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.
worst bandmate you've ever worked with?
- Thread starter ROFLMFAO
- Start date
How about a drummer who would stop playing at any point in any song because he got tired?
How about the guitar player who didn't know what the p/u selector switch on his SG did? Or the same guitar player who had no idea what any of the controls on his Fender amp were for... and continually showed up late for rehearsals.
Or the singer who thought that a whole set of 60's classics should be converted into a 45 minute "Beatles on 45" type thing... no breaks etc... and all this in the first band I joined after a 25 year absence from playing... thank goodness I found the guys I'm with now!
Fishheadjoe
How about the guitar player who didn't know what the p/u selector switch on his SG did? Or the same guitar player who had no idea what any of the controls on his Fender amp were for... and continually showed up late for rehearsals.
Or the singer who thought that a whole set of 60's classics should be converted into a 45 minute "Beatles on 45" type thing... no breaks etc... and all this in the first band I joined after a 25 year absence from playing... thank goodness I found the guys I'm with now!
Fishheadjoe
I guess I was lucky, because I've never been in band with someone I absolutely couldn't stand, or who made the band sound bad. I did work with a guy who supplied our PA as well as played keys in the band. One day I came to the gig to find he had rented my Acoustic 360 amp to another band and replaced it with a guitar amp. But he was just scatterbrained, not a bad guy.
I wasn't in a band with this guy, but I think it still counts...
I showed up for a jazz trio gig at nice and fancy restaurant. I am good friends with the guitar player and he is awesome, the real deal, so I know the gig will be fun even though we have never met the drummer we were going to play with that night.
Enter drummer. Nice guy, from England. Dating the club owner. Crap.
First set... ehh... okay. He's not great, but at least hes not in the way.
Break time... this guy vanishes. Comes back late for the second set.
We start playing... about one minute in to the first tune of the second set, time goes away completely and the sound of the drums changes. Guitar player and i both look at each other then turn around to look at the drummer.
He's trying to play with his face on the snare head. Eyes closed.
We take a break and help him off the bandstand, and find out that on the break he had gone and shot up some heroin.
Yay!
I showed up for a jazz trio gig at nice and fancy restaurant. I am good friends with the guitar player and he is awesome, the real deal, so I know the gig will be fun even though we have never met the drummer we were going to play with that night.
Enter drummer. Nice guy, from England. Dating the club owner. Crap.
First set... ehh... okay. He's not great, but at least hes not in the way.
Break time... this guy vanishes. Comes back late for the second set.
We start playing... about one minute in to the first tune of the second set, time goes away completely and the sound of the drums changes. Guitar player and i both look at each other then turn around to look at the drummer.
He's trying to play with his face on the snare head. Eyes closed.
We take a break and help him off the bandstand, and find out that on the break he had gone and shot up some heroin.
Yay!
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
Wow, your stories made a mountain out of my mole hill.
I once played with a decent self taught guitarist, didn't know spit for theory. I was complaining/joking how we were writing everything in one key, just because it started on a different note it was still the same damn key.
He debated that one song was not in D minor, but it most definitely was, it was in D and hit the F all the time, he insisted it was major and I was an idiot.
Thankfully that night we were auditioning a keys player who had his degree in theory, he ended the "debate" and the guitar player got all pissy.
He quit the next day.
I once played with a decent self taught guitarist, didn't know spit for theory. I was complaining/joking how we were writing everything in one key, just because it started on a different note it was still the same damn key.
He debated that one song was not in D minor, but it most definitely was, it was in D and hit the F all the time, he insisted it was major and I was an idiot.
Thankfully that night we were auditioning a keys player who had his degree in theory, he ended the "debate" and the guitar player got all pissy.
He quit the next day.
I've been playing in, and managing for the most part, a ten piece horn band for the past 5 years. In that time we've had a lot of turnover, especially in the early years.
We've had times when things have come to a head and we've just agreed to part ways with band members... like the time when our keyboard player announced that he wasn't going to be able to stay for the final set because he had another commitment, just before we started the final set. Kind of awkward having our keyboard player breaking his equipment down while we were playing. I think he knew that he was out of the band after that, though, because he never showed up again.
Other times we've had issues and decided as a band the certain people had to go. When that happened I was almost always the person who had to break the news to that person, which is something I'm terrible at doing. My blood pressure stays at an all time high before, during and after and I just dread having to make that call.
