So now that the smoke has settled and nothing is left of my old band I figured it'd be cathartic to put my story out there about the loss of a friend to the jaws of an insane woman and substance abuse.
Band had been together gigging for about a year and we were a three piece rock thing. It was cool. Me and the drummer had been called the tightest rhythm section in town and we even made a bit of chump change playing originals. Guitar player had been dating this rampant pothead for a while but people I knew knew her friends etc. Suffice it to say we were acquainted. I didn't mind because in the past I did my fair share of drugs and it never hurt anybody or got in the way of my life (I quit after seeing some friends start sound the wrong drugs and wrong things in life). Of course though I tried to live and let live
So things started slowly with him lying about things that really didn't matter. Whatever right? I don't care whether or not he's a university student anyways. Didn't hurt me any so long as he does what he's supposed to do. Then he starts using quite a few drugs with her. I didn't care until he stopped paying his share of the internet on time. Repeatedly. Trying to be professional I did my best not to let home life interfere with the band. Yes, We lived together.
We started gigging a little prematurely so we needed like three covers to beef up our set's just a bit. He refused to learn them. Or he'd wait till we used gig money paying for rehearsal space to say he didn't know the simple modern rock power chord covers after nearly 3 weeks. Or worse, cancel after the drummer and I were at rehearsal waiting for him because he had pissed this girl off. I actually remember his words one time it happened. "I royally screwed up with blah blah and I don't think it'd be wise to leave her". We had a gig in two days.
This is where things go from sucky to asinine. He missed a sound check and nearly the shows start to pick this lazy woman up from work which was not necessary because she lived like a mile away and there's FREE public transit. When he did show up he was in slip ons, basketball shorts and a dirty white shirt. He started being late to practices and rehearsals held at our apartment on a regular basis by 2 or more hours. When he did show up (late) he'd come in with her and smoothies (not like we had an internet bill in my name needing to be paid).
Then he sold his good guitars to pay her rent (she still got evicted). Lied to us about why he suddenly only had the one beat up old electric. This whole time mind you he was in between jobs because he had a tendency to get lazy and just quit because his parents are paying most his way (like his half of the rent). Not to mention be was gigging a fender 25 watt solid state practice amp versus a full dw kit and bass rig. I talked to my drummer and told him our ship was mostly sunk. I said plug the hole by mutiny and throwing the guitarist overboard. My drummers plan of scuttle the ship won out. We scuttle the ship and start a second band.
Now that harpy is living at my apartment, leaving moldy dishes in the sink for weeks at a time, they both hate me for the audacity of making them smoke outside (since our vents connect and I don't need everything I own to reek of marijuana, and riding the thermostat to a crisp 90,000 degrees Celsius. She does like to be cozy from the bottom of her hooves to the top of her pitchfork
Here's the good news though. I played nice and before everything exploded I convinced him to sign himself off our lease as of May 31st. New roommate, New band (first gig this weekend), and no more dead weight. Don't make my mistake and continuously try to work with some loser who thinks he's going to get anywhere refusing to practice cause he doesn't "feel it". This account doesn't even include all the times the drummer and I tried to tighten things up and get him to at least half try.
Rant done. What do you guys think? Anyone have something like this happen to them?
Band had been together gigging for about a year and we were a three piece rock thing. It was cool. Me and the drummer had been called the tightest rhythm section in town and we even made a bit of chump change playing originals. Guitar player had been dating this rampant pothead for a while but people I knew knew her friends etc. Suffice it to say we were acquainted. I didn't mind because in the past I did my fair share of drugs and it never hurt anybody or got in the way of my life (I quit after seeing some friends start sound the wrong drugs and wrong things in life). Of course though I tried to live and let live
So things started slowly with him lying about things that really didn't matter. Whatever right? I don't care whether or not he's a university student anyways. Didn't hurt me any so long as he does what he's supposed to do. Then he starts using quite a few drugs with her. I didn't care until he stopped paying his share of the internet on time. Repeatedly. Trying to be professional I did my best not to let home life interfere with the band. Yes, We lived together.
We started gigging a little prematurely so we needed like three covers to beef up our set's just a bit. He refused to learn them. Or he'd wait till we used gig money paying for rehearsal space to say he didn't know the simple modern rock power chord covers after nearly 3 weeks. Or worse, cancel after the drummer and I were at rehearsal waiting for him because he had pissed this girl off. I actually remember his words one time it happened. "I royally screwed up with blah blah and I don't think it'd be wise to leave her". We had a gig in two days.
This is where things go from sucky to asinine. He missed a sound check and nearly the shows start to pick this lazy woman up from work which was not necessary because she lived like a mile away and there's FREE public transit. When he did show up he was in slip ons, basketball shorts and a dirty white shirt. He started being late to practices and rehearsals held at our apartment on a regular basis by 2 or more hours. When he did show up (late) he'd come in with her and smoothies (not like we had an internet bill in my name needing to be paid).
Then he sold his good guitars to pay her rent (she still got evicted). Lied to us about why he suddenly only had the one beat up old electric. This whole time mind you he was in between jobs because he had a tendency to get lazy and just quit because his parents are paying most his way (like his half of the rent). Not to mention be was gigging a fender 25 watt solid state practice amp versus a full dw kit and bass rig. I talked to my drummer and told him our ship was mostly sunk. I said plug the hole by mutiny and throwing the guitarist overboard. My drummers plan of scuttle the ship won out. We scuttle the ship and start a second band.
Now that harpy is living at my apartment, leaving moldy dishes in the sink for weeks at a time, they both hate me for the audacity of making them smoke outside (since our vents connect and I don't need everything I own to reek of marijuana, and riding the thermostat to a crisp 90,000 degrees Celsius. She does like to be cozy from the bottom of her hooves to the top of her pitchfork
Here's the good news though. I played nice and before everything exploded I convinced him to sign himself off our lease as of May 31st. New roommate, New band (first gig this weekend), and no more dead weight. Don't make my mistake and continuously try to work with some loser who thinks he's going to get anywhere refusing to practice cause he doesn't "feel it". This account doesn't even include all the times the drummer and I tried to tighten things up and get him to at least half try.
Rant done. What do you guys think? Anyone have something like this happen to them?
