Was this an appropriate way to be fired?

[bass183]

The band, like most bands, will fizzle out in a few years time if they even make it that long. You can probably ask most of us who have been playing in bands for decades. Most of the bands we played with never amounted to anything but a few years of shows, some fun & great while some not, and a few recordings to show for. There's always a silver lining and then there's always opportunity for you to get involved with or to start a new band. For instance, might this be a wonderful time to work on being the best bassist you can be--start taking or continue to take lessons, study music theory, composing/songwriting etc. and get involved with multiple music projects? Next time you get dropped from a band, it won't be because of your playing (if that really was the case), but more because of "style" or "taste." Anyway, cheers to new opportunities!

 

[Cliff Colton]

Dave Mustaine formed a better band after he was released by the commercial sellouts in his former band. You should too. Put together a smokin’ band, join the musicians union and ASCAP, then demand from your former writing/recording colleagues your long overdue credits and royalties. The fans will back you up.

 

[Samatza]

This sounds a lot like guys who have time to waste on getting things perfect but never actually achieve anything.
You're better off without these guys, sometimes the ones that are striving for perfection at the detriment of everything else don't get anywhere and spend years treading water.

Get a band together that has some good energy and people that actually get along. I've found that when the relationships are good the band turns out pretty good and the gigs roll in if you chase them. Probably not a good time at at the moment but things will change, they will get better and your situation will improve too.

 

[Koshchei]

1) the band sounds like it’s going nowhere to begin with. I probably wouldn’t have joined but that’s in the past now. 4 years and they don’t have enough material to even play a gig? if they have no name recognition they’re gonna get put as an opener at any show, so maybe 25 min? they don’t have 25 minutes after 4 years? that’s pathetic. nothing lost there.

2) if you put out any money for studio time i would demand to be refunded and compensated on top of that.

3) don’t worry, a good bassist is never out of work long

Not to be overly rude, but a good bassist has reliable gear (who cares how good you are if you have nothing to play on?), doesn’t attribute success or failure to “luck”, and takes/gives input so that the music is as good as it can be. So much of musicianship is putting the time in and developing a clear musical vision. Phoning it in and flubbing it with an unfamiliar instrument on a recording is bad enough that the OP should worry about his reputation - in my circles, he’d be well on his way to becoming an anecdote for what not to do. He should ask himself how he wants to be known — the guy who does *insert musical thing* or the guy with the broken basses who doesn’t practice and isn’t a team player?

I guess the long and short of it for the OP would be along the lines of “don’t be a liability”. Who cares how long the band has been rehearsing - if he commited to it, he should have put in 100%. Turn every experience into a teachable moment. He’s still young, so this is not the end of the world, but he needs to take his lumps and learn from them.

 

[JRA]

Anyhow, there seems to be two sides developing here. Either the band is in the right or they're in the wrong.

it's easier for idiots to think in binaries on the internet! (we're all idiots!)

- the OP had some tough 'equipment-luck'.
- (like oddly has posted) the band never included the OP as an equal to begin with.
- everyone who felt like the band has behaved poorly is correct.
- everyone who advises the OP to be better prepared is correct.
- i think the OP is young and that this is a learning experience on a lot of levels.
- i don't think it's the end of the world at any age.

going forward, OP, i think you could:
- figure a way to brush this off!
- don't burn bridges = great 'pro' advice!
- be more 'aware' and/or involved next time if that situation is meaningful to you.
- get your gear in order.
- practice.

keep your chops moving and get on with your bad self! good luck with your next project!

 

[MustangWally]

Y'know, sometimes things just don't smell right and the earlier you can work that out the better. Maybe they did the OP a favor in real terms.

Many years ago I was approached by a couple guys I knew to start a band, they were guitarists and they had a drummer so we arranged a rehearsal and got set up. From the very first note the drummer was nowhere, he was just a nice guy who owned a drum kit. Then the 'rhythm' guitarist had no rhythm. The lead player was pretty good and he and I could get a song together right away but when the other two came in it just fell apart. It took me about 45 minutes to come to the conclusion that when half a band has no rhythm then there is no hope, and I did the "Gentlemen, I am leaving" thing, packed my gear and walked out. The other three guys kept trying to get a band together for several years after that, adding and shedding members, but in the end they never gigged, all they did was flog an already dead horse. Ya gotta know when to fold 'em.

