Looks like it's over

fourstringdrums · #1 12-17-2011, 01:42 PM

Well my band of two years (I'm the drummer) had the "discussion" today and it looks like we're done. We're all very close and love playing music with each other, but one guy is going to be moving to the midwest in a few months and is burnt out musically, and with my moving out of state and our work schedules, we just don't have the time.

We haven't done a lot in the last two years anyway. We only wrote two or three new songs, never learned covers, and as a result gigged a few times a year. It's a shame because we are talented, but it's obviously not meant to be any longer.

What we're going to do is try and get back in the studio to at least get some more of our songs recorded, at least for us.

So now the challenge of finding another band begins. I'm only interested in finding something as a drummer because bass playing is just a side thing. I've been playing for 20 years but I didn't start playing with others reglularly until 5 years ago due to work and life always being in the way so I have a lot of catching up to do.

Of course I'm going to scour craigslist and bandmix, but I was wondering if open mics are that effective for a drummer trying to network? Most of the ones I've ever gone to drummers weren't involved.

I'm new to my area so I have zero connections. Any other tips?

pica · #2 12-17-2011, 01:50 PM

Sorry to hear about your band breaking up. One thing you might do is go to your local music store and introduce yourself. You might find other people looking to start a new band. Good luck.

bigalbass · #3 12-17-2011, 01:51 PM

I my area open mic jams are very popular. Even if the music is not to your taste it gets you involved with other people who are making music. I have been in a band formed from that context and if I wanted to be in another I have enough contacts to make it happen. Meanwhile I am happy to go and jam from time to time.

fourstringdrums · #4 12-17-2011, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigalbass

I my area open mic jams are very popular. Even if the music is not to your taste it gets you involved with other people who are making music. I have been in a band formed from that context and if I wanted to be in another I have enough contacts to make it happen. Meanwhile I am happy to go and jam from time to time.

how involved are drummers?

fhm555 · #5 12-17-2011, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

how involved are drummers?

Don't know about where you are, but around here (good) drummers are very much in demand.

seanm · #6 12-17-2011, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

how involved are drummers?

I've seen drummers go up at open jams... but it is rare. Usually they go up in the context of a band.

Reliable drummers are very hard to find here. I doubt you will have problems finding something.

fourstringdrums · #7 12-17-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seanm

I've seen drummers go up at open jams... but it is rare. Usually they go up in the context of a band.

Reliable drummers are very hard to find here. I doubt you will have problems finding something.

I generally don't like jams as a drummer because unless I'm on my equipment I'm really out of place (physical reasons). But, I suppose bringing a Cajon or something like that might be appropriate.

mboogiemanusa · #8 12-17-2011, 06:05 PM

Having your band break up may be the best thing to happen although its always sad to move on from people you care about. Same thing happened to me recently when a long time band of friends broke up. A few members were becoming gig snobs and finding less then genuine reasons for turning down shows or refusing to learn any new songs or schedule a practice now and then. I was lucky to find a couple other bands of great people that were passionate about playing shows and learning/writing songs. You will find another group of great people soon and will be excited about playing music and heading off in a new direction.

fourstringdrums · #9 12-17-2011, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mboogiemanusa

Having your band break up may be the best thing to happen although its always sad to move on from people you care about. Same thing happened to me recently when a long time band of friends broke up. A few members were becoming gig snobs and finding less then genuine reasons for turning down shows or refusing to learn any new songs or schedule a practice now and then. I was lucky to find a couple other bands of great people that were passionate about playing shows and learning/writing songs. You will find another group of great people soon and will be excited about playing music and heading off in a new direction.

Thanks, I know it's a good thing. When I left my last band (actually I was ejected, but that's a long story) I thought I'd never find anyone else but I found these guys. While we didn't play out as much and didn't technically move forward as much as the last band, I couldn't have asked for a nicer bunch of guys to share music with.

One of the upsides is that since my divorce I have been in an apartment and haven't had regular access to my drums other than our rehearsal space 40 minutes away. Now that I won't be paying for that space, and now that I've moved to a different location, I can now afford to rent space for myself 5 minutes from my house. I'll now be able to play every day if I want.

bassinzombie · #10 12-20-2011, 02:54 PM

Hope you find a new band soon! My band of 6 years just broke up in the summer. Myself and the guitarist could'nt cope with the singer any longer and our drummer just became a father so he had no time. Still, we accomplished a hell of alot since we got together as 13 year olds. Our last year saw us bring out a CD, Get signed and go on tour so it ended on a high note!

