Band member into drugs

[And I]

I played in a band with a crack addicted front man and band leader. It didn't end well... the middle was kinda bad too. The beginning, yeah also not great. The talent level was off the hook and we were playing great gigs, but... then the PA system would randomly be sold and he'd be missing for days...

fire this drummer now.

 

[SXema]

I am okay being around pot, but not alcohol or cocaine.

Me too, the thing is... I can’t forgive violent behavior. He treated his friend (the band leader) like sh#t screaming when he told him to get some help. I don’t care if he is the best drummer in the world. I told the band leader I don’t want him in the band.

 

[MegaSwing]

Get him out. Period. Get consensus within the band first. But get him out. If you cannot get consensus within the band, don't walk away. Run!

 

[Dasgre0g]

Tommy Lee??

 

[Mushroo]

Tommy Lee??

Trivia fact: his last name is "Bass"!

Would you play a one-off gig with Tommy Lee Bass? Would you go on the road with him?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I think you already know what needs to be done. It won’t get better, just do it.

 

[Ewo]

My .02:

The odds of a good resolution to this problem (i.e., the dude gets clean) are small. The odds of this going _seriously_ bad are high.

Singing with the choir:

He goes, or you go.

 

[jackn1202]

Where are you located? If you’re in a big enough city finding a replacement should be easy enough.

 

[Kipp Harrington]

So the drummer in my band is a really cool guy and plays soooo good... Until he gets a white powder up his nose.

Today we had a rehearsal with another band sharing their space with us. It was a special day we waited for weeks, we didn’t get together for almost two months after he got high and violent during rehearsal. He sent a message 1 hour late saying he was at a hospital with his father. This is the 3rd time he doesn’t show up and we are tired (lies, lies, lies). We have 1.1k folowers on Instagram and a couple of bands want us to play with them but we can’t because of him slowing everything down.

Any story like this? Band members and drugs F things up?

Have you spoken to him and tried to convince him that you guys (band members) really enjoy the chemistry (no pun intended) you have with him and want him to continue to be a part of that? I guess I’m suggesting somewhat of a band intervention... power/influence in numbers.

Let him know that as much as you respect and enjoy his playing, the substance abuse is destroying him and his relationship with the band, and won’t sit well in the future with potential other bands.

You can’t get blood from a stone, so if he chooses drugs over the band, I guess that’s the way it goes. Ask him if his passion is for the band or the “white substance”. If his hobbie choice is recreational drugs, I’m sorry for that. But it’s pretty simple, really... he needs to make a choice. Hopefully it’s the right one... for the band, but more importantly for himself. Good luck. Hope things work out.

 

[wizerd]

We lost a guy to booze and various recreational additives a year ago. For two to three years prior to that he would be late to rehearsals and gigs, flub his words and queues and generally be a PITA. We put up with it because we enabled it. Sorry to hear your guy is off the rails but the best thing you can do for him and yourselves is cut him off until he cleans up. Best of luck you him and all of you.

 

[Dasgre0g]

Trivia fact: his last name is "Bass"!

Would you play a one-off gig with Tommy Lee Bass? Would you go on the road with him?

He may be insane, but even though his band sucked he was a fantastic drummer

 

[Stewie]

Best drummer I ever played with, went outside during a break, did too many lines, couldn't count to four when he came back in. That was the last time I saw him. It's a terrible thing.

 

[Koog]

Fire him. Unless he is willing to rehab and stay straight, the white powder will always be more important to him than the band, friendships, family, and everything else.

 

[interp]

Of course there are a ton of stories like this.

Fire the drummer.

 

[Leonid Nidis]

Long time ago when i was a vocalist only I was the one F things up like that.people put up with me so I kept doing it.
If hes that good and a close friend maybe give him one chance,only one.

 

[Kmonk]

I have never done drugs of any kind and won't play with anyone who does drugs. I will look the other way when it comes to pot as long as they don't do at rehearsal.

 

[Slevage]

Unfortunately if he doesn’t take care of his problem, there are 3 endings to his story.

Jails, institutions, or death. I just heard of friend’s family member who has experienced #1 and #3.

You can offer help or get out of the way.

 

[cnltb]

Band member into drugs
...not in a band I am working with. Ever!
Unless I am a hired gun and there is enough distance between me and the rest of the band for me to be able to keep my distance from that stuff.

 

[saabfender]

...not in a band I am working with. Ever!
Unless I am a hired gun and there is enough distance between me and the rest of the band for me to be able to keep my distance from that stuff.

There is no safe distance. The blast radius is huge.

 

[StevewiththePbass]

Sounds familiar, only with a guitarist. Been playing with him going on 7 years, but hard times have turned him to vices and in the last couple years, it's almost as if he's forgotten how to play his instrument. It's obvious he doesn't practice the material anymore, there's physical signs of hand-eye impairment and he's late to set-up every. single. time. Oblivious to how bad he sounds. There comes a point where you have to stop paying for other people's choices with your own time.