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Is your band a democracy? or the opposite?

#63
The best 4-piece I was ever in was run by one guy. He did the booking, handled the money, handled the PA. Told us when to show up where and what songs to have down. He'd entertain new songs or ideas, but ultimately he was the final word, and usually reasonable. We'd divide the money 5 ways, he took 2/5, and 1 for each of us. Worked just fine.

The idea of a musical democracy with a lot of the flakes I worked with would seem to be up there with herding cats.
 
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#64
JW56789 said:
The best 4-piece I was ever in was run by one guy. He did the booking, handled the money, handled the PA. Told us when to show up where and what songs to have down. He'd entertain new songs or ideas, but ultimately he was the final word, and usually reasonable. We'd divide the money 5 ways, he took 2/5, and 1 for each of us. Worked just fine.

The idea of a musical democracy with a lot of the flakes I worked with would seem to be up there with herding cats.
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This is very similar to the I run the band. That said, they get paid before I do. Some of the organizations that hire us take months to pay us, so I'll pay my guys out of pocket so I'm the only one that has to wait on the check. They shouldn't have to worry about the business of the band, they just need to show up on time, ready to play.
 
#66
Lesfunk said:
The Most effective is a benign dictatorship
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Zombie thread, but yes IMO. My resurrected main band is not a dictatorship per se, but no one else really wants to take responsibility for organizing stuff so I'm kind of the bandleader now by default. I decided to go ahead and take that on, but we've known each other a long time and I don't want anyone unhappy. So if there's something someone doesn't like or doesn't want to do, we won't do it.

It's just extra responsibility for me. If there's something being done wrong, I might be the one who has to sit down and figure out what it is.

As an example, we were recently working up a song that has these sections where one odd-time measure is thrown in.

At the end it goes into a vamp starting with those sections, and the band's been getting confused partway through the vamp. It feels like the drummer's messing it up, but when I sat down and listened to it I realized that it switches over to straight 4/4 after a certain number of those oddball things, and the drummer's actually been trying to play it correctly. So I had to point that out to everyone in a text message in order to get us on the correct page with that song.

No one will say anything about it, they'll just come in knowing it better next time, as will I.

So I don't feel like a dictator, more just the person who is keeping things on track. I'm the project manager, I guess.
 
#67
I play in a 5 piece band. Typically we try to add songs in sets of 5. Each of us enjoys slightly different genres/styles. Each of us usually has at least one song we really like in the new set. Our lead man/singer is the final say, and determines specific songs that fit the overall set list for the gig. We've played together for about 10 years so we rarely have disputes over these issues, but it helps having a moderation process.
 
#68
I play church gigs. We're a benevolent dictatorship. When we get together, we have 2 gigs in front of decent sized audiences, with the first one in a couple of hours. We have to get stuff done NOW. Depending on who is leading, how complicated the service is, and a few other things, suggestions may or may not be appropriate and/or welcome.

The good news is, every weekend is an ad hoc situation, and if the leader becomes a DICKtator, you can exit after one Sunday of that stuff if you have to - a band leader that drives away all his musicians will soon be unemployed. As a result of that, the leaders tend to treat their band members very well.
 
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#69
I also play in church under a benevolent dictator - works very well.
She books us two weeks in advance, we get songs 4 days before and when we get together on Sunday we have two hours to get the songs rehearsed. Usually that's plenty of time, because people seems to be prepared when they know there is no "next time".
Lineup is not the same every time - which is also great fun.
 
#70
Most 'bands' I play in are run by one person. Usually I get a call to play with one of these people, they tell me when, where, and what I am playing. I do what they tell me to do, if it comes to that. Most of the time the person in charge lets me do my thing.

I run my own band - I pay them and tell them what to do. Most of the time they are happy to do that, but I do allow them some input into song choices, etc. I especially like having a rhythm guitar/vocalist who can actually sing releive me during the set, and all members have given me suggestions for songs, which I usually take, if only to help with their motivation.

kevorargh
 
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#71
JaneBass1 said:
I joined this band recently, and I have been playing their songs. Actually all of the songs are by the singer.

