Quit or remove the offending member. These seem to be the only eventual conclusions for nearly all band conflicts. Should probably be made a Stickie!
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Guitar player changes his "stripes" when playing a gig
- Thread starter Blatz
- Start date
Sounds like the dude is insecure in front of his friends. I don't personally think you need to quit or fire anyone. Everyone on this site is always so oriented towards piss and vinegar and this isn't necessarily one of those times where you need to start kicking things over.
If he's all good at rehearsals then I'd take a guess that his rehearsal personality is close to his 'real' personality and that at gigs he's trying to be someone he expects certain people want to see.
It starts with you sitting him down and asking him if he realises what he's doing. I would expect that he probably doesn't. Emphasise that his friends will think that he's cooler if the entire band are on the same page, this is something you can guarantee. If you're straight with the guy that puts the ball firmly in his court which will give you plenty of reason to take your business elsewhere if he just goes at it again.
You can't hang, draw and quarter someone for something that might have been the product of heat-of-the-moment insecurities but you can be justifiably pissed about repeat offenses.
If he's all good at rehearsals then I'd take a guess that his rehearsal personality is close to his 'real' personality and that at gigs he's trying to be someone he expects certain people want to see.
It starts with you sitting him down and asking him if he realises what he's doing. I would expect that he probably doesn't. Emphasise that his friends will think that he's cooler if the entire band are on the same page, this is something you can guarantee. If you're straight with the guy that puts the ball firmly in his court which will give you plenty of reason to take your business elsewhere if he just goes at it again.
You can't hang, draw and quarter someone for something that might have been the product of heat-of-the-moment insecurities but you can be justifiably pissed about repeat offenses.
Band members do NOT criticize each other on stage. That is a set rule of being professional. You're SELLING this act to the audience, and you need to build each other up, not tear each other down.
You can make jokes about each other, but they have to be funny, and you better be good at the delivery. It's dangerous territory, for sure.
Starting songs the band hasn't rehearsed?
Do that to me, and you will soon be telling people I have an unreasonable temper.
Trust me on that one.
You can make jokes about each other, but they have to be funny, and you better be good at the delivery. It's dangerous territory, for sure.
Starting songs the band hasn't rehearsed?
Do that to me, and you will soon be telling people I have an unreasonable temper.
Trust me on that one.
Tell him to wake up and smell the coffee. He is an asshat guitarist playing to his doofus friends in a bar coverband. Dump the idiot.
Yeah, the more I think about it, any time one of my bandmates spends an inordinate amount of time interacting with and showing off for his little circle of buddies, I get a little pissed. There's a whole room full of people we are supposed to be entertaining, making new friends, getting everyone in on the act to expand our fan base.
So unprofessional.
Next time guitar man insults you guys on stage then the next song he has a lead in you change the key, tempo, etc. add breaks, do a full on jazz exploration if you want. My drummer and I like to do this when our guitar player decides he is so awesome he needs to extend his lead or add new unrehearsed ones.
Then later you tell ego boy "You know we can make you sound real good or we can make you sound REAL bad. You better treat us right."
Then later you tell ego boy "You know we can make you sound real good or we can make you sound REAL bad. You better treat us right."
I think I'd just have to find a mike and say "Fred's gonna do his solo number while we take a break..." and walk away...
If he can pull it off, he doesn't need you.
You already don't need him...
I dunno... I sure wouldn't give this guy too many more opportunities to clown on me like that.
At some point you have to quit investing good energy into bad situations/individuals. That point is different for different people and varies by the situation but it seems like this guitarist has about used up his mulligans already.
At some point you have to quit investing good energy into bad situations/individuals. That point is different for different people and varies by the situation but it seems like this guitarist has about used up his mulligans already.
How good is the guy as a musician? If he's seriously good, I'd probably get the band together and have a serious talk to him. If he's easily replaceable, then easily replace him. I don't mind changing set lists, in fact we do it all the time (if people are up dancing, you skip a ballad, for example), but the rest of his antics make you all look like buffoons. Insulting fellow band members on stage, that's a musical felony.
This should be a thread about the night you left this egotist on stage to finish the gig alone.
Behavior like that on stage makes even himself look bad.
Behavior like that on stage makes even himself look bad.
I played for almost two years with a guitard just like that. Nice-enough guy, but when he got on stage, he became a different person. Actually I think that group of guys lasted longer with him than any other, and definitely the best band he ever had. I actually hated gigging with him, but I kept with it for the other two guy’s sakes.
When he and I finally had our falling out the band dissolved, as the drummer (also best singer) wouldn’t gig without me, and the front guy wouldn’t gig without us. (drummer and I started another band with two others.)
Since then he’s been back to different guys every time ya see him, which is how it’s been for him for the past 30+ years. I actually feel sorry for him, but he’ll never have a good, tight band because of it.
He’s a work associate (at least for the next couple months, as I’m retiring), and I talk to him for a few minutes every morning, the conversation inevitably getting to band stuff, and he’s not a happy person.
Foolish man.
When he and I finally had our falling out the band dissolved, as the drummer (also best singer) wouldn’t gig without me, and the front guy wouldn’t gig without us. (drummer and I started another band with two others.)
Since then he’s been back to different guys every time ya see him, which is how it’s been for him for the past 30+ years. I actually feel sorry for him, but he’ll never have a good, tight band because of it.
He’s a work associate (at least for the next couple months, as I’m retiring), and I talk to him for a few minutes every morning, the conversation inevitably getting to band stuff, and he’s not a happy person.
Foolish man.
I love it... all of it. I wish there were more stories like this where it's the bassist.
I've done my share of business with similar guitarists. Some of them are like roaches... they keep comin' back! Every band they are in ultimately implodes due to "personality conflicts" but even years later you might find them on stage again with a new set of victims.
