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They fired me.

#81
Been there...not a great feeling, specially when you cousin fires you (in my case). Now I thank God I am not on that awful band anymore. I hope it happens to you too, it is a good chance to find something better and more satisfying.
 
#82
tZer said:
Anyone in the Leander TX area be sure to find the places where her old band is playing, go in, watch a few songs, then blurt out in between, "Hey, where's that girl you had on bass? She was killer! She's why I came! Bah!"
Then just leave.
Sounds like it didn't kill you and it did make you stronger! Good for you, Cherie!
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:D:D:D

Good for you to get out of the "emotional tension" zone.
Now you can live life and play music with like-minded folks.

And a HUGE congrats to you for putting your children before the "tour on our vacation on our terms at our time of choosing" thing. Things like THAT are VERY important when you look in the mirror....

WE know you :bassist:
 
#83
For every door that closes....
Sounds like the new gig may be more of a challenge within a more relaxed situation, which will create ideas, improvement, and a whole lot more fun doing what you love!
Better now than draggin it out longer.
All the best at tomorrow's gig!
 
#85
derrico1 said:
+1.

Moreover, from the morning TV performance you posted a while back, if they're claiming that the guitar playing wasn't the weak link by far, they're either deeply delusional or just lying to try to be mean.

It all adds up to their continued bad behavior not being worth another two seconds of your time worrying about. You certainly shouldn't take this final BS spiel about their reasons with any more seriousness than their position about needing to control the promo shots of your new bass last year, or their idea that bickering at rehearsals is professional, etc.

Rather than condolences, let me say congratulations that you have these two in your rear view mirror. They might not have meant to do you a favor, but they surely did.
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I agree with this 100%. Cherie, you have been completely professional with them the entire time, even through the appearance of the "Drama Llama" queen bee behavior. You know d@mn well that your playing was solid and fit the style of the music. Don't get down about your playing AT ALL.

And finally, I agree with what derrico1 said about the TV show video. Her guitar playing was certainly the weakest part of the band by far. Go knock 'em dead tomorrow night!!

Shannon
 
#87
txbasschik said:
They feel that I need a *lot* of improvement as a bassist. That I don't put in enough fills, and I don't know how to play chords like their old bassist did, and yada yada.

Yeah. OK. I don't see them taking regular lessons, and they have plenty of room for improvement, too.

Honestly, I think they just used that one as an excuse to get rid of me. The new bassist is male. The Queen Bee won't be threatened by another female who can play and sing being on the same stage as her, anymore.

Cherie :scowl:
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Been there, done that, it sucks. I was fired from my first band back in the 80's. I had told them I needed a certain weekend off 3 months in advance, two weeks later they booked a gig for that weekend (nothing special about that gig), when I complained the band leader gave a half ass sorry I forgot. I called for a band meeting, three hours before the meeting, I was fired. It taught me a valuable lesson, that a band is a business, regardless of how much, if anything, it makes. Just like in a real job it pays to choose your band mates carefully to try and stay away from big egos and differing priorities.

I can understand the style techniques issue a bit more. When I first moved back to Boston and started playing again, I did some fill in work with a local band, but was never offered the permanent gig. Looking at the bassists they have gotten. I play very differently. I'm a hold the bottom down lock onto the drummer type of bassist. I don't do a lot of fills, chords, etc and I don't like soloing. All the bassists he uses are great improvisers and soloist, which fits the music he is doing much better. We're still good friends, I'll catch his band occasionally as when they're on they're fun to listen to. I've since joined a band that is a much better fit for my playing style.

Egos in music is one of my least favorite things. I try to stay away from bands with one (or more) over blown egos. The band I'm in now has no big egos and is relatively democratic, and my opinion is welcomed.

Remember that life is too short to be in a band that you're not comfortable in or having fun in.

Life is a journey, trust the path you're on

Good luck
 
#88
txbasschik said:
The drummer just called to tell me that I have been replaced. He stated the following reasons: 1) I cannot take road gigs of a duration longer than a weekend. 2) I asked the band to get a sub (two weeks ago, plenty of advance time) for a bar gig the night of July 4th, since we always spend that time as a family, for our children's sake. 3) My failure to take ongoing lessons.

Even though they have both only received limited instruction, I'm supposed to have been taking lessons all this time. But they never said anything about it after I took my lessons from Big Mike last winter. So...dishonest, much, oh erstwhile bandmates? You have a bassist who speaks to you when she has a problem, but you don't have enough respect for her to do the same?

For weeks now, the Couple have cancelled rehearsals, giving various reasons such as injury, illness, and fatigue. But they were lying to me. All this time, they've been working with someone else. They like him, find him to be a "good fit", and they want to keep him. Some guy from Vegas who was in an SRV cover band.

