Have You Ever Left a Successful Band?

[sean_on_bass]

Hey Folks,

Curious if anyone here has left behind a drama free, successful gigging band, and why. Recently i put in my resignation for what is really my primary group(but i am not the BL). The band has been getting better and better gigs and has good booking potential. The group is generally drama free and everyone acts professional. Seemingly a great situation all around.

So why did i resign? The music and concept. Joining the band was always an artistic compromise from the start. The music played pretty much never intersected with my own tastes. The concept of the group is confusing...some sort of show tune/novelty jazz/20's/30's/40's/world group with no drummer. The BL was also really trying to use the band as a vehicle for his own originals, which didn't always suit the rest of the material or came left of center. Ultimately playing in this group was starting to drain me and become a chore, regardless of decent gig pay.

Why have you left a successful band?

 

[Spidey2112]

If I'm ever fortunate enough to leave a good one, I'll let you know...

 

[awakefie]

Hey Folks,

Why have you left a successful band?

Yes. More than once. Various reasons. Health, boredom, moving, etc. I've been fortunate that most the bands I have been in have been solid, gigging bands with great people. Some times I just get bored. I have left more than one successful band because I got bored with the same old venues and music. I have been in the band I am in for about 8 years but left them for a year because I thought I was getting too old to play, but then returned when I got bored not playing. It's a catch 22. Lots of reasons, mostly boredom.

 

[StyleOverShow]

Yes, grass is greener and boredom kind of thing?

The three reasons apply here: good money; good music; good hang.
Sometimes you get two or more and it still ain't enough.

 

[lfmn16]

Yes. I played with a guitar player who wrote terrible originals. I don't know how, but he managed to book the band regularly at about 50/50 originals to covers. He was a nice guy, I got along with everyone in the band, and they were all good musicians, no drama. One of my friends asked to hear the guitar players originals and when I played it back, I realized how bad it was. I couldn't embarrass myself any more. I listen back, it was over 20 years ago, and can't believe I stayed as long as I did.

 

[Stumbo]

When I was young and stupid, I got into an argument with the manager over nothing.

Another time, I moved away to go to school.

 

[mobdirt]

Yes, 2 or 3 times by now

 

[Rumbledore]

was a tight band with good Hollywood shows, singer/frontman(woman actually) regularly binged on Vicodin and became somewhat unpredictable. so i left

 

[PullThePlug]

The day job came with a retirement plans and health insurance coverage. The band did not. Those two things are VERY expensive and vital for my well being.

That said, we're still great friends. I love to see them do well without me, and I hope they only improve.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I'm thinking about it. Redhead, by any weekend warrior measure, does great. It's the baddest bar band in Hartford CT. But I'm not averse to checking out bands with greater ambitions.

 

[biguglyman]

Had to quit a very successful cover band I helped found to take a decent paying job working second shift. Paying bills took precedence...

 

[juancaminos]

Yeah had to stop in the early 80's to get serious about keeping food on the table for four kids. It was the best band I had been in at the time. Any I put a lot of time into it but...

 

[silky smoove]

Yep. I've done it twice in fact. The first time was rough as I went from playing gigs in front of packed houses with people that were really pumped and knew the tunes to dead gigs where the few people there didn't give a rip who was playing. That was tough. It got worse about a year after I left the band and they got to play on Jimmy Kimmel and fly to New York to do sessions with Lady Gaga's producer. Yikes... definitely hard times.

The second time I took a two year hiatus from playing live music entirely after leaving, so my return wasn't nearly as traumatic. When I did return it was to substantially smaller crowds like the first time, but the step down wasn't immediate so it wasn't as harsh. Also, the band I was with when I made my return after two years, while not terribly popular was/is fantastic, features some of the best musicians I've ever played with and I absolutely love the tunes.

 

[Deleted member 261632]

Yes, 2 times: once in an 70'ies to 90'ies hard rock cover band --> couldn't gel with the other members.
2nd time I left a successfull band, was when the BL wanted to play, regardless of anything. Even though a middle of the week gig, in support of an unknown (here in Belgium) Lynyrd Skynyrd all-female tribute band in the middle of nowhere.

 

[KohanMike]

Five years ago when I started playing ukulele, after playing guitar for almost 50 years, I joined two groups, a seniors basic group of about 60 people, beginners to low intermediate, and an advanced ensemble of 10 of some very good players. A little insecure about playing the uke, and especially because I didn't know music, I agonized trying to keep up with the ensemble group week after week, the seniors group was not a problem.

About a year later the ensemble was at a members house rehearsing for an upcoming gig with the typical fumbles and bumbles. When we started a song in a much faster tempo than I was used to, it took me a few measures to catch up. At the end, one member who considers himself a professional musician, and a loud mouth, turned to me and blurted out that I need to keep up, to get with it. Boy did it piss me off that he singled me out and never said anything to the others who made mistakes as well. Being very bad at confrontation, I just sat back through the last song.

Between the stress of constantly trying to keep up and that comment, which broke the camels back, I decided to quit the group. I've been a member of the other group for five years now, and have become the bass uke player, of which I'm very happy and valued.

 

[interp]

Left a very good cover band back in the 80s, but only because my day job necessitated a move. I've been very fortunate never to be tied down with a band I didn't enjoy playing with.

 

[mdlewis]

Yes, several times. Each time the band was on the verge of being successful and had been signed to a decent label (and in each case, each band went on for several years of success or more). I was going to have to quit school, or later, my day job. Each time, it was a heartbreaking, but realistic choice. The music was compelling in all but one band. In the end, I'm just a bass player, and a pretty average one at that - most of the money in that biz used to be made by the songwriters as the songwriting royalties used to add up to the total of all of the performance royalties.

It was always a great time, the music was everything, but in the end, the trade offs were too great. And the life style was going to do me in.

 

[baileyboy]

My last band was successful in terms of gigging. The reason we were able to gig often was the guitarist's brother was a beer distributor and so knew well all the local bar/club owners. We could get in anywhere, no issues. The reason I left is we weren't very good. The drummer and guitarist were musically limited and so we could only muster the most basic of rock songs, think ZZTop, AC/DC, etc. Even though I was constantly gigging, it grew old real fast.

 

[DWBass]

Not willingly.

 

[DirtDog]

Yes, once. Basically burned out from gigging and health reasons. I 'retired' in December and the lads are having the best gigging year yet. No regrets, tho.

I've quit quite a few bands over the years that didn't go anywhere afterwards.