Band Choas

fendsboy417 · #1 06-07-2007, 11:56 AM

So my band members have all been slacking lately. For about a month now the band has made plans after a band rehearsal has been scheduled, have had to go to clubs they are involved in with school, and various other excuses.

CAUTION: Dangerous sob story ahead!!

My new singer has talent but isn't dedicated at all to the band. He makes plans with other people for the day of a band practice which I scheduled a week ago. I don't see why he doesn't want to be involved; a girl he's too scared to ask out would probably think he's cooler if he's the lead singer for a rock band. So tell me what to do with him. Should I fire him or keep him for the talent? There is another guy I know who would love to take his place and would be more dedicated, but his voice isn't as good.

My lead guitarist is almost the same, except he is too good to think about replacing. As said, he is very skilled at playing guitar but doesn't care enough about the band. Just today I had a band rehears all planned out, and when I call him up he asks if I wanna go 2 a waterpark with him and my lead singer. I can't tell you how pissed I was. This is a tough choice, because nobody else I know can play guitar as good as he can. Kick or keep?

My rythmic guitarist is well dedicated and has made enearly very band rehearsal. He has only missed because of a death in his family. The only thing is, he isn't as good as he should be. I have no thoughts of removing him but I just want to hear your opinion on what to do.

Finally, my drummer is a piece of work. I already posted about firing him, but I still have not. He is the least dedicated and never practices. He doesn't even have a ride cymbal so we have to practice in my basement. Unforunately, he's my best friend outside of the band, but my band has become my life, unfortunately making my drummer mad because he is a video game addict. One of my other friends does extremely well on the drums and I am really considering putting him in, but I don't want it to ruin my friendship with my current drummer. Does my drummer leave?

IanStephenson · #2 06-07-2007, 12:56 PM

Set a routine - pick one night a week, and stick to it. Once its established, then (within a few weeks) everyone should have cleared that night, and realise that rehersals aren't going to get moved to accomodate them. You don't "arrange" rehersals - they ARE on that night, and everyone else arranged to be there.

Obviously big stuff happens, but people can't just choose to do something else that night. Rehersals happen anyway, even if someone can't make it. If someone is absent without good reason, then just let them know you have a dep who will be filling in for that rehersal.

This should help - if only by sorting out who is serious and who isn't. You've got a lot of problems, and getting a band going is hard, even at the best of times, and you're going to get through a lot of people before you get a line up that works.

One other piece of advice: A poor player with a good attitude will get better the longer you work with him. A good player with a bad attitude will only get more annoying.

Ian

jorah · #3 06-07-2007, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendsboy417

So my band members have all been slacking lately. For about a month now the band has made plans after a band rehearsal has been scheduled, have had to go to clubs they are involved in with school, and various other excuses.

CAUTION: Dangerous sob story ahead!!

My new singer has talent but isn't dedicated at all to the band. He makes plans with other people for the day of a band practice which I scheduled a week ago. I don't see why he doesn't want to be involved; a girl he's too scared to ask out would probably think he's cooler if he's the lead singer for a rock band. So tell me what to do with him. Should I fire him or keep him for the talent? There is another guy I know who would love to take his place and would be more dedicated, but his voice isn't as good.

What I would do here, is drop the singer, and pick up the guy that isn't as good. You can work with the guy that isn't as good, or you can adjust the tone of the music a little bit to where his voice will suit it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendsboy417

My lead guitarist is almost the same, except he is too good to think about replacing. As said, he is very skilled at playing guitar but doesn't care enough about the band. Just today I had a band rehears all planned out, and when I call him up he asks if I wanna go 2 a waterpark with him and my lead singer. I can't tell you how pissed I was. This is a tough choice, because nobody else I know can play guitar as good as he can. Kick or keep?

Kick, he might be good at guitar, but he's lacking in dedication, probrably one of those guys that play just to make themselves look good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendsboy417

My rythmic guitarist is well dedicated and has made enearly very band rehearsal. He has only missed because of a death in his family. The only thing is, he isn't as good as he should be. I have no thoughts of removing him but I just want to hear your opinion on what to do.