Anyway, we had a trumpet player who we decided needed to get the boot. I won't go into all the details but bottom line is that he was spoiled, arrogant, stuck up prick who thought he could make whatever demands he wanted and that he could pick and choose when he wanted to show up to rehearsals or gigs. I've always dreaded having to tell people they are out of the band but not that time... that time I really enjoyed it.
We've had times when things have come to a head and we've just agreed to part ways with band members... like the time when our keyboard player announced that he wasn't going to be able to stay for the final set because he had another commitment, just before we started the final set. Kind of awkward having our keyboard player breaking his equipment down while we were playing. I think he knew that he was out of the band after that, though, because he never showed up again.
Other times we've had issues and decided as a band the certain people had to go. When that happened I was almost always the person who had to break the news to that person, which is something I'm terrible at doing. My blood pressure stays at an all time high before, during and after and I just dread having to make that call.
Anyway, we had a trumpet player who we decided needed to get the boot. I won't go into all the details but bottom line is that he was spoiled, arrogant, stuck up prick who thought he could make whatever demands he wanted and that he could pick and choose when he wanted to show up to rehearsals or gigs. I've always dreaded having to tell people they are out of the band but not that time... that time I really enjoyed it.
We held auditions for a lead singer and rythym guitarist and had this dude show up who had an incredible voice with incredible range, and could also play guitar like EVH - a perfect double threat for our existing three piece. We hired him and things began going downhill. First, the Les Paul he owned and auditoned with sort of 'disappeared'. Some days later, he called asking for a ride to practice because his car was 'stolen'.
Things were cool for awhile and we had several incredible gigs under our belts (his playing and singing were a shot in the arm for the rest of the band and helped us up our game, even though he had to borrow equipement as all of his 'replacement equipment' slowly disappeared), and unfortunately we lost our practice space and needed to find another within a month. The dude chimes in that he has a small garage he build on his parents property that he used to use for recording (but some 'roof damage ruined the recording equipment' and he never got around to replacing it).
We moved our stuff there and within a week there was a pad lock on the garage with a note saying that the equipment was being held in lieu of payment to the landlord. We were like '***?'. It turns out that the dude was a hard core gambler and the 'landlord' was a mob bookie who he owed money to. He basically stocked the garage with our stuff so aviod having his arms broken. We didn't realize he was a gambler (never mentioned it), but it did explain a few things. He would binge when he won (Les Paul, Marshall Stack, tons of pedals), and have to 'give back' stuff to cover his loses.
Long story short, we got our equipment back after paying a 'fee' to the 'landlord' and considered it the cost of tuition in the school of hard knocks. I found out later the dude moved to Florida and was found floating in Miami bay some years later... True story.
Things were cool for awhile and we had several incredible gigs under our belts (his playing and singing were a shot in the arm for the rest of the band and helped us up our game, even though he had to borrow equipement as all of his 'replacement equipment' slowly disappeared), and unfortunately we lost our practice space and needed to find another within a month. The dude chimes in that he has a small garage he build on his parents property that he used to use for recording (but some 'roof damage ruined the recording equipment' and he never got around to replacing it).
We moved our stuff there and within a week there was a pad lock on the garage with a note saying that the equipment was being held in lieu of payment to the landlord. We were like '***?'. It turns out that the dude was a hard core gambler and the 'landlord' was a mob bookie who he owed money to. He basically stocked the garage with our stuff so aviod having his arms broken. We didn't realize he was a gambler (never mentioned it), but it did explain a few things. He would binge when he won (Les Paul, Marshall Stack, tons of pedals), and have to 'give back' stuff to cover his loses.
Long story short, we got our equipment back after paying a 'fee' to the 'landlord' and considered it the cost of tuition in the school of hard knocks. I found out later the dude moved to Florida and was found floating in Miami bay some years later... True story.
Had a drummer in an original metal band (a very short-lived metal band) that liked to smoke out (weed) before practice. I never cared if he did, I just didn't partake.
The problem came from him getting high, then "warming up" with some insane drumming, then being "too tired" to practice. (There was also a lot of singer vs. guitarist drama).
We played one gig before I called it quits.
The problem came from him getting high, then "warming up" with some insane drumming, then being "too tired" to practice. (There was also a lot of singer vs. guitarist drama).
We played one gig before I called it quits.
