I posted about it a while ago, and at the time I was planning to keep on with it, but I think it was finally time to cut it loose.
We've been arsing around doing the occasional gig and not quite getting it together for nearly three years. Our exceptional drummer quit a couple of months ago and I've been pondering following him for a while.
The final straw was a gig last night. We've known about it for a couple of months so I arranged a dep drummer who we've known for ages and has played with us before and suggested we do a set only containing songs he already knows, one practice play the gig.
Instead they piss about getting another drummer in because they want someone who can do that one and another one in a months time as well, and then come up with a set full of songs that we've never played before (despite my requests to play it safe), then tell the dep drummer the wrong songs, or wrong versions of songs we're doing. We only had a couple of practices during which they continually changed the arrangements and keys of the songs with the net result that we played a really shambolic set with the keyboard player playing in a completely different key to the rest of us for one song. I wouldn't mind, but we're a really good band when we get our shit together.
Most of the new songs were also real wedding band shit like Spice Girls and 9 to 5 which was not what the band was set up to do.
If that wasn't enough we had arranged that we would get to the venue to set up at 6 as the party started at 7 and the keyboard player was meant to be there beforehand to set up a PA he had arranged. We get there to find that he hasn't turned up and leaves me to set up a PA I've never used before without all the cables (literally borrowing cables out of the back of kettles to power the PA). He then rolls in at 8:30 and moans about the way that it's been set up.
It's a shame as I've sunk a lot of time and effort into it, but it was getting to the point where practices had a really frosty atmosphere when it had been really good fun.
Comments
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
feel for you
know where you're at
and the music clips you posted a while back were great
Top tip: cite 'musical differences' as your reason for walking out.....works every time.
*An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.
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"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
wear your 'thefretboard' t-shirt next practice
If they ask 'what's that' you know you can post what the heck you like
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
I bet you feel like a great weight has been lifted off your shoulders now though. Leaving that kind of band would've been an easy decision for me.
I'm really lucky to be in a band where everyone gets along great, and all are happy with their respective roles. Some do more than others too.
But the bare minimum you have to be is professional. When someone else has been good enough to book you to entertain at their party, you have to be able to trust everyone is going to turn up on time, with all agreed learning or work done and go out of their way to make it a great night.
The whole point of being in a band is because you love playing. If the lack of dedication in your band members is pissing you off before you even start. It's time to find some other like-minded players.