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I was talking with some bandmates tonight, and we were discussing material that just didn't do it for us in one way or another.
I mentioned that I once quit a band because they wanted to play material from Damn Yankees.
It also reminded of a band I once auditioned for that, in two hours of play time, I never once played a minor chord. I was offered a spot, but politely turned it down.
What are some of the reasons (silly, or no so silly) you quit a band, or didn't join one?
I've only "officially" been in one band (1980 - 1981). Things were cool at first:bluesbros, then we took on a "steel" player that had a HUGE ego problem and the direction of the band changed. A lot of my solos were cut out after he joined. We were playing a large local venue one night and his amp blew in the first 1/3rd of the set. I'm not usually a vindictive person, but I silently rejoiced:appl: at his temporary state of being out of commission. Three months later I quit the band. Within 2 - 3 months after my grand "exit", the band dissolved! No great loss though, I didn't really like their style of music, and my playing actually improved after leaving!!!
Sigh. Bands are hard. So many constraints to satisfy. The level of playing ability has to be right. The style of music has to be right. The professional "direction" of the band has to be right. The personalities have to fit. And mundane things, like simple reliability and punctuality, can make or break.
I am currently just about to let go a drummer, who while he's a talented, nice guy with great muscial taste and sensitivity, is a complete flake when it comes to actually turning up when he says he's going to turn up, or even letting people know that he can't make it.
So close. Damn.
-Mark
You said it Pluggo. There's so many make-or-break factors, it's almost impossible to find the right people.
I left a band once because I was the main songwriter and I decided all the songs sucked! :laughing: Seriously, I felt like I wanted a change of direction from what I had been trying to do, and the bass player's & drummer's styles didn't really mesh with mine anyway IMO.
I later quit another band because we fired the drummer and couldn't seem to find a suitable replacement, plus the singer was terrible anyway. And as far most audience members are concerned, if your singer sucks, you suck.
The last two guys I jammed with, a guitar/bass duo, were both pretty good, both had some chops and good taste as far as what to play, but they were both so lifeless the way they played that I had to bail on them. It was like they were on Quaaludes! It's like shit man, are you playing your instrument or just poking at it? :laughing:
In my town, it's been two main things:
1. The material
2. The level of self-delusion
I audition or jam with guys that seem like nice enough guys, people I wouldn't mind hanging out with, but then they'll play a really half-baked version of "Alright Now," maybe gelling up for a total of 12 seconds out of a 3.5 minute tune, and they all say, "Man, we really NAILED that!"
Well, that's when I start packing up.
For the first time in years I actually have a line on a band spot I'd always kind of coveted. We'll see how it works out... despite all my grousing to the contrary, I might start gigging again.
Way to go, Jim!
One other reason to not join / quit bands. They're usually full of musician-types! And we all know what they're like...
-Mark
When the other band members decide they want to try to make it big, and you have a career and only want to play out on the weekends.
I thought we were pretty clear about that when I joined.:bonk
Joining bands is like dating, only there are 3 to 5 times as many problems. I am envious of bands who seam to be on the same wavelength and have the same interests and goals.
I think most of the good reasons have been listed here already by those in the know,who've been there.
I can only add that in all my experiences in almost 40 years,the MAN is as important as the music.I can do without a musical Barry Bonds,no matter how talented they are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Guitar_Mc
I hear ya man... Just before I moved back to Ohio (from Colorado) in 1974, I started jamming with some people that had common tastes in music. The first couple of times we jammed it wasn't too good. Then, on the third attempt (about a month later), it all "clicked":bluesbros!!! Musically I really started hitting it off with the drummer. It was almost like a telepathy thing, we were a single unit! The bass player wasn't bad either. Don't laugh... he had a (not too severe) case of cereberal palsy, but had enough coordination to be able to play some good solid bass lines. He wasn't flashy, but he put his whole heart into it! I really think this was one of those cases of overcoming a handicap:salud:.
