Band woes....

professorben

Ok peeps, my 'Band' has just hit the 1 year old mark, it's been a year of non starts, false beginnings, unfounded hopes and finally having settled on a stable line up, relative stability. 

However, 12 months down the line we don't have one finished song, at least an albums worth of 'ideas' and many many more in the pipeline, (it's all original btw)

The main issue currently is the drummer, who is fabulous when he's there, but he's only available one night a week, his other nights/weekends being taken up by, teaching dance, shooting dance videos, depping for blues bands or recording with an old originals band. 

the option of getting a new drummer for the current band is not really realistic as not many drummers around here can cope with multiple time sigs and click tracks and samplers etc. 

Which is leaving me a little frustrated, I don't really want to go down the hell hole of gigging as such, but I do miss the thrill of playing at volume in a room with a full band. 

So I'm torn between sticking it out with this band, and starting a new, simpler, heavier one with an old drummer buddy of mine which will no doubt be gig ready within a few months, (I'm entertaining the idea of gigs as it's the only way to get people onboard

what say you? 

RocknRollDave

Do both?

Sassafras

Doesn't sound like your current band is working out too well for whatever reasons.
Personally, I'd go for the simpler, streamlined set-up and concentrate on finishing those songs.
I'm not that keen on gigging either but as you say a lot of people love it and would expect to do it when joining a band.
If things aren't working out, what have you got to lose?
Or as @RocknRollDave says, do both.

TheBigDipper

If you think you're on the right track, get another drummer. Or rearrange (if you can) what you have to be drummerless - perhaps with another, rhymic instrument. Or do the second whilst you sort out the first. 

Or just accept what you have because you can't get your current drummer to commit more time to it, and make the most of it.  

Getting an unpaid original band going that isn't just trying to do simple stuff is hard. 

Grunfeld

professorben said:

However, 12 months down the line we don't have one finished song....
what say you? 

I'd say it's not a band.

professorben

RocknRollDave said:

Do both?

Unfortunately whilst I'd love to do that, I just can't justify being in two bands, I have time and energy to commit to one, but not two.
baby, gf, house, job etc.

professorben

Grunfeld said:

professorben said:

However, 12 months down the line we don't have one finished song....
what say you? 

I'd say it's not a band.

Yeah, I guess not.
the bassist is very keen to plow ahead, wanting to have a weekly session, full band loudness when the drummer is around, and writing recording at his home studio when not.
but I still just want to play loud and make a noise.
the constant disappointment of finding out its another cancelled session is starting to get to me.

usedtobe

Become a dancer/teacher..!

professorben

Sassafras said:

Doesn't sound like your current band is working out too well for whatever reasons.
Personally, I'd go for the simpler, streamlined set-up and concentrate on finishing those songs.
I'm not that keen on gigging either but as you say a lot of people love it and would expect to do it when joining a band.
If things aren't working out, what have you got to lose?
Or as @RocknRollDave says, do both.

The overlying issue, is that I really like the ideas we have so far, the mix of styles, people and influences a really cool, I'm loving finally getting a chance to flex my prog muscles and really push myself.
the other bands on offer would be a simpler affair, more heads down and rock the house type band.
(which is also fun)

professorben

Yay my LOLLER is here.......
missed ya.

guitarfishbay

So write some nights without the drummer. It all depends how you write but our drummer is our busiest member and we get around it by me and the singer writing the songs acoustically and sending those clips to the drummer who comes up with ideas. Then we try them at low volume (he has an electric kit), then when we've done a few we try them in rehearsal rooms. Its worked out both faster and cheaper for us.

John_P

If you are organised and crack ineith song writing then once a week for loud sessions should be fine.  
Sounds like you're using the loud sessions to jam ideas which is good but I'd focus on playing through material from the writing sessions.   


I started an original band in the summer and we alternate each week songwriting/sharing ideas one week and a loud rehearsal the other week.  
Ten songs 99% finished and half a dozen well on the way to finished and we aren't rushing - I'd like to go faster but we all play in several cover bands as well.  
  
Have a clear aim to each session and set some target dates.     Gigs booked or studio booked etc so you know you need things finished.   

thomasross20

To be fair one night a week sounds ok, he's got a life and other commitments. 

guitarfishbay

I do think good ideas can be generated in rehearsal rooms but I also don't think they're always the best places to writes songs. I'd much rather chill out on a sofa to write so that when in the rehearsal room I can enjoy playing and not stop/start, removing/replacing earplugs etc. Yeah there's going to be a lot of that anyway, but much more fulfilling to have a whole song written than keep retrying the same 32 bars with nowhere else to go

professorben

guitarfishbay said:

So write some nights without the drummer. It all depends how you write but our drummer is our busiest member and we get around it by me and the singer writing the songs acoustically and sending those clips to the drummer who comes up with ideas. Then we try them at low volume (he has an electric kit), then when we've done a few we try them in rehearsal rooms. Its worked out both faster and cheaper for us.

