As a TB reg and someone that has routinely recommended firing X band member, often for transgressions no greater than bad hair, I'm ashamed to admit I don't actually know how to go about firing anyone.
I'm struggling with the idea of just how to fire the drummer in an originals band I play in. It gets more tricky because he was in the band before me and enthusiastically voted for me after they had auditions. That meant a lot to the BL/vocalist and he certainly helped me get on board. It was a very sweet deal too. I got networked with this original BL's mom, and get quite a lot of jazz work with her.
So I feel I owe a great deal to our drummer for helping me get the opportunity, but the fact is, he's holding the sound back musically. He's a self admitted cover band specialist, mostly 70's to 90's era. He's great at playing loud bar rock and that's about it. My blunt and clinical assessment is that he's basically a living drum machine. You set him off on a beat or groove and that's what the beat will be to the end of the song, no dynamic changes, no variation or new textures. He doesn't even have a workable Latin anything. I ask him to play a samba or bossa with me and he just stares back blankly.
So Friday night, we play our first show without the drummer because he's out of town on business. And it was the first time I believe we created something musical. Was just me on string bass, her and guitar harmony vocals man, a trio. When she got big and loud, so did we. When she took it intimate and soft, so did we. There was actual communication between musicians on stage and the crowd raved about it. I gushed hearing how much they loved the more intimate sound particularly my bass work. Everyone loves the double bass anyway, so that helped of course, but I want more of that. She got requests for her to do more of these trio things and is gushing about the feedback so I thought this was a good time to voice my concerns about the drummer.
Ultimately I'd be doing her and the music a disservice if I didn't raise my drummer concerns right?
Thank you for your indulgence.
I'm struggling with the idea of just how to fire the drummer in an originals band I play in. It gets more tricky because he was in the band before me and enthusiastically voted for me after they had auditions. That meant a lot to the BL/vocalist and he certainly helped me get on board. It was a very sweet deal too. I got networked with this original BL's mom, and get quite a lot of jazz work with her.
So I feel I owe a great deal to our drummer for helping me get the opportunity, but the fact is, he's holding the sound back musically. He's a self admitted cover band specialist, mostly 70's to 90's era. He's great at playing loud bar rock and that's about it. My blunt and clinical assessment is that he's basically a living drum machine. You set him off on a beat or groove and that's what the beat will be to the end of the song, no dynamic changes, no variation or new textures. He doesn't even have a workable Latin anything. I ask him to play a samba or bossa with me and he just stares back blankly.
So Friday night, we play our first show without the drummer because he's out of town on business. And it was the first time I believe we created something musical. Was just me on string bass, her and guitar harmony vocals man, a trio. When she got big and loud, so did we. When she took it intimate and soft, so did we. There was actual communication between musicians on stage and the crowd raved about it. I gushed hearing how much they loved the more intimate sound particularly my bass work. Everyone loves the double bass anyway, so that helped of course, but I want more of that. She got requests for her to do more of these trio things and is gushing about the feedback so I thought this was a good time to voice my concerns about the drummer.
Ultimately I'd be doing her and the music a disservice if I didn't raise my drummer concerns right?
Thank you for your indulgence.