If it weren't for some personal economic problems at the time I would have stayed in Colorado. To this day I often wonder what would have happened if we had actually formed a band. I have never since gotten the musical "high" from playing with other people like I did then.
Hey Guitar Mc. How's the current music scene in Columbus? I live in Bellville, just south of Mansfield. The music scene in this area pretty much sucks!
Y-Mac,
I just did the engineering on the Bellville fire station. :D
The music scene is decent in Columbus. There are definitely pleanty of bands to choose from to go see. Funk bands, Rockabilly, Rock/Blues, whatever (just no surf, we still need Wave Invasion to make the trip). Some bars are more about cover bands, but there are pleanty that cater to originals.
Heavier rock music does well for originals here. A couple of guys I use to play with just got picked up to open for a month long tour. They've been told there is potential for the label to pick them up if the tour does well.
There is a pretty good cover band that plays at the Grandview Cafe about twice a month. The guitarist has a sweet strat that he paid extra for someone to beat up for him. :D But it aparently added much mojo 'cause it sounds pretty durn good.
There is definitely pleanty going on to go see. I just need to work harder to find some musicians with similar interests and goals as myself.
Funny...that's exactly why I left that town. :laughing:Quote:
Originally Posted by Gravity Jim
:D
:laughing: I thought you liked his Tele better. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Guitar_Mc
To the original question, I (like G_Mc mentions in another post above) I have a "verbal contract" with any band I play with that I won't take weeknight gigs unless I personally make $100. Which, in this town, eliminates most chances of that happening. It's just too tough with my day-job and family otherwise.
A few years ago I finally quit a band I was with for five years because one member's dysfunctional rage episodes (usually directed at his wife) just grew too hard to deal with. Then, a year ago, I decided not to join another band because a member of that band just reminded me too much of the rage guy. That probably wasn't a good reason, but sometimes I just have to go with my gut feeling.
I'm a stickler for dynamics. I figure that's what separates the great bands from the good ones. Playing a slow ballad on 10 is a good way to get me upset.
I auditioned for a band a few weeks ago and everyone just assumed I was in after the first audition without any real discussion. It was just "can you make it next weekend?"
I figured I'd take a closer look having had an enjoyable time playing. However after the next weekend I became more aware of things with the vocals, material and personalties. I was pretty bummed when I realized this would be a BIG uphill climb but I didn't say anything at that rehearsal as everyone was just so upbeat. I was wondering if something is better than nothing even though it was going to take a lot of work.
But then a couple days later I got an e-mail asking about my availability for a gig that was only a month or so away. Whoa! I was figuring 6 months minimum and possibly having to add a singer. I felt that forced my hand and I told them I didn't think I was the right person for the band.
When I was 23 it would have been
1. They are not serious enough
2. They don't rehearse often enough
Now at 43 it'll be
1. They are too serious
2. They want to rehearse too often.
well, i'm just the singer....2 musicians, a drummer, and me...lol
and we keep getting gigs!...go figure!...we do *classic rock*, gig 1-2 times a month,
...and our name is *The Working Poor*.
and i sing anything they want me to sing....from stray cats to ozzie to joe walsh to 7mary3....really, all in one night!...what-ever!...the only thing i really dont like is 50's stuff, so we dont do it.....
and i keep tellin them that when it's no fun, i'm done!...but guess what, it's fun...and we keep gettin more gigs....and our prices are going up...and yet, more gigs!
i musta stepped in some shit somewhere along the line :dude
but when the band was MY band....(and i've had a few), you/I can just quote OA's answer above
...*I'm a stickler for dynamics. I figure that's what separates the great bands from the good ones. Playing a slow ballad on 10 is a good way to get me upset.*
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PISSED ME OFF MORE!
My last band dissolve over a photograph... of me. haha!
We had just gotten the final mix on our third demo on the afternoon of our first gig with a new drummer. When I found out my singer had invited all this big industry people to the show (helloooo... first gig with a new drummer!) I knew I had to burn a bunch of CDs to hand out. We didn't have photos of the full band, so I had to improvise. I did have a really good photo of the singer and one of me (the bass player was pretty new too) that fit the mood of the material. I used the pic of her on the CD case cover and the one of me for the CD itself. You couldn't even tell it was me... you could pretty much only make out my guitar when it was on the disc.
