It was a good band but I was tired of the ********. Practice supposed to be 6:00-8:00. Show up and everyone just smokes tons of weed and plays smash brothers and we end up practicing 7:30-8:15. Hell its not like they were losers. One had a masters degree and made so much money he never had to work ever again and the other guys had bachelors degrees and owned their own fairly successful businesses. I guess it was more of a chill with your friends type of band for them. I wanted to play a lot more and play out more often. Just a bad fit. We all knew each other since we were kids but damn did they frustrate the hell out of me.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Why did you quit a band?
- Thread starter Cut the middle
- Start date
In 30+ years playing the #1 reason for me has been crappy singers. I quit 3 bands because of that. I also quit once in occasion of me moving from Buenos Aires to Madrid. Also quit 2 bands because of better opportunities. I was fired from a band (along with the rest of the band) because of money disagreements with the BL.
When it hasn’t been fun anymore, when the personnel are a pain or too busy.
Usually the fun goes when the maniac In the band rears his ugly head And assumes control.
I did leave once because I wanted to get a qualification in music which was so much fun playing in ensembles with strangers and performing well with little rehearsal time.
Fond memories fun times, then I started another higher degree, got married and that was the end of that. Back to bands and it Started over again.
Personnel is more important to me than chops and egos.
The drummer.
1) She couldn't keep time to save her life
2) She had two volumes, loud and louder
3) She had no tolerance for feedback
1) She couldn't keep time to save her life
2) She had two volumes, loud and louder
3) She had no tolerance for feedback
The drummer couldn't play a shuffle. It was a blues band.
The guitar player insisted on playing China Grove at least once in every set. 
A drummer I worked with a loooong time ago said pretty much the same thing. He needed to get two out of the following three for a gig to be a “worth it”
-Financial satisfaction.
-Musical satisfaction.
-Spiritual satisfaction.
He was spot on, IMO.
Too much negativity and lost the "Fun" in it.. Happens.. Move on and create another or join another..
Keep your head up and stick on the ice!
Keep your head up and stick on the ice!
I quit one band when I learned the drummer was dating my girlfriend (who I was still with)
Another one ended when I got divorced from the singer. Those last few argument filled rehearsals must have been loads of fun for the other players, I tell ya.
Quit another because I was tired of driving 1.5 hrs each ways to attend yet another rehearsal where the singer was drunk or absent.
Quit a recent band after the second rehearsal because Well, that was fast (flaky bassist content)
Another one ended when I got divorced from the singer. Those last few argument filled rehearsals must have been loads of fun for the other players, I tell ya.
Quit another because I was tired of driving 1.5 hrs each ways to attend yet another rehearsal where the singer was drunk or absent.
Quit a recent band after the second rehearsal because Well, that was fast (flaky bassist content)
I organised a gig in the country hills in a community centre with 5 bands me playing bass in 2. One originals the other covers.When it was time to play in the originals (unknown to me as I was selling soup from the kitchen, yes , trying to break even) the guitarist had built a small tepee/ changing room on stage.
After a little to and fro... we had to start due to the schedule. There I am playing on the floor in front of the stage. No room for me on stage. The guitarist was doing costume changes between songs. At one point he came out wearing a cape and a pointed wizards hat.
I was so embarrassed and angry but tried to focus on the music smiling. After my other show I hit the bottle of whisky I had in the van for post show. Packed my gear after some friendly chatter with the crowd and a seriously talented bassist from the main act. He gave me some advice which I forget. I quit the originals band and on leaving reversed into a driveway by mistake taking out only the letter box. Long drive home.
Many years later I bought this up with the drummer who I still see Remaining good friends. He told me that the rest of the band “ were crushed “ when I quit.
Last edited:
This definitely seems to be a recurring aspect. I, too, have been in a band with this guy. I've often pondered this subject...
The economist F. A. Hayek expounded on the idea that politicians (all of them) are the way they are because it takes a certain personality type, firstly, to want to be a politician; and, secondly, to run a successful campaign.
