Drummer Problems, Who'd have thought.

[GreggBummer]

You can replace a guy without burning bridges. The band isn't going in the direction that the drummer wants to go in... nothing wrong with that.

 

[MNAirHead]

This is the drummer issue... I'll give my eye teeth to play with drummers who listen and collaborate on a groove.

The bigger issue is when a band forgets that we're not in this together - hoping you don't have the common mistake of having everyone with an equal vote.

Could you elaborate?

Through a session career and being around countless bands that actually "made it" or had a huge national following - the ones that were successful were more "cutlture" than talent.

Overall common thread was a sympathetic leader who had a clear vision of what the band should look like, feel like, then what it sounded like.

The single biggest issue with hobby bands is that they want everyone to have an equal say... this is VERY tredding water - someone in the band should be putting together a plan then coordinating suggestions.

Management 101====

We're working on a project to only play $$$$ gigs... it's totally wierd at first form most "experienced" guys to have me say "GREAT IDEA --- I'll put it in the next list and get it to Rick"

Rick is then responsible for collecting input... he'll then organize them into priorities.. then review the band.. think about it.. act slow.. then come up with some creative way to include the good suggestions.

He's very thoughtful when he declines someone on a tryout - he's got the talent of helping them decide it's not their deal

Same thing with folks that are a mismatch.

Bands that are in synch groove... those with conflict are as danceable as Theloneous.

 

[matskull]

Through a session career and being around countless bands that actually "made it" or had a huge national following - the ones that were successful were more "cutlture" than talent.

Overall common thread was a sympathetic leader who had a clear vision of what the band should look like, feel like, then what it sounded like.

The single biggest issue with hobby bands is that they want everyone to have an equal say... this is VERY tredding water - someone in the band should be putting together a plan then coordinating suggestions.

Management 101====

We're working on a project to only play $$$$ gigs... it's totally wierd at first form most "experienced" guys to have me say "GREAT IDEA --- I'll put it in the next list and get it to Rick"

Rick is then responsible for collecting input... he'll then organize them into priorities.. then review the band.. think about it.. act slow.. then come up with some creative way to include the good suggestions.

He's very thoughtful when he declines someone on a tryout - he's got the talent of helping them decide it's not their deal

Same thing with folks that are a mismatch.

Bands that are in synch groove... those with conflict are as danceable as Theloneous.

I see and you are right, I've always been the leader in my bands, sometimes I wish I could be in a band withou controlling everything but that's the way I am, I always have a vision of what I want the band to sound like and for some reason the musicians in my bands always trusted me (well, almost always haha).

I don't like to make sacrifice, to let a song be bad just because the drummer doesn't have fun playing a part, same thing with every musician.

I think a band will be better if it consists of a leader and its musicians who try to support the leader's vision.

 

[Theabyssbass]

Well we've been telling him for the last year exactly what we wanted out of him, its not out of the blue. We really don't see eye to eye on anything anymore. We don't even agree on what to listen to when we hangout. We say we like this band, he says he hates that band and tries to get us to listen to some metal band that just screams and kicks. we've told him that were not a metal band about a thousand times now, and he just keeps double kicken along. its like he can't hea us, or he doesn't understand what were saying. thanks for the advice guys.

 

[Illbay]

show them how it is done

Tenacious D are done.

First, the bald guy should've stayed that way. It was a great part of the schtick.

Second, how many F-bombs do you have to drop before we get it already, Jack Black? Yeah, you're a rebel.

 

[PBass101]

Well we've been telling him for the last year exactly what we wanted out of him, its not out of the blue. We really don't see eye to eye on anything anymore. We don't even agree on what to listen to when we hangout. We say we like this band, he says he hates that band and tries to get us to listen to some metal band that just screams and kicks. we've told him that were not a metal band about a thousand times now, and he just keeps double kicken along. its like he can't hea us, or he doesn't understand what were saying. thanks for the advice guys.

Everything about what you just wrote tells me that trying to stick together the way you are now is never going to work out. Part ways or learn to love dissapointment.

 

[jaywa]

Boredom is one of the biggest band-killers. It sounds like your current drummer is out-growing his role (or more accurately, believes he has outgrown his role). He is trying to keep the situation interesting for himself at the expense of the music and the rest of the band.

Different people have different tolerance levels for doing the same thing over and over and/or staying in their pre-defined "box". Some people are happy playing the same parts of the same songs for years as long as the crowds are big and the money keeps rolling in. Other guys, that doesn't mean as much to.

The best situation if this drummer is not feeling musically challenged or fulfilled in this band, would be for him to find a 2nd outlet for that and keep playing his role in your band (which sounds solid in every other way). But if he is unwilling or unable to put his individual "thing" below the band, then it's time to cast-off.

He may also be what I call a "crisis junkie" which is a particularly toxic personality that gets uncomfortable in situations that are too comfortable or stable and will do whatever it takes to sabotage that. Crisis junkies are their own worst enemy; they often have a deep-seated fear of success, and should be removed from a band situation at the earliest indication because they have the potential to blow up the whole thing for everyone.

 

[Illbay]

BIt sounds like your current drummer is out-growing his role (or more accurately, believes he has outgrown his role).

I'm trying HARD to imagine a style of music that one would "outgrow" in order to "move on" to METAL.

And failing.

It's like trying to envision what evolutionary step came before the single-cell organism.

 

[Jimmy Bones]

A fart in the wind.

 

[xgator4u]

I'm trying HARD to imagine a style of music that one would "outgrow" in order to "move on" to METAL.

And failing.

It's like trying to envision what evolutionary step came before the single-cell organism.

UMMM that would be jazz sir.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

Boredom is one of the biggest band-killers...He is trying to keep the situation interesting for himself at the expense of the music and the rest of the band.

The best situation if this drummer is not feeling musically challenged or fulfilled in this band, would be for him to find a 2nd outlet for that and keep playing his role in your band (which sounds solid in every other way). But if he is unwilling or unable to put his individual "thing" below the band, then it's time to cast-off.

+ 1,000,000

That`s the ticket right there! Boredom has got to be one of the biggest band killers. It`s happened to me many times in bands where one member out of nowhere will begin to become unhappy with his role and will try to change everything to fit his 'new' idea of the band(I say 'new' because who really knows if they always had the ideas before or not ).

It sucks. I wish musicians, and people in general, would be more upfront about how they feel instead of doing $4!t like that.