The guitarist and I are about to start gigging in a new band after the holidays and I can't wait!

Vakmere · #11 12-21-2011, 07:42 AM

Keep in touch with them and plan a reunion in about 30 years. That should be a hoot.

chokeslam512 · #12 12-21-2011, 07:47 AM

It sucks that your band is breaking up but this may be the best way to do it. You are all still friends and there won't be any animosity. The worst is when you lose the band and your friends.

fourstringdrums · #13 12-21-2011, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chokeslam512

It sucks that your band is breaking up but this may be the best way to do it. You are all still friends and there won't be any animosity. The worst is when you lose the band and your friends.

I agree. I still feel like I'm losing friendships in a way because my best friend is moving away and the other two guys, I don't know how regularly we'd get together, but at least it's on good terms.

chokeslam512 · #14 12-21-2011, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

I agree. I still feel like I'm losing friendships in a way because my best friend is moving away and the other two guys, I don't know how regularly we'd get together, but at least it's on good terms.

I dealt with this before, I was the one who moved. I was in an original band and we we gaining traction fast. I got a new job and was living 70 miles away from the practice space (this was when gas was starting to really climb) and couldn't afford to be in the band any more. I had a talk with everyone else in the band and let them know. We had a mutual friend of everyone in the band who would hang out at practice etc (also happened to play bass), so I told him to bring his gear and we would get him up to speed. He is still with them to this day and this was about 4 years ago. I actually moved again about a year after all this to Kansas City from Detroit so there's no way that it would have worked out.

I am still friends with everyone and talk to them on the phone every so often and even try to get out to their shows when I am back in Detroit. I think it is a great idea to hit the studio one last time and immortalize your music for practice for the reunion.

FretlessMainly · #15 12-21-2011, 07:46 PM

So did you move from MA to NH or vice versa? Maybe it's not the most convenient for you, but Johnny D's in Somerville, MA has an open blues jam on Sundays at 4:30 PM:

Open Blues Jam | johnnyds.com

I used to do it regularly for a couple of years in the mid-90s. As of a year or so ago, there was a house band for this and they would play 4:30-5:30 or so before calling up players, but now it sounds as if there's only a band leader, so it may be a longer run of musicians coming up on stage. Maybe contact them to see if you'd need to bring a kit or if there's a drummer. I remember drummers rotating through when I did it.

fourstringdrums · #16 12-21-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FretlessMainly

So did you move from MA to NH or vice versa? Maybe it's not the most convenient for you, but Johnny D's in Somerville, MA has an open blues jam on Sundays at 4:30 PM:

Open Blues Jam | johnnyds.com

I used to do it regularly for a couple of years in the mid-90s. As of a year or so ago, there was a house band for this and they would play 4:30-5:30 or so before calling up players, but now it sounds as if there's only a band leader, so it may be a longer run of musicians coming up on stage. Maybe contact them to see if you'd need to bring a kit or if there's a drummer. I remember drummers rotating through when I did it.

I moved from MA to NH, so I'm still trying to find more about the music scene up here. My guitar teacher has a few spots I may check out for jam nights in Concord.

hrodbert696 · #17 12-28-2011, 05:25 PM

There's a very busy open mic at Murphy's Irish Tavern in Manchester Tuesday nights. You could probably just scout it out one time, meet some folks, and then sit in on something or plan on coming back with someone the next time.

drummer5359 · #18 12-30-2011, 04:14 PM

Drums are my primary instrument as well. I moved from DC to Pittsburgh a year and a half ago and went through this. I went to open jams and sat in, answered some craigslist ads and joined the local blues society where I got to know a lot of the musicians.

I ended up doing a good bit of sub work on drums, but now I'm playing hand percussion in two seperate projects.

I walked into a tile store wearing a Zildjian shirt when we were in the middle of renovating our new home. The owner and I got into a music dicussion, he was playing solo acoustic gigs down the street, just guitar and vocals. Jackie and I went to see him play a couple of times. He ended up bringing an acoustic guitar over to our home and jammed with me on congas and cajon. We've been playing as a duo over a year now.

In the summer he seemed to lose intrest a bit so I found a duo on CL (acoustic guitar and acoustic bass, both sing leads), we've been gigging as a trio since the summer with me playing hand percussion.

I've had offers recently to play drum kit again in a regular band thanks to all of the networking that I've done, but I've become too busy at this time to do it. I'm really having fun with the hand percussion to be honest. (And it's easier to carry and set up.)