I got back together with a band after a 14 year hiatus. It's been great - 7 years in the 2nd incarnation and we're celebrating our 30th anniversary this year.
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Answering the call from your ex...
- Thread starter gustobassman
- Start date
^^^ THIS ^^^
I've done the same thing. Heck, I've found that by subbing for the 4-5 ex-bands that I seem to get called regularly to sub for, it winds up being more gigs than when I stuck to just playing with 1 band.
Getting back with the ex has happened for me a couple of times and each time it was better the second time around.Welp.... my ex called and I went ahead and answered the phone. This will be the second time I've gone back to a band after a period of 5 years or more. We split on a "friendly" note before - it was a beef over a drummer replacement - the singer picked the Russian Dragon over Steady Eddie. I didn't approve (timing is important for a drummer, no??), so I went my own way.
I must say I was a little nervous going back in for this first jam but it went great. Even with a new drummer (the Russian Dragon got the boot shortly after he was hired), things flowed pretty well. Passing time and having kids apparently mellow people out, lol. The other ex-band I went back to turned into a raging poop show after a few months. It was like I never left!
Let's see how long this one lasts.....
Anyone else get back with your ex? Good or bad experience for you?
Bands, I mean.
I've never gotten back together with a woman when she and/or I ended thigns. In fact, I usually stayed too long the first time. Lessons learned and applied, move on and up.
I guess it all depends on why I left.
Difference of opinion regarding musical direction or something similar? Yeah, I'd probably fill in/stand in/sub--but nothing permanent. Same thing goes if I had left because of scheduling/workload conflicts.
But if I left because of hard-core drug use or total incompetence/ineptitude, or if it was just completely and irreversibly dysfunctional, no freakin' way.
Difference of opinion regarding musical direction or something similar? Yeah, I'd probably fill in/stand in/sub--but nothing permanent. Same thing goes if I had left because of scheduling/workload conflicts.
But if I left because of hard-core drug use or total incompetence/ineptitude, or if it was just completely and irreversibly dysfunctional, no freakin' way.
MDBass
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Calling it the EX confused me
Yeah. Me too. I thought the Ex was in one of his old bands. But I guess that would be answering the call from the Ex in the Ex.
Oh yeah, I've done this a couple of times:
Was in a band in the late 90's, got burnt out on everything (not just the band), so I quit and traveled internationally for a few months. While I was in Budapest I got an e-mail from the band, asking if I might be interested in doing a big festival gig when I got back. Sure, I said. Got back, rehearsed and played the gig with them, then a few months later I quit again, for good this time.
Band I was in from 2004-2009, which broke up. About a year and a half later we got back together but it turned out to be just jamming as some members didn't want to gig, so it fell apart again.
last November I played a gig with a band that I had quit 2 years previously, the reasons I left were unfortunately still there, so it wasn't much fun. Never again!
Was in a band in the late 90's, got burnt out on everything (not just the band), so I quit and traveled internationally for a few months. While I was in Budapest I got an e-mail from the band, asking if I might be interested in doing a big festival gig when I got back. Sure, I said. Got back, rehearsed and played the gig with them, then a few months later I quit again, for good this time.
Band I was in from 2004-2009, which broke up. About a year and a half later we got back together but it turned out to be just jamming as some members didn't want to gig, so it fell apart again.
last November I played a gig with a band that I had quit 2 years previously, the reasons I left were unfortunately still there, so it wasn't much fun. Never again!
Kind of.
I did go back for a show a year after I left a band that was wound down shortly after I left amicably. It was just a one-off though. A promoter for an annual street fair had liked us the year before. Wanted us back so we said "why not?". Was a fun experience and a nice chance to catch up a bit.
Also I once tried to go back to a 3 piece Klesmer/Folk group that I had been a part of a year prior. We were all stoked to do it until the accordion player (leader) found out his Med Fellowship would be out of state. So sad...
I did go back for a show a year after I left a band that was wound down shortly after I left amicably. It was just a one-off though. A promoter for an annual street fair had liked us the year before. Wanted us back so we said "why not?". Was a fun experience and a nice chance to catch up a bit.
Also I once tried to go back to a 3 piece Klesmer/Folk group that I had been a part of a year prior. We were all stoked to do it until the accordion player (leader) found out his Med Fellowship would be out of state. So sad...
Passinwind
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I haven't been playing that long, but my first gigging cover band is doing a reunion one-off gig in September. I left the band in 2015 because of getting caught up in inter-band drama and wanting to play more challenging and better material. The BL is a nice guy but I think he was done with the drama too, so he didn't book any gigs this year, but the church festival we liked playing asked us to do it. I'm bringing in my buddies Ray on drums and Gordon on keys to play horn lines. So far we haven't rehearsed, and all the old chestnuts are on the list.
Even if it worked out I probably wouldn't continue with them. I've improved my playing and have better musicians to play with now. That's not a knock on them, they just played simple stuff. The guitarist is OK. Had an issue with him, but we resolved that, but when I invited him to jam in my band that I'm trying to get started back up, the old issues came up with wanting to play soft Larry Carlton type jazz.
Even if it worked out I probably wouldn't continue with them. I've improved my playing and have better musicians to play with now. That's not a knock on them, they just played simple stuff. The guitarist is OK. Had an issue with him, but we resolved that, but when I invited him to jam in my band that I'm trying to get started back up, the old issues came up with wanting to play soft Larry Carlton type jazz.
UPDATE: So far so good - it was real easy to get back into the music. It's not hard stuff anyway so that helps, lol.. a gig is booked and I'm going for it.
This is one of those "gig triangle" bands for me. Music, money, and the hang.. I'm not the biggest fan of the music, but there is money and deep down we are all good friends so that's two out of three. Chin up and moving forward...for now, haha!
I love my punk cover band, but a dance floor full of beautiful women beats liberty spikes, sleeveless Jean jackets, and PBR tall cans any day of the week.
YMMV
This is one of those "gig triangle" bands for me. Music, money, and the hang.. I'm not the biggest fan of the music, but there is money and deep down we are all good friends so that's two out of three. Chin up and moving forward...for now, haha!
I love my punk cover band, but a dance floor full of beautiful women beats liberty spikes, sleeveless Jean jackets, and PBR tall cans any day of the week.
YMMV
+1. This makes for an easier "let's have fun on stage together" happen.
Got an email in 2006 from a guitar player I'd been in other "bands I left", one not on a good note.
Asked if I could learn 100 songs in a month for a very important gig b/c they had fired their bass player.
Worked out quite well, that audition/1st gig was a bit nerve-wracking.
