I usually don't like "cover" bands, but my wife wanted to get out in in front of a crowd, so we joined a country cover band in January. It started as classic country, moved to rock-country, to SRV blues with some country and finally settled on a southern-rock bar band kinda list. I was non-plussed, 'cause I don't like to play rock, but the better half wanted to keep going, so I kept going.
The problem was equipment. At first (4x2-hour rehearsals), I was playing through the PA as requested (a 100w 80's monster) but the dial didn't go to 11, and the 1/4" line jacks were flaky. Dropouts, volume problems, crackling, all of that. It was getting super annoying, so I hauled along my Crate BX160, which isn't a monster but was a step up for sure.
First rehearsal with the new amp, rockin'. By the second rehearsal, we had 20 ready to go and 10 more in the wings, but at the third rehearsal, *my* amp started with the dropouts and snap-crackle-pop. I discovered that kicking the amp fixed me up, so when I had (a bunch of) dropouts during the third rehearsal, I kicked it and was back in business. It was, quite predictably, a disaster and I was booted before #4 even started, BEFORE I could come get the amp to bring it to the shop.
The guys said stuff like "if you want to be in a band you have to have equipment that works right" and "I borrowed $1200 that I can't afford to get my #$%^ together." and "you ain't no real bass player with an amp like that". They were also hyped up to get out ASAP and weren't willing to wait a couple weeks for me to raise a couple hundred bucks for the repair. Which was just great.
With the time-flexible drummer, and the non-preferred set list, and the long drive, and the previously-unstated requirement to learn 5 new tunes a week, I wasn't too sad to see this fall apart. I was a little peeved about the equipment thing though. I've been unemployed for 5 months, so money is SUPER tight, and I hadn't even had a chance (less than a week) to come get the amp for repair before they threw a hissy fit and gave me the boot.
Did they kick me out early? Would you wait a couple or three weeks for an equipment repair when you're 2/3rds way through trying to get a 4-hour cover set together?
The problem was equipment. At first (4x2-hour rehearsals), I was playing through the PA as requested (a 100w 80's monster) but the dial didn't go to 11, and the 1/4" line jacks were flaky. Dropouts, volume problems, crackling, all of that. It was getting super annoying, so I hauled along my Crate BX160, which isn't a monster but was a step up for sure.
First rehearsal with the new amp, rockin'. By the second rehearsal, we had 20 ready to go and 10 more in the wings, but at the third rehearsal, *my* amp started with the dropouts and snap-crackle-pop. I discovered that kicking the amp fixed me up, so when I had (a bunch of) dropouts during the third rehearsal, I kicked it and was back in business. It was, quite predictably, a disaster and I was booted before #4 even started, BEFORE I could come get the amp to bring it to the shop.
The guys said stuff like "if you want to be in a band you have to have equipment that works right" and "I borrowed $1200 that I can't afford to get my #$%^ together." and "you ain't no real bass player with an amp like that". They were also hyped up to get out ASAP and weren't willing to wait a couple weeks for me to raise a couple hundred bucks for the repair. Which was just great.
With the time-flexible drummer, and the non-preferred set list, and the long drive, and the previously-unstated requirement to learn 5 new tunes a week, I wasn't too sad to see this fall apart. I was a little peeved about the equipment thing though. I've been unemployed for 5 months, so money is SUPER tight, and I hadn't even had a chance (less than a week) to come get the amp for repair before they threw a hissy fit and gave me the boot.
Did they kick me out early? Would you wait a couple or three weeks for an equipment repair when you're 2/3rds way through trying to get a 4-hour cover set together?
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