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Have You Ever Left a Successful Band?
- Thread starter sean_on_bass
- Start date
That's where my mind has ultimately ended up after this experience. You can only play music you are neutral to but for so long. I held out a number of years in this case but always knew an end would come eventually. We have a handful of gigs i will play to end the year, but knew i couldn't do another full year with the group.
Can't say I blame him. He's probably seen his share of boneheads that show up unprepared to rehearsal. There is nothing more frustrating than having band progress stalled by those too selfish to do their homework.
I quit my own successful working band to take a gig playing lead guitar six nights a week in a house band. The co-owner of the bar had been a top-40 country singer with several "hits" and a great following locally. My band was doing a few of my originals, great gigs around Indianapolis, working with the best booking agent in the area. I had simply grown tired of being a a band leader, owning the P.A., dealing with club owners, driving the van, buying the van, etc., etc., etc.. The gig I quit to take was so easy by comparison - amp stays in one place, play lead guitar, sing a little harmony, collect my money at the end of each week. Of course it didn't stay that way, but we can always hope, right?
Thank God I'm not a gigging musician!
I'd rather pave hot asphalt roads in Death Valley if I had to play what I don't like for a living.
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Back in the day I left a band that went on to do pretty well in the 80's MTV boom. Records, tours and all that stuff. Great guys, great tunes! I am still friends with some of them. The problem was that they did way too many drugs and I really don't do drugs at all. But, they were really understanding and probably felt a little relieved at not having to curb their lifestyle around me.
Ultimately the drugs were their downfall and it's too bad.
Ultimately the drugs were their downfall and it's too bad.
Twice I thought I was leaving a successful band and both times I was wrong. Both times I left a fun and supportive group of people and a situation that was not negatively impacting my well being.
I once left a band I thought was on the way to being successful. We hadn't had alot of success but I believed strongly in the music and felt like they were going up. I didn't think I could commit the effort necessary and thought my departure would free them up to grow. After 6 months or so sticking around looking for a new bassist I finally stepped out. As it turned out they folded 2 gigs and 3 months later. Before they did fold I went to see them sans bass and it wasn't pretty. Guess you never know until you're on the outside.
I did the same thing 4 years later with a group that actually was reasonably successful, was comprised of really nice, hardworking people, getting paid gigs, etc. The musical direction was changing a bit and also my first kid had arrived and I didn't have time anymore so I very amicably split. As it turned out everyone in the band was looking for a break and the only gig they played after I left was with me one year later when a promoter called about a local street fest and we decided to get the band back together for one more show.
Maybe every band I've been in has just been waiting for me to leave so they can break up...
I once left a band I thought was on the way to being successful. We hadn't had alot of success but I believed strongly in the music and felt like they were going up. I didn't think I could commit the effort necessary and thought my departure would free them up to grow. After 6 months or so sticking around looking for a new bassist I finally stepped out. As it turned out they folded 2 gigs and 3 months later. Before they did fold I went to see them sans bass and it wasn't pretty. Guess you never know until you're on the outside.
I did the same thing 4 years later with a group that actually was reasonably successful, was comprised of really nice, hardworking people, getting paid gigs, etc. The musical direction was changing a bit and also my first kid had arrived and I didn't have time anymore so I very amicably split. As it turned out everyone in the band was looking for a break and the only gig they played after I left was with me one year later when a promoter called about a local street fest and we decided to get the band back together for one more show.
Maybe every band I've been in has just been waiting for me to leave so they can break up...
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Twice, both due to work moves. Upside is a network of friendly musicians along the lower Atlantic coast 
I quit a great band a few years back. We had a couple of albums released and the shows were usually a blast, but I was at a phase in my life where I wanted to focus more on my family and career. I wound up immediately joining another band that was less active, but also very fulfilling.
I'm considering quitting my current 80s cover band. We're successful in the sense that we have gigs booked 3-4 times a month at bars for little pay to the same demographic of audience. What we're not successful at is getting better paying gigs and expanding our audience to more mainstream crowds. I blame this on our song choices and our band leader and guitarist being short-sighted when it comes to deciding what we play and who we are going to play to. I've had my fun but I'm tired of playing songs that 5% of our audience wants to hear because our guitar player thinks they are "rad" songs. I'd rather gig half as often for twice the pay to an audience that is up on the dance floor for the length of the show.
Health reasons coupled with an employment conflict. They weren't the greatest players in the world, but they were decent tunesmiths, have a following, and a great song list, plus, just plain good folks.
Yes but only one. To much drama between the drummer and BL. I can only take backstabbing and ******** for so long.
I have left two bands that had local potential but were in no danger of any real financial success. The first was a conflict with the BL. I was the third or fourth bass player in their history and each previous bass player left on their own. Seems that the BL thought that bass players were extra baggage and not needed since she played keys and could play the bass part on her keyboard.
The second band had drug abuse issues and some members didn't have day jobs. They wanted to take midweek jobs that ended at 1AM since they could sleep till noon the next day. I was not willing to risk both my job and my family to continue trying to make that situation work.
Both bands ended shortly after I left, not because I left but probably for the same reasons. The band with the drug issues imploded while on stage at a gig when two members got into it verbally and some members walked out in the middle of the gig.
On the plus side, I liked the song list for both groups but sometimes the situation is just not sustainable.
Thump on,
One_Dude
The second band had drug abuse issues and some members didn't have day jobs. They wanted to take midweek jobs that ended at 1AM since they could sleep till noon the next day. I was not willing to risk both my job and my family to continue trying to make that situation work.
Both bands ended shortly after I left, not because I left but probably for the same reasons. The band with the drug issues imploded while on stage at a gig when two members got into it verbally and some members walked out in the middle of the gig.
On the plus side, I liked the song list for both groups but sometimes the situation is just not sustainable.
Thump on,
One_Dude
Yes, I left a very successful tribute 5 years ago. Why? Because I wasn't digging the music and hated just being a plug and play piece. The show was all about the main guy and the rest of us were just like employees on a flat rate. Almost like a broadway show. Good band. Good pay. good gigs, but I wanted to be part of a band and the process, not like some sort of employee and just one piece out of many. And the music while challenging made me yawn. Just not rocking enough for me.
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I left my previous original band about 6 1/2 years ago. I was fresh out of college at the time and was more concerned with making money vs. making music.
I recently left a band where I was the lead guitarist. I'm a bass player by trade, but can play some guitar. This band plainly sucked! They had been together for 20 years, but would go through about 5 lead players a year. So, not knowing any if this because of being new to the area, I join them. Long story short the drummer was a raging alcoholic and major dope smoker, the lead singer had a half an Octave range but thought he was a vocal god and the rhythm player plain old sucked! Bass player was a great guy. He kept telling me to hang in there. What broke the deal for me was the last gig o played with them was a grad party. The midfle of the gig at the break the drummer says "We took a vote and are not going to charge them" I asked when the vote was taken because I sure didn't agree. He said " Well you're not really a member, you're just a hired gun" so, as a hired gun I went out on stage got my gear and left! They've lost every gig booked since! I'm in a new band playing bass with great guys and living life!
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Wow, so any band can now vote in the middle of the gig to not pay the hired gun. The rules they are a-changin'...