 

[mcnach]

So I was in this band for six months. They'd spent 4 years writing songs but hadn't done a gig yet. Said they wanted to perfect them and stuff. Fine...bit peculiar, but I could understand wanting a full set list under your belt before gig time.

Anyhow, we gelled like cookies 'n cream (or so I thought). They had a vision and were more than happy to point out when a bass part wasn't what they were looking for. They did compliment my bass parts what I pull out the bag and really like some stuff I do.

Anyhow, time comes around for studio work to record a single, plus one extra. All goes smoothly. There's no complaints. Parts that they changed their opinion on are changed around, and the studio guy is happy with my parts (I think). Says he really likes some ideas I play.

Roll on 2 weeks post studio, and we are all in lockdown. They seem a bit quiet but nothing seems particularly off. There's a video call with the studio guy that they do, but I don't participate. I was asked before about doing a band video call regarding a music video, and I didn't mind sitting out, since I'm not the one with the vision. These guys really knew what they wanted.

I take a listen to the raw mixes whilst they're calling. I don't know if it's the guy's style of mix in which he experimented with, but you could probably hear my bass less than Jason Newsted's on the Black Album. Except I wasn't downtuned, and I was playing a 5 string Squier Jazz, borrowed from the studio guy, strung with fresh rounds and ran through a DI, with an distortion simulator on it.

It was a far cry from my usual bass - 4 string short scale, strung with flats, but unfortunately that was in repairs. My other basses are in due need of repairs too. I discovered I'm not used to playing long scale 5 string basses.

I thought nothing of the mix. He'd gone down 1 or 2 directions with the mix prior, and the band didn't like his approach, so he changed it. No biggie.

Anyhow, I can't remember if it was the morning after, or 2 days later, but I get a message from the singer. Without the fluff of saying "you're a great guy and hope you got some experience from this", he says that I'm not the right bassist for them and that "it's the wrong time to be jamming with them" and that he's sorry but wishes me best of luck.

Now at first, I was dissapointed, but I thought "Ah it's nothing out the ordinary. You win some, you lose some". But a family member kept reiterating that it was a real bad move. They said it's weird they've strung me along for six months, telling me that I'm great with the band and that we've got a good line up, only for them to drop me now.

After sending a message to the singer saying I was dissapointed, but ultimately asking for the aspect they didn't like about my playing (to take away and improve on), I was left on read.

Furthermore, the other two band members didn't even wish me a farewell or a good luck or nothing. Not in the group chat. Not privately. I was removed from the studio chat we had overnight, but not from the band chat.

These reasons compounded made me warm to the idea that what they did wasn't that nice. Maybe it's me, but I'd be keen to know your experiences and opinions.

Some people have no manners. Many people have no guts and they'll let you go like that. It happens. It's not nice. But what can you do? Yeah, these bandmates of yours... not nice, but they've probably done you a favour if they've been a band for 4 years and haven't got a single gig under their belt.
You'll find other people. Better people.

However, before you do that... seriously, fix your instruments. It would not give me a lot of confidence playing with a guy who doesn't have a reliable instrument to play. What's wrong with your basses?

 

[mcnach]

I didn't send ALL my basses for repair 2 weeks in advance. If you've seen what I've posted on TalkBass, I don't have much luck with instruments. I have four basses. Two I don't play anymore because they're long scale and I find them uncomfortable to play. If you read my thread on the Mustang Bass and on the Supro Huntington I have, you'll see the issues I have. I have one repair guy I can trust in the area. I can't just keep funneling basses to them. The band knew about the issues with my basses well in advance.

I bought a Fender Mustang because of the issues I was having with my Supro. My whole thread on the issue with the Mustang was happening in the time with the band. I didn't know when it was going to be fixed or replaced. It went back to Fender.


Yes, my mistake about the Metallica album. I'm not that familiar with them. I just know the bass was inaudible on one album, it was Jason Newsted on it, and it gets mentioned lots here.