I thought everything went okay (not great) until the next day when I had a message from her screaming "What were you thinking?!?! Who ever heard of a guitar player having their picture on promo material?!?!" Keep in mind that it was my band and I wrote all the music... Add this to the fact that I had just listened to a soundboard recording of the gig and she was out of key the entire set! I was so pissed that I didn't talk to her for a week. When I finally did I found myself talking about the band in past-tense and that was that.
They have to know their respective instruments. When I say, "a 12 bar shuffle in G" they better know what the hell I'm talking about or they will NOT be at the next rehearsal. Luckily, I have 2 of the greatest backers I have ever had the honor of playing with, and that makes me the "weak link", which in turn makes me practice that much harder to get to their level of playability.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cooltone
YES! I agree with that! I had a band courting me to play with them and when they said rehearsals were at 8pm on Saturdays I thought --NO.
I want a weeknight rehearsal and one (maybe two on occasion) Gigs a month.
I want to play and enjoy more gigs a year but some guys have no life, no job, no family and too much time. Not me.
My ex got custody of my life and family, so all I have is time. :biglaugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Coque
"We play classic rock covers."
Sends me running away every time.
NTTAWWT.
I quit a band once because I got tired of the road and living out of a suitcase. It's too bad the times have changed though because I think that it is a great learning experience/education for a musician.
I quit playing solo after 4 years for that very reason, funkyguitar. Red Roof Inn, no fixed address, 3 weeks here, 6 weeks there. I got to be a real good acoustic player and a killer singer, but that tune gets old.
How about when the other guys have already worked one girlfriend/wife into a couple of songs, and they start teaching another a couple notes on a keyboard so she can come on stage too.Quote:
Originally Posted by fezz parka
:bonk
Mustang Sally
I only made it to #6.
1-5 I could deal with...
Actually #7 is a deal breaker too, if you include "friends".
#8 is not an issue to for me - I don't have enough hair left for it to be in danger of needing "styling".
:-D
Okay,Fezz has written the code that most of us have suffered through.......I still say "We nailed it!" :wah:
The only way I let the spousal units and female hanger-onners near the band is if they carry the gear .:biglaugh:
Yep, no wives/girlfriends/non-gender-specific-significant-others at rehearsals for me. No friends either, except maybe once in a great while if the mood is right. GF/Wives always kill the mood though, IMNSHO.
The only time I've ever said "We nailed it" at the end of the song was as a joke if we totally blew it and ended in a train wreck, barely ending at the same time.
In principal I agree with the SO's/Wives sentiment and have plenty of experience as to why it should be enforced but I feel I should mention that my band practices at my place and the guys love having my wife around. She stays out of band stuff but there's always cold water and some sort of goodies for our breaks. Sometimes it's a nice salmon pate with crackers, and sometimes it's baked goods. BTW she also hefts equipment like the guys at gigs and runs the soundboard when needed.
I didn't want to say anything, but that was actually fezz's reason #11.Quote:
Sometimes it's a nice salmon pate with crackers
11. Guitarists wife serves salmon pate at rehearsals.!!
:smile:
(I am just giving you a hard time, fripp..):ola
Good thing I didn't mention the focaccia or the tiramisu.
back in the day, if you didn't *nail-it*, you were sooner-than-later gone...that's when it was MY band...
and drummers?....OMG....we WERE spinal tap....
on drummer was up may ass soooo bad w/ a mexican/spanish accent *Frrrrrank, was I guud*....and he was ...but he kept askin me over and over.....finally i ripped into him, *yea, you were effin great! next time i'm gonna build you you own riser so you can be above the band, you were that good*...and you know i did it in front of a crowd.
...i'm an asshole, but man, --the final straw!
this thread is making me remember a lot of stuff
believe it or not.
thanks.
but today, it's all about fun...i don't wanna embarrass myself tho.
