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Keyboard player quits over jam space rent.

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I love how this thread has gone from me asking a question, to people telling me that i dont have a band, I have a hobby.

In the past, we have made more money than we have put in. Switching over to covers has created a transition period for us, where we are not gigging until we are up to speed with learning all these songs.

Simply put. We will be gigging regularily, which the keys player's other band is not doing, and he's not interested in putting forth rent during this transition period. I respect his decision. As far as i know, he may be already paying for rehearsal with his other band, and he has reached his limit.
And that is as it should be. You got your thing going and more power to you.

My only suggestion would be to echo what others have said, be up front about it next time.
 
I love how this thread has gone from me asking a question, to people telling me that i dont have a band, I have a hobby.

In the past, we have made more money than we have put in. Switching over to covers has created a transition period for us, where we are not gigging until we are up to speed with learning all these songs.

Simply put. We will be gigging regularily, which the keys player's other band is not doing, and he's not interested in putting forth rent during this transition period. I respect his decision. As far as i know, he may be already paying for rehearsal with his other band, and he has reached his limit.


More money than you have put in? Unless that number invested is a fractional amount when compared to the output, IT IS A HOBBY.

COmpare it to the amount of gas you spend to get to your job and that paycheck.

Covering a few hundred in expenses with a couple of thousand annually split 4 ways, is a hobby.

You had me up until that statement.

The keyboard player recognized this, you did not.
 
perhaps keys has another reason and using rent issue as cover. having said that, around here ( sf bay ) a monthly share of less than $100 for a comfortable, secure, rehearsal space with access 24/7 for optional individual practice in a more or less safe neighborhood would be considered a very fair deal. very fair.
 
you guys did this to yourselves. Should of explained everything from the beginning. I prolly would of left, too. or Just said I'll be session player if you guys need a keyboard. But that's the best I can do. that's my take. honestly
 
Can't help but to be curious...

If you were making enough money to cover your expenses and even sack some away as an original band, why would you switch to covers? Not many original bands make any money, and it sounds like you guys were making lots.

I wouldnt say we were making lots. Lol. But it was doing ok.

As far as the switch, i think we felt we needed a change. We are all over 40 and reality is, we arent going to "make it" with our originals, so we decided to be a bit more laid back and have fun with this.

Being a cover band also affords us an opportunity for weekend gigs closer to home. The original gigs were generally during the week, downtown Toronto. Traffic is always a nightmare.
 
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Lol. When we get photos done, I can post a band photo.

You mean a hobby photo. ;)

Yes, and if you meet your buddies in a bowling alley at a set time, you're a bowling team.. that doesn't make it a business, it makes it a hobby. replace funny shoes and monogrammed bowling balls with basses and drums, it's the same. If you're goal is to play out and generate money (which may not be the goal of every band), then rehearsing more than you gig, if it costs you money, more money than you make, is silly. What business runs that way? We bring in $100 a month, but pay $200 a month to get ready to make that $100. Cover bands are a business. When you charge people money to hear you play, it's a business. When you ask people to pitch in for rent, it's a business. I am not anti rehearsal at all. In fact I teach music in a High School and run rehearsals every day. I think what I am opposed to is inefficient rehearsals... let's drink a few beers and learn songs... rehearsal is not where you learn songs, it's where you refine arrangements, vocals, etc... I should have clarified that I suppose.

I hear you. The difference then is business vs. hobby, not "one is a band and one is not." My band rehearses weekly, gigs about 6 - 8 times a year, has chipped in for band gear (mixing board, subwoofer, monitors, etc), and (usually) gets paid to play. When you consider all the outlays vs the income, however, I can say we are not a business. But we are a band.
 
More money than you have put in? Unless that number invested is a fractional amount when compared to the output, IT IS A HOBBY.

COmpare it to the amount of gas you spend to get to your job and that paycheck.

Covering a few hundred in expenses with a couple of thousand annually split 4 ways, is a hobby.

You had me up until that statement.

The keyboard player recognized this, you did not.

I was under the impression if you're in with a group of people who share the same artistic vision, and are working towards bringing that vision into reality, you had a band.

If the band was looking to hire itself out or make money off its endeavors, the band also has a business venture going.

But whether it's making money, breaking even, or losing money has no bearing on the band being a band. Because if financial profitability is the sole deciding factor, 90% of the symphony orchestras and virtually 100% of every established ballet company would have to be called a hobby. Because very few of them would exist without the heavy patronage they receive in the form of contributions and grants. They've all been losing money - and we're talking big money - for decades.

Some bands have a successful business. Others don't. They're still bands in my book.

Some people say they want to "join a band" when they're really seeking is paid employment.

You say tomAto, I say toMAHto. It's all in how you define things. And I think how you choose to define things only establishes where we're each personally coming from. Not some cosmic or eternal truth.
 