I think the same can be said of (self-proclaimed) lead guitarists. It takes a strong personality type to persevere through the practice regiment to become a good lead guitarist. But, it also takes a certain type of person to want to get up on stage, and say, "Hey, everybody look at me."
The fact that they are not all raging narcissists is astounding to me, quite frankly.
Last edited:
Hilarious that this popped up today as I was just remembering this story the other day and was kinda hoping a thread would come up that I could tell it haha. This isn’t a “why I quit”, but more of a “why I fired” story.
Back in the day, when I was first building my studio, I used to dry record everything directly into the laptop through my cheap PA system, so I had no mixer, preamps, compressors, reverb anything like that.
I used to do it all in post. Pretty simple to explain, I’m sure any reasonable person could understand it. Anyhoo the setup was
Me: Guitar and Bass and drum work/ writing the music
My best friend (Let’s call him Rambo): Guitar and drum work/ backup vocals/ writing music and lyrics
Our former friend Josh (the subject of today’s story): Lead Singer/ would try to write lyrics
Another friend: Keyboardist and Programming
So Josh was a sensitive little baby, we were 22/23 and the time, Josh was 25... with the mentality of a brooding teenager, couldn’t date a girl older than 18 that wasn’t an Emo scene girl and still in High School, worked as a Piercer at Tattoo shops, changed his facial arrangement of Piercings and Hair dye about twice weekly (he was basically Dez from Coal Chamber).
So when we would record our demos, Josh and Rambo would record their parts then I would say something like “ok, gonna run it through the effects” or “Ima master this and throw it in the mix” or something to that extent. Well Joshy here couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of why a vocal track needed preamps or effects of any sort. He would flip out at the mere mention of “effects” screaming that his voice was perfect and each take was perfect and would never do more than 1 take on a part. And no matter how many times we would explain to him how microphones work and how recording works, he would say, oh ok ok I get it, my bad, then 10 mins later he would flip again after another recording. Mind blowing.
So one day we’re all sitting there working on some new stuff, and I had an acoustic part that I recorded and was playing for everyone. Well the blast of inspiration hit Josh right in the temples, he was on a roll, he actually came up with some lyrics that were pretty decent right off the top of his head. So afterwards I handed him our little spiral notebook and said, “hey, write those down!!!”. Aaaaaaand nothing.
“Man, I was in the zone on that one, I can’t remember a single thing I said” he boasted.
Hmmm, that’s weird, we all thought, “Well do you think you can remember if we play it back and record you?” I asked. to which he replied yes and we did. This produced a pretty decent start of something to work on, but his playback was way past max volume in the mix and barely able to hear without turning the rest way down, so I said, I’ll run it through some “effects” and double it real quick.
OOOOOOOO NNNNOOOOOO I SAID THE MAGIC BUZZ TRIGGER WORD!
Joshy decided He had, had enough and he took that spiral notebook I handed to him earlier, Metal spiral side out and whacked me right across my head screaming about his voice Bering PERFECT!
At this point, we were there for hours, hungry and I had a splitting headache already. It took every part of me to not go full blown Christmas Story on him.
Rajja fragga no good fajja , you get it. So I calmly said, that’s enough for today, practice is over, everyone piled in my car and we left. En route to car I turned to Rambo and everyone else and said “he’s gone”. While heading to his apartment first, I finally flipped and called him out for hitting me with notebook spirals when I had a headache because he’s too stupid to understand how recording works even after it’s been explained over and over. Are you ready for his genius response? You sure you can handle this gem? Apparently had I not had the headache, everything would have been all honkey dorey. He screamed “oh sorry man, I didn’t know you had a headache”
Anyway, got to his apartment, kicked him and he creepy HS Sophomore girlfriend out (remember he’s 25) of my car, who I hear he eventually knocked up, idk how this dude isn’t in jail, and fired the living eph out of him. Me, nor Rambo, nor any of us have talked to him since.
