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Why did you quit a band?
- Thread starter Cut the middle
- Start date
They were too loud. My ears shouldnt be ringing after every rehearsal.
Had a few bands fold and a few short term situations that I stepped out of, but for groups I was with for a significant amount of time here were my reasons for leaving. In all of these situations I actually left on good terms.
-I thought they were destined for bigger things and should have a bassist who could commit more time to them. Gave them 6 months to find someone (they didn't) and then I left.
-Had a kid on the way and decided to take a break and also I wasn't feeling the musical vibe as much.
-Bandleader couldn't meet my fee anymore.
-Disruptive band member I absolutely couldn't stand came back from a "break" and was promoted to a semi-leadership position.
Interestingly, with one exception, none of these groups lasted long after my departure. looking back I think in most of them I had a feeling that things were winding down, but wasn't willing to fully acknowledge or admit it to myself.
-I thought they were destined for bigger things and should have a bassist who could commit more time to them. Gave them 6 months to find someone (they didn't) and then I left.
-Had a kid on the way and decided to take a break and also I wasn't feeling the musical vibe as much.
-Bandleader couldn't meet my fee anymore.
-Disruptive band member I absolutely couldn't stand came back from a "break" and was promoted to a semi-leadership position.
Interestingly, with one exception, none of these groups lasted long after my departure. looking back I think in most of them I had a feeling that things were winding down, but wasn't willing to fully acknowledge or admit it to myself.
1.Nobody but me actually practiced. I found that I was holding everything together.
2. Bandmates would belly up to the bar and do shots on break. By the 3rd set they were wasted, and I lost all confidence in their abilities.
3. Combine 1 and 2. A well established band of 10 years fell apart when I left. I was with them for 3 years. I was told that they would be "moving forward without me", but never did. They were unable to find a comparable replacement. Too bad for them.
I guess it is true. WITHOUT THE BASS, THERE'S NO BAND.
2. Bandmates would belly up to the bar and do shots on break. By the 3rd set they were wasted, and I lost all confidence in their abilities.
3. Combine 1 and 2. A well established band of 10 years fell apart when I left. I was with them for 3 years. I was told that they would be "moving forward without me", but never did. They were unable to find a comparable replacement. Too bad for them.
I guess it is true. WITHOUT THE BASS, THERE'S NO BAND.
Every time I've quit a band it was because I moved away because of work.
I once quit a band that had a New Year's Eve gig lined up, but they had no replacement, so I drove 738 miles from Portland, Oregon, to Lincoln, Montana, to play the gig.
I really liked that band. We played strictly Chicago style blues. We all dressed as 1930s mobsters.
I once quit a band that had a New Year's Eve gig lined up, but they had no replacement, so I drove 738 miles from Portland, Oregon, to Lincoln, Montana, to play the gig.
I really liked that band. We played strictly Chicago style blues. We all dressed as 1930s mobsters.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Over six decades:
Alcoholic band leaders.
Intrusive band leader's wife.
Band mates who didn't learn their parts.
Band mates who refused to moderate their volume.
Incompetent drummers (chums, relatives, of BL).
Drug-addled saxophonist prone to violence.
BL unilaterally changed Play list to music I didn't enjoy playing.
Lots of rehearsals, few gigs.
Lousy pay.
Band mates who needed fake books and couldn't solo to save their lives.
Repeat bookings in bad venues.
BL died.
Relocated to different state.
Retired.
Alcoholic band leaders.
Intrusive band leader's wife.
Band mates who didn't learn their parts.
Band mates who refused to moderate their volume.
Incompetent drummers (chums, relatives, of BL).
Drug-addled saxophonist prone to violence.
BL unilaterally changed Play list to music I didn't enjoy playing.
Lots of rehearsals, few gigs.
Lousy pay.
Band mates who needed fake books and couldn't solo to save their lives.
Repeat bookings in bad venues.
BL died.
Relocated to different state.
Retired.
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Speaking as the type of casual player who doesn't do this for a living, if it isn't fun I won't stay. Fortunately for me that has only happened once. Back in 2015 I joined this band led by an older guy, and his personality should have been a clue...he was very matter-of-fact, rarely smiled, and one of his dayjobs was as a pro-league baseball umpire. Practices were long and he drove us hard. He wrote good stuff but was a whip-cracker about getting it exactly right.
I played ONE gig with those guys, a big Halloween-party in the leader's back yard. Or it was supposed to be big but attendance was light. The show went poorly, and I felt that my playing was already going downhill from where I was a few practices ago. Ghosted after that, and it was worth the loss of the cable I left I left in the practice room.
Makes me ALWAYS grateful that my current band is lots of fun and that we all get along so harmoniously.
I played ONE gig with those guys, a big Halloween-party in the leader's back yard. Or it was supposed to be big but attendance was light. The show went poorly, and I felt that my playing was already going downhill from where I was a few practices ago. Ghosted after that, and it was worth the loss of the cable I left I left in the practice room.
Makes me ALWAYS grateful that my current band is lots of fun and that we all get along so harmoniously.
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The band leader would routinely change set lists at the last minute (as in, just picking a random song right after finishing the last), and almost always cut songs short. She routinely ended songs before the 2 minute mark because she thinks audiences had short attention spans. Probably not entirely wrong on that account, but definitely annoying and it was difficult to keep up with things as you never really new what portion of the song was being cut.
I played sax with this band so it wasn't too difficult to keep pace, but all in all she was difficult to deal with and I didn't have the patience to practice songs that we would never play, and I like having a little more order to the sets. Not mad about changes but half the time the changes were songs I didn't even know. Sometimes I got a key beforehand, otherwise I'm just figuring it out and playing what I can.
I played sax with this band so it wasn't too difficult to keep pace, but all in all she was difficult to deal with and I didn't have the patience to practice songs that we would never play, and I like having a little more order to the sets. Not mad about changes but half the time the changes were songs I didn't even know. Sometimes I got a key beforehand, otherwise I'm just figuring it out and playing what I can.
Joined a start up band. Within a couple of months practicing once a week, had enough material for a full gig. During our 1st 2 paying gigs, the BL and another member got stoned right before playing. I ended up having to jump in and take charge while they were screwing up left and right. Quit right after the end gig.
I got old. My shoulder hurts. My fingers cramp after playing a gig. It takes me at least a week to recover from a two hour gig.
I'm more interested in taking lessons and learning to play some jazz than practicing the same covers over and over.
I can't sing and play bass but I can sing and play guitar. I didn't have time for this while playing in the band.
It wasn't fun any more. The gigs were great but the band practices were not.
It feels weird not being in a band right now but I'm looking forward to new things.
I'm more interested in taking lessons and learning to play some jazz than practicing the same covers over and over.
I can't sing and play bass but I can sing and play guitar. I didn't have time for this while playing in the band.
It wasn't fun any more. The gigs were great but the band practices were not.
It feels weird not being in a band right now but I'm looking forward to new things.
You're not old as long as you're learning. It's a good life. I love rehearsals, gigs are a hassle for me. It's cool.
I love rehearsals, I love gigs, I don't like waiting around for hours after the sound check.
I like making people dance. I think that's why I like gigging with a bass rather than a guitar.
I don't like a super low action. I do have a light touch. I have calcification in my shoulder and arthritis in my hands.
Just curious...
in what kind of gig does one wait hours after soundcheck to start?
