Over the years I was fired, replaced and, sometimes, I walked away. About being fired, sometimes I felt hurt (or very hurt), sometimes I felt relieved (or very relieved).
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Ever been fired from a band?
- Thread starter Aussie Player
- Start date
skyline_01
Endorsing artist: Nordstrand Audio, Tsunami Cables
Just once, but it sensed it was coming. I was in a country/rock outfit for almost five years back in college (mid-90s) and we were all pretty good friends, although not necessarily "hang out" friends.
We kept very busy, playing just about every weekend and most of the time both nights. We even had some regular house gigs at a few clubs around the region. But I personally was also very busy with college performances/studies as a music major and that became more and more of a complication with our schedule.
I found myself having to show up late to gigs more often, or trying to find subs and skipping altogether. One night as I was getting ready for one of our gigs I got a call from the lead singer (also our main financier and booking guy) telling me not to worry about coming that night and that they would be going with someone else permanently. He was very diplomatic about it, explaining that my limited availability was the only reason they had decided to replace me, and I completely understood.
My replacement was a mutual friend and a well-respected player that we had known for some years, and he had already done some subbing for me so he was able to jump right in. In retrospect, I was a little shocked at the suddenness of everything but I really couldn't be mad about it. I think the bigger part of me was relieved that I could move on and concentrate on other things.
Although we haven't communicated that much I'm still at least FB friends with all of the former members. That's something I guess, right?
We kept very busy, playing just about every weekend and most of the time both nights. We even had some regular house gigs at a few clubs around the region. But I personally was also very busy with college performances/studies as a music major and that became more and more of a complication with our schedule.
I found myself having to show up late to gigs more often, or trying to find subs and skipping altogether. One night as I was getting ready for one of our gigs I got a call from the lead singer (also our main financier and booking guy) telling me not to worry about coming that night and that they would be going with someone else permanently. He was very diplomatic about it, explaining that my limited availability was the only reason they had decided to replace me, and I completely understood.
My replacement was a mutual friend and a well-respected player that we had known for some years, and he had already done some subbing for me so he was able to jump right in. In retrospect, I was a little shocked at the suddenness of everything but I really couldn't be mad about it. I think the bigger part of me was relieved that I could move on and concentrate on other things.
Although we haven't communicated that much I'm still at least FB friends with all of the former members. That's something I guess, right?
I've had this as well, I quit because I didn't like the management then filled in for one gig (it was a charity show) and had the manager approach me afterward. "You know, you've always been my favorite." Nope. I said I was out, I'm out. This was just a favor.
I kind of got fired once. My first paying gig was with a theater company, I got hired show-by-show but did a good handful and had fun. One show I was a little too casual about it, missed a rehearsal without notifying them, and at the end of the last show the director said with a big smile "Can I call you for the next one?"
I found out later that's what she said when she absolutely wasn't going to call you for the next one.
The drummer and I both got fired at the same time. We were founding members along with the two guitarists. What really bothered me the most, was we were fired by the singer, a non founding member of the group.
We packed up our gear, including my PA and left. The drummer and I went on to form a new band with more diversity that went on to be fairly successful on a regional level.
What they hadn't counted on was I had been booking the band and I had registered the band name in my name. I immediately contacted all of the booking agents I had been working with and told them I was making some personal changes in the band and would let them know when we were ready to work again.
In a short time we were playing again and the two guitarist with the new singer, fizzled out and never played regular gigs again for years.
So, yeah it hurt. But in the end, we survived.
We packed up our gear, including my PA and left. The drummer and I went on to form a new band with more diversity that went on to be fairly successful on a regional level.
What they hadn't counted on was I had been booking the band and I had registered the band name in my name. I immediately contacted all of the booking agents I had been working with and told them I was making some personal changes in the band and would let them know when we were ready to work again.
In a short time we were playing again and the two guitarist with the new singer, fizzled out and never played regular gigs again for years.
So, yeah it hurt. But in the end, we survived.
I've quit when I read the Tea Leaves. I was going to get fired, so backed out. Turns out BL had the replacement in the wings. I stood on my principal over an issue. In the long run, I was very glad we parted ways. That being said I get along with almost everyone musically, so to get to that point where it was him or me, well, it did leave my questioning why the heck I joined in the first place. But at the beginning he was soooo sweet, Lord he was Lovey Dovey, as George Thorogood would say.
Nope, never been fired. I have fired plenty of bands, though. Only once did I fail to get an offer from an audition and I was going to turn that band down anyway, as they weren't prepared when I went in to play and I didn't think they were that good.
