What Makes a Band a Band?

[bluewine]

The primary goal of our band is to provide a fun, entertaining show for the audience and ensure that they have a real good time (not to mention keep the bartenders/waitstaff busy ).

We are not exceptional musicians. Actually, we'd settle for "wow you guys didn't suck" (ha ha...actually we're not terrible....).

I am the newest addition to the band, replacing their old bassist of about 2 years. When I auditioned for the part, they knew I had no experience playing Country music, I was a blues/rocker, but also knew that I had been fairly well trained.

They explained to me that there were "rules" to being in the band.

1. The goal is to provide a fun show for the crowd. Put your personal musical taste aside when performing. If they want to hear "Friends In Low Places" again, we play it....again. And a third time if they demand it. If you have to play E-E-E-E-E-E for ten minutes because that's what has to be done, we'd like you to be okay with that (which I was).

2. No attitudes. None of us are perfect. If you can help someone else, do it. Treat each other like you're family, respect each other, and agree to work together because this is not a group of individuals, as GRB we are, essentially, an entity.

3. Have fun. If you're not having fun, say something. Don't sit and stew with disappointment or resentment. Enjoy this opportunity we have been fortunate enough to have been given. COMMUNICATE with each other.

* Dave Navarro has a small sticker on his pedal board that says "You get to do this". I read that once. It always stuck with me, all of us are truly lucky and fortunate that we have the opportunity to "do this" as well.

4. Respect each other. That means a lot, including preparation for practice or shows. Respect your fellow bandmates by putting in the effort you should be, this shows them that you not only respect yourself, but you respect them as well.

5. Did I mention we're supposed to have fun?

Love your post, again your talking about being flexible and delivering a fun product to the club/bar owner.

I will remember " you get to do this".

blue

 

[Nev375]

My personal definition (which is similar to some already stated)

A band is the chemistry that exists between any group of members where each member is more or less equally responsible for his portion of the whole circle.

That means that no member is merely a support player to some starring member. They may play an instrument who's role is to support the music, but the player himself is as vital to the chemistry as any other member. Each player does his own thing in his own way as only he can do it.

Which in turn means that each member of the band is completely irreplaceable. If any part is replaced the chemistry is changed. You have either created a brand new band, or the old band shrank and you have a hired gun to imitate the missing member who is not really part of the band. Sometimes they eventually get let into the circle, but it becomes a whole new band at that point.

A band may or may not contain leaders. But if the leader(s) are just a core of one or two people who dictate the musical actions of other members it is not a real band. If there is one leader within who writes everything for the rest to support, then its not a band. If there are two leaders, then those leaders are kind-of a band and everyone else is just hired support. A leader could easily exist outside the band in the form of a manager

Usually only the band and those close to it knows if they are a real band or not according to this definition. It is not necessarily possible to tell as an audience member by the existence of some discernible magic energy happening at a performance.

Real bands can easily produce this magic regardless of their talent level because each member is content and satisfied and feels his contributions are valued. However, a real band can possibly suck because of an internal issue bothering just one of its members.

Bands or stars with hired-gun members have a hard time producing that energy unless their hired guns are really professional, talented and able to conceal the fact that they don't have much of a creative stake in the act.