They don't even want me to play our local gig tomorrow night. I'm picking up my equipment tonight.

Three years. Three years of turning down other offers out of loyalty. Three years of putting up with the singer's drama-queen b.s.

Things had been going so well!!! We weren't having so much drama, and we have been building up our fan base like mad. We've been having *great* gigs! I have received *nothing* but compliments on my playing, from fans and fellow musicians alike, and it seems I have my own cadre of fans, without trying to get them.

But no, I'm not good enough for this band. Riiiiiiight.

They stood there and let me buy t-shirts for myself and my husbands, and make promotion plans, and take pictures and talk about upcoming gigs, knowing they were going to fire me. They hired someone behind my back, weeks ago. What a sorry couple of individuals!!!

Bastages. Liars. Phoneys. :scowl: :spit: :mad:

Danged sure no friends of mine!

Cherie :bassist:
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Sorry to hear about this happening to you. Crap like this goes down way too much in this bizness. It happened to me one time back in 1993. I was having some health issues and was going to have to take some time off from the band that I was in at the time for some surgery. But nothing had been planned out yet and I was in total communication with the two other guys in the band. They knew it was coming but had told me not to sweat it and just let them know what was happening. On the night of the last gig that I did with them, about a half-dozen bass players show up and although nobody told me what was going on, right away I know what's up, but I try to be professional and do the gig and get my dough and then deal with the situation at the end of the night. Nobody had the sack to say anything to me and I even knew a couple of the guys that had showed up to check out the band and apply for an audition. Yeah, real buddies those guys were. But at the end of the night as we're back at the warehouse space we rehearsed at and stored the PA at, as we're unloading the PA out on MY van, which I transported for 3 years worth of gigs, while I have my back turned to both the drummer and guitar player, the drummer pipes up and says, "And oh yeah, we won't be needin' you anymore"...
I just shook my head, turned around and laughed and told them I figured that they'd pull some crap like this.
Real gutless wonders. I was ready to get out of that band because of a myriad of other mainly (their) ego problems, but I really needed the dough from the gigs we had booked and I would have given them notice and done it like a man and have been professional about it. This may not help much, but you gotta have a thick skin in this biz and always keep your options open and always watch your back. You'll do OK if you do... AND, you're WAY much better off to be rid of those scumbags anyway. At least you didn't get fired out in the middle of nowhere with no dough in your pocket, no car and no way to transport your gear and clothes. That happened to me once in 1977 in El Paso, but that's another story....lol
)-(:ninja:
 
#90
Cherie, you've hated that band for as long as I can remember. I remember many times you complaining about the bandleader. If you ask me, you should be relieved that it's over. Just move on and find something that fits your idea of what you want in a band and don't worry about the band that was a constant source of irritation.
 
#91
So, I went to the myspace page for the knowbodys waiting to hear bad bass playing that was in dire need of lessons… and I did find that the guitard is in some need of lessons. Wow what crap! :eek: I applaud you for not losing your groove on the song “Little White Sin.”

You are a good bass player. :hyper: You keep the groove going. I am sure you would do better playing with better musicians so you can grow more as a player.

Put your gigs up on your myspace and I will definitely check you out.
 
#92
As much as it sucks this happened to you, if I were a band looking for a bassist and read this rant, I wouldn't hire you in fear if something didn't go your way it woulde public domain.

This is no better than the smokers circle outside of the workplace. I am assuming they ran the band like a business.

I can't say their reasoning and manner how they handled was acceptable, but it's not the business of thousands of TalkBass members.
 
#93
Holy Crap Cherie! I'm shocked, I'm stunned! But I am Happy, Happy, Happy for you! :hyper::bassist::hyper::bassist::hyper::bassist:

I know the hurt you felt from the phone call, Man, I felt hurt when I read your post! Those gutless, spinless, mindfxxxing, a$$holes! :scowl: But then, guess what? Because you have been working on your own, networking, and getting attention just being yourself...a new gig falls in your lap! :cool: This isn't over, not by a longshot! :rollno: CW is going to regret treating you badly! :spit:

As everyone has said, you are better than them and better off without them! We have seen the videos and the videos do not lie! :D

I predict good times ahead for you! :bassist:
Russ
 
#94
fenderhutz said:
As much as it sucks this happened to you, if I were a band looking for a bassist and read this rant, I wouldn't hire you in fear if something didn't go your way it become public domain.

This is no better than the smokers circle outside of the workplace. I am assuming they ran the band like a business.

I can't say their reasoning and manner how they handled was acceptable, but it's not the business of thousands of TalkBass members.
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Shhhh! Don't say that! People will be hesitant to tell us their gossip!
 

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