Why did you quit a band?

[lfmn16]

Right, I was young, goaded by opportunity and connections. A real lesson. But I had fun for a while, and learned things. So thats two off Charlie Christians list.

Anything we learn from isn't a total loss. I had a friend ready to lay down $5,000 for a recording "contract" in the 70's. Truth be told, I forget how the deal fell apart. I didn't have any money so I was safe! These scum have more ways to separate us from our money than a dog has fleas.

 

[DarkStar90]

Anything we learn from isn't a total loss. I had a friend ready to lay down $5,000 for a recording "contract" in the 70's. Truth be told, I forget how the deal fell apart. I didn't have any money so I was safe! These scum have more ways to separate us from our money than a dog has fleas.

Yea, I mean, other than the gas for the 5 minute drive to rehearsals, I wasn't losing anything. But yea this dude took advantage of a young keener.

 

[lfmn16]

Yea, I mean, other than the gas for the 5 minute drive to rehearsals, I wasn't losing anything. But yea this dude took advantage of a young keener.

The music industry couldn't survive without tens of thousands of eager young people to exploit. We've all been there.

 

[dadglasser]

As Wimpy used to say, "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Not to excuse Mr. M, but if you rehearse 3 times a week and do gigs and recordings for free for A YEAR AND A HALF, you are equally to blame. Nobody can take advantage of us unless we let them.

"As Wimpy used to say, 'I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.'"

I heard a great quote about this sort of thing in a Bollywood movie:

"If you make yourself into a mule, somebody will ride you."​

 

[awakefie]

Was in a band in the 80s where we started to get really tight after about 2-3 years. We got a good agent, bookings were coming regularly for good $$$. Band pooled money and bought a massive sound system/lighting system expecting better things. We bought an old shelled out school bus to haul gear, head a great sound/light man. Life was good.

Then one night, about 90 minutes before a gig in Omaha Nebraska, I got a call from the lead guitar player. He was in jail in Texas on federal charges for dealing cocaine. He and the light/sound man had absconded with the gear, hocked it, and bought a bunch of coke from an undercover agent. He wanted to know if I would drive down the next day and bail him out. I politely declined. We had to cancel the gig (which was the start of a 5 night stint).

Our agent tried to coax me into another band after that but it just didn't feel right any more.

 

[oldrocker]

"As Wimpy used to say, 'I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.'"

I heard a great quote about this sort of thing in a Bollywood movie:

"If you make yourself into a mule, somebody will ride you."​

"If God didn't want them sheared, he would not have made them sheep."

Calvera - The Magnificent Seven

 

[1st Bass]

Was in a band in the 80s where we started to get really tight after about 2-3 years. We got a good agent, bookings were coming regularly for good $$$. Band pooled money and bought a massive sound system/lighting system expecting better things. We bought an old shelled out school bus to haul gear, head a great sound/light man. Life was good.

Then one night, about 90 minutes before a gig in Omaha Nebraska, I got a call from the lead guitar player. He was in jail in Texas on federal charges for dealing cocaine. He and the light/sound man had absconded with the gear, hocked it, and bought a bunch of coke from an undercover agent. He wanted to know if I would drive down the next day and bail him out. I politely declined. We had to cancel the gig (which was the start of a 5 night stint).

Our agent tried to coax me into another band after that but it just didn't feel right any more.

That is really a sad story!

 

[Aaarn]

...I have concluded that the only band members without egos and who are dependable, not interested in hogging the limelight or totally full of egocentric bull$h!t are the bass players. If I could only form a band of 4 or 5 bassists, I think I'd be sorted!

How would you get 4 or 5 bassists all playing torted and flatted P's with high-mass bridges to cut thru the mix so they could all play lead bass? No offense brotato chip, but I just don't see it working out.

Lead bass, rhythm bass, bass bass and drums!

With the right composition and position in mix, it's doable. No need to fight that deaf guitarist.

 

[Thunder Lizard]

Oh my.. where to start... there was the time the singer was dealing drugs DURING REHEARSALS... that didn't keep me around long. The band where the guitarist's gf was "managing the band" and started posting youtube videos of rehearsals... ON DAY ONE. The band where the drummer earned the nickname "tempo swell" while the singer gal wore really short skirts to distract people from all the flat notes. Including on the stage that's raised 8' above the audience... Hi Mom... *dear gawd sorry Mom no I didn't know you could see straight up her skirt.. and now I can't unthink it either.

 

[roccobass]

Was in a band in the 80s where we started to get really tight after about 2-3 years. We got a good agent, bookings were coming regularly for good $$$. Band pooled money and bought a massive sound system/lighting system expecting better things. We bought an old shelled out school bus to haul gear, head a great sound/light man. Life was good.

