Keith Richards once described Jagger as "insufferable". Apparently they were able to work it out 
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Insufferable Band Member(s)
- Thread starter chris1327
- Start date
I feel like I could tolerate the attitudes of all types but I could not tolerate bad musicianship. Bad time, no feel, no pocket, bad improvisation, over playing, bad dynamics, inability to learn how to run sound via iPads or the PA. Not helping with loading or providing any help connecting sound systems. Nope. Nope. Nope.
Out of timber so crooked as that from which man is made, nothing entirely straight can be built.
- Kant
- Kant
Trying to tolerate a wingnut really hurts the music, its sucks motivation out of me.. it turns fun into a prison sentence.
I absolutely refuse to spend my band time with anyone I don’t like. Period, non-negotiable.
To be annoyingly pedantic, the answer is no. If their behaviour is "insufferable" it means you won't suffer (allow, or be subjected to) it, so either you'll leave or you'll sack them.
But more realistically, it's going to depend on what the behaviour is. Generally I'm fine with people whose personalities, beliefs or affiliations are very different to mine. I won't put up with people whose behaviour affects the band, e.g. people who come to rehearsal unprepared, arrive late for gigs, show an inappropriate bad attitude towards venue staff or audience, etc.
But more realistically, it's going to depend on what the behaviour is. Generally I'm fine with people whose personalities, beliefs or affiliations are very different to mine. I won't put up with people whose behaviour affects the band, e.g. people who come to rehearsal unprepared, arrive late for gigs, show an inappropriate bad attitude towards venue staff or audience, etc.
I’ve played with people who could carry their own water on stage but were complete flakes when off it. As long as it doesn't get personal I just tune them out when we are not playing.
I worked with a guy for a while who tried to screw with me when he rage quit the thing he brought me into. His leaving had everything to do with an ego clash with the BL. He tried to get me to quit with him and got butt hurt when I wouldn’t. I told him I had a calendar and whoever called first wanting me to play, got that date. He kept calling trying to sandbag with all manner of sketchy and made up jobs attempting to fill up my calendar to keep me from taking dates from the other band. LSS, it became such a PITA, I told him I’d need a guaranteed cut of a hundred bucks a night or an equal cut of the money if that number was bigger and I needed half up front to hold a date. He quit calling me.
I worked with a guy for a while who tried to screw with me when he rage quit the thing he brought me into. His leaving had everything to do with an ego clash with the BL. He tried to get me to quit with him and got butt hurt when I wouldn’t. I told him I had a calendar and whoever called first wanting me to play, got that date. He kept calling trying to sandbag with all manner of sketchy and made up jobs attempting to fill up my calendar to keep me from taking dates from the other band. LSS, it became such a PITA, I told him I’d need a guaranteed cut of a hundred bucks a night or an equal cut of the money if that number was bigger and I needed half up front to hold a date. He quit calling me.
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I remember a drummer who was an irritant; more to our sound guy who was an equal partner in the band.
But sometimes it is small thing. One rhythm guitar player/singer in a band I was in once wanted all of us to contribute $40 a month or something to rent a rehearsal space when we were fine in my house or his garage. "It's nothing," he said. "I spend more on coffee than that." Well, I don't go out for food or drinks and I certainly don't drink coffee or spend money on it. For some reason that really grated on me.
Years later he emailed me and asked if I wanted to play bass in a working bar band. Certainly not.
I played with another guy, he's 80 now and in declining health, but he was in a minor pop band in England in the 60s, recorded at Abbey Road and rubbed shoulders with the Beatles. He's the only guy I know who had a conversation with John Lennon. He has been playing since the 1950s. Super sound engineer too. Has won an Emmy Award, two Leo Awards and a Juno Award.
Fun guy, great stories, but he would not play until he'd consumed at least a couple of drinks of gin and hopefully more. Never practised on his own, only at rehearsal, and sober or drunk, from one rehearsal to the next he could not remember a song arrangement. I love the guy, he's a great one to hang out with, but impossible to play with. We did pull off one New Year's gig with him though. But he's better as a friend than a band mate.
