Another one bites the dust (drummer)

Busker · #1 10-13-2008, 05:43 AM

We had rehearsal yesterday, and it was a week since our last one. We were supposed to come in ready to play the songs we were to work on during that week. We have a gig coming up in a little under 2 weeks.

Drummer obviously hasn't worked on anything, which seems to be his habit. Totally unprepared. He has to be prompted on the rhythms of most every song, misses stops, doesn't know how to start most songs, cannot keep a steady tempo to save his life. And this dude has been with us for close to 2 months, and of course, knows we have a gig coming up. Yet he still didn't work on the material. The sad thing is he is capable of doing it, he has some good chops, but doesn't practice on his own.

A musician has to practice, right? I mean, unless you are already gigging five nights a week, you'd best be practicing your chops and learning the material the band is going to play. He did manage to get 7 songs down pretty good, and played a battle of the bands with us (we won). But that was only 7 songs. Now the real work begins, you know?

We talked about it last night, after the drummer left. He's history - no one feels we can play a full-length gig with this guy, because he simply won't learn the material, and we don't want to look like a bunch of buffoons on stage. We have to bring in a drummer to play the gig, and they are trying to get a guy who used to play with the band to do it. If not him, the gig will probably have to be canceled. We sure do not want to cancel, but if we have to, we have to.

**Howlin' Hanson** · #2 10-13-2008, 06:48 AM

Are you doing covers or originals? Does the drummer at least have any sound files to listen to? Or would he bother to do even that?

Busker · #3 10-13-2008, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howlin' Hanson

Are you doing covers or originals? Does the drummer at least have any sound files to listen to? Or would he bother to do even that?

Mostly covers, plus a few originals. He has CDs of all the songs (less the few originals) and a printed list of the songs, in the order they are on the Cds.

QORC · #4 10-13-2008, 07:13 AM

boy, can I relate! I played with a guy like that a year ago. Never practiced and had precious little talent to carry it off without practicing. And a redneck attitude to boot. A drunk of a guitarist (although talented), and a diva singer with LSS big-time.

I eventually had to leave them. I was moving away anyway. They replaced me with a carpet-bagging geek.

I was glad to be away from them big-time!

Stingray_EB · #5 10-13-2008, 07:19 AM

To be fair if he doesnt have the originals to listen to at his disposal it wont just happen like that. It would take me time to get a good bass line down on a song I cant listen to often. However if he is doing the same with covers it shows his lack of commitment and heart.

Busker · #6 10-13-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stingray_EB

To be fair if he doesnt have the originals to listen to at his disposal it wont just happen like that. It would take me time to get a good bass line down on a song I cant listen to often. However if he is doing the same with covers it shows his lack of commitment and heart.

True, he doesn't have the few originals on recording, neither do I. But we could do the gig without the originals if we had to. He won't learn the covers, which he DOES have the CDs for. He's wasting our time. I want a new drummer. Someone who IS committed to us and has some talent, can learn all the songs in a matter of a few weeks. Certainly in a month or two.

73jbass · #7 10-13-2008, 07:34 AM

I've run into that way too many time over the years. There is no excuse for coming to a rehearsal unprepared.With all the places you can download music,I don't see how anybody can say that they couldn't find a particular song. That's just pure laziness.

DaveDeVille · #8 10-13-2008, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 73jbass

I've run into that way too many time over the years. There is no excuse for coming to a rehearsal unprepared.
With all the places you can download music,I don't see how anybody can say that they couldn't find a particular song.
That's just pure laziness.

... yup , been there , done that .

dump his lazy ass , move on .

Chickencha · #9 10-13-2008, 09:02 AM

Maybe you ended up with our old drummer? :P (Seeing as how I'm also in the KC area.)

In my (admittedly limited) experience, this seems to be a pretty common problem with drummers in particular. Some think they can get away with not practicing and fake their way through songs just because it's a little easier to follow along on drums. But they're not fooling anybody -- we do notice when drummers aren't playing with the right feel, aren't hitting the intros, and aren't stopping at the right times.

Vanceman · #10 10-13-2008, 03:36 PM

My past problems too. Guys that play the drums, not the song, so almost every song has the same feel. That's why they don't feel the need to practice on their own, and can just fake it. Well, almost...

MatticusMania · #11 10-13-2008, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanceman

My past problems too. Guys that play the drums, not the song, so almost every song has the same feel. That's why they don't feel the need to practice on their own, and can just fake it. Well, almost...

Man, even my dedicated drummer got like that near the end of our 3 year run... all the drum parts started sounding the same, like if he lost his passion...

oldrocker · #12 10-13-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Busker

A musician has to practice, right? I mean, unless you are already gigging five nights a week, you'd best be practicing your chops and learning the material the band is going to play.

Yes