Find some songs that will make him better at playing rhythm or possibly a split lead. Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Anthrax should have some good songs for rhythm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fendsboy417

Finally, my drummer is a piece of work. I already posted about firing him, but I still have not. He is the least dedicated and never practices. He doesn't even have a ride cymbal so we have to practice in my basement. Unforunately, he's my best friend outside of the band, but my band has become my life, unfortunately making my drummer mad because he is a video game addict. One of my other friends does extremely well on the drums and I am really considering putting him in, but I don't want it to ruin my friendship with my current drummer. Does my drummer leave?

I had a drummer that was my best friend, we were a metal band, he wasn't dedicated to metal and wanted to play Kiss, Poison, and all of this glam rock crap. So I left, but we're still best friends.

And you shouldn't worry about ruining the friendship, if he gets mad because you kick him out and your outside friendship is affected by something that happens inside the band, the friendship is probably not what you thought it was. He'll understand if he is truly your friend. I would say give the good drummer guy a shot.

Deacon_Blues · #4 06-07-2007, 02:41 PM

I've played in and tried to lead those kind of bands. They have never lasted for long.

Tell the other band members about how you feel, that you're frustrated with the current situation and really want this band to become something. That you're serious about this and want it to work. Don't blame anyone, just tell them what you would like the band to be.

Dedication is probably the most important thing in a band. Everyone should be equally serious about it, it simply doesn't work if only one or two guys are serious about the band, and the rest just want to play for fun in the garage sometimes over some beers.

If things don't get better after you inform the band members about how you feel, and if you're the band leader: Break up the band. If you're not the leader: Quit. Then try to find another more serious band to play in. Make sure your band members know why you made that choice, otherwise you might lose your friends on the same time.

It's a tough decision to leave or disband a band, but I really don't see any other ways out for you.

SuperSnake2012 · #5 06-07-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

Set a routine - pick one night a week, and stick to it. Once its established, then (within a few weeks) everyone should have cleared that night, and realise that rehersals aren't going to get moved to accomodate them. You don't "arrange" rehersals - they ARE on that night, and everyone else arranged to be there.

This is what my band does... we practice for about 3 hours every Friday and Saturday. We are all there for practices except for one of our guitarists who works on Friday. But it works well.

Low D. · #6 06-07-2007, 03:15 PM

Dude, let them all go. Just dont do nothing, dont call them etc. if for a couple of weeks nobody calls you then consider the band split up and set for a new band. Maybe with the guitar player he is dedicated and your friend who wants to be a singer. Play together a couple of times and talk with them a lot, you ll find a genre that fits you and you will all grow on it. Thats my personal opinion ofcourse, is what I would do if I was you. Good luck.

forte · #7 06-07-2007, 06:08 PM

it sounds like you're the problem. you just need a life.

and how can you kick out anyone? it's a band, so that has to be everyones decisionnnnnn, righh?? plus you're the bassist dude. go chill out.

tbone409 · #8 06-07-2007, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Low D.

Dude, let them all go. Just dont do nothing, dont call them etc. if for a couple of weeks nobody calls you then consider the band split up and set for a new band. Maybe with the guitar player he is dedicated and your friend who wants to be a singer. Play together a couple of times and talk with them a lot, you ll find a genre that fits you and you will all grow on it. Thats my personal opinion ofcourse, is what I would do if I was you. Good luck.

+1
be the bigger man, just leave and start a new project

theshadow2001 · #9 06-07-2007, 06:49 PM

yeah sounds like if you do nothing, nothing will happen with the band. Let it fizzle out and just find something new

Lobaw · #10 06-07-2007, 07:04 PM

Life is simply to short to be wasted with others who don't share a common interest making music. You need to move on, retain the friendships you have (and it will become abundantly clear which ones those are) and try to meet others who are like-minded musically. Skill level is only part of the equation; musicality is key. I am confident that if you put yourself out there, you will find the right people to mesh with.