I absolutely can see this working with a more normal band, but as our drummer is the more musically inventive of us all, he very much likes to arrange the tracks and twist the timings about.
and for us then end goal is not getting a gig worthy set together, it's the playing that's the goal.

professorben

thomasross20 said:

To be fair one night a week sounds ok, he's got a life and other commitments. 

Ah yeah I wasn't clear, he has one night a week free, which means he can come to our sessions, but if anything else crops up, it gets shelved, I know it's not his fault, grandparents illnesses, car issues childcare etc etc. But it still means I've not been in a room with him for 2 months now.

to be clear, we all only want yo practice once a week, and that's all I can spare.

professorben

guitarfishbay said:

I do think good ideas can be generated in rehearsal rooms but I also don't think they're always the best places to writes songs. I'd much rather chill out on a sofa to write so that when in the rehearsal room I can enjoy playing and not stop/start, removing/replacing earplugs etc. Yeah there's going to be a lot of that anyway, but much more fulfilling to have a whole song written than keep retrying the same 32 bars with nowhere else to go

We rarely have 4 bars that repeat.
not meaning we are all technique gods, but that it's not the same as sayng
intro
verse
chorus
verse
chorus
etc......

its more like
intro (6 over a 4/4 beat)
verse (6/8) last time in 5/4
pre chorus with samples
chorus (4/4)
verse 2 ( modulated up to a new key)
chorus ( but now in 7/8)
etc........

its a bit dicky but I really enjoy it, but doesn't lend itself to individual writing.

professorben

I suppose, fundamentally I feel guilty about wanting to move on, as the only reason is because I miss playing.

thomasross20

2 months is a long time yeah....

PolarityMan

professorben said:

guitarfishbay said:

I do think good ideas can be generated in rehearsal rooms but I also don't think they're always the best places to writes songs. I'd much rather chill out on a sofa to write so that when in the rehearsal room I can enjoy playing and not stop/start, removing/replacing earplugs etc. Yeah there's going to be a lot of that anyway, but much more fulfilling to have a whole song written than keep retrying the same 32 bars with nowhere else to go

We rarely have 4 bars that repeat.
not meaning we are all technique gods, but that it's not the same as sayng
intro
verse
chorus
verse
chorus
etc......

its more like
intro (6 over a 4/4 beat)
verse (6/8) last time in 5/4
pre chorus with samples
chorus (4/4)
verse 2 ( modulated up to a new key)
chorus ( but now in 7/8)
etc........

its a bit dicky but I really enjoy it, but doesn't lend itself to individual writing.

Sounds like some of my bands stuff, about 2/3rds of our songs are written and demo'd up before they make it to rehearsal. There are some magic moments that come up from jamming but the trouble is that a 45 min jam might yield about 25 seconds worth of song so its a really inefficient way to write.

professorben

PolarityMan said:

professorben said:

guitarfishbay said:

I do think good ideas can be generated in rehearsal rooms but I also don't think they're always the best places to writes songs. I'd much rather chill out on a sofa to write so that when in the rehearsal room I can enjoy playing and not stop/start, removing/replacing earplugs etc. Yeah there's going to be a lot of that anyway, but much more fulfilling to have a whole song written than keep retrying the same 32 bars with nowhere else to go

We rarely have 4 bars that repeat.
not meaning we are all technique gods, but that it's not the same as sayng
intro
verse
chorus
verse
chorus
etc......

its more like
intro (6 over a 4/4 beat)
verse (6/8) last time in 5/4
pre chorus with samples
chorus (4/4)
verse 2 ( modulated up to a new key)
chorus ( but now in 7/8)
etc........

its a bit dicky but I really enjoy it, but doesn't lend itself to individual writing.

Sounds like some of my bands stuff, about 2/3rds of our songs are written and demo'd up before they make it to rehearsal. There are some magic moments that come up from jamming but the trouble is that a 45 min jam might yield about 25 seconds worth of song so its a really inefficient way to write.

Hmmmm 
ive never been in a band like this and have no real idea what the best way forward is?
how does your band work?