Bandmate pet peeves

[ShadowImage]

What are your pet peeves when it comes to your band mates? Do they ever cause real problems or just annoy you?

Mine are mostly with guitarists. The big one are strap locks, which no guitarist seems willing to buy. Every time I see a guitar slip out of it's strap buttons I just shake my head in shame. The other are guitar masterbators. You know, the guys who won't stop playing or at least turn down the volume on the guitar when you're trying to talk between songs at rehearsal.

Let's hear 'em!

 

[PauFerro]

I generally try to be positive about the people I work within the four bands I'm involved with...if I focus on their weaknesses, it affects my behavior.

So, I will balance this with some positives -- they are reliable. If they cancel on a gig, they usually send me someone better than they are to replace them -- someone I don't have to rehearse with to make ready. Their sub just shows up and does a good job. And in the process, expands my pool of musicians on which I can rely.

A group of them are among the most cooperative musicians I've ever worked with -- they are interested in learning together, in doing new material, in experimental, new music, and are generally positive about my leadership.

However, I do have a few pet peeves:

1. I play jazz, where music stands are appropriate, or not usually frowned upon by most. When they show up with such stands, they are flimsy and won't hold their music. Often they fall over or music falls off it.

2. In wind, they have no system for keeping their music stationary. I have to bring plexiglass to put over their music for them.

3. Taking too long on breaks. I have learned to not say "Take a 10 minute break", but to say "be back by X:XX" (be back by a certain time. That tends to fix the problem.

Otherwise, I am generally happy with the people I perform with now. I find that keeping them working and making money, while making it interpersonally fun, and helping some of them stretch and improve also helps make for good bandmates. Knowing their personal motives for performing, and makign sure those motives are something I can live with, and can address, goes a long way to shortening the pet peeve list.

 

[JimiLL]

Well let's see....
Drum cases left all over the stage
Mic wires spooled up in front of my amp.
Drum set taking up the entire riser
Band members missing during load in and out

That's a start

 

[pcake]

i've worked with a couple drummers who spend at least 20 minutes of our pay-per-hour rehearsal space tuning their drums. both are great once you start playing, but you will wait quite a while to actually start playing.

people who promise to spend the time between rehearsals practicing a particular song that everyone else has nailed who come back without spending any time on the song they said they'd practice.

people who say "that's good enough" when it isn't. i'm not a perfectionist, but if the fills are off time or the solo doesn't fit the song or the singer forgets the words, it's really not good enough.

 

[Bullitt5135]

1. Communication issues. Everybody has a smartphone, but it still takes several tries over several days for people to respond to simple, direct questions.

2. Drummer has trouble starting songs at the correct tempo, but is dead set against rehearsing with a metronome because the click "kills the feel of the song."

 

[buldog5151bass]

People not be prepared for rehearsal and not being on time. If rehearsal is 12:00, at 11:59:59 you better be plugged in, tuned up, and know your parts.

 

[two fingers]

Being unprepared in general. Nothing pushes me off more than a guy showing up without everything he needs for the gig. Have extra everything. Period.

 

[MrLenny1]

Drummers not knowing tunes well.
Rehearsing the drummer.etc....

 

[ShadowImage]

There seems to be a lot about drummers... I feel your pain. What is up with drummers never wanted to rehearse with a metronome!? I practice at home to metronome/back track exclusively.

People not be prepared for rehearsal and not being on time. If rehearsal is 12:00, at 11:59:59 you better be plugged in, tuned up, and know your parts.

We wouldn't get along I'm reliably 30 minutes late. I seriously tell people if they have a problem with that then we can't make music/be friends/be... anything.

 

[buldog5151bass]

There seems to be a lot about drummers... I feel your pain. What is up with drummers never wanted to rehearse with a metronome!? I practice at home to metronome/back track exclusively.


We wouldn't get along I'm reliably 30 minutes late. I seriously tell people if they have a problem with that then we can't make music/be friends/be... anything.

This town isn't big enough for the two of us...

 

[CaseyJ]

What are your pet peeves when it comes to your band mates? Do they ever cause real problems or just annoy you?