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I actually quit a "band" once when we moved from free practice space to renting a spot (I stayed a couple months). The key difference was that this was a new band with no gigs on the horizon, and I wasn't going to lose money indefinitely. In this case, I think the keys player over reacted and you're probably better off without him
 
I'm sorry did you say you pay $400 a month for a rehearsal space? That's absolutely insane. im 36 and have been playing in bands since my teens and have never paid half that.
Depends where you live. the last time I paid for rehearsal space (to have your own and not share), 400 was on the low end for the market. I want to say the space we briefly had was 600
 
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I've never been in a band that paid for rental space. It's a principle thing for me. It's just cultural. If I was in a band to make "serious" money, of course it would be a dollars and cents decision. But as a hobbyist, nope.

I'd have been that keyboard player. I would have been a bit disappointed that it was not brought up in the beginning. But I'd also have asked, "gosh, who's paying for this cool rehearsal space?" And when I found out where the money came from, I'd have opted out before joining.

But again, it's a cultural thing. A lot of people just see it as part of being in a band. I've been in suburban and rural areas so it's never been necessary. There is always a garage or a shop or even a large room in someone's house.
 
Sorry. That came out wrong. I'm not saying they can't be making great music. I was only implying that this is not a business....not even a side business....to them. They put more in (financially) than they get out. This is poker night with guitars, not a money maker.

I could have worded it better....
He never stated at any point that it was a business. I'm not sure why anyone would have assumed that. Ultimately, we're all in this primarily because we enjoy it, right? Because if money is the only goal, there are better ways of making it.

You can't carry a person without them paying rent, bc another band member will then say "hey, I don't want to pay rent either!".

That said, a compromise could be that you all agree that your gig money will cover the rent and anything extra gets distributed. If you are short on rent one month, hopefully its not by much, and the other 5 people can just pitch in to cover it. But hopefully the BL would be able to book well paying gigs that cover the rent and then some.

That might be a way the keyboardist would agree to stay, and technically he would be paying rent - he just wouldn't ever be out of pocket for it. And everyone would leave a gig with no bills in their pockets.

Honestly, if everyone is just in it as a fun hobby (nothing wrong with that!), then the expense might be a huge turnoff. If I were practicing weekly and gigging every other week and basically breaking even every month, it might feel like a lot of work for nothing after a while.

As for 24/7 access to the practice space - does anyone really need this? Or is this just a place you and/or the guitarist like to go hang out at in the middle of the night as a place away from your home? Bc if so, why should the other members foot the bill for your hangout pad?
Lots of people like being able to store their gear at a rehearsal space, and go there any time of day that they want, play as loud as they want, without the cops being called. Lots of us who live in urban areas do this.

I live in a tiny apartment and really it wouldn't be possible for me to play my rig in it, let alone rehearse there.

Wow, reading these responses you'd think the OP has committed some kind of musical crime. Imagine, actually paying for a rehearsal space.....and using it regularly!!
For those of you that live in villages or have a big basement; commercial space isn't cheap in and around Toronto. $400/mo is a GOOD DEAL here.
For those that don't rehearse and measure success in $$$$. Go fish.....some people like to get out with their friends and play. $100.00/month is cheap when you consider you could always go bowling instead. Or try go out to a bar each week and see how far $25.00 gets you.
Trust me, we're all intensely proud that some of you play in cover acts that don't need or want to rehearse. Good for you and nobody holds it against you but the OP asked for a bit of advice over his ex keyboard player not a lecture on how to spend his Friday nights.
I say keep the keys, pay his freight for now and have fun. You're already down to $80.00 each, another $13.00 wouldn't make a difference to me.
I totally agree with this post... except for the keeping the key player part.

A member getting a free ride not because he can't pay the rent that everyone else is paying, but because he won't, will cause resentment and division down the line. Key players are not that hard to find. Not as easy as guitarists, but probably the next most common.
 
I've never been in a band that paid for rental space. It's a principle thing for me. It's just cultural. If I was in a band to make "serious" money, of course it would be a dollars and cents decision. But as a hobbyist, nope.

I'd have been that keyboard player. I would have been a bit disappointed that it was not brought up in the beginning. But I'd also have asked, "gosh, who's paying for this cool rehearsal space?" And when I found out where the money came from, I'd have opted out before joining.

But again, it's a cultural thing. A lot of people just see it as part of being in a band. I've been in suburban and rural areas so it's never been necessary. There is always a garage or a shop or even a large room in someone's house.
For those of us who live in urban areas, and play in loud bands, it's a necessity.
 
For those of us who live in urban areas, and play in loud bands, it's a necessity.
I actually almost asked that very question in my post. Makes sense.

I'm actually putting up a 36x36x10 shop/garage/mancave/band rehearsal building next spring for this exact sort of thing. But we can do that out here. $17,000 with no permits.
 
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