Final Decision on Band Situation..Advice Welcomed(Now Quit)

uncledick

The best way to concentrate minds and find out who's up for it is to do a gig or two.  If you're not 100% ready then offer a free set for a local pub or party and see how it goes - in the same way that a stand-up act tries out new routines.  You'll all know pretty soon whether there's any future in it.

ESBlonde

Fings wot I have found.

Being in a group of people that are like minded and at least your standard or better produces results. Anything less and you have passengers or are one.

Putting a band together is just the start, it needs a driven person to get gigs, decide priorities and have others defer to (mostly) for the business aspect.

Dates ahead for gigs is the best incentive to nail it, many 'good' players won't entertain a band that isn't headed for gigging soon!

Paid rehearsals are to sort arrangements, starts, stops, harmonies etc. If you don't learn your parts before you are a parasite. (We all have an off day).

Having singers or the rhythem section doing thier own mini rehearsals in another space and time shows commitment and dramatically cuts down on full band rehearsals.

People that have done this before and been in succesful bands tend to do all this naturally, those that dream of being in a band need to be told - just once, and then they walk.

digitalscream

That's pretty shit. I'd have ditched them a long time ago, personally.

Here's the thing, though - when you do finally walk away, be prepared for a barrage of phone calls, texts and emails berating you for wasting their time, and possibly them telling people you're unprofessional and too demanding to work with. It's inevitable.

Bellycaster

@digitalscream ;

I imagine that does happen, however, the Bassist's and Singers responses were quite acceptable. The only indignant response I've had was from the Drummer, basically laying all problems of bands falling apart at the feet of Guitarists "Going back to their £200 a night easy gigs"

The Drummer hasn't taken on board that I put more work homework into the band than the rest of them put together, they were playing catch up with me.

He then had the audacity to quote in the same message "I could tell this was inevitable(me leaving) from the outset, which is one of the reasons I never practice my parts for this band"

If that's not fucked up logic, I don't know what is. Actually the opposite is true, I was very keen on the band to start with, but slowly started seeing warning signs.

I can't imagine how musicians like them who have been in bands before and been out earning before can seriously think they are going to bag £700 per gig with a four piece doing that set I listed in the OP.

They need to start looking at themselves, not the Guitarist who leaves. They are a lazy band.

Roland

Wrong. They aren't a band. They are a collection of people who can't put in the effort to become a band.

Kebabkid

Homework should be exactly that and people shouldn't use the studio time to learn their parts. Getting a part right, fine-tuning. That's fine but otherwise, that's just a waste of rehearsal time and the band member's time who've put in the graft to get their parts right.

Our rehearsals are free because we use work facilities but my guys don't take liberties, as in arrive late, finish early or spend that important time learning material.

With something like a Bowie tribute band, I don't think you can get away with "winging it".

As I said, I know how dedicated you've been in this and all your past projects. If you go into anything new, and as has been said here, there needs to be the "do-er" in the band and maybe you should take on the role of sorting people and things out as you're organised, talk sense and are good with people. It can be a stress but if you haven't got like-minded personnel, you need that "one person" that's respected to keep things on track

All the best

professorben

Roland said:

Wrong. They aren't a band. They are a collection of people who can't put in the effort to become a band.

Wis to hell dude. 

Ravenous

Bellycaster said:

He then had the audacity to quote in the same message "I could tell this was inevitable(me leaving) from the outset, which is one of the reasons I never practice my parts for this band"

What we've got here is failure to communicate!

Just astonishing.

Bellycaster

Roland said:

Wrong. They aren't a band. They are a collection of people who can't put in the effort to become a band.

With the exception of me, Obvs

Lebarque

"Most of the time I am left feeling utterly exhausted with it, don't look forward to rehearsals and generally feel despondent after most rehearsals".

Life's too short for doing things you don't enjoy. Quit and find a band you enjoy.

jeztone2

If your not enjoying it, walk away.

I did this 3 piece originals thing a few years ago. They were good musicians. They answered my gumtree advert. I explained my influences/playing style. There guitarist had left & they said they wanted a completely new take on the material.

We start rehearsing the stuff & just when it was getting close to gigging. I had this stand off with the singer/bassist over my playing style.He wanted me to sound like St Vincent. I stood my ground & eventually got fired shortly afterwards. I didn't mind as I was thinking of leaving anyway. But your only here once. Toxic people are toxic, whether friends, lovers, or band members.

Fortheloveofguitar

Sorry to hear this buddy

I quit bands 5 years ago and will never do it again. Too much ball ache 

OilCityPickups

I've walked away from a fair few bands in my time, and for mostly the reason that you have a problem with: ie other people not giving a crap, or using precious paid rehearsal time for learning shit they should have had sorted at home. Me, I'm king of the 'angry walk out' and much respect for you hanging on as long as you have. One of the reasons I'm no longer in a band is that professionalism is an essential in 'band craft' even if not doing this lark professionally ... audiences pay to see us even if it's only the price of a pint, so they deserve a band who behave to pro standards. 
As an aside, the most dangerous time for band breakups is as a first gig approaches ... it shows up who's pulling their weight and who are passengers. 

Freebird

This fella shows how you should rehearse for a tribute band. Funnily enough, there is a David Bowie lookalike in the background too.

Paul_C

7 AC30s and not one on fire !

Even in that space I'd have thought one would be plenty . . .

horse

Anybody tempted??

https://www.joinmyband.co.uk/classifieds/guitar-and-keys-needed-for-david-bowierod-stewart-tribute-t983535.html

Funkfingers

Re-reading this discussion from the beginning, I stand by what I wrote weeks ago. Bowie and Rod tribute sets should have separate billings - even if near-identical personnel are performing the material. That way, the line-up gets more bookings overall.

Naturally, I would not want to be in either act UNLESS they play Side Two of "Low" in the style of Rod Stewart.

the_jaffa

I keep seeing adverts popping up for your replacement on my feeds @Bellycaster ;

The adverts read pretty well but with the insider knowledge from here it's a whole different ball game

DefaultM

horse said:

Anybody tempted??

https://www.joinmyband.co.uk/classifieds/guitar-and-keys-needed-for-david-bowierod-stewart-tribute-t983535.html

Says here they had to let you go. Must have been you that was shit all along.

Bellycaster

There is a lot wrong with that advert and you are incorrect @DefaultM ;

1. It isn't an "already running show" read the thread

2. They didn't let me go, I left. It said the same thing on the ad I responded to originally.

3. Only one person left, which was me. I don't know who the other person is that they "let go" as they quoted "two members"

4. Promoter and Theatre gigs in place???? We had no Theatre gigs booked before I left and I doubt they would get a booking as an incomplete band. I never met the promoter either.

5. They have cut back on rehearsals to once a fortnight, way to go, it was fuckin hard work not getting anywhere when I was rehearsing once a week with them.


My old band has reformed anyway, if you want good references for me as a gigging Guitarist, just ask them