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Slacker on setup and breakdown

#21
my guitar players and singer are like this too, but our PA is the drummers and its always lame when me and the drummer have to set up the PA, drums, and my rig and get sound checked, and the singer does nothing at all, except bring his own mic, and the other guitar players are always setting up and tweaking knobs and everything else besides helping the "team" finish setup and get going. and when they are done they stand there like "hurry up guys"

take down is the same, the other guys take down their stuff, "disappear" or leave. and thats it.

and to make it worse, me and the drummer have to haul the guitarists mesa cab and effects board to and from gigs, i think once we are going to "forget it" or just put it in the back of the van and do nothing so he has to move everything else to get to it. but then again he may just throw everything out and take his cab and start "setting up"

the money thing isnt an issue, me and the drummer keep it anyways, since everyone else leaves early.
 
#22
Originally posted by stinky634
the money thing isnt an issue, me and the drummer keep it anyways, since everyone else leaves early.
Click to expand...
Could that be part of the problem? It sounds like your band consists of yourself and the drummer - the other guys are volunteers, coming along to play but not getting any money out of it.

If you want them to give more help, maybe you should ask them to do specific jobs (eg. run the cables while you put up the speakers)... but you're going to have to pay them!

Wulf
 
#23
yea, but weve tried to tell them, you have to wait with us until we get paid, and at times they have, but 3/4 of the time they leave so they dont really get a cut, and it only evolved that way also when they eventually stopped helping.

our singer is trying to finish up school, to be a mortician, so hes really putting his effort on stage (a great performer) but always wants to leave right after.

the two guitarists, actaully mainly one, is always concerned about his cab, his head, his effects, and making sure he moves his own stuff and nothing else.


but we try to make them help here and there, but it seems like we shouldnt have to ask everytime "hey can you help move this PA" or "help me put this 8x10 up on the stage"

i think everyone should help out with everything, and if nothing looks like it needs to be done, then ask! i dont pick up my bass until everything is done, and i dont go home uintil everything is packed and everyone is ready to go (or gone for that matter)
 
#24
Wow Jive1, that would be frustrating as hell.:mad:

There are ways to share the burden of setup, here is our method that seems to work:

1) Everyone brings in the gear, until everything is in the club, regardless of who owns what. Heavy pieces are put into place onstage (subs, mid/hi packs, heavy amp rack)

2) Drummer - sets up his drums and drum mics, then the lights (whether tree, truss, or just hanging the light bars).

3) Me - sets up my bass rig and commence to plugging in all PA / monitors downstream of the board.

3) Guitarist / vocalist - sets up his guitar rig, and helps with lights and PA, then writes setlists for the evening.

4) Vocalist / guitarist - sets up his guitar rig, and helps with lights and PA, then writes setlists for the evening.

Since Guitar/vocal members are quite occupied with singing and playing, drummer and I run PA and lights to make sure we look and sound pimp.

Gig over - we ALL teardown and ALL loadout gear until everything is in the trucks.

Done. Equal effort, equal pay, happy band....

(well, mostly :D all bands have their politics, opinions, issues, attitudes, etc.)
 
#25
Yeah, I called the guy on his laziness and no, I didn't punch him in the mouth. I mentioned the $$ thing and the response was crap and with much whining. But we did get a hlaf hearted agreement. The guy half-heartedly helped out on day one. The next gig, he was once again "lost" on his way to the gig. I have only lived in Northern Virginia for a couple of years and he grew up here, so his excuse has been classified with all his others in the crap bin. The following weekend, he had an upset stomach at the end of the night and left before the end of load out. Of course he was well enough to pack up his own rig. The next night, he complained about his aching back. I responded that I have 3 herniated discs, and an MRI for him to see. When the harmonica player was about to load out the heavy mixer rack, I directed him to help out. He made the lamest attempt to help pick it up, and then said he couldn't. I told the guitar player that he was pathetic and was in dire need of testosterone replacements so his b@lls could grow back. The guy is so pathetic. If it weren't for his guitar playing and singing the guy would be useless.

Here's the topper. He complained to my wife that I think I am a soundman instead of a bass player. He's complaining that I am spending too much time tweaking the PA, instead of interacting with the audience. First off, this g0nadless riffmeister should diredt his complaints to me, not my wife. This little b!tch 6 stringer also complains during a song how others are too loud on stage, or how he can't be heard in the monitors, or how something doesn't sound right. He also brings 3-4 guitars including a hollowbody to every gig with varying degrees of "hotness" that require me to tweak the PA to keep his volume somewhat consistent. The guy also happens to be nearly deaf in one ear, and he's telling me how to run sound? He can tell sh!t from shinola! Well if he helped out with set-up, we could have time for a decent soundcheck. I never sought out to be the sound guy, but no-one else was willing or capable of the task. So for the sake of the band, I run the sound chores. Before I took over sound chores, we'd lose a crowd or gigs because the guitar player was playing so loud that the bar staff can't hear drink orders, or people couldn't handle the volume so they wouldn't dance in front of the stage. The sound was mud and crap, and now it is kick-ass (The band has been loving the minidiscs that I have been recording direct from the board). Now, we hold a crowd, and people dance in front of the stage without fear of their ears being blown off. The bar staff and management appreciate us more. The frequencies are better balanced, and we have a more professional sound. And I am doing this while holding down a groove! I bought a wireless so I could hear what the band sounds like from the audience, and use that in conjunction with monitors to tweak our sound. All I can say is that I am doing the best I can.

For now, I am trying to train this kid to run sound for us. He'll be starting in a couple of weeks. I hope it works out, because I am nearing the end of my rope with this guy. Right now I am working on updating my demo and resume to send out to a couple of agencies in case. I'll stick with the band for now, but this slacker really keeps me from wanting to further invest in this band.
Thanks once again for all your support and letting me vent. I'm hoping this saga will end soon on a good note.
 
#26
Ouch, ouch, ouch... Why don't the rest of you try some stuff without him?

I wouldn't try to sneak it behind his back... just tell him straight up that you're seeing how you sound without his contribution. He'll either get the message and shape up, get annoyed and ship out or continue annoying you... but you'll be on the road towards some new sounds or finding a less lazy guitarist.

Wulf
 
#27
Once I was in a band and the lead guitarist/songwriter wrote a song called "The Why I Can't Come Across the Bay and Play the Music Blues". It was a song that used every excuse the offending band member used for not coming to rehearsal. When he finally showed up to a practice, we played it for him. Then we started auditioning for a replacement. :D I sense a new song here. "Slacker"... I have even had a guitarist tell me I was trying to make him my roadie when I asked him to help carry out equipment. I guess he forgot that when he showed up last minute to the gig, that I was the one who carried in his amp. I was very happy to see him leave. My current group, Blue Stooges, has been through 7 six stringers. He's a weasal for going to your wife. Your slacker is not the only guitarist in the world, cut him loose.
 

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