Should you have done exactly what he wanted? Only if you needed the work. I've been there a few times and made different choices depending on the band.
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Got fired today.
- Thread starter Itzayana
- Start date
I was not welcomed in a band because my hair was long and I over-played..
I was also asked to play a specific chord.."trick question".. I played the chord..then was told "You can't play chords on a bass"..I was then told about the need for that band to unify..conformity in dress and look. Never went back..wasn't asked back.
Again..If Buddy Rich...and 'Buddy Rich' level of musicianship/ professionalism..I can understand, but a trad-blues? ..I respect trad blues as roots and I ADORE Hendrix, Allmans, Bonamossa, Gary Moore..ETC ..they all took it to a level way above...makes trad blues sound like a 1950's transistor radio. I also hate when every trad-blues recording...drunken..out of tune..off key.. no one is playing same changes is regarded as anything above the waste of tape and time garbage it is...my opinion
Also agreed that when it is a J-O-B...Then, PAY ME BY THE HOUR AT GIGS, REHEARSALS, MILEAGE, PER DIEM,ETC. AND I WILL DO AS YOU SAY....
I was also asked to play a specific chord.."trick question".. I played the chord..then was told "You can't play chords on a bass"..I was then told about the need for that band to unify..conformity in dress and look. Never went back..wasn't asked back.
Again..If Buddy Rich...and 'Buddy Rich' level of musicianship/ professionalism..I can understand, but a trad-blues? ..I respect trad blues as roots and I ADORE Hendrix, Allmans, Bonamossa, Gary Moore..ETC ..they all took it to a level way above...makes trad blues sound like a 1950's transistor radio. I also hate when every trad-blues recording...drunken..out of tune..off key.. no one is playing same changes is regarded as anything above the waste of tape and time garbage it is...my opinion
Also agreed that when it is a J-O-B...Then, PAY ME BY THE HOUR AT GIGS, REHEARSALS, MILEAGE, PER DIEM,ETC. AND I WILL DO AS YOU SAY....
It doesn't sound that way to me, although it sounds like the BL is trying to pass it off as such.
The BL wants the bass to play the same riff as the guitar.
What songs by Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Little Walter, Junior Wells, Sonny Boy Williamson, etc are like that?
There might be a few, but it's a very small percentage.
I think the BL is full of crap in terms of authenticity, and wants to be in charge of fulfilling his "artistic vision," which is nothing like what he says it is.
That could very well be the case. I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy. But if you can try to think about the scenario from a different perspective, sometimes you can come to a greater level of understanding.
This BL may *THINK* that his artistic direction for this band is steering them in that direction. Or he could suffer from being a control freak who can't see past that for the purposes of making his band sound better and/or more authentic. If it's the control freak situation? Then maybe it's all for the OP's benefit that he got cut loose so that he doesn't have to deal with that nonsense anymore.
+ 100000
This is EXACTLY how things run in the band I'm in. Nobody makes "executive decisions" and fires someone on the spot without unanimous consent from every other member or a majority of members. The band will never progress or go anywhere if the BL with no fame, reputation, or amazing talents is calling all the shots. People want a band member to act like a hired gun without the pay. Let him see what it's like to get nickel and dimed for everything or let him try to find a gullible sap that will get abused constantly. If the music sounded better or was more cohesive with what you are doing while still sounding bluesy, I have to say I'd side with you on that OP.
If there's anything I understand it's bullsheet. I know it well.
And I believe that's what's going on here, a clueless control freak. I also believe the OP is better off without him, and should consider poaching the drummer and harp dude. Screw the control freak.
Wow. What an amazing number of replies. Thanks so much. I appreciate and respect every ones perspective. I have learned a lot from this.
Hope I haven't come off as a whiner or cry baby here. This is honestly the first time I have been let go from a band in over 40 years, so maybe I was crying a little.
This was actually the third ranked group of the three that I currently work with.
For me it wouldn't have been long term anyway.
My style has always been to blend and incorporate all the various genre and differing styles that I have played over the years to express my feelings, emotions, and put my own "voice" to music.
I absolutely respect and appreciate those who work toward preserving historical snap shots of music. It just isn't who I am.
Hope I haven't come off as a whiner or cry baby here. This is honestly the first time I have been let go from a band in over 40 years, so maybe I was crying a little.
This was actually the third ranked group of the three that I currently work with.
For me it wouldn't have been long term anyway.
My style has always been to blend and incorporate all the various genre and differing styles that I have played over the years to express my feelings, emotions, and put my own "voice" to music.
I absolutely respect and appreciate those who work toward preserving historical snap shots of music. It just isn't who I am.
Selectively quote much?
Your decision to do so, and de facto refusal to look at any other perspective on this situation than your own doesn't make you look a whole lot better than the so-called band leader that the OP is talking about.
Fat Steve
The poodle bites, the poodle chews it.
Questions for the OP:
Did the BL find, negotiate, book and promote the shows?
Did the BL pick the tunes?
Did the BL pick all of the personnel?