Having bad luck with instruments is snapping a tuning peg at a gig. If you have several instruments and all have issues... that's not bad luck, that's you neglecting to maintain them. I would not be surprised if this were a factor in your getting fired (they still did it in a coward kind of way, no question). Maybe when they heard the recordings carefully they thought you didn't do as great a job as they thought initially, and then remembered you don't have reliable instruments, you need lifts (if you start gigging are you going to need someone to carry you AND your amplifier/speaker cabs?), and showed not a lot of interest in the results of the recording, declined to participate on band talks... It all adds up. It's done now, but maybe you can use this opportunity to think about it and see what you could do different next time that will put you in a better position. Personally, living in the UK, I would not worry that much about transport for now (but do make plans to get your own transport if you plan to gig seriously), but the instrument reliability and taking an interest on band matters definitely needs attention, in my opinion.

What is the issue with your basses?
maybe it's a good time to learn how to maintain them and fix little things (which covers 99% of the issues you may have with a bass, most issues are little). You need a reliable instrument, otherwise you can easily let the whole band down. It would make me nervous to be your bandmate... but I would tell you, I wouldn't just fire you and go away.

 

[mcnach]

Let me see....

=> You show no interest in the future of the band.

=> You show up empty handed.

=> You show no respect for your own instruments.

=> You show no interest in the result.

=> You can't show up by yourself.
These credentials show me a possible "why"...

+100

It would be good if those spineless bandmates could tell the OP exactly why they decided to move on without him, 'though, but those points above ring true regardless the actual reasons. All those points need attention if you want to be in a band, and stay in it.

 

[beaglesandbass]

Not to be overly rude, but a good bassist has reliable gear (who cares how good you are if you have nothing to play on?), doesn’t attribute success or failure to “luck”, and takes/gives input so that the music is as good as it can be. So much of musicianship is putting the time in and developing a clear musical vision. Phoning it in and flubbing it with an unfamiliar instrument on a recording is bad enough that the OP should worry about his reputation - in my circles, he’d be well on his way to becoming an anecdote for what not to do. He should ask himself how he wants to be known — the guy who does *insert musical thing* or the guy with the broken basses who doesn’t practice and isn’t a team player?

I guess the long and short of it for the OP would be along the lines of “don’t be a liability”. Who cares how long the band has been rehearsing - if he commited to it, he should have put in 100%. Turn every experience into a teachable moment. He’s still young, so this is not the end of the world, but he needs to take his lumps and learn from them.

No you're absolutely right and I don't disagree with you. Personally I wouldn't have recorded on an instrument I wasn't familiar with. I was just merely trying to offer some words of encouragement that he'd find another gig too. But you're right, there are issues that should be addressed before that.

 

[mcnach]

I remember a year or two ago I was asked to audition for an original band and to learn like 4 or 5 of their songs. I did so, and went on over for the audition and meet the singer/guitarist and drummer. We discovered we had mutual friends and ended up chilling for an hour before even playing music.

When we finally got down to playing, we went through three songs, and they said they were impressed and didn’t even need to play through the rest if I wasn’t comfortable on them yet. I said let’s do it anyway and we played all the songs and it went very well according to them.

They asked me to come back in two weeks for a second set of songs to jam on. I came back after the second week with the songs learned and it was basically like a repeat of the initial audition. It seemed like everything went great. I think the only thing at all that happened the entire time was a single run he thought should be played with two fingers and I’m a Jamerson one finger kinda guy unless I absolutely have to summon my inner Adam Nitti chops. But I played it his way and all seemed fun. But besides that, there was nothing at all that indicated that these folks would completely ghost me.

.... and that’s what happened, I left after the second time and literally never heard from them again. Not one text or call and they never responded to me when I inquired as to the status of the position.

Needless to say I was a bit upset and disappointed, but the most frustrating thing was, the reason they even needed a bassist was their previous one had quit and ghosted them... they seemed to have not appreciated it; and then they did exactly that to me xD

You didn't hear?
The rehearsal studio blew up 5 minutes after you left. Gas leak I think.

 

[mcnach]

It's also worth mentioning that I've been in repair shops THAT MANY times, that part of me doesn't really want to show me face again, even though it's inevitable. I can only imagine the faces when I bring in 3 basses.

If I do repairs for a living and a guy comes with 3 instruments, my face will say "oh, hello, thank you for your custom". It's their job.

Best not wait until they ALL need repairs, 'though, eh?

