Quitting a band sucks

You're sure it's their fault and not yours?

 

you're welcome. lots of us can relate, i'm sure.

sad/mad is to be expected. it doesn't make any difference how 'fault' lines up. fortunately, in situations like this: it doesn't last too long, especially if you work on 'letting go'. e.g., run all the different images/scenarios/memories and those emotions through your system a hundred thousand times --- make a commitment to do that --- and sooner or later some other situation will command your attention and you'll be too bored with the 'quitting script' to want to continue sad/mad. good luck!

-or-

have a really good dream! kill the soundman in an epic struggle. (just don't go into that cave.)

 

You're a bassist. Assuming you're competent, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding another gig. If you want to feel bad about something, don't feel bad for yourself. Feel bad for all the guitarists that can't find bands to play with - there's lot more of them than there are of us.

 

Seems like an odd reason to quit a band. I would just have nodded, smiled, and walked away (from the soundman, not the band).

 

Quitting a band doesnt always suck. In fact a couple times it felt amazing to wave goodbye

 

It’s never perfect and we all overlook things like persistent issues with players and support people, or our own issues. For many musicians criticism is often taken as an assessment of our being. It’s not.

There may be a period of reassessment as the band reviews it’s position with and without you. If they reach out be open to discussion, relate your passion for the group and your dissatisfaction with the underlying criticism(s).

Whatever, there is another Skywalker out there.......

 

Did the band have a problem with your setup/sound? Because if not, they should have stepped up on your behalf and told the soundman to get bent... (or was/is the soundman also a band member?)

 

What was the initial issue you had with the sound guy that caused you to push back?

Was the rest of the band aware you were having a conflict with the sound guy?

What is the relationship between the sound guy and the rest of the band?

 

Ok then, did you let the rest of the band know why you were leaving?

 

I’m surprised you had any fun in that stifling band. If no one talks about problems, well, that usually ends up a lot less fun than a few uncomfortable discussions.

 

Does this band have a band leader and you're hired on, or is it more or less a band of equals? If there is a BL, you should have a direct talk with that person to air your grievances. If the BL says tough beans, you know where you stand and should probably move on. If its a band of equals, call a meeting to discuss the situation and see how everyone feels about the sound tech. If they see your POV, y'all can tell the sounds tech he is not "He who must be obeyed".

 

No compression on bass? That is not much of a sound guy.

 

Wait a minute, no pedals makes your setup easier. Be the duck! let it roll off your back. You can live a productive and happy life without effects pedals. Spend the money you sell them for on a wireless, then go out front and listen. Tell the "sound guy" that he can't mix for beans, then kick the chair out from under him. Trust me, you'll feel much better.


...and you'll still be in a cool band

 

I probably would have talked to the band and explained the situation.

Just wonder if he was the old bass player's friend and he's working his loyalty.

 

I hear a lot about competent bass players being able to find gigs, I consider my self competent, AND I always have a gig, if I want. BUT, I know of MANY bass players, far better then me, where I live, that really don’t play out much, I am not certain if that is by their design or not, some for sure I know want to play more. My point there are far more good players available, then there are gigs, in my area anyways.

 

I know we all have different buttons, but this wouldn't have bothered me. I would have gone out front to listen to what he was doing - maybe he's right and you just can't hear it from stage. I'm personally kind of on board with a clean bass sound when the guitars are fuzzy. I did my spin with the pedal board thing and I always just kept coming back to simpler/cleaner is better - all the toy sounds tend to get lost in the mix of a full band setting anyway - but I digress.

But if bugged you and you're moving on. Yes it sucks. I'm getting close to walking from my working cover band because I just don't like the way the BL runs things. Lots of little bits of stupidity. But it's hard to walk away from the bird in the hand - opportunities are just all that available here (at least not that I can find), so I'm being much more patient than I should be. I really want to rage quit this guy...

 

I'm confused. Are you not going through the FOH?