Old Question....Stay or Go???

[eotpr]

I have been in this band for nearly a year. I have been ready to quit numerous times. We practice between 2 and 5 times per week, we did one single set gig in July. I was ready to quit after that gig because of the way that the lead acts. I really like the drummer and the new guitarist we just hired. I don’t care much for the keyboard player but he might grow on me after a while.

I feel like the lead has no respect for my time. He also seems to want me to play the songs differently every time we meet. It get’s frustrating. The reason I stay is that the other band I am in that has been together for about three months and gig fairly regularly in never rehearses, and I like to have some band rehearsal time. So really I do it for the social contact and the rehearsal time. If we ever get gigging I will have the other band as my priority. There is a lot of alcohol use during practices and I believe that the practices degenerate after a couple of hours. It is tough to get him to stop before we have practiced at least 4 hours.

The lead is a great guy. I had car trouble about 60 miles from where he lived and he offered to come get me and my family. I like to associate with him. What would you guys do? Stick with him and hope we never get a gig or leave and play only with the other band. I have had 8 gigs in the time I have been with them and we have three more scheduled.

[Phalex]

That sounds almost exactly like the last originals band I was in. All except the part about the lead guy being a great guy that is!

Do you enjoy it?? From the tone of your post, I'd say you don't. If that's the case, then what is your motivation for sticking with it? Personally, I do the music thing for fun first, and profit second. I wasn't getting either with the band that sounded a lot like yours, so I left.

Are you getting your needs filled?

[eotpr]

You know....I dread the practices.

[Phalex]

Lots of practice with no gigs is a deal breaker for me. YMMV.

[stflbn]

If you've been in the band for a year and practice 2-5 times a week yet have only done ONE gig you're in a black hole of a band. Regardless if you like them or not... you're wasting time and effort. And be sure to be honest with them as to WHY you're leaving.

Find something more productive... fast...


As a contrast, the current original project I'm in has been practicing for just over 3 months now. We have 14 originals and 2 cover tunes put together and polished and are already gigging a 1+ hour set. Granted that's 'fast', but lack of progress almost always equates out to lack of motivation and lack of interest and lack of quality due to those other things.
.

[Adam Bomb]

Dreading rehearsal is my red flag. Until I have Berry Gordy or Phil Spector or somebody paying my student loan, I'm in it for fun.

But you said you like the singer, so, what if you got together with him one-on-one during a non-practice time, and hung out a little, and at some point talked about rehearsal dynamics? Maybe you could agree on some things...

--Bomb

[Jehos]

Originally Posted by Phalex

Lots of practice with no gigs is a deal breaker for me. YMMV.

Agreed. 2-5 practices a week is ridiculous. It sounds like "rehearsal" is really just "hang out and drink with instruments". It's a social gathering, treat it as such. If you want to go, go. If you don't, quit the "band".

[bggeezer]

nah...give it the big E
It's still gotta be fun, even if you get wedge for it... otherwise you could work in a factory if its just money.

Dreading rehearsal? no way

[sobie18]

Leave.

[BahamaBass]

I don't have a day job so all my money comes from cover bands. not sure if you are in a covers band either way a band is a band to me anyway. It all comes down to money. it has to. I can't go to the food store with no money. they don't give away food now do they? and my landlord is not charitable.

I'm in a similar position right now as you. The guy I work for has got us gigs for several months but we have been canceled from venue to venue and he always cusses the owners out and basically has burnt bridges and there are now no more venues to play....except parties...which are few and far in between.

we also practice a lot. actually we practice way more than we gig. and this takes away from time needed on exercises etc.

It's time to jump ship. The ship is sinking.

You should never drink or smoke weed at practice. It's a bad habit. as well not good when you are gigging (WORKING!).

You need to work with serious musicians who are professional and conduct themselves accordingly.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by stflbn

If you've been in the band for a year and practice 2-5 times a week yet have done only ONE gig you're in a black hole of a band. Regardless if you like them or not... you're wasting time and effort. And be sure to be honest with them as to WHY you're leaving.

Yup. The fact that the question of whether to leave would even arise should tell you something right there.

MM

[fretlessguy]

GO!

[cassanova]

Id have bounced long ago.