• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ever hate a song so much you'd risk being fired?

#41
That's a pretty wretched song. I think if I were asked to play it, I would have done what I did a few years ago when my band's Eddie Van Halen-esque shredder informed us that he wanted to play Katy Perry's Hot N Cold. Everyone else balked, but we did it. I changed the bassline just enough to keep myself interested, but not so much that anyone noticed. Fortunately, the crowd was not very receptive and we never played it again.
 
#43
carl h. said:
I've got a few songs like that. I'll price them so high that if they are willing to pay the fee, I'll do it - and that is the only way I'll do it too.

I've got no problem playing stupid music for stupid people - with money.
Click to expand...

Was playing at a dive bar a few years ago with a different band. This really old drunk guy in leather pants :scowl: kept [DEL]saying[/DEL] slurring "play Mustang Sally". We politely ignored him.......'til he slipped the lead singer a $50. Then it was the coolest rendition of Mustang Sally I'd ever played!

For the record, I am not in any real danger of being fired or quitting. My BL is actually not that kinda guy. He just sometimes wavers on things too much after a decision is made so last night i had to put my foot down. Twice. The fire me thing is just that the thought that was running through my mind last night. I was at the point where it was "If you wanna fire me over this sng, go for it."
 
#44
Your band leader knows what the audience wants and is not afraid to sell it to them.

That's why he's the band leader and you work for him.

It's a bad song. So what? Nobody is asking anyone to kick puppies.

IMHO
 
#45
In my last band (a classic rock cover band), we found a great female singer and I guess in order to get her to join, the drummer promised her we would add 6 country-pop songs (Carrie Underwood, etc) without telling the rest of us. I said "hell to the no" lol because in our setlist, we would go from some classic rock song from the 70s to this bubble gum garbage...it just didnt fit and I didnt want to do it.

I eventually relented because we did sound good and the singer was a great performer. She did however eventually try to add more and I told them I would quit on the spot so she backed off.
 
#46
Nev375 said:
The song is not in a genre they normally play. Besides, they all agreed before the gig they were not playing it except that one time for the private party.

The band leader [del]is a weenie and[/DEL] needs to stick to what he agreed to.
Click to expand...

Thanks Nev375.... Saved me the need to clarify (as amended)

The party hasn't happened yet and although we LISTENED to the song at rehearsal, we didn't actually PLAY it at rehearsal, so really, the song isn't in our play list. It's just so easy it's hard to say "can't play it".
 
#48
Kwesi said:
Doesn't sound like a very professional attitude... That said I'm not much of a band person myself.
Click to expand...

I think not playing a song a private party that is paying you requests would be unprofessional. We will play the song at their event and hopefully never again.

I believe playing a song your band has not rehearsed because a random person in the audience shouts it out just before last call is equally unprofessional. The fact that I totally freakin' hate the song is bonus and way more interesting a topic to start a thread on :D
 
#52
I worked with someone who's the drummer for a popular local band and one time, I saw them playing something by Hanson and the next Monday, I walked up behind him after our meeting while he poured another cup of coffee and said "MmmmmBOP that's some good coffee!".
 
#55
I'm pretty sure that at the end of the day, I'll be following advice offered by DWBass and BBox Bass and throwing so much into the bass line that I can have my own little personal corner of fun. And then after the party continue to lobby to R-E-M-O-V-E it from our repertoire. I think the last time I was in a similar position, it was to convince a band that we really didn't NEED to play "Disco Duck" (complete with sucky duck voices).

FWIW....we currently have 80-90 songs in our repertoire, and on a given weekend we'll play 45-50. There are probably 15-20 that I'm lukewarm to or just flat out don't like. I recognize that the songs are selected / played because that's what our audience likes. I have no problem playing songs I don't like. Do it all the time. I'm sure most of us who play out regularly have songs we play that we don't like.

That's the point of this thread.....name the song that would put YOU over the edge.
 
#56
I've been doing the Gun for Hire thing this past year and I really love it. No band politics or drama to worry about, I just show up, play and get paid.

Ironically, my mental attitude toward the music is different now. You wanna hear Lady GaGa? Sure, pay me. Justin Bieber? ok, whatever, pay me, Mustang Sally? Yup I'll love that song for 5 minutes, no problem, cash only please.

I've placed a premium on the entertainment factor and as a paid side man, I provide a service to the bands that I work with. It's a great relief actually.

I now gladly play songs that I used to hate and refuse to play.

That being said, if I were to join a band again, hump gear, attend countless unpaid rehearsals, put up with passive-aggressive bandmates, compromise my song selection integrity and deal with the same players for a LONG period of time,

I would expect some veto power over the song selection.
 
#59
Stewie26 said:
...... I hope your band has at least a hot female singer to pull it off.
Click to expand...

your call

RoyalOakJune112011-c.jpg
 
#60
There's more than ONE song!

Jenny Jenny (867-5309)
My Best Friend's Girl
My Sharona

These are just a few songs on my list of songs I will die without having played.

Eye of the Tiger
Working for the Weekend (actually ANY song by Loverboy)
Most likely the song in the OP (no way am I going to go listen to it!)

The list isn't that big, but it's non-negotiable.

I'm not playing these songs, and that's all there is to it.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back