The only things harder to find than a drummer is a guitarist who doesn't noodle and a bass player.
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Dear TB - Why can't we seem to find a drummer?
- Thread starter MrMcHaggis
- Start date
Do your "old" drummer a favour, help him kick the drugs and enforce punctuality and responsibility (and in turn you'd be helping yourselves out). No idea how you'd accomplish all this, whether you'd want to or whether you'd be successful in turning a 15 year-old's brain around regarding the issues he has.
Well, it is another option that hasn't been suggested.
Just seems a shame to waste a young talent. Good luck with your band.
Well, it is another option that hasn't been suggested.
Just seems a shame to waste a young talent. Good luck with your band.
Yeah, right.
I suggest you speak with his wife to get her take on things. Doubt if she see's it the same way as he does....
The drummer and myself are the only 2 in our band that could tour out of state, but we're not letting that hold us back. I say go for it - if it doesn't work out at least you'll be able to play some shows and get some more exposure. With more exposure and more contacts, your chances of finding another drummer will increase.
We just got into an original music festival (not in Port Charlotte) that's still looking for bands...if you want contact info for the guy booking the acts I can PM it to you...
We did actually. We even extended him an offer to come back to the band since we've heard from mutual friends (singers father included) that he loves playing with us and really isn't interested in any other band. But he declined.
The issue was to the point where, for one show, we told him we had to be at the venue for load-in at 4 (it was an all-day festival and they gave us plenty of time for load-in/sound check). This place is in Ft. Lauderdale, We're in Miami, so it's a little bit of a drive.
Three o' clock rolls by we FINALLY get him to answer the phone, he was asleep the entire time. I rush over to his house to pick him up and his Mother tells me she hasnt seem him since last night. I then get the call from my Singer who got the call from my Drummer that he was actually at a friends house. Yippee. Rush over from Miami Lakes to Palm Springs North. When I pick him up he tells me he needs to go back to his house to get his symbols. I ask him why didn't he just tell us while we were there? his response was "Oh, I forget".
We go to his house in Miami Lakes to grab what's left of his stuff (symbols, sticks, a couple of stands) and he asks his Mother for money to eat, because he didn't have breakfast. In response, his Mom off-handedly complains to me that "Yo siempre pierdo dinero en los negocios tuyos!" ("She always loses money on these ventures of ours"). I bite my tongue hard enough to taste blood and simply hold a smile.
When we get to the venue he realizes he never bothered to fix/replace his double pedal that's apparently been giving him trouble for the last month (they hit him on the feet while he plays). He keeps telling us after each song on that set we need to stop playing because his double pedal isn't working. We have to tell him to just go with it. After the set he asks me to buy him food because he's trying to save the money his Mom gave him. He swears it's not for weed/X/Iowaska/'shrooms because "I quit that stuff man" (Cool Story, Bro)
His Mother would constantly complain to us that when he breaks symbols, sticks, or needs new equipment she has to buy it, asking why cant the money the band earns from playing shows be used to buy equipment?
I have to explain to her that that money goes into paying for studio time, merchandise, cd's, etc. To which she replies "But these things are expensive, no one's paying for these things for us!". Bite my tongue again. I have to explain I lose money on every show, not only do my strings, batteries, and MY gear cost just as much money, I'm also the car (gas, tires, oil changes, air filters, spark plugs, etc) that moves the gear and no one's picking up that bill either. If my car's out of commission, the band's out of commission, because you're not hauling your son's gear to shows; I am.
One show he arrived so late we only had time to play one song (thankfully to the generous/kind nature of the venue owner, who we've nurtured a great relationship with over time). His excuse was "I was at a friend's house and lost track of time"
I'm really sorry about the rant guys, but not only was he not willing to help himself, his parents were another huge obstacle. When it came to shows he doesn't promote or move a single presale ticket, he would vanish from the earth on practice days, he was always late of show days and had a habit of playing songs too fast. (Ok, so that last one is an issue with A LOT of drummers). But sincerely, we're trying to make it (as you guys can tell) and if he can't take it seriously how can we proceed if two/three of us have to carry the weight of four?
It's a real shame, he's not a bad kid, he's just... Well. You get it. But thank you for the warm wishes