But sometimes it is small thing. One rhythm guitar player/singer in a band I was in once wanted all of us to contribute $40 a month or something to rent a rehearsal space when we were fine in my house or his garage. "It's nothing," he said. "I spend more on coffee than that." Well, I don't go out for food or drinks and I certainly don't drink coffee or spend money on it. For some reason that really grated on me.
Years later he emailed me and asked if I wanted to play bass in a working bar band. Certainly not.
I played with another guy, he's 80 now and in declining health, but he was in a minor pop band in England in the 60s, recorded at Abbey Road and rubbed shoulders with the Beatles. He's the only guy I know who had a conversation with John Lennon. He has been playing since the 1950s. Super sound engineer too. Has won an Emmy Award, two Leo Awards and a Juno Award.
Fun guy, great stories, but he would not play until he'd consumed at least a couple of drinks of gin and hopefully more. Never practised on his own, only at rehearsal, and sober or drunk, from one rehearsal to the next he could not remember a song arrangement. I love the guy, he's a great one to hang out with, but impossible to play with. We did pull off one New Year's gig with him though. But he's better as a friend than a band mate.
BobDeRosa
Commercial User
- May 16, 2012
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- Owner, Tritone Jazz Fantasy Camps
You're a mellow, friendly individual but you would beat a rented mule? I don't get it.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
Oooh, A Marillion paraphrase of a misquote from Apocalypse now. Found the progger
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had a guitarist flipout and leave over learning Tom Pettys "runnin down a dream"..we had no vocals yet, so the changes in that song are tricky if you dont count each measure perfectly. Anyhoo, he didn't like that, packed his sht and walked out...We were like "wth just happened"
Couple months go by, we auditioned a cpl guys and then outta the blue dramaqueen returns and tries to cozy up with the other guitarist and come back into the fold, meanwhile i heard thru the other guitarist that "drama queen" has done this before i hooked up with them. Then the drummer left soon after this episode and me not long after, as i didn't wanna start from scratch and deal with that guy again..It's too bad he was really a good player to boot...Yeh there's always one huh
Couple months go by, we auditioned a cpl guys and then outta the blue dramaqueen returns and tries to cozy up with the other guitarist and come back into the fold, meanwhile i heard thru the other guitarist that "drama queen" has done this before i hooked up with them. Then the drummer left soon after this episode and me not long after, as i didn't wanna start from scratch and deal with that guy again..It's too bad he was really a good player to boot...Yeh there's always one huh
Depends on your options. Other gigging opportunities if you leave? If so, leave that clown behind
‘
Pretty much agree with you. I can put up with a lot, but when it effects “business”, or it get’s personal, is where I draw the line. I will say this, my experience over time is the hang becomes more important then putting up with a pain in the butt. Being a musician does not mean you get to be a jerk.
- Mar 19, 2013
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- If only I were that good....
Only thing I ever found insufferable was a former band member that would never, EVER, stop complaining about money.
no matter what, we weren’t getting paid enough…..sorry but we don’t have the draw to charge $1500 a show. Just not gonna happen. We all knew this bringing him in too. He was just that amazing of a drummer, did harmonies, could play anything with very little rehearsal and nail it.
But he just couldn’t be satisfied with what we were getting.
no matter what, we weren’t getting paid enough…..sorry but we don’t have the draw to charge $1500 a show. Just not gonna happen. We all knew this bringing him in too. He was just that amazing of a drummer, did harmonies, could play anything with very little rehearsal and nail it.
But he just couldn’t be satisfied with what we were getting.
Oooh, A Marillion paraphrase of a misquote from Apocalypse now. Found the progger
Sylmarillion, my friend.
Probably not the best thing to have on your resume.
Having said that, I did knowingly join a band withthe world's most toxic guitarist on the understanding that I'd do exactly that if I heard one word of his racist BS. Found myself in a nominally Rockabilly band playing a whole heap of western swing. Young Adolph would turn up to practice with handwritten charts for everyone and write songs at the drop of a hat.
Turns out he was pathologically shy. And overcompensating like the crazy person he undoubtedly was. Bit of a lesson there about not hating a man for the colour of his neck, I guess