Good times.
Back in the day, when I was first building my studio, I used to dry record everything directly into the laptop through my cheap PA system, so I had no mixer, preamps, compressors, reverb anything like that.
I used to do it all in post. Pretty simple to explain, I’m sure any reasonable person could understand it. Anyhoo the setup was
Me: Guitar and Bass and drum work/ writing the music
My best friend (Let’s call him Rambo): Guitar and drum work/ backup vocals/ writing music and lyrics
Our former friend Josh (the subject of today’s story): Lead Singer/ would try to write lyrics
Another friend: Keyboardist and Programming
So Josh was a sensitive little baby, we were 22/23 and the time, Josh was 25... with the mentality of a brooding teenager, couldn’t date a girl older than 18 that wasn’t an Emo scene girl and still in High School, worked as a Piercer at Tattoo shops, changed his facial arrangement of Piercings and Hair dye about twice weekly (he was basically Dez from Coal Chamber).
So when we would record our demos, Josh and Rambo would record their parts then I would say something like “ok, gonna run it through the effects” or “Ima master this and throw it in the mix” or something to that extent. Well Joshy here couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of why a vocal track needed preamps or effects of any sort. He would flip out at the mere mention of “effects” screaming that his voice was perfect and each take was perfect and would never do more than 1 take on a part. And no matter how many times we would explain to him how microphones work and how recording works, he would say, oh ok ok I get it, my bad, then 10 mins later he would flip again after another recording. Mind blowing.
So one day we’re all sitting there working on some new stuff, and I had an acoustic part that I recorded and was playing for everyone. Well the blast of inspiration hit Josh right in the temples, he was on a roll, he actually came up with some lyrics that were pretty decent right off the top of his head. So afterwards I handed him our little spiral notebook and said, “hey, write those down!!!”. Aaaaaaand nothing.
“Man, I was in the zone on that one, I can’t remember a single thing I said” he boasted.
Hmmm, that’s weird, we all thought, “Well do you think you can remember if we play it back and record you?” I asked. to which he replied yes and we did. This produced a pretty decent start of something to work on, but his playback was way past max volume in the mix and barely able to hear without turning the rest way down, so I said, I’ll run it through some “effects” and double it real quick.
OOOOOOOO NNNNOOOOOO I SAID THE MAGIC BUZZ TRIGGER WORD!
Joshy decided He had, had enough and he took that spiral notebook I handed to him earlier, Metal spiral side out and whacked me right across my head screaming about his voice Bering PERFECT!
At this point, we were there for hours, hungry and I had a splitting headache already. It took every part of me to not go full blown Christmas Story on him.
Rajja fragga no good fajja , you get it. So I calmly said, that’s enough for today, practice is over, everyone piled in my car and we left. En route to car I turned to Rambo and everyone else and said “he’s gone”. While heading to his apartment first, I finally flipped and called him out for hitting me with notebook spirals when I had a headache because he’s too stupid to understand how recording works even after it’s been explained over and over. Are you ready for his genius response? You sure you can handle this gem? Apparently had I not had the headache, everything would have been all honkey dorey. He screamed “oh sorry man, I didn’t know you had a headache”
Anyway, got to his apartment, kicked him and he creepy HS Sophomore girlfriend out (remember he’s 25) of my car, who I hear he eventually knocked up, idk how this dude isn’t in jail, and fired the living eph out of him. Me, nor Rambo, nor any of us have talked to him since.
Good times.
Lead singer who was also our booking agent assigned me the duties of musical director of the band. Along with his original songs and materials ( which btw the jury is still out on whether he created it or not, let’s just say it became his property ) wanted me to create a playlist solely on his stuff. Now this genre was considered Latin Pop music. I’ve tried to explain to him that the demographics here in NY was going be a hard sell for it and that we could along with some Latin classics and Latin Jazz could incorporate his stuff into the Mix.
