My band (sigh) WHAT SHOULD I DO?

I've got a prediciment, let me explain...

I'm in a band with a couple guys I met at college - probably my best mates thinking about it...

we do covers for a bit of fun, but we've been doing it for 5 years now and we're still playing much of the stuff that the singer/guitarist (a damn good Elvis impersonator) has suggested. Basically he chooses EVERYTHING we do and ONLY gets the band to do anything WE choose if we are persistant enough about it (in my opinion...there 7-8 good tracks there (rock and rock'n'roll) but theres also some other rubbish). The thing is...I can't describe it...

I'd like the band to be able to do working gigs but I don't think we are musically good enough or that the singer would put his Elvis career on hold for us (he does professional elvis gigs abroard and gets paid a VERY good (£750) weekly wage from it). We've only done about 6 or 7 gigs outside of college which (in 5 years) is pretty bad...

It's fun for me and something to keep me playing between proper "original" bands - occaisionally when I've chatted to the singer and he's said "we're gonna do this/that, we're a good band" it's been a bit more serious...but since he went away to do his Elvis gigs (abandoning the band) I've just been using the band for a bit of fun - worryingly the keyboard player (who more or less can only play a bit of 12-bar boogie-woogie and the Turkish Rhondo) still thinks we're gonna make it even though we only do covers...

The singer is back now till early next year and we're working to do a couple of gigs before he goes back to do Elvis - but after that it's just me the keyboard player and the drummer again...

I'm after something more serious, a band GIGGING at least once or twice a month (my current band haven't done a proper gig since april/may, before that it was july the previous year) - so I'd like some opinions - should I ditch them or not?

I was thinking of carrying on with them till the singer goes back then quitting...its not his main job, its not the keyboard players main job - its no-ones main job - mostly its just fun for me and the singer, but more serious for the keyboardist because he's not trying to find a second band actually doing stuff to my knowledge..

We can't do anything without the singer (only rehearse), and I still (mostly) find it fun so...I even travel the 20 miles 9.9 times out of 10 - I give SO much to that band (time and money wise - 1.5 hours each way and £7+ travel) and they take it for granted mostly (ok, we only practice once a week - but I'm spending that money getting to college and back every day anyway, but we don't often do it on days I'm there)

I remember once when I suggested we practice somewhere between us so we ALL had to travel a bit the singer said "well, ok - but your paying for half my petrol money to get there" I told him to eff off coz I was travelling all the time and I never asked for train fares...

I still find it fun (mostly) but it can be annoying when the singer gets bossy and starts having a go...what should I do?

(bearing in mind they're my mates too and I only really see them within the band... - would I lose touch with them if I quit do you reckon?)

 

I think I'll stay in he band for now (at least until I've got something else...) the singer once asked us if I would do an elvis band with him when we finished college - I mean, OK I'm not a BIG Elvis fan - but its a job offer I'd be crazy to throw away isnt it? (he reckons he came 2nd in a european soundalike competition..that can't be bad to be 2nd best in Europe eh?)

I've not asked him bout it but he's having a year out at the moment and working at his solo Elvis stuff - so I suppose I'll stay in the band for a bit simply to stay in touch with them (and besides - hes got one of my elec guitars and the band all part-own a drumkit...)

I'll just hope I can find a good original band and try and make it in the meantime...

...just I'm graduating this year and I suddenly started thinking during summer break "Jesus, I'm nearly finished...what the F*** am I gonna do when I've finished?" - I just REFUSE to do anything other than play music for a living, I've been doing it for too long to KNOW how to do anything else... and your only young once (I'm 22 so still have a chance...), after 28-ish in the eyes of the music biz your almost certainly doomed to a life playing mustang sally every night in front of drunks in smokey pubs for JUST ENOUGH (not even that) to live off - I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT TILL I'M THAT AGE IF I CAN HELP IT!!!