I played in a band on keys with an overbearing singer/lead guitarist. First off, his Marshall stack seems to only have one volume setting, 11. Also, he would just say musically ignorant things and insult myself, the drummer, and bassist (all of whom are experienced pros). He also wastes time at band practice trying to figure out songs the bassist and I already know and could teach him. And did I mention that he doesn't have the best ear? I wanted to strangle him when we were "learning" Frankenstein by Edgar Winter. He frequently tells me to use a "clarinet" sound and to play "locato" (the bassist and I find this to be particularly hilarious). I don't say anything and just play some staccato clavinet 
He plays way too loud, blows his voice out frequently, but at least writes some decent songs (can't fault him here) and always pays the band.
Well, to quote Jimmy Carl Black in 200 Motels, "So long as I get some beer and I get paid, you can make me do anything, I'm professional!"
He plays way too loud, blows his voice out frequently, but at least writes some decent songs (can't fault him here) and always pays the band. Well, to quote Jimmy Carl Black in 200 Motels, "So long as I get some beer and I get paid, you can make me do anything, I'm professional!"
Time to contact the other members of his new band.
Working on it... he removed me from their FB page so i'm having trouble finding out who they are, shouldn't be a problem once they start promoting.
Why did he remove me from the FB page you ask?
He's posting stuff like "Check out my great new band" and using promo posters with my face on it!! So I made a post saying "Hey I noticed your great new band is using my face in its promo material". Blocked and removed and now no one but admins can comment on the page.
And he is still using the old posters!
The dude didn't even deny borrowing it. "Nah dude you didn't lend that to me" I would have almost believed because I often can't remember who I lend little stuff out to (it was only an RC-2. Outdated but if I want a new looper, which I now do, that's like $300 over here). He could have at least tried to lie.
So i'm using all my internet detective skills to find all the musicians he knows in his new country and sending them a quick copy paste of the story + how he ripped off the local studio owner.
Where to begin
Just quit a cover band I was in after almost 6 years!
You don't know how good it feels!!!
- singer decides to skip practice cuz Wrestling is on.
- brings a portable tv to practice during hockey play offs, stares at it with the drummer while playing. screws up the song.
- last practice before a major gig. Singer no shows cuz hes passed out drunk, stumbles in 2 hrs later.
- Singer/Rhythmn guitar plays thru a Randall combo and a DOD Death Metal distortion pedal, We play classic rock /oldies/some 90’s rock
We kept telling him the pedal sux, but he said it sounds just like the pink Thrash Master pedal from the 90's.
He finally realizes it after his doctors visit to cleanout all the impacted wax buildup in his ears.
“Wow I can hear!! This pedal sux!!”, no joke!
Drummer likes to play all songs @ 90bpm, fast tempo and slow songs.
And when it comes to a gig he doubles it cuz he s nervous.
Has no self confidence so he gives up if he can t learn a song in 5min.
Blows off practice to go eat supper at the in laws with his wife.. ???
Stops in middle of songs cuz his wife calls his cell " make sure you pick up some bread on the way home!!"
We practice at the lead guitarist’s garage, he owns all the pa equipment.
He overpaid for a set of Peavey speakers, the one with 8 ,6” drivers and a horn.
So zero bass response from them. All Treble and Mids.
My co-worker practically gave away his JBL 18” speakers to us for $50.
Since we needed monitors. They sounded 10x’s better than the Peaveys.
We show up next practice and the JBLs are put away.
We ask why, Lead Guitar” the peaveys have more speakers so they disperse the sound better”
“We ll only use the JBLs for gigs. “Huh?????
Lead guitarist has one of those boss multi effects pedal, but doesn't know you have to match levels of each effect.
so distortion #1 , way to loud. #2 way too quiet.
Over the 6 years we learned about 70 songs. Lead guitarist picked 60 of them, Lead singer/Rhythmn guitarist picked the rest.
I picked 1 song “ sublime santaria “ that we butcher. Regular strumming and way too slow.
I suggested many songs over the years, all got squashed. They listen to the song. Attempt to learn it in 5min.
“Nope, wont work”.
Recorded a demo of covers to give to bars, I know reaper inside out.
They decide to use Ableton that came with buddies Line6Pod, no one knows how to use it. Spends hrs trying to figure it out. record a take, then spends more time learning how to add effects to it.
This goes on for 2-3 months.
I sorta figured it out with my reaper knowledge. But they wouldn’t listen to me.
They had command of the mouse and wouldn’t give it up.
