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Not tolerated as a musician

#41
Jeff Roller said:
This is strictly a rhetorical question, but what do you do with yourself when involved with musicians who aren't interested in stretching their abilities? I got dressed down tonight for suggesting the drummer withfrain from a 4/4 rock beat over the top of a "yacht rock" ballad. Got downright hateful about it. Of course theres more to the story, and I don't feel like vomiting it all out here tonight...

The only question for me is do I stick to it and play the gigs (they stay booked regularly), or do I go out and have fun playing with guys who work less often but play with passion and spontenaity and have some real fun?

Like I said, rhetorical, but wondering if others hold their nose and collect the steady work?
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You're leaving out a pretty important bit of info: are you gigging to eat or is music a hobby with benefits?

Gigging to eat, you got put up with a lot more crap from band drama unless you can replace the income.

Hobby +? Pretty easy call if it's not fun....
 
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#42
mrcbass said:
You're leaving out a pretty important bit of info: are you gigging to eat or is music a hobby with benefits?

Gigging to eat, you got put up with a lot more crap from band drama unless you can replace the income.

Hobby +? Pretty easy call if it's not fun....
Click to expand...

It's a very expensive hobby. I like to tell my wife it pays for itself, but that's a common lie if you hang out in the classifieds around here.......
 
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#43
I had a similar situation with a band many years ago. The drummer thought he was so awesome that he played what I called "lead drums". Over playing basically every song with unneeded and often unwanted extra fills. I tried to accept it by telling myself that I was gigging regularly for decent money and I didn't have to deal with the sound system, but after only a few months it was getting to me so bad that I started drinking more than I normally would and even began to take "smoke" breaks outside between sets. I even started throwing in a lot of extra fills on bass in songs that should have been simple root notes just to prove a point. It didn't phase the drummer at all...
I had to walk away from that situation rather than let it go on. That was the only time in my life that I got high and drunk during a paying gig...
 
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#45
BooDoggie said:
I had a similar situation with a band many years ago. The drummer thought he was so awesome that he played what I called "lead drums". Over playing basically every song with unneeded and often unwanted extra fills. I tried to accept it by telling myself that I was gigging regularly for decent money and I didn't have to deal with the sound system, but after only a few months it was getting to me so bad that I started drinking more than I normally would and even began to take "smoke" breaks outside between sets. I even started throwing in a lot of extra fills on bass in songs that should have been simple root notes just to prove a point. It didn't phase the drummer at all...
I had to walk away from that situation rather than let it go on. That was the only time in my life that I got high and drunk during a paying gig...
Click to expand...

I love reading about all these accounts! Great post! Got a few chuckles.
 
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#46
If the options are (1) the play-it-in-your-sleep band that's always booked and (2) the more technical expressive music that doesn't play often, why not do both? Keep the meat and potatoes gig and just enjoy getting out and playing for nice crowds, and then when you don't have a rehearsal or a gig, get together with some less committed but artistically liberating musicians. Neither should interfere with the other, and you can scratch that itch without giving up your steady gig.

Best of luck!
 
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#54
Just got off the phone with the band leader, he was calling to make sure I wasn't going to quit. Apparently the drummer has a history of over reacting to criticism....he and the last bass player came close to blows about a year ago at rehearsal apparently....

One of the many things a band doesn't tell you up front when you audition lol......

When we are performing at a show and everything "clicks", it's good. It's a distraction for me to try to keep the tempo where it needs to be (whoa nelly....) and for the guitarist and I to constantly try to anticipate just where the heck to come back in on his out of time fills and rolls.....

Otherwise, we don't hang out or call each other, it's almost like punching a clock. I have a reputation for dependability, otherwise I would have pulled the pin on this shortly into it.
 
#55
Are you the bands musical director? If so, leaving may be the best option, if they question your direction. If not, read on.

How would you respond if the drummer requested you to play your bass lines differently? Sounds like typical musician egos in play. The ideal channel would be to talk with the director/band leader and let them address it.
 
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