Mine are mostly with guitarists. The big one are strap locks, which no guitarist seems willing to buy. Every time I see a guitar slip out of it's strap buttons I just shake my head in shame. The other are guitar masterbators. You know, the guys who won't stop playing or at least turn down the volume on the guitar when you're trying to talk between songs at rehearsal.

Let's hear 'em!

My wife and I went out to see a buddy of mine's band play for the first time. During the second set, his Les Paul Custom slips out of the strap and he makes the great save. Next week at work, I present him with the gift of free strap locks. That was last summer, he is still playing without straplocks! WTH...

 

[Chains]

Two come to mind....
1. At bar gigs, when our drummer unrolls his carpet and it is way too far over into my area. We are a trio and there should be equal space on both sides of the carpet. Hello? I think he does this when I am outside shlepping gear in.

2. At rehearsal, when working up a new cover. Everything sounds great except for the awkward ending (if it fades out) that we have developed. The guys say "something like that" or "we'll work out the ending later". I'm like "No, let's figure this out now, and rehearse it again...twice!".

 

[guy n. cognito]

e wouldn't get along I'm reliably 30 minutes late. I seriously tell people if they have a problem with that then we can't make music/be friends/be... anything.

I never bother with people so disrespectful that they believe everyone else in the world has free time to wait on them.

 

[BACKLASHBASS]

Guitar players & Drummers that seem to think the bass amp is a community table for them to put drinks, drum hardware, etc. on at the end of the show, and guitar players that incessantly noodle at full volume during soundcheck.

 

[BrewsterRooster]

Drummer has trouble starting songs at the correct tempo, but is dead set against rehearsing with a metronome because the click "kills the feel of the song."

I've experienced this, and I'd rather put my own eyes out with a spork as to listen to other musicians trying to deflect responsibility for their own inadequacies. Metronomes are good things. Drummers who are unable or unwilling to develop their own basic skill sets are decidedly less so.

Sort of fits hand-in-glove with the few times I've heard various players say something to the effect of, "Don't pollute my mind with that theory stuff! It'll mess up my playing!" Really? Puh-LEEZE...

Wow. I guess those really are my pet peeves. Mercifully, I don't currently have to experience these issues.

 

[EdO.]

We wouldn't get along I'm reliably 30 minutes late. I seriously tell people if they have a problem with that then we can't make music/be friends/be... anything.

You're right, we definitely wouldn't get along.

I never bother with people so disrespectful that they believe everyone else in the world has free time to wait on them.

This. If you don't have any respect for everyone else's time you're not someone I could ever work with. I've a feeling that if circumstances were reversed you wouldn't be very happy waiting on me a half hour either.

 

[oldrocker]

... The big one are strap locks, which no guitarist seems willing to buy. Every time I see a guitar slip out of it's strap buttons I just shake my head in shame...

Why would you care or let it affect you if a guitar player didn't use straplocks?

 

[gln1955]

1. Communication issues. Everybody has a smartphone, but it still takes several tries over several days for people to respond to simple, direct questions.

This. And everyone has a calendar on that smartphone. Why is it so hard to schedule something?

 

[Maureen M]

My pet peeve is when people noodle at full volume between songs. Makes me crazy when we are discussing what we just played and someone is noodling all over. I swear it's compulsive, because they'll stop when asked, but then start up again 20 seconds later.
/sorry to rant. My regular guitarist doesn't do this but I just jammed with someone who did. Still sulking lol

 

[StayLow]

What are your pet peeves when it comes to your band mates? Do they ever cause real problems or just annoy you?

Mine are mostly with guitarists. The big one are strap locks, which no guitarist seems willing to buy. Every time I see a guitar slip out of it's strap buttons I just shake my head in shame. The other are guitar masterbators. You know, the guys who won't stop playing or at least turn down the volume on the guitar when you're trying to talk between songs at rehearsal.

Let's hear 'em!

Love my bandmates across many bands and genres, including several brilliant guitarists and respectable efficient bandleaders. Hate strap locks though. First upgrade I make is to replace them with proper strap pegs.

If I ever have bandmates that use clip-on tuners onstage, I'll have plenty to gripe about so until then I'm subbed to this thread and will count my many blessings with each post.