Now did you ever get the feeling that someone was on Crack! Cause at various rehearsals and shows I found that I was repeating the concepts to him about featuring his originals at various shows along with keeping the audience engaged in what we where playing. Only to be replied with repeated statements Like “My Stuff” Times 10!!! So that along with doing my best to get a motley crew of grown men all with “ADD” disorders! Who would quickly forget a playlist as quickly as they’ve learned it! Also 90% of them all wanted to be miked! I mean really folks where playing a club that holds 150 people and we’re a 8 piece band! I guess my tipping point came when our Bongocero whom I carried throughout ( he wasn’t that good and the singer fired him after our 3rd gig ) asked me if he could have 2 mics! Then one of the trombone players asked if he could use my music stand light while he’s directly under flood light an I’m in the darkest spot on the stage! The list goes on an on! Then my breaking point happened when our keyboard player calls me the day before a gig and tells me he can’t make! So I scramble and get a friend who btw won an award in his native Australia that’s equivalent to a Grammy Award here to fill the spot! Then the Singer posts a group text that we’re getting a sub for the gig, then 40 mins after the post the keyboard player calls the Singer and explains that he made a mistake ( he’s blind BTW ) and indicates he can make the gig and to let me know! Cowardly slimy move on his part! I quickly got into a confrontation with the Singer and simply stated that he was going to pay the Sub and apologize to him for any confusion, which he did! I just became Exhausted! ATM I told the Singer that I was done and that was my last gig with him! Later that month the Band line up started changing, the Singer started getting rid of the guys I had brought in and started replacing the with Latino players. Did I mention that the Congo player was always mentioning that we needed all Latino players. I never knew that music was comprised of ethnicities specific to the Genre!
I was done! The band lasted another 8 months then through bad negotiations, firing players and accepting sub par venues it was only a matter of time. Classic story! I can honestly say that when I was playing the gigs and the band was on it was a blast! But for the most part I couldn’t stand the politics cause the Singer just wanted a bunch of yes man that lead him to his demise.
Good luck becoming Famous Lead Singer!
Now did you ever get the feeling that someone was on Crack! Cause at various rehearsals and shows I found that I was repeating the concepts to him about featuring his originals at various shows along with keeping the audience engaged in what we where playing. Only to be replied with repeated statements Like “My Stuff” Times 10!!! So that along with doing my best to get a motley crew of grown men all with “ADD” disorders! Who would quickly forget a playlist as quickly as they’ve learned it! Also 90% of them all wanted to be miked! I mean really folks where playing a club that holds 150 people and we’re a 8 piece band! I guess my tipping point came when our Bongocero whom I carried throughout ( he wasn’t that good and the singer fired him after our 3rd gig ) asked me if he could have 2 mics! Then one of the trombone players asked if he could use my music stand light while he’s directly under flood light an I’m in the darkest spot on the stage! The list goes on an on! Then my breaking point happened when our keyboard player calls me the day before a gig and tells me he can’t make! So I scramble and get a friend who btw won an award in his native Australia that’s equivalent to a Grammy Award here to fill the spot! Then the Singer posts a group text that we’re getting a sub for the gig, then 40 mins after the post the keyboard player calls the Singer and explains that he made a mistake ( he’s blind BTW ) and indicates he can make the gig and to let me know! Cowardly slimy move on his part! I quickly got into a confrontation with the Singer and simply stated that he was going to pay the Sub and apologize to him for any confusion, which he did! I just became Exhausted! ATM I told the Singer that I was done and that was my last gig with him! Later that month the Band line up started changing, the Singer started getting rid of the guys I had brought in and started replacing the with Latino players. Did I mention that the Congo player was always mentioning that we needed all Latino players. I never knew that music was comprised of ethnicities specific to the Genre!
