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My ideas always seem to be bad ideas unless
- Thread starter Metalbasspro
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When they suggest something you already suggested, just give them the look.
I once had a manager steal my idea right in front of everyone. I made a suggestion which he said no to, then about 10 minutes later, in the same meeting, he made the same suggestion. When I said, didn't I just say that? he told me not to try to steal his ideas. Everybody at the table just looked at him, but he was clueless.
This is the look I gave him.
I once had a manager steal my idea right in front of everyone. I made a suggestion which he said no to, then about 10 minutes later, in the same meeting, he made the same suggestion. When I said, didn't I just say that? he told me not to try to steal his ideas. Everybody at the table just looked at him, but he was clueless.
This is the look I gave him.
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Hey, I have a better idea. Your band should take the middle slot!
Yes, some bands are a hierarchical organization, and unless you're one of the founders, bassists tend to be at the bottom of the hierarchy. This doesn't have to be a problem. I've played happily in several benign dictatorships, and when it works it's a good thing.
It *does* have the unfortunate side effect that if you decide you don't like some aspect of how the band is run, your only option is to quit. I know more than one band leader who seems honestly confused about why he has to train a new bass player every couple of years.
It's not all bad they do like many of my ideas. It just seemed that the more they liked the less they wanted to like them. One issue for me is my dedication to promotion. We have 400 flyers out for this show all but 20 of them placed by me. I have them in town and 60 miles away in another two towns and all along the highway between.
I have decided that after this show I am not going to put in that kinda effort unless they do to so realistically our shows will see about 30 flyers put out. One member I can't get to even take a single flyer and post it where he is already traveling.
Also I will suggest promo ticket sales events out side the club we are playing weeks in advance and then ask a week before if we are doing it. Then people have made plans to be out of town. That's fine but we get hit with venue fees if our draw is not up to the clubs needs so it will be interesting at gig night considering the only two tickets sold were sold by me at a club promo while I was working it all alone.
I have decided that after this show I am not going to put in that kinda effort unless they do to so realistically our shows will see about 30 flyers put out. One member I can't get to even take a single flyer and post it where he is already traveling.
Also I will suggest promo ticket sales events out side the club we are playing weeks in advance and then ask a week before if we are doing it. Then people have made plans to be out of town. That's fine but we get hit with venue fees if our draw is not up to the clubs needs so it will be interesting at gig night considering the only two tickets sold were sold by me at a club promo while I was working it all alone.
Venue fees? Those should be paid by the band members who do not promote.
You're working harder than they are. I suggest a band meeting. Walk if too many just want to show up and play. Or ask for an extra share of the revenue.
Maybe so but we are in fact a democratic band and we share the wealth but also the costs.
Do bands still do fliers?? Maybe they don't do them because they don't work, or have been eclipsed by social media??
There are a lot of bands that are happy with what they've got and where they are. Bandmembers have kids, day jobs, etc. I've run int this many times where things start to break bug and you suddenly getting resignations or a have a complete mutiny.
Everybody in a band needs to be on the same page for where they want to go with it. I was in one originals band where we worked our tails off for almost three years to put it all together. We were attracting some industry attention and were finally in a position to start doing some real touring. And that's when one of the members (also one of the band's songwriters) announced he was thinking of hanging it up, or at most just staying local. That would have been bad enough. But he then announced he was pulling all his material off our set list too once he quit. I never figured out if that was a way to get back at us for being more ambitious and willing to take chances than he was - or just him being a prick.
Turned out his "big problem" was he had a new sweetheart who was a stick-at-home if there ever was one. Since he was now getting his ego stroked (along with some other stuff too) he thought he had finally found paradise. So when she wasn't too keen on traveling - or him being out of her sight for more than an evening at a time - that was pretty much it for him and the band.
You'd be surprised. I've had people show up to gigs with a flyer in hand saying how they thought it was so funny/unique/weird that they had to check out the band that created it.
Granted, we are talking shows immediately off college campuses at bars that already attract music consuming crowds. The people might have ended up at these bars even without having seen the flyer.
I made a prototype band t-shirt and wore it to a gig and no one in my band got it. Then audience members started asking me if they could buy one. Now we sell them at every gig and it is on our bass drum head. I have other t-shirt ideas that no one listens to. Bass players get no respect I tell ya.
Happens to me at work all the time. My ideas have no merit.
As long as an idea comes from them or from the outside, they think it's worth considering.
I've gotten better at planting the seed and letting them think the ideas are their's.
One time, instead of the usual memo, I formatted it in columns to look like it was reprinted from a magazine article.
I even included two or three bold face, larger type "emphasis quotes" within the regular "article."
Of course, they think I'm too stupid to ever get anything printed in a trade paper, so they assumed I was just passing along someone else's idea.
We are pretty much on the same page HOWEVER they are young and things change for young people. I am waiting for one of them to decide they found religion and only want to play Grateful Dead songs. Never know. There are a new girlfriend or two that I think is taking up some time that could be used for promotion time but at least we all have day or night jobs.
I think in your case with your band member he was not ready to sacrifice to get into the big time. Maybe he had assets he was going to lose by going pro. I know a guy who was playing in a major league band who dropped out because he was going to lose his house. He played for a solo artist a very well known one but all the money went to the artist and he was only paid to play.
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I am old school so I still do. I have seen them bring in people who would have otherwise not shown up. Some bands in my area do use flyers but they limit them to around the club or downtown. I basically carpet bomb the entire city. I know however that the return won't be very large. I expect one or two extra people per 100 flyers.
Spector Studios put out a video with advice to bands and one point was do flyers. Hit the concrete. Even after the gig those flyers are working for you 24/7 when people come across them and see your name.
I hear you. But in my guy's case it was nothing of the sort. He was well educated and came from a supportive family environment. He had a lot going for him, and even more handed to him. But he was your classic slacker. Guy could write a damn good song and was very good guitarist as well as a singer good enough to do the lead spot if he wanted to. But he had no motivation whatsoever. So it goes.
You are gonna need to develop thicker skin if you're gonna stick with music business.
All the time. For years and years. Nearly every aspect of my life. Not just music. I'm thinking that perhaps it has to do with leader ego. Those who or wish to be a leader (and there certainly be more than one of these types in a band setting) seem to employ just that kind of put-down, no matter how "nicely" it is delivered. In employment vernacular, that is a signal of "bad boss". They see humility as a weakness rather than respect, social understanding and strength. Based upon that, they are less likely to offer any supportive or accepting actions or behavior. I've found these types to not be team players and some (or more) take advantage of other band (team) members. Unfortunately, such sociopathic behavior finds fertile ground to grow in new bands and bands where members report that they never know the real "identity" of the band. Such a tough area to provide advice for solutions.