Did the BL pay you for your time? Was the pay acceptable?
Lots of hate in here about BL in general, but not much info about what if anything the BL for the OPs band was doing.
And before the haters can hate, no, I'm not a BL.
Did the BL find, negotiate, book and promote the shows?
Did the BL pick the tunes?
Did the BL pick all of the personnel?
Did the BL pay you for your time? Was the pay acceptable?
Lots of hate in here about BL in general, but not much info about what if anything the BL for the OPs band was doing.
And before the haters can hate, no, I'm not a BL.
+1
I've been a band leader. Everyone wants to tell you how to run the band, nobody wants to help.
I haven't gotten into any brawls with our BL, but I understand that every person in the band has their own vision of what the song "should" be, you have to pick one vision and go for that or it will sound like crap. Our BL is the rhythm guitarist and the lead singer... So we go with his vision and it works. Sooner or later I see what his vision is, and then I support it whether I like the song or not.
The biggest thing I have learned about being in a band is that it is a team sport, more a team sport than any sport I have ever seen... You have to give up your individuality in order to be a part of a team. If I am always screwing around with bass riffs, the lead guitar can't be screwing around with lead guitar... cant do his job. My bass line is like a set of monkey bars that he plays around. If you move the bars, dude falls on his face. I could see it happening, so I cut it out. On the other side, if you be the rock, your bass line gives their high pitched girly instruments some power.
The biggest thing I have learned about being in a band is that it is a team sport, more a team sport than any sport I have ever seen... You have to give up your individuality in order to be a part of a team. If I am always screwing around with bass riffs, the lead guitar can't be screwing around with lead guitar... cant do his job. My bass line is like a set of monkey bars that he plays around. If you move the bars, dude falls on his face. I could see it happening, so I cut it out. On the other side, if you be the rock, your bass line gives their high pitched girly instruments some power.
I'm the BL in my band-meaning I picked the band members, book the gigs, vet song selections, and host rehearsals. I don't make a firing decision without unanimous agreement (have had to fire two members so far 
). Everyone gets a voice in song selections, but I have the final say, as I have a specific stylistic vision of the band. We are a happy crew so far, knock on wood!! (The two firings were clearcut-one member was a felon about to go to jail-had not disclosed this information; the other member was a support (non-playing) member that we decided we could no longer afford).
). Everyone gets a voice in song selections, but I have the final say, as I have a specific stylistic vision of the band. We are a happy crew so far, knock on wood!! (The two firings were clearcut-one member was a felon about to go to jail-had not disclosed this information; the other member was a support (non-playing) member that we decided we could no longer afford).Selectively quote much?
Your decision to do so, and de facto refusal to look at any other perspective on this situation than your own doesn't make you look a whole lot better than the so-called band leader that the OP is talking about.
Yes, I do it often, and in a way to keep it brief and not skew what was quoted. I don't see a problem with that, but if you do that's your decision.
I can very easily look at it from the BL's perspective. It's "Do it my way, or hit the highway,' as evidenced by him firing the OP.
And as far as how I look, I'm not here to win a beauty contest.
There are two sides to every coin, however one thing I have learned is that people often conceal the real reason for their actions.
Maybe the BL just didn't like you on a personal level or perhaps he has already replaced you with an old friend who was waiting in the wings.
Did he ask you to hold back on the fills and you defied him, thus making him feel insecure?
Have you posted here because your feelings are hurt and you thought every reply would be sympathetic or are you just baffled that someone would fire a good player and then have to bring another bassist up to speed?
Anyhow, looking on the bright side, you still have your other bands so all is not lost.
Maybe the BL just didn't like you on a personal level or perhaps he has already replaced you with an old friend who was waiting in the wings.
Did he ask you to hold back on the fills and you defied him, thus making him feel insecure?
Have you posted here because your feelings are hurt and you thought every reply would be sympathetic or are you just baffled that someone would fire a good player and then have to bring another bassist up to speed?
Anyhow, looking on the bright side, you still have your other bands so all is not lost.
Was the L signing the paychecks? It's been my take that many BLs tend to neglect that part.
If you want to treat the bassist like hire help you need to pay the bassist. If you can't come up with the salary you aren't the boss.
Surely you can't mean that someone has to do more than be egocentric and run a CL ad to be a BL.
Have you posted here because your feelings are hurt and you thought every reply would be sympathetic or are you just baffled that someone would fire a good player and then have to bring another bassist up to speed?
Great questions all.
1) No. We get along just fine and will likely remain friends on some level. There is mutual respect.
2) Drummer told me everything is on hold until they find a new bass player.
3) Wasn't about "lots of fills" and I really wasn't playing overly complicated parts. I just wanted to have more groove with the drummer and the BL felt the bass parts should be more like the guitar parts. He said that he has trouble singing if the bass doesn't continue to play the motif or riffs with him. Anything other than that throws him off.
4) I guess on some level feelings are always hurt in this situation.
I absolutely know better than to expect mostly sympathetic replies. I was honestly surprised that there were as many as there were.