I see now that you're 20. It took me a few more years before I got into a recording studio myself! You'll be ok. Yes, there are things you need to do better, and various people have indicated what they are. But that band was going nowhere, you're much better off free from them. Keep looking, with the right attitude (get involved!) and working instruments, and you'll be ok.

All the best.

 

[swink]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Some of you have been a bit harsh, but this is the internet, and sometimes we say things that come across blunter than expected.

You might call it harsh, I call it a straight forward open communication. (Something these band members neglected to do with you.(It's not the way to get fired.)) IMO it's the only way to communicate if you want to achieve something.
People I don't care about, or I see as lost causes, don't get this "harsh" treatment. (Now you know where you stand )

 

[Ronzo]

OP, do you have the capability to record yourself? It can be brutally revealing to hear yourself recorded, but it can be very helpful to hear exactly where you need to improve. In addition, recording yourself will reduce “mic fright” in a studio situation. After a while, it becomes your “new normal” to have your parts recorded, and it’s likely to pay off in a smoother performance and less cost for studio time.

Please consider finding a way to do this. And as many other posters have said, use this time to learn to keep your equipment set up to your preferences and in good repair. Depending on techs for basic work leads to situations like those you faced.

 

[TheIndieKid]

OP, do you have the capability to record yourself? It can be brutally revealing to hear yourself recorded, but it can be very helpful to hear exactly where you need to improve. In addition, recording yourself will reduce “mic fright” in a studio situation. After a while, it becomes your “new normal” to have your parts recorded, and it’s likely to pay off in a smoother performance and less cost for studio time.

Please consider finding a way to do this. And as many other posters have said, use this time to learn to keep your equipment set up to your preferences and in good repair. Depending on techs for basic work leads to situations like those you faced.

I do! But I don't have a DAW.

 

[JamesNC]

I do! But I don't have a DAW.

Reaper is free, as are others I’m sure.

 

[Bassdirty]

I think that I would not be happy to be used as a free studio bassist.

I'm guessing they are NOT using his "free" tracks. In fact, Id be willing to bet -dollars to donuts- that once they heard the soloed bass track, the decision was made for them.

The guy (OP) admitted not being used to full scale basses, I'm assuming that's him admitting it didn't sound so great?

My point is, I don't think they meant to string him along since day 1, I think that partway through the recording session, they realized it wasn't going to work. Right or wrong, if paying for studio time, I will NOT mess around with someone that's not cutting it. (we had a singer that we thought was good, but when we went to studio, he got all upset about tip/criticism and quit.)

OP, be honest, am I close? How did you feel about your playing? Have you recorded in a studio before?
(now ima read the rest of thread, see what other details emerge..)



T$

 

[JamesNC]

I will NOT mess around with someone that's not cutting it. (we had a singer that we thought was good, but when we went to studio, he got all upset about tip/criticism and quit.)


T$

Ahh the studio chokes, meltdowns, and temper tantrums I’ve seen. And I’m not even a studio veteran. Hard to watch. Good times.

 

[mcnach]

I'm guessing they are NOT using his "free" tracks. In fact, Id be willing to bet -dollars to donuts- that once they heard the soloed bass track, the decision was made for them.

The guy (OP) admitted not being used to full scale basses, I'm assuming that's him admitting it didn't sound so great?

My point is, I don't think they meant to string him along since day 1, I think that partway through the recording session, they realized it wasn't going to work. Right or wrong, if paying for studio time, I will NOT mess around with someone that's not cutting it. (we had a singer that we thought was good, but when we went to studio, he got all upset about tip/criticism and quit.)

OP, be honest, am I close? How did you feel about your playing? Have you recorded in a studio before?
(now ima read the rest of thread, see what other details emerge..)



T$

Recording with a 5 string bass when you're not used to them is probably not going to be great, if my own experience is similar to what others go through: it took me a while to properly mute all unused strings when I started using 5 string basses. If I had had to record the first day I had a 5 string bass... ugh...

 

[MrLenny1]

Unfortunately that happens a lot. I got dropped out of a two bands after
a whole years work with both of them. They replaced me and never told me.SUCKS!
Try to get a copy of the recording you did and keep it for future references.
Issues? Maybe that 5 string long scale vs a short scale may have worked against you.
Playback helps develop you're playing.
Stay positive, it's a poopy business.