Just got asked to leave the band...

[Pickebass]

This has happened to my early in my career. I was trying to balance being married, starting my career and all the other things that happen in life. Just recently, I was working in my hometown managing a TV station. I've been fortunate in the decisions I made and most of those guys are still around doing what they were doing 20 years ago.

I have stayed committed to playing and continue to be a very busy musician. Still have the same problem... managing family time, work and gigging. It's a never ending struggle. Prioritize what is important to YOU.

 

[pbd]

^^^^^ I hear ya on giving up "the dream", I crossed that bridged in my mid 20's but you know what, in my early 30's (while married with 2 kids and a 3rd yet to come) I got the chance to play in band that did some regional gigging around, a couple of weekend tours and we put out 2 CD's. Its not dead yet!!

Todd

 

[lfmn16]

its hard to say "I cant do that" and, as it turns out, its harder to say "i quit" to a great job with a global company paying me a wage that will allow me to buy a new car, buy a house, and who knows how much gear haha oh and benefits and pension and yada yada...

Everyone is entitled to have their own priorities. We make our choices and live with the consequences - for better or worse.

I'll try playing music with strangers soon i guess.

Everyone is a stranger until you get to know them. I've met some of my best friends in bands.

 

[podiumboy]

Myself and our lead singer had been in a band together since high school, as well as best friends. We fancied ourselves to be a Lennon/McCartney combo (although not nearly as talented, of course!) Our band lineup solidified in 2001 and remained steady for about 6 years, when we added a rhythm guitarist/backup singer. The main reason for adding him was so that our singer could be more of a frontman without being confined to the guitar/mic stand the whole time, and he was a really good harmony singer. He eventually started bringing in his originals, which was fine with us, except he insisted on singing them too. Egos started to get ruffled.

Then he and the drummer developed a pact with one another, and they wanted to focus more on this guy's originals, and kick the singer out totally. We practiced at the drummers house, so it was up to him to tell us when we could come over. I'd arrive to practice to find that they didn't tell the singer, and we'd just end up working on the new guy's songs. They would tell me to not tell the singer of these "secret practices", and I didn't tell him because I didn't want to start anymore drama.

Then one day they laid it down for me: The singer was done, out, finished. As for myself, either I play the songs THEY want to play, or I'm out too. I went along with that for about 2 gigs before I said "F" this and quit. The new guy's songs weren't very good, nor was he as a lead singer, and the covers they chose weren't good ones, and the 2 gigs we did play were terrible. It's sad, because we were all such good friends, and the band enhanced our friendships all the more. But, all good things must come to an end, I guess. I hardly play anymore, just because of the negative feelings I associate it with.

PS- those guys never replaced me, and just sit around each other's bedrooms recording songs on garage band... lame

 

[zon6c-f]

pklima: Spinal Tap would have been more fun!!

Hindsight 20-20, I have retirement soon, whereas my bandmates in those 2 bands either have no future in music or gave up all together, whereas I am still interested in performing/ making $ here and there. At my age, I no longer have stars in my eyes; waiting for that big break. I can still play bass and make a little $ here and there. In metro Atlanta, it seems as though it's mostly tip jars. I won't leave the house or open a bass case for less than $50 USD.