Motivating band members to practice ?

EricTheWeary

I do slightly wonder if Emp's band mates are wondering what it is he is so worked up about as, after all, the gigs aren't until May and he should chillax and enjoy the ride and stop being so neurotic.
Although, it may well be they are lazy arses.

hotpickups

It does give away how they see and commit to things though IMO. If they're easy tunes they shouldn't take long to nail unless they're prog rock covers . I'd give them a deadline to work to nd a good time before the gig though just in case you have to cancel etc. Some band members are like children and have to give them boundaries and restraints LOL

Maynehead

I think we should be a bit more constructive here... Emp_Fab started this thread to get help with motivating his band members. Slagging them off and telling him to throw in the towel and get a new band isn't exactly helping with the issue in question, regardless of whether it's prudent advice.

I'm sure he realises that if he fails to motivate them then he may eventually have to go down that route, but right now is all about giving them a chance and helping them get motivated enough to really put some effort in.

hotpickups

Maynehead said:

I think we should be a bit more constructive here... Emp_Fab started this thread to get help with motivating his band members. Slagging them off and telling him to throw in the towel and get a new band isn't exactly helping with the issue in question, regardless of whether it's prudent advice.

I'm sure he realises that if he fails to motivate them then he may eventually have to go down that route, but right now is all about giving them a chance and helping then get motivated to really put some effort in.

Fair enough. How about getting a very low key gig lined up soon. Invite friends and family etc. That will give them the focus they need to pull together. After the gig, perfect the wrinkles that were found in your performances, you'll all know where they were and work on them and get it to near perfection for the important May gig. @EricTheWeary is right in saying May is a long way off so probably no need to panic just yet. 

Maynehead

hotpickups said:

Fair enough. How about getting a very low key gig lined up soon. Invite friends and family etc but that will give them focus to pull together. After the gig perfect the wrinkles that were found in your performances, you'll all know what they were and work on them and get it to near perfection for the important May gig

Agreed. Invite them all to one of your rehearsals a few weeks before the gig. It might even kick their asses into gear to do some practice, and if not, and it all goes to pot, the embarrassment of it all will hopefully have the desired effect.

Playing infront of an audience is a completely different experience to rehearsals and even a well rehearsed band can fall apart as soon as someone is stood infront of you and watching your every move.

lloyd

Yeah getting gigs is the way to motivate people. Thread ends.

EricTheWeary

hotpickups;515236" said:

Maynehead said:

I think we should be a bit more constructive here... Emp_Fab started this thread to get help with motivating his band members. Slagging them off and telling him to throw in the towel and get a new band isn't exactly helping with the issue in question, regardless of whether it's prudent advice.

I'm sure he realises that if he fails to motivate them then he may eventually have to go down that route, but right now is all about giving them a chance and helping then get motivated to really put some effort in.





Fair enough. How about getting a very low key gig lined up soon. Invite friends and family etc. That will give them the focus they need to pull together. After the gig, perfect the wrinkles that were found in your performances, you'll all know where they were and work on them and get it to near perfection for the important May gig. @EricTheWeary is right in saying May is a long way off so probably no need to panic just yet. 

My new band has a gig in May and I am panicking about it (!) just saying Emp's bandmates might not be about theirs, we only have his perspective on it.

We are doing a dress rehearsal - stage gear, video cameras, etc, in a couple of weeks. A) hopefully it will produce stuff we can use for publicity and focus the mind(s) a bit. If you act like a band then maybe people will behave more like they are in a band ( learn songs, not trash hotel rooms). So, that's my constructive idea that he can nick.

close2u

Can suggest you post some of that video here for critique.
I did and - no surprise - the good folk here were enormously helpful and supportive.

thomasross20

@Grunfeld - you know 90 songs!? 

We're up to about 45 or so, 2.5 hours worth! And sometimes I forget bits here and there. Learnt those in ~3 months so it was a LOT of work... I've now said I don't want to learn more than one song a week but to be honest I'm SO busy at work and doing this album that even that is a struggle. One per week would be 52 in a year - just not sustainable in my opinion. And am I right or wrong in saying that I've got one of the tougher jobs, trying to learn the rhythm and lead parts with no music in front of me..? It's getting on top of me. I forgot a whole song at practice the other night, I wasn't "feeling" it and now finding myself thinking "can't be bothered" - I've done too much too soon and just want to slow it all down!!

