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abrubtly quitting?

I know you're ticked, but be the pro; give them notice - you're out after Friday's gig. Have all your gear packed up and out of your practice area before that show. Don't leave your drink(s) unattended and have fun one last time - if you can. Invite some good friends to the show to assist you in loading-out, this will help you out at the end of the night and reduce the chance of any confrontation with the other guys in the band.

^^^^^^^^
This. Grit yer teefs, get through it, disappear.
 
"While giving notice and all that jazz is definitely the preferred method in the majority of cases, I really don't understand why you didn't quit that band on the spot during the last gig. I'm a mild mannered guy, but I would probably have done that. I know I would have grabbed my gear and never dealt with these guys again."
i rode to the gig with them & i got stuck in indiana till 10am on sunday with them so i thought i would just ride it out till i got back to the city & then quit. well the guy with my gear decided to go home instead of the studio now all of my gear is in aurora & i have the party in the park on thursday with my other band! (i have 2 rigs though) so i decided not to call him & quit until i get my gear since he lives so far away & i have no clue where he actually lives.
 
don't know the difference between party and pro, and the music for them is just an excuse to get loaded. You don't need to put one more second of your time into them, and, as was once said, some of their karma may rub off on you.

I agree with Henry- the pro thing to do is to show up, but do not set up anything until they arrive, and give them one hour to show up. Meantime, do not call them, communicate with them, do anything more for them than play bass. You are just a hire. and let the owner know that you have no responsibility for the band, you are just there to play bass for this one gig. Give them one hour to arrive (from agreed upon set up time). If they do not, leave, and give the bar owner their phone numbers, and apologize for them, and tell him you are not a member of the band.

If they do show up, do nothing more than play your bass. Sit seperate from them on breaks, and if they ask why, tell them you do not want to risk getting dosed. If they act up on stage, back away, or stop playing until they straighten up. If any of their antics threaten you or your gear, garb your stuff and go, and forget about the money.

But you are justified in not even going to the gig. I would do it for the sake of professionalism, but you are dealing with idiots, and it is a choice between sanity and professionalism. I would not let myself be put through that train wreck again- it isn't worth the money or the aggro.
 
well now i am screwed. i just talked w/ the singer who has my gear but he went out of town & won't be back till wed or thurs.

why didn't he tell me he would be gone all week?!!!!!! he knows i gig a lot & he knew i had a thursday gig too. this kid is ******* me off!
 
"While giving notice and all that jazz is definitely the preferred method in the majority of cases, I really don't understand why you didn't quit that band on the spot during the last gig. I'm a mild mannered guy, but I would probably have done that. I know I would have grabbed my gear and never dealt with these guys again."
i rode to the gig with them & i got stuck in indiana till 10am on sunday with them so i thought i would just ride it out till i got back to the city & then quit. well the guy with my gear decided to go home instead of the studio now all of my gear is in aurora & i have the party in the park on thursday with my other band! (i have 2 rigs though) so i decided not to call him & quit until i get my gear since he lives so far away & i have no clue where he actually lives.

Wow.

I keep thinking of a million things to say but I dont know where to start.

The first thing I think of is
"the guy with my gear "decided" to go home"............

It sounds almost like you got hi-jacked.............your gear held hostage till you do this last gig. (I trust NO ONE.)

Even if he/they didnt do it for this reason, he went against the plan.

You have another gig with another band this week.
What would you do if you didnt have another rig?
 
Abruptly quitting? I can't believe you joined up with these losers in the first place. What did you expect? I also can't believe they can get anyone to even book them. I wouldn't book this band for a dog fight.

That being said, you can not lower yourself to their level of unprofessionalism.

The right thing to do, and the thing that will distinguish yourself from them and justify your disdain, is to set a resignation deadline. You can not bail on booked shows in the immediate future. Protocol also dictates you should give them a reasonable time frame in which to find your replacement.

To do any less makes you no better than they are.
 
"I can't believe you joined up with these losers." so am i supposed to see into the future?

"What would you do if you didnt have another rig?" i know enough guys that will lend gear to me. but this won't happen again, that's for sure.
 
If someone is dosing peoples' drinks, it is not worth it to chance my "professionalism" or "reputation" on to stay with them for another show, given the other circumstances. IMHO. If I'm not there, it won't happen. Grab your stuff when you can, and don't look back.
 
I know you're ticked, but be the pro; give them notice - you're out after Friday's gig. Have all your gear packed up and out of your practice area before that show. Don't leave your drink(s) unattended and have fun one last time - if you can. Invite some good friends to the show to assist you in loading-out, this will help you out at the end of the night and reduce the chance of any confrontation with the other guys in the band.

+1.

As terrible as this situation sounds, you should play the gig. Having friends there to help you out the door as you quit is a great idea as well. Good luck to you!