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Does anyone play in band that's NOT filled with douchenozzles?

Bassic Playing

Bassic Playing

Sep 2, 2011
1,583
1,441
Canberra, Australia
#1
Hey

At least once a week I see a thread popping up about "Awful things people have said to you about bass" and "worst bandmates you've worked with".

I have only ever worked with one person like that. Most of the bands I've played in, including the one I'm in now, I am constantly told "Dude turn up, we need some cranking bass!" and, "That's a great line"

So, am I the only one? Or does anyone else have some great expieriences playing bass in bands? :bassist:
 
#2
No matter how good a band is, no matter how professional they are, no matter how famous, every single person in a band is a douchenozzle in some way. I am, the guys in my band and every band I've been in are, and chances are you are, too.

That doesn't make us bad people, but we are musicians, we are weird by nature, and if we weren't, we wouldn't feel this need to stand on a stage and play music and expect people to shower us with love :D
 
#3
Maybe this is because I'm older and until joining this band (Link Removed) I hadn't gigged for 20 odd years, as I had been involved in studio stuff and in fact had only played bass occasionally. I really value being able to gig with such great people and I don't miss the ego and attitude crap you can come across when you're younger. I don't feel I have to prove anything to anyone and my ideas get listened to. At 59 I'm the oldest in the band - the 2 guitarists are in their 50s, our singer is younger (and prettier) and our drummer is just 21

We do all original material and there are enough variations of feel that I can use different playing techniques and am inspired to progress my playing. We do both electric and acoustic sets (for smaller venues) - if the songs are strong enough they'll work in both. For electric gigs I use my Yamaha TRB1005L 5-string and my Aria Pro II Magna 4-string fretless; For acoustic I play my Dean Performer, sometimes straight into the PA if it's a short spot - the drummer plays a cajon for these gigs. We're doing some festival and club gigs as well as the inevitable (in the UK) pub gigs. We're doing it for the love of it in the first place, which in my opinion is where you have to come from whether you're pro, aspiring, semi-pro or amateur.
 
#4
Best player I've played with is also the biggest d*ckhead. Full of intelligence and hatred. Excellent, visceral player. Has "retired" again and cancelled all our bookings. I play with about 10 "lesser" but very good musicians, but they lack this guy's "je ne sais quoi".

C'est la vie!
 
#5
My current band has very little ego issues. I think I have found a good group of guys to play with. In fact I have been playing with these guys for like a year and a half now and I can't remember a single time ever being mad at each other or even having a cross word with one of them. I think the main reason we work so well together is that we don't take our selves very seriously and it's kinda just a big party when we play. We do have off nights but when it happens we just stop playing order a pizza and have some beers.
 
#7
My current band definitely has the the best "hang" of any I've been in. We pretty routinely travel 2-3 hours one way for gigs (sometimes much farther) -- all of us in one vehicle -- and at my age I wouldn't be doing that if even one of them was a true D-bag.
 
#8
Yeah, there should be a law for other instrument players that in order to play, you should be as cool and sharing a person as your bass player. In my experience bass players have had the best dispositions and were the nicest people.
 
#10
I'm currently in my favorite band ever. The drummer is a powerhouse and solid as a rock, guitar player nails our style and the singer does AC/DC, Quiet Riot, Zeppelin and anything else we throw at him. We all listen to each other and there are no hotdogs. I'm just waiting for something to go wrong. :D
 
#11
singer and drum say turn up, the guitarist says turn down. I own and run the PA so guess who wins..lol No I make sure the mix is good. I think jimmym hit it right on the head, musicians are quirky by nature. My drummer is a great drummer, but lazy and in his 40's he still can't get a handle on money and the concept that you need to save some for the weeks we don;t have gigs. Our guitarist is a young phenom, but thinks everyone in the world is out to destroy him or our band. The singer, best I have heard but refuses to dress in anything other than jeans and a tshirt, is a functional alcoholic and vetoes lots of popular songs because every other band plays them. Still and all, this is the best cover band I have been in ever...so you take the good with the bad.
 
#13
I'm in a great situation. We're all friends and get along very well. We really look forward to practice and gigs. The music is great and the hang is just as good if not better. It probably helps that we only gig a few times a year right now. Despite not playing together for months at a time, we all do our homework and are ready when we do get together. It's a blast!
 
#14
I'm in a band, semi professional. Our sound guys cool, two guitarists are cool. The drummer is alright, he's a nice guy, but his minds elsewhere and he doesn't care as much as the rest of us. Our singer has issues and when she's there she's cool. All bands have some issues, but for the most part I really like my situation.
 
#15
Everyone is cool in my band, but the main songwriter/leader is starting to get a little douchey as he gets better known in the scene and we as a band are getting more of an audience. I'd hoped it wouldn't happen but it's not all that surprising. He's definitely not the same guy he was when we started out.
 
#17
Love my band, no dbags. We are all very different, age range from 25-40, college grads to barely a GED, but when we come together to rock out or write songs we are very passionate. We have "fights" at rehearsal that aren't really fights, more like each of us hearing things to make the songs better and platforming the reasons....the single goal being always the song. It's so rewarding.

We also hang whenever we can outside the loudbox (rehearsal room).
 
#19
The band I play in now is composed of "old pros" ... together we have at least 175 years of gigging (not just playing) experience. Solid musicians, great guys. No infighting, no drama, just four well-paying gigs a month (on average). It's a gravy train!
 
#20
JimmyM said:
No matter how good a band is, no matter how professional they are, no matter how famous, every single person in a band is a douchenozzle in some way. I am, the guys in my band and every band I've been in are, and chances are you are, too.

That doesn't make us bad people, but we are musicians, we are weird by nature, and if we weren't, we wouldn't feel this need to stand on a stage and play music and expect people to shower us with love :D
Click to expand...

Jimmy always makes a good point.

That said, if a group cant get past their own prejudices , I dont stick around. Its one thing to argue about chord subs or solos, but dickheads are dickheads
 

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