Band Problems...

[pagemalicious]

Hey guys, recently my band have just come to a hault AGAIN. We had a CD done a few months back and we were set to do loads of gigs and get loads of people into us. We were getting alot of hype. Then over the past 2 months, everything has just stopped. We haven't practiced in about a month due to every one going on holiday and other things and no one seems to be interested in us again. Now this has happened, i'm starting to think about starting my own band as i'm getting annoyed with other members of the band not wanting to focus on one song at a time. Have any of you guys come across this?

[Genebaby]

Re: Band Problems...

Keeping a band together can be very hard to do. It's suprising that with all the interest and hype you guys were getting that band members would choose to go on holidays. That seems like bad timing, and they can't be that into the band.

Regular people go on holidays, guys trying to make it in a band don't, they gig and work at it.

What happened to the gigs you were going to do, are they still on?

It can be fairly disheartening when others don't put the same amount of importance into the band as you do, and easily blow off rehearsals and other things.

You may need to have a talk with everyone to see where there heads are at.

[Chuckracer]

Re: Band Problems...

Yep. It called "Fear Of Sucess". The other "lesser" members of your band that sense it's more important to go "on vacation" than to do timely promotional gigs to support your hard work. They need to find someone elses time to waste. Or go form a cover band. They aren't serious musicians. They are hobbists. Nothing wrong with hobbists, as long as they aren't passing themselves off as serious musicians. Perhaps they don't know the difference themselves.

Form your own band, be in control of your own destiny. You have a limited amount of time in this life to accomplish your dreams and goals. Never let anyone else waste that precious time on you.

[zeegler]

Re: Band Problems...

You have just described my band to a tee. [img]/images/graemlins/mad.gif[/img]

[horns666]

Re: Band Problems...

Hell Yes...my mistake was I didn't get a drummer before booting mine , he was a dunce with a lot speed , chops but no meter (that's important) ...I been on the prowl for one ever since..but all the good drummers here are busy with their bands..and all the left overs ar GAY..

I have a few contacts to make..I hope something pans out..I want to do my Bed Of Nails stuff in the worst way and so does my awesome singer..and fall is coming..I got the itch Big Time!!

Hopefully something will pan out soon.

and good luck to you Steve.. [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[Endrik]

Re: Band Problems...

uhhh, sounds familiar. Talk to them seriously and if that doesn't help, make a new band.

[donf]

Re: Band Problems...

[ QUOTE ]
Hey guys, recently my band have just come to a hault AGAIN. We had a CD done a few months back and we were set to do loads of gigs and get loads of people into us. We were getting alot of hype. Then over the past 2 months, everything has just stopped. We haven't practiced in about a month due to every one going on holiday and other things and no one seems to be interested in us again. Now this has happened, i'm starting to think about starting my own band as i'm getting annoyed with other members of the band not wanting to focus on one song at a time. Have any of you guys come across this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, that true and I'm guilty of it. But I recognized it and made a move. The band I was with started out as a fun Super Bowl party thing, then we all decided to make it full time. As we built our set list up, we started getting a lot of gigs around the Jersey Shore area. So now we were practicing twice a week and in between that, you had learn to practice the new songs at home, then we were gigging on the weekends, so, in a nutshell, all my time, 7 days a week, was spent practicing. Some of the guys in the band were all out for being a 'rock star'. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. I guess you can call me a hobbyist. I have a boat that I enjoy and other things in life that I like to do. Shooting all my weekends away because of gigging, got on my nerves, so I waited until our schedule loosened up a bit and announced to the band I was quitting. I felt bad, but I do have another life. They're still doing well and they call me in now and then to gig with them. As a matter of fact, I played Labor Day weekend, last weekend, and again this weekend coming up. Almost sounds like I'm rejoining, but my feelings still remain the same.

[shreddermon]

Re: Band Problems...

<<-- Hobbyist hack here, and not ashamed to admit it.

Like DonF, I bowed out of my last band because I could no longer committ the amount of time/effort some other band members wanted to do. I have a family, kids, demanding career, and - sometimes - even a life. Those all take time and effort.

I have no real aspirations of being a "rock star". Not even a "local scene". I just wanted to have fun playing with others, get a good set list together, and play a few gigs here and there. Although we all started out that way, some members of the band weren't on the same page when I bowed out. (...They still haven't pulled it together. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] )

If you're not all on the same page, you need to find seperate books. That's in everyone's best interests, no matter which perspective you're looking from.

[SARJ]

Re: Band Problems...

When I saw the movie Rock Star with Mark Walburgh I was almost in tears remembering all the pain I felt and the bull shit I went through back in the wonderful 80's with my band and all the failed side projects.

No.......my old band was not at the Steel Dragon level of success, but localy in San Diego we were pretty well known. Once practice and gigs became like a job to some of the guys it all began to fall apart. My bassist and good friend was the glue that kept it focused and tight, but my lead guitar (George Lynch Jr damn near) was more interested in the growing gangster rap scene and soon abandoned the guitar for custom cars with loud steros and 20's. Our drummer was damn near married to this cute little thing who was the ex girlfriend of the lead guitarists little brother who was also one of our fill in drummers. I was basicaly the riff whore. If my bassist wanted it.....I played it. There were side projects that involved so many people that the band wasn't practicing or writing new material. They were playing high school pep rally gigs and belting out The Cure, REM and other New Wave stuff that was popular at the time. We went from a bunch of long hairs to a mix of mod hair do's and thugs. A very eclectic bunch to say the least. It wasn't all bad. I loved it, but there was alot more I didn't like. I ended up back here in New Mexico and have been happy ever since.

I have had contact with my old bassist over the years. We were planning to get back into it all in 1991 when all the grungr stuff was comming up. I was writting riffs and calling my bassist to hear his bass lines. Now I think we could have pulled off a carreer in the grunge scene if we would have tried and if I would have moved back to So-Cal.

All in all.......if you are the one that is serious about the music and finding success you will have to form another band with as many like minded people you can muster. It looks like with what you got right now it will continue to fall apart and you will eventualy have a band full of new guys anyway. If you start your own band with members you click with..........your set.

Hope my rambling helps a little. My medication just kicked in. LOL!

[mupps]

Re: Band Problems...

Now if only you weren't in Herts then I'd come and jam...

My band is sorta the same, I seem like I'm the only one who organises practices as I'm the oldest. It sucks as our bassist does nothing towards anything, he just found our drummer, he never writes and never has anything good to say.

Nice to see you over at BKP too Steve!

Andy!

[donf]

Re: Band Problems...

[ QUOTE ]
Although we all started out that way, some members of the band weren't on the same page when I bowed out

[/ QUOTE ]

That's it. Now, these guys (and gals) were terrific people and I love them like my brother and sister. They understood where I was coming from so we parted company as friends. But your right, we weren't on the same page. Life priorities were different. There are several others in the band that feel like I do, so, in the future I can see the band coming apart or going back to having a fun band without a grueling schedule. I'd be happy to be a part of it then, but, until then, I'm taking my acoustic, my fishing pole and my boat, out to the center of the bay, throw the pole in, eat a sandwich, kick my feet up and play every cheesy Jimmy Buffett, Jim Croce, America song I can think of, while sipping a Bud,........until I get a bite! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]