After learning all of the songs and playing for a while, I said I would like to bring some of my songs.

Now that all of the songs that I played with them, some I like, some I don't. But I don't say anything. I just want to play some music.

From all the bands I have been this is the most responsible and organized.

Now I brought in 2 songs, and I asked what they thought. They all (drummer and guitar), looked at the singer. And he say, naahh, i kind of don't like them.

What about I change this and that and maybe the drummer can do this? (Now the drummer looks at me like he suggested ideas before, and they go nowhere).

So I am getting the feeling my band does what the singer says and that's it.

So for fun is ok for the moment, doing some gigs and that, but on the long run I will be just making my own band. Maybe in a year.

Oh yeah and from now on if I don't like something I am just going to be blunt. The heck with it.

Do you have a democracy in your band? or what do you have?
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The band I'm in is pretty similiar to yours. The BL is the main singer and, so far, only songwriter of originals. When I expressed interest in writing originals he was supportive, but we'll see.

In your case I don't see how being "blunt" will result in a positive outcome.
 
#72
It drives me nuts when we have to have some kind of "town hall meeting" for every little decision in a group. I'd rather dispense with the pretense of egalitarianism (which is usually what it is) and have one person just run things, assuming he/she is sufficiently competent and benevolent. An effective leader will still consider suggestions and I can always bail if things get too lame or weird.
 
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#73
The jazz 4tet I'm in is a democracy. We all have our veto power on some things, but we are on the same main ideas and all happy with music we are playing (instrumental jazz) . My veto is.. NO singer. Already played in jazz bands with singers and i will not do it anymore. (i'm not professional, so i can choose :D)

The afro-ska band is a different animal: the band exists since more than 15 years; and the original band members are 4: keys, singer/percussionist, singer/guitarist, main singer. They are like a mini soccer team. They have written and composed all tunes. Drummer and I joined them since few years. We only play several gigs a year, and 2 or 3 reharsals.. So since i'm in the band, we only have finished 3 new tunes that were already started by the past. They are really friendly people and accept our ideas without problem. I play all basslines as i want as soon as i'm respecting the song. And they like my playing :)

The common point of the bands is the human feeling: we all happy to play and hang together, and try to do our best for music. There's no ego trip problems. (since i don't play with jazz singers anymore )
I think i'm really lucky when i read all bands stories here :D
 
#74
Forgot something in my earlier post - the folk band I was in was originally a dictatorship ad we were hired guns. I had some issues with that mainly having to do with money. We eventually incorporated into a business with all of us as partners, and had business meetings to deal with merchandise, etc. but not necessarily for music. That was still the BL's baby, which was fine since it was his name attached to the band, not ours (we were the Trio in the ____ _____ Trio).

That set up worked until I left the band.
 
#75
Our band used to be a democracy. We lost our previous guitarist, got a new guy, and it seems lately he's trying to turn us into his band. Song selection is becoming contentious, where it wasn't before. I've no enthusiasm to learn "Aqualung" or hear another rendition of "Eruption". It might be coming time to move on.
 
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#76
51PRI said:
The band I'm in is pretty similiar to yours. The BL is the main singer and, so far, only songwriter of originals. When I expressed interest in writing originals he was supportive, but we'll see.
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Man, this is a super tough one from the BL perspective. To date, I have written all of the originals we play, but that's certainly not by design. One of my bandmates is a far better songwriter than I'll ever be, but he just doesn't 'get' our genre. Everything he writes comes out as country or southern rock, which we are not. If he could write in our genre, we'd be doing his music almost exclusively.
 
#79
Singer has final say on songs because if they don't sell it, you're done as a band.

However, I'd like to be on the same page otherwise I'm the hired hand, which I'm fine with, but then I pick my commitment levels and terms too.
 

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