It all depends on the urgency of the correspondence. If you're asking me if I'm available on X date, I'm getting back to you right away. If it's not urgent, it can wait until tomorrow. But I will definitely get back to you tomorrow.
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Tired of Waiting...
- Thread starter 4SG
- Start date
By now you know it's the bassist's job to manage group communications and make sure everyone is on time and the PA works and the mix is right. You'll know when you've achieved a level of success because suddenly the singer and guitar player will be more responsive and want to be interviewed. Until then, your job.
If that's the case, then you should let this person know that you expect a response to scheduling questions due to their time sensitive nature, and that failing that, you will follow up shortly with nagging phone calls, and that failing that, oh well, guess the preferred slot was taken by someone else who found the time to reply.
I think maybe you need to reset your expectations. Some people have busy lives, or just choose not to be tied so tightly to their phones.
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
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On the other hand, what we're talking about is scheduling concerns at least partially created by your membership in two bands. I used to work with a guy that thought membership in his group meant fealty. He would get obnoxious if I had a work trip that conflicted with a date he wanted to book; if I was already booked with another group on a potential future date, he'd rant.
Maybe the lack of responses is passive-aggressive?
Maybe the lack of responses is passive-aggressive?
Simple courtesy would be to respond as soon as is practical.
Had this issue with our previous two drummers (to quote a great philosopher..."fired them, we did") If the message is about time sensitive band logistics, then i want a response in a reasonable amount of time. I understand people do have lives and arent on on devices 24/7, and if its that important you should just call, but these previous band mates would just not respond to messages at all (after seeing they had received and read it) or extremely late. And these ex bandmates admitted they were just lazy and "should have" responded but didnt. So, if a member IS legitimately a super busy person and cant respond in a timely manner that is one thing, lazy is another.
A smiley face response is all that is required. It's recognition of your commitment to a unity of mind and purpose. Failing to respond with a smiley face is wrong, and you should ghost anybody who does that to you.
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Wow. Cancel culture at its finest.
We used to have this thing called a second chance...
At the moment, my band has one person who is unemployed and of no fixed address. This is actually progress of a sort: When I first joined, one member was unemployed, another seriously under-employed (drug counselor for "specially gifted" high schoolers, meaning serious behavior problems), and a third holding a job that threatened his health: Industrial hazardous Waste treatment.
All of which means: Not everyone has a facebook account. So there's email and phone calls. We don't get many short-notice gigs, but when we do, it's because we have a bandleader who uses everything: phone, email, fb messenger. And we all have patience. Something I was never good at in the pre-Covid-19 days, but I now totally embrace.
All of which means: Not everyone has a facebook account. So there's email and phone calls. We don't get many short-notice gigs, but when we do, it's because we have a bandleader who uses everything: phone, email, fb messenger. And we all have patience. Something I was never good at in the pre-Covid-19 days, but I now totally embrace.
Wow. Cancel culture at its finest.
We used to have this thing called a second chance...
If only that... One of my band singers often does not read these at all. 
For me, a 24-hour response time is reasonable for emails and texts.
Relax, chill out and put down your phone. People are busy with work, lives outside bands etc.
I got a text once from my B/L at 9 pm on a weeknight asking my availability for a gig and several follow up texts over the next few hours asking me to please respond ASAP.
I had already been in bed for an hour at the time the initial text was sent. Upon waking up at 4 am the next morning for work and seeing all those texts I was pretty irritated.
These days I am pretty busy with things and make it a point that unless urgent (as in someone dying) I only answer texts when I have down time..at a red-light, on the train, etc...that may mean 24 hours elapses before I can answer something.
Sucks if that gets peoples panties in a bunch on the other end of that text, but I will not let my electronic devices dictate my life.