Then one night, about 90 minutes before a gig in Omaha Nebraska, I got a call from the lead guitar player. He was in jail in Texas on federal charges for dealing cocaine. He and the light/sound man had absconded with the gear, hocked it, and bought a bunch of coke from an undercover agent. He wanted to know if I would drive down the next day and bail him out. I politely declined. We had to cancel the gig (which was the start of a 5 night stint).

Our agent tried to coax me into another band after that but it just didn't feel right any more.

Good decision walking away from that situation. Too much bad juju associated. This I’m very familiar with!

 

[Mark Porter]

I left a band after the second rehearsal because the drummer couldn't refrain from racist and insulting political commentary while I was around, even though I had specifically mentioned that I would not be getting into political discussions in a musical situation. Unfortunately I was stuck with him on the long drive back from that rehearsal; to avoid a needless confrontation I didn't say anything, but emailed to let them know I would not be joining them. I felt bad for the guitar player, he really wanted me in the band and offered to pay for my rehearsal time, but I just couldn't.

 

[lfmn16]

I never talk politics or religion unless I KNOW that everyone party to the discussion is of a like mind. I don't care if you are liberal or conservative, it is rude to subject other people to your political tirades.

I had a friend of more than 40 years who was on the opposite side of the political fence that wouldn't stop bringing up politics even though I'd asked him probably 100 times (no exaggeration). I finally had enough and stopped answering or returning his calls.

 

[Wilt]

In my area $100 a man is pretty good pay for a show.

That said, you should know the financial details on the way in and not be hoping your pay will go up after learning the material.

Well I assume a $100 is good for where you are in your music adventure, good deal. $100 not so with me, anyhow it is what it is. But that’s why I quit with notice and moved on, no worries.

 

[lfmn16]

and sometimes their playing would slowly get worse

Only sometimes? I played with a guitar player for a short time where the first set would be smoking hot, the second set about 90% great, and the third set, sometimes OK, sometimes bad. The Last draw was when we launched into a slow song and he starts playing this long, fast, loud, completely inappropriate lead break. I was like, I don't care HOW good the first two sets are, nothing makes up for that abortion of a lead break.

 

[SWRnut]

In most cases, I have become tired of the music or drama. I tend to last 6 years or so as an average. This band has been 8 years and counting. These guys are like brothers to me and remind me of my first band mates at 14 years old. I can't foresee leaving this band at any time.

 

[Marlon Carbone]

Very strange, what reason did he give the security guy to stop you?

Don't know. Don't really care. I remember the situation, but can't say as I even remember the guy's name or what he looks like. It was a good 25-30 years ago. Way too much water under the bridge for me to care. But the situation... I remember clearly. I will never be put in that situation again.

 

[Marlon Carbone]

I've never quit a band .I've always been kicked out or fired for not doing my homework.

I've fired so many people for that, I have made it through a significant percentage of the world's population. Heck, you may be one of them. LOL

 

[mark roberts]

Don't know. Don't really care. I remember the situation, but can't say as I even remember the guy's name or what he looks like. It was a good 25-30 years ago. Way too much water under the bridge for me to care. But the situation... I remember clearly. I will never be put in that situation again.

Your intuition was spot on. If any person, band member or band related tries that manipulation under the circumstance represented by your original post, it is good that you got the h*## out of there.

 

[leerod054]

In most cases, I have become tired of the music or drama. I tend to last 6 years or so as an average. This band has been 8 years and counting. These guys are like brothers to me and remind me of my first band mates at 14 years old. I can't foresee leaving this band at any time.

Good luck there. The ones I was with for 8yrs also called each other family....got stabbed in the back big time.

 

[MustangWally]

they lacked less talent than a fence post.

Wahahaha!!! OK, slightly off topic, but I used to do 'slider monkey' jobs on the side and this one time I got booked to do sound for a Country & Western Club at their annual social event. It was in a great theater with excellent acoustics and basically each member would bring up their buddies/band and do a couple numbers.

These fine folks were talent deprived to a man, most could not carry a tune in a bucket and they were the good ones! I am not even sure if they knew how to tune their instruments, but I was there and being paid and with a great rig, so after a couple beers I figured 'what the heck' and started to get creative with the system (this was late last last century and largely analog, so about all I had was a very nice Roland Chorus Echo, the one with the endless tape loop, plus the usual parametric EQ) so I waded into things with heaps of chorus and some echo on vocals and other things on the instruments and it sounded pretty dang good! I just threw caution to the wind and laid the effects on thick, although tastefully, and the Club folks were ecstatic, they had never sounded so good!