I was done! The band lasted another 8 months then through bad negotiations, firing players and accepting sub par venues it was only a matter of time. Classic story! I can honestly say that when I was playing the gigs and the band was on it was a blast! But for the most part I couldn’t stand the politics cause the Singer just wanted a bunch of yes man that lead him to his demise.
Good luck becoming Famous Lead Singer!
Last edited:
Moved too far out from Boston to make the commute for rehearsals sustainable. Tearful farewell after last gig. We're all still buds tho, 20+ years later.
Where have you been my friend?
This idiom may also include Klezmer or Balkin music influences and less Americanna but we did have a Denver influence David Eugene Edwards 16 Horse Power and Woven Hand Tom Waits is also a for-runner
and there are hundreds of other examples many in Europe too, bands that are often mixed gender 6-8 members, more of a Troupe of various instruments, horns, fiddles, odd instruments are encouraged, vocals can be anything we once used a choir, and the volume is electro acoustic not rock band. Down Brooklyn way, World Inferno Friendship Society led by Jack Terricloth (look at this, the whole crowd knows their opening theme song, female drums and bass plr 5 string Ibanez) , Rasputina (a cello duet with other), The Decemberists, Arcade Fire *with a more commercial sound, still a Troup), the Cabaret Steampunk of The Dresden Dolls, the whole activist marching bands phenomena as exemplified by Honk Festivals (bands from every US locality and international each with colorful dress codes) within Death Folk you have everything from Cowboy Junkies to Nick Cave and ubiquitous Mr. Cohen.
Last edited:
One of the members was a "angry" drunk. He controlled his drinking as best he could but slipped from time to time. We had an annual private Halloween party that that we played for 5 or 6 years that was our gateway to next years dinner dances for a church. Good gigs, great pay..Festivals, New Years, etc.... We wanted to pull out all the stops, full setup, lights, matching band attire, even hired a soundman and a pickup sax player. We did the set-up and sound check about 6 hrs before the show and I went home. When I came back Mr X was not there. He came in just before the show and he had been drinking. He kept drinking and getting louder and louder, we asked him to turn down and he yelled "NO!!". He started dropping the better songs from the list because "I hate that song!!". We cut the show short. I loaded up, he came around and paid me. When I was leaving he came up and tried to pay me again.. The next day I gave notice...Too bad, good band, and he was a friend (still is) but I won't put myself in that position again.
reasons i left 4 diff projects:
1. guitarist couldnt write to my basslines, he just wanted me to write to his ideas, he wasn't able to truly collaborate(i see this way too often)
2. gf played drums and we broke up so band broke up
3. singer/guitarist was a creative control freak(much like 1)
4. couldnt get together for practices, badnmates too busy playing in other projects, too much time went by not playing so seemed like a waste of time
1. guitarist couldnt write to my basslines, he just wanted me to write to his ideas, he wasn't able to truly collaborate(i see this way too often)
2. gf played drums and we broke up so band broke up
3. singer/guitarist was a creative control freak(much like 1)
4. couldnt get together for practices, badnmates too busy playing in other projects, too much time went by not playing so seemed like a waste of time
The reasons I will quit a band:
- Stagnation. No new songs being added, not wanting to play out, just rehearsing the same stuff over and over with no goal
- Any member who gets intoxicated before or is intoxicated during shows/rehearsals.
- Personality issues: Racists, homophobes, misogynists, people whose identity are based solely or primarily on politics and/or religion and won't shut up about it. A-hole narcisissists in general who disrespect other members
- Schedule conflicts
- No shows
- Bad players/people who don't learn songs or aren't prepared.
- Stagnation. No new songs being added, not wanting to play out, just rehearsing the same stuff over and over with no goal
- Any member who gets intoxicated before or is intoxicated during shows/rehearsals.
- Personality issues: Racists, homophobes, misogynists, people whose identity are based solely or primarily on politics and/or religion and won't shut up about it. A-hole narcisissists in general who disrespect other members
- Schedule conflicts
- No shows
- Bad players/people who don't learn songs or aren't prepared.
