Know that thing that happens when ... (mini-rant)

[Tampabass]

... when, as the bass player, you're (almost) always the one getting gigs, and organizing rehearsals and recordings, and doing all the marketing, and handling all the social media ... and you almost never get that in return from bandmates?
I'm happy to do all that stuff, for multiple bands, but sometimes, after decades of it, it starts getting a bit old.

 

[ArtechnikA]

I have stopped carrying slackers.
I'll do it if it's my band. For everybody else, I'm 'just the bass player' unless everybody on the team is on board to help out with something.

 

[Reedt2000]

Take a bigger piece of the gig money for being the manager as well as the bassist. I don't think there is anything wrong with getting compensated for the extra work. I play in a band where I don't have to do any booking or promotion, just show up and play. The two members that do that work and own the FOH system we use when one isn't provided get a bigger cut of the gig $. It works for all of us.

 

[pcake]

when i was booking most of the gigs, my band mates were very appreciative. i've usually done the marketing and social media over the years, as well. i enjoyed it, the band mates appreciated it. importantly enough, whenever they tried to help, we ended up with lousy or horrible gigs (backyard parties with police showing up, bands with drama that turned into fist fights, parties that - oops - couldn't supply us with power). so i was relieved to have my bandmates stop booking us. and when they did the booking, they weren't able to get people to come to our shows. they did try, though.

i did have one guitar player book us our first demo recording for one band that worked out okay, although we did end up re-recording it later. and i think the drummer in that band booked a gig - the only people he brought to it was his other band *LOL* we won't talk about the drummer's other booked gig, but it was... er... unusual, didn't pay, and actually turned out to be the birthday party for the bass player in his other band. it was a drama gig, too, but at least no one was arrested and there were no fights.

 

[Munjibunga]

Make the split one more than the number of people getting paid in the band. Whoever got the gig gets two slices.

 

[Element Zero]

I’m the opposite. I want NOTHING to do with that aspect of gigging. I just want to play and have fun while doing it.

 

[two fingers]

... when, as the bass player, you're (almost) always the one getting gigs, and organizing rehearsals and recordings, and doing all the marketing, and handling all the social media ... and you almost never get that in return from bandmates?
I'm happy to do all that stuff, for multiple bands, but sometimes, after decades of it, it starts getting a bit old.

And what's worse is that if you did hand off some of that stuff it wouldn't get done correctly.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Perhaps it is time for a band sit down to discuss? As long as you keep doing it, others won't.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

... when, as the bass player, you're (almost) always the one getting gigs, and organizing rehearsals and recordings, and doing all the marketing, and handling all the social media ... and you almost never get that in return from bandmates?
I'm happy to do all that stuff, for multiple bands, but sometimes, after decades of it, it starts getting a bit old.

Having had a brief experience as a BL (I was not good at it. Not at all!) I thank my lucky stars to be working for one who has a good business head. You may be happy to do that stuff, but you also need to be rewarded for it!

 

[lfmn16]

Perhaps it is time for a band sit down to discuss? As long as you keep doing it, others won't.

+1

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I'm that guy, creates the posters, manages FB schedules/events, books most of the gigs, orders the business cards as needed, owns and hauls lights/PA, operates lights/PA at gigs.

But my two bandmates are generous with extra $$ from gigs, food and drink at gigs, etc. It's all good.

 

[Tampabass]

Perhaps it is time for a band sit down to discuss? As long as you keep doing it, others won't.

The reality: If I didn't do the social-media "stuff," it wouldn't get done at all. They're just not "motivated" enough to be proactive with our social-media accounts, or even to interact with the posts.
Oh, well. I probably just need to scale back on it.

 

[RustyAxe]

I don't book the gigs, and am happy not to. Does that make me a bad band member? I don't think so. I show up, play my parts, sing my songs, harmonize where needed, maintain good gear, have reliable transportation, don't create drama in the band or the venue, and (I'm told) add another dimension to whatever project I'm involved in. That said, I don't give a rip what the BL(s) takes for a cut. As long as I get paid what was agreed upon before I took the gig, I'm fine.

Both of my main projects are lead by guys who are/were self-employed entrepreneurs, I am neither. I let the guys who know how to do it do it.

 

[pcake]

Perhaps it is time for a band sit down to discuss? As long as you keep doing it, others won't.

i'd rather not be in a band where people who don't know how to run a mailing and email list, don't know how to work facebook and twitter, don't have a good way with keeping people in the loop and don't know how to book gigs do so. they generally don't do a good job and often embarrass us when they send out band news.

 

[TWolf]

And what's worse is that if you did hand off some of that stuff it wouldn't get done correctly.

Exactly. If you want something done right, do it yourself.

 

[JRA]

if you want something to get done: ask a busy person!

 

[bearfoot]

You're either willing to let go of some of this, or you're not. You have be ok with watching them fail and suck at the new tasks. Botching gigs. Letting some of the bands die, even.

On another forum, someone may be posting something to the effect of "the bassist is a total control freak. I spent an entire weekend working on a poster, and he shot it down! Then I worked on getting that festival gig for months, and he knew it - and booked another gig at the same time! So I give up. I'm just going to show up and play."

Not saying that's what is going on, but you'd be surprised how differently other people will perceive a situation.

And I guarantee "fire the bassist" is a meme somewhere else.

 

[3Liter]

I personally like editing the photos, posting to social media and some of the gig hustling. I don’t care as much for set building, or rehearsing the stuff we're suppose to know but somehow everyone but me has forgotten from week to week.


At least the management and media aspects I can do it my way and don’t have people drumming while I’m trying to think.

 

[mrcbass]

I'm not the schmoozer/promoter type. Just not my personality. I try to help in other ways, but I have no issue giving those who will do that stuff an extra cut, especially for the foot in the door gigs that will lead to future bookings.

I do keep an ear/eye out for new opportunities, but at most will get a business card of the one to contact and pass the info on to our BL. He's much better at that then he is at playing drums - I think he does all the promo/booking effort so he can be n a band, cuz he sure wouldn't be base on his drums "skills" alone (at leas not with me).

 

[mstillman]

And I guarantee "fire the bassist" is a meme somewhere else.

Probably at talkdrum.com.