be very particular who I mix with.

 

If it’s my job, then my tolerance level of dreadful people has been / would have to be adjusted

somewhat, in order to put food on the table. This is only the same as working anywhere else,

large companies etc. Not ideal by a long shot, but an inevitable compromise nevertheless.

However, for me there are still lines that need to be drawn that I don’t cross.