are your bandmates your friends?

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Denial54

my bandmates are like my brothers
literally...they are my brothers

Tried that in the past. My bro and I don't really get along in the work/band setting.

[Bassenstien]

Well I have known my drummer for about 8 or 9 years and all of us have been playing together for going on 5 1/2 years now, so yeah we are damn good friends. More so than we are bandmates I think.
Man that just made me realize that my band has been going since '03 It does not seem like that long.

[lexxmexx]

None of my friends play music. All the bands I had played in were through answering ads posted on the internet and joining them as a complete stranger with no one to accompany me. Thus, I got to know musician friends via this link. But it's certainly nice to make great pals with musicians.

[Coeball]

I not sure I could play well with people I didn't like at all.

[blikeng]

Well, I've known my two bandmates my whole life. They're my best friends. When we where 11-12 years one of them bought a guitar, the other one was already playing drums. We needed bass, and I joined

It's funny, they're actually twins. Everyone is always asking: "Can you actually see the difference?" and I go: "Of course, can't you?". It's so fun when they do twin-jokes on stage. Like, the one who plays guitar goes to the drumset and the drummer takes the guitar, then they both "1, 2, 3, 4... Ahhh, wrong instrument" and they change

[lexxmexx]

Originally Posted by Coeball

I not sure I could play well with people I didn't like at all.

No way, man!

[TheInsane]

I played in one band where we only got together to play and nothing else really. After the band broke up we started hanging out though and now these people are my "primary friends".

The band I play in now I dong really hang out with besides rehearsals and gigs. Some of them do hang out privately though. I live further away and do not really enjoy going out to bars and such (which is what they do when they get together) so those are the two reasons I dont see them as much. It works good though. We get together and play music and its fun so thats all that matters.

[butchblack]

I guess I fall in the friendly, not necessarily best friends category. I've been with my current band for about a year, get invited to the band leader's parties, cook outs etc. Other then checking out a band or venue occasionally, we don't really hang out. We're in the midst of changing guitarists, so it'll be interesting if it changes the dynamics a bit. The good part is that there is no tension or ego problems in the band, so it remains fun

[Bass Mule]

Depends on which band:

1. The Uncool - Great friends. Probably my best friends. Kurt, the guitarist, and I have been friends since we met and I had just bought a bass to "fiddle around with". Been in 3 gigging bands together. The other guitarist, Jeff (two of us, I know...) is Kurt's wife's cousin, AND they went to high school together and played in many bands together as well. Jeff was Kurt's best man in his wedding. Brian, the drummer, is a good neighborhood friend (did I mention we all live in the same neighborhood too?) and drinking buddy. I'm also dating/living with Kurt's sister-in-law (Jeff's cousin). Weird. So, yeah, we're all great friends first, bandmates second.

2. Nee Nee - I'm really good friends with the guitarist, John, and that's how I got into Nee Nee. I'm friends with the other members too, but that's because we've gotten to know each other from being in a band together.

3. Shift/Wet Nurse Orgy - really just one band, but sometimes a different singer rotates in for W.N.O. Band name varies depending on the venue. Met them through a musician's coop in our neighborhood and becoming good friends with them as well. We don't hang out together outside the context of music, but I'm sure that will change.

4. House Luna - I'm hesitant to list these guys, as I don't know if I'm actually in their band. Their bass player is a good guy and is a phenomenal player, but he's moving and they are looking for a replacement. I'm not sure my chops are up to par for them, but I get along with the drummer really well (he plays in Nee Nee) and he asked me to play with them. Not sure if that means "audition", or if he just wants to induct me and mold me to what they want. Either way, they are very cool guys, but outside of the drummer, I don't know the them very well yet.