I worried about how I was going to turn them down but they saved me the trouble. They said I played everything well and they would have liked to hire me (I knew all of it better than they did) but they thought I was too busy with other projects, which was maybe fair, but I like to judge for myself when I am truly overextended. So many bands shoot themselves in the foot for good players by demanding a bigger time commitment than is necessary.
I later ran into a lot of other people who had been in and out of that band and they confirmed for me that the whole band was a revolving door of musicians who never stayed very long, so I dodged a bullet on that one anyway.
I've mainly been lucky but I prepare well and that helps and keeps me busy. I know it will happen sooner or later and I'm sure it will hurt like hell when it does.
I worried about how I was going to turn them down but they saved me the trouble. They said I played everything well and they would have liked to hire me (I knew all of it better than they did) but they thought I was too busy with other projects, which was maybe fair, but I like to judge for myself when I am truly overextended. So many bands shoot themselves in the foot for good players by demanding a bigger time commitment than is necessary.
I later ran into a lot of other people who had been in and out of that band and they confirmed for me that the whole band was a revolving door of musicians who never stayed very long, so I dodged a bullet on that one anyway.
I've mainly been lucky but I prepare well and that helps and keeps me busy. I know it will happen sooner or later and I'm sure it will hurt like hell when it does.
I've known some church orchestra musicians who were laid-off when the church downsized to a modern worship band.
Not exactly. Before Covid I joined a local R&B band and had a few really good rehearsals. Then a year later I see a Facebook post from them saying, “we’re rehearsing and getting ready for gigs!”—with a pic of a different bass player. Nobody contacted me or said anything to me. Totally weird.
Once, after many years of playing multiple shows a week and a cross country tour. At some point the lead singer and I both had pregnant wifes...his misscarried and he fired me because:, "with a baby coming I just don't see you being able to have the same commitment as the rest". I never missed a single rehearsal, show, studio time or even a meeting.
I'm still angry 21yrs later and hope I never see that jerk again. On the upside the band fell apart within a year or 2. Everyone else who has ever wronged me I've forgiven but never that guy..
. In short it hurts when you did not wrong.
I'm still angry 21yrs later and hope I never see that jerk again. On the upside the band fell apart within a year or 2. Everyone else who has ever wronged me I've forgiven but never that guy..
. In short it hurts when you did not wrong.This is what I mean about people trying to judge how much time you have. It nobody's business what I do with my other time as long as I'm able to produce what they need from me. Sorry this happened to you.
People who make decisions for you on your behalf never make good friends anyway..........Lots of companies do that during an interview, The common one being commute time.
Only fired once in my 47 years of playing bass.
Very long story short:
--Lead singer of band moved
--I was asked to front the band and another bassist was hired
--6 months later the lead singer moved back
--I was asked to leave
Best part....the bassist left because he didn't like the band with the original singer. He quit, they asked me back and I declined
Karma is a....well you know!
Very long story short:
--Lead singer of band moved
--I was asked to front the band and another bassist was hired
--6 months later the lead singer moved back
--I was asked to leave
Best part....the bassist left because he didn't like the band with the original singer. He quit, they asked me back and I declined
Karma is a....well you know!
I was fired in the worst possible way - being accidently CC'd on a message between all of the other band members about me, the evening after getting home from a rehearsal.
It definitely stung. What made me feel much, much better is when I realized that I was the ONLY person who was at the rehearsal on-time and ready to play. Sitting there growing increasingly annoyed over the course of the next hour or so while the rest of the band drifted in was not constructive for me in any way. My time is too valuable. So I told myself that being tossed was a blessing. You should too.
It definitely stung. What made me feel much, much better is when I realized that I was the ONLY person who was at the rehearsal on-time and ready to play. Sitting there growing increasingly annoyed over the course of the next hour or so while the rest of the band drifted in was not constructive for me in any way. My time is too valuable. So I told myself that being tossed was a blessing. You should too.
I got fired once. Long time ago. Did one gig with them and they told me I wasn't fitting in, and I agreed with them.
And one time I'd been in a band with a guitarist, we'd been buddies backing a blues singer for a year. But we found we could not work together. He wanted it to be his band, I wanted it to be everybody's band. I think he didn't want to just fire me so he announced he was breaking up the band. I admit to taking a certain satisfaction in knowing that was his last attempt at bandleading, and that he kinda disappeared from the scene shortly thereafter.
And one time I'd been in a band with a guitarist, we'd been buddies backing a blues singer for a year. But we found we could not work together. He wanted it to be his band, I wanted it to be everybody's band. I think he didn't want to just fire me so he announced he was breaking up the band. I admit to taking a certain satisfaction in knowing that was his last attempt at bandleading, and that he kinda disappeared from the scene shortly thereafter.