Paul_C

a friend's covers band had a list of 300 that they could choose from with bit of warning.

monquixote

It's well worth having a big repertoire so you can respond to requests, tailor your set to a gig and so you don't get bored. 

Bellycaster

Cut your losses and get out. I only read the first couple of sentences and going on what you've posted on here about them before, I'd say they are a bunch of Wankers and you are better off using your energy with people who actually "Give a Fuck".

For the upcoming gigs, what are the proprietors going to do to you? Cut off your Limbs? You'll do the decent thing by giving them plenty of notice and there will always be another band to fill in.

I think you already know what you want from a band and this doesn't sound like that!

I'd rather be in a Band with people who put in the effort (and make the odd bollock drop) and they do actaully, than be with a bunch of idle twats who think " Ahhhh, it'll be alright"

Find people with your level of commitment and sack them off quick.

:-)

EricTheWeary

close2u;537546" said:

Can suggest you post some of that video here for critique.
I did and - no surprise - the good folk here were enormously helpful and supportive.

Sorry @Close2u only just seen this. We had a bit of red light fever so I'm not sure the results are going to come out that well. Criticisms like terrible BVs and cocked up simple guitar solos I can work out! Having said that our singer is going to edit a showreel, try to rescue 3 minutes of lesser cock up moments!
Still, as a learning process putting ourselves in a gig like position is a useful thing to do. We now have a gig over Easter so being able to hold a 3 minute song together starting to look important
:-?

thomasross20

Paul_C said:

a friend's covers band had a list of 300 that they could choose from with bit of warning.

Grunfeld

thomasross20 said:

@Grunfeld - you know 90 songs!? 

And am I right or wrong in saying that I've got one of the tougher jobs, trying to learn the rhythm and lead parts with no music in front of me..? It's getting on top of me.

@thomasross20 ; Like you, I'm the only guitar player in the band so it's about learning everything, and I agree:  don't have music in front of you cos that really looks rubbish on stage.  You have to have them in your head. 

It gets much easier to learn songs with the more gigs that you do -- I'm sure Danny and everyone else who gigs a fair bit has noticed it too.  And if you're gigging a song every week for a while then you just know it.  Different band members bring different suggestions, different functions like weddings and parties make you learn stuff.  It soon adds up.  I know way more than 90 songs but most of the others would need a quick polish before taking them out live.  But it wouldn't take long -- because I've played them many, many times over the years.

And a song a week?  It's really about which song.  Some songs, like Mr Fucking Brightside took me -- gawd I don't want to admit how long it took to nail that intro.  It took freaking ages and a hypnosis session to be able to stand onstage and NOT turn it into a shambles.  I have no idea why I got a psychological block with that song.  Other songs I can learn literally by hearing it in the car on the way to rehearsal and knowing how it's going to be played.  (You know, if it's very straight-forward.) 

One other thing which can't be understated is about the other guys in the band.  If EVERYONE is pulling their weight the arrangement is sorted in rehearsal in just a couple of plays, and then you polish as necessary.  You get your cues from them; they're getting theirs from you.  You come to rely on those cues.  If they've not done their work (I'm thinking of a couple of drummers we had) it makes your work a lot harder.

hotpickups

God this is so reminiscent of my last bands line up. I had to end it but I am rebuilding it as we speak i.e. new band members. When it's bad you know it and becomes a chore and not fun anymore so best start again in my case anyway. I know what to look for in tell tale signs next time

Danny1969

@Grunfeld Lol @ Mr Brightside .......... the amount of people I know who hate that intro because they will feck it up 5 times out of 10 is quite amazing

I'm OK with it now but The Chilli's Under the bridge intro used to be my nemesis  

@thomasross20  Your be surprised how easy it becomes to know a huge amount of songs once you've been playing live a few years. Like driving, ironing or whatever you can pretty much gig on autopilot after a while. 

jpfamps

Not wanting to make an idiot of yourself in public is a great motivator.....

PolarityMan

Danny1969 said:

I'm OK with it now but The Chilli's Under the bridge intro used to be my nemesis  

 

I haven't played this for about 10 years but I wonder if I could do the intro without a capo from cold now, I remember it took me ages to get.

EricTheWeary

There was a documentary about Acker Bilk on radio 2, he used to make all band members learn a new song every week and they had a massive repertoire in the end. No day jobs though.