AND #1 ON FEZZ'S LIST WAS BEST TO ME. ...THAT KILLS ME
Am I the only guy ever to have his wife in the band, and not have it adversely impact the band?
or am I blind or something.:wah:
Actually, we play it pretty straight. Pat's at least as good a singer (better actually) than I am a guitar player, doesn't alway side with me in band discussions - has her own ideas of what makes good material and arrangements, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Each member probably has around a 60-70% overlap on what they like to listen to. Enough to find common ground, and find interesting material.
Well I hear all these horror stories about wives/girlfriends in the band, and I haven't encountered one, other than the past few (I've done my own thing in the past).
I always have to wonder, "Do those folks see that in us?" :wah: Man, I hope not.
You're a lucky man, sounds like, and your wife must be one in a million. You guys can jam together, that's awesome!
I've tried to teach my wife bass (she can play a little guitar) but I don't know if I could do the wife in a band thing.
I once took on a geezer band gig. My stipulation up front was "I will play Wild Night if it means we don't play Brown Eyed Girl. I will only play Mustang Sally if Wilson Pickett sings it with us."Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtdog
man, i LIKE mustang sally.
damn you MS haters!
and the wives/gf's were ok as long as they stayed in another room, on another floor (preferably w/ a different addy :D)
Fripp, so your wife is craft services? Cool!
The most misplayed song in history. When done right, it's a joy. If you use the original WP arrangement it kills. Just bass and drums for the verse with the bass going dum dum dum da dumdum.Quote:
Originally Posted by frank thomson
Somehow, it's been bastardized to have bass and guitars kicking out dum dum dada dum dum through the verse and it kills the song.
The original is all about a groove. The garage band classic is all about noise. I swear, if I owned a bar, I'd make every band audition that song. If they got it right, they'd get the gig.
LOL - Brown Eyed Girl is my other deal breaker. I like the retort on Mustang Sally. I'll be sure to use that one in the near future!Quote:
Originally Posted by Kap'n
If I'm going to play a WP tune, it'll be something like Funky Broadway or 634-5789.
DD
Band: "Man, we NAILED it!!"Quote:
The original is all about a groove. The garage band classic is all about noise. I swear, if I owned a bar, I'd make every band audition that song. If they got it right, they'd get the gig.
OSA: "Up until the point you said that."
cooltone, go dig out the original and tell me that song ain't great.
I just can't stand the garage band versions. Actually, the live WP version sucks too. But the studio version - that's what we all aspire to groove-wise.
Phooey. It's a great song that can be done any number of good ways. If others don't like it, they don't have to play it. I like it. I play it. My way.
Believe me, there are plenty of trite bar tunes I'm tired of too, and I'm totally down with everyone having their own opinion of what songs those are for themselves. But me... If I even thought about letting one particular song dictate whether or not I was going to play with otherwise good musicians, I'd need to rethink why I do this.
I is I, y'uns is y'uns, YMMV, etc., ad infinitum. :smile:
I wasn't dissin' the tune, I was referring to fezz's list (#10) and your audition criteria. Thought it would be funny if a band passed muster and then blew it by breaking that rule...:DQuote:
cooltone, go dig out the original and tell me that song ain't great
I see what you're saying pc. For me it's not about the musicianship. It's about the attitude behind HAVING TO PLAY THAT ONE TUNE at the expense of millions of other great tunes that haven't been done to death.Quote:
Originally Posted by pc
A bit of an aside - what would I put up with in order to play with a band? My main band at the moment jams in the drummer's Mom's basement. And we're all in our 40's!!! :biglaugh: :biglaugh: But there's a story behind that....
DD
Two words: The CommittmentsQuote:
Originally Posted by Offshore Angler
That's exactly who I thought of as soon as 'Sally' got mentioned. I heard that song enough times in that movie to last me the rest of my life.Quote:
Originally Posted by dirtdog
That and this crazy broad I met years ago who claimed to have a '65 Mustang with 13" Daytons and hydraulics. She said it was a show winner, and that everybody at shows called her "Mustang Sally".
I don't know about that, but I know she did have a '65 Mustang with 13" Daytons on hydros. I saw it, and she bounced it for us. :wah:
Sure. I've heard a zillion versions of Mustang Sally. I've only heard one person other than Wicked Pickett do it in a way I liked. And it was nothing like Wilson's.
I have no idea why it became the Freebird of cover band tunes. But there are so many OTHER excellent tunes out there, but 90% of the crowd asks for it. Even though every version they've ever heard sucked.
The aforementioned Brown Eyed Girl and Margaritaville are the other two major offenders.
Mrs. Kap'n did clue me in to one of the reasons for the popularity of BEG. It's the song for zillions of women out there who don't have their name in a song.
The aforementioned Brown Eyed Girl and Margaritaville are the other two major offenders.
OMG...just the other night, we hand a few people a set list...waht do they friggin pick?....aarrgghh!
ANOTHER QUESTION IS...do you find some of these songs bad, or just sung badly?...)this was not just asked of Kap'n...its a general question....it just got me to thinking!.)
....isn't it the who who say "it's the singer not the song that makes the music move along"?
i mean, how can u eff it up musically?/////lol
I think Townshend wrote that as an ego boost for Daltrey.Quote:
Originally Posted by frank thomson
yea, maybe....but......a good singer could do it accapella and make it work....no?
i dunno, i guess its just the other side of the coin.
and i kinda think pete was saying it ironically like *go figger, i write the best stuff in the world, and that asshole is singing it....it should be me!*
and he's right, but.....
thats my take
Quote:
Originally Posted by pc
Word..........
We used to do a version of Mustang Sally with 3 guitars,bass,drums,and percussion that was a funky mess....enjoyed every second of it,and it is still one of my favorite tunes.
we've got this gal that shows up at our gigs all the time and screams "MUSTANG SALLY!!!" at ten minute intervals the entire freaking night. so what we do is play about 10 seconds of it at a time, every time she bellers it. i've learned that song piecemeal, and never played it start to finish!
FWIW, I liked the Commitments' version of "Sally".
Just thought I'd say that.
My pet hate done-to-death cover song is "Summer of '69". Oh, how I hate that song.
Trying to steer this back on topic, one really good way to _not_ get offered a spot in a band is to casually mention how much you think a particular song sucks/is overdone/is trite or just plain cheesy, only to discover that the band considers it their "signature" tune.
-Mark
My pet hate songs are: "What I like about You" and "Margaritaville". People seem to love those tunes but man, I can't bring myself to sing/play them again...though I know I will, damn it!
(I get a creepy feeling just thinking about playing 'em.)
IMO, some of us ARE the reason some of us quit bands! For whatever has happened, some of us have become jaded about being in bands...whether is because of working with musicians with certain "quirks", song material, or having "paid our dues"...that WE're not getting our way! C'mon, let's be real here...
Call me a "bum", but I joined bands because I think I'm a better musician than anything I can do in this world. My wife takes care of the children AND the bills. I can do housework, yardwork, and all the other stuff that life hands you all the time; but where is the fun in that?
So the singer, guitarist , or whomever has an "attitude"? So what if I have to play, "Freebird", "Stairway to Heaven", or whatever song that one's played for a "hundred" times before?? So what if I've been involved in music since I was 3 and have perfect pitch??? So what????
It's "escapism"! Playing in a band is not only fun, and not only about the music or playing it to the best to our abilities, but it's also about socializing...being able to get along with people, whether it's your bandmates (which is learning about being a team), or the audience.
Again, IMO of course!
Sure. If the music's great, I'll do just about anything.Quote:
Originally Posted by pc
However, usually a band's decision to play those tunes confirms the beliefs I already have about them. They do them not because they think they're great tunes, and can do them justice, but because they're three chord lowest common denominator songs. They're the Old Country Buffet of music. Full of salt and trans-fats, but little actual flavor or nutritional value. Would you like some jell-o with that?