They couldn’t figure out why there is a delay in the recordings. I tell them it is a thing called latency.
And there is a buffer control to fix it, nope wouldn’t hear it. They put up with it and after laying a track, manually try to shift the wave file back in position " try 0.002 milliseconds"
I stopped going to the “recording sessions”, I tell them ill just do my bass tracks on my home studio.
A while later I ask when I can put my tracks down.
“oh we finished the bass tracks, I just did them, since the lines are easy” says the rhythm guitarist.
Took a listen “ all songs with steady root note lines”
A locally known coverband, asks us to open up for them.
We jump on it, told him we’d do it.
After Lead guitarist VOLUNTEERS for a weekend overtime shift on the exact same gig date, knowing we had a gig.
We had to flake out. Never heard from them again.
The straw that broke the camels back..
Drummer was friends with a drummer of a locally famous funk/party band.
He scored us a opening gig. Which would give us a ton of exposure.
Only problem , Lead guitarist was on vacation that date.
We agreed to do it as a trio, + guest percussionist to fillout the sound.
Tailor the setlist to avoid any songs with guitar solos.
Finalize the setlist, get together to practice. Everything sounds really good. Drummer thinks otherwise.
2 days before the gig, drummer calls the funk band and cancels behind our back
“ it didn’t sound right without the lead guitar, so I cancelled the gig”
Singer emails me about the cancelation, I tell him “ tell him to uncancel it or I’m out”
Too late. Guess the funk band won’t be asking us if we can open for them again.
I quit the band.
2 months later…
Lead singer calls me, “buddy asked us to play a bush party, you wanna play? Go out with a bang?”
I agree, “ I ll play, email me the setlist and ill showup and play”
Lead singer” we ll have to practice”, Me” no I know all the tunes, we been playing them for 6 years,just email me the list and ill show up…, actually forget it. I don’t want to do it”
Heard they stopped practicing, and looks like the band will dissolve.
Bass players.. taken for granted until they’re gone.
Sounds like we’re a highschool band eh?
We all in our 30’s married, kids..
Just quit a cover band I was in after almost 6 years!
You don't know how good it feels!!!
- singer decides to skip practice cuz Wrestling is on.
- brings a portable tv to practice during hockey play offs, stares at it with the drummer while playing. screws up the song.
- last practice before a major gig. Singer no shows cuz hes passed out drunk, stumbles in 2 hrs later.
- Singer/Rhythmn guitar plays thru a Randall combo and a DOD Death Metal distortion pedal, We play classic rock /oldies/some 90’s rock
We kept telling him the pedal sux, but he said it sounds just like the pink Thrash Master pedal from the 90's.
He finally realizes it after his doctors visit to cleanout all the impacted wax buildup in his ears.
“Wow I can hear!! This pedal sux!!”, no joke!
Drummer likes to play all songs @ 90bpm, fast tempo and slow songs.
And when it comes to a gig he doubles it cuz he s nervous.
Has no self confidence so he gives up if he can t learn a song in 5min.
Blows off practice to go eat supper at the in laws with his wife.. ???
Stops in middle of songs cuz his wife calls his cell " make sure you pick up some bread on the way home!!"
We practice at the lead guitarist’s garage, he owns all the pa equipment.
He overpaid for a set of Peavey speakers, the one with 8 ,6” drivers and a horn.
So zero bass response from them. All Treble and Mids.
My co-worker practically gave away his JBL 18” speakers to us for $50.
Since we needed monitors. They sounded 10x’s better than the Peaveys.
We show up next practice and the JBLs are put away.
We ask why, Lead Guitar” the peaveys have more speakers so they disperse the sound better”
“We ll only use the JBLs for gigs. “Huh?????
Lead guitarist has one of those boss multi effects pedal, but doesn't know you have to match levels of each effect.
so distortion #1 , way to loud. #2 way too quiet.
Over the 6 years we learned about 70 songs. Lead guitarist picked 60 of them, Lead singer/Rhythmn guitarist picked the rest.
I picked 1 song “ sublime santaria “ that we butcher. Regular strumming and way too slow.
I suggested many songs over the years, all got squashed. They listen to the song. Attempt to learn it in 5min.
“Nope, wont work”.
Recorded a demo of covers to give to bars, I know reaper inside out.
They decide to use Ableton that came with buddies Line6Pod, no one knows how to use it. Spends hrs trying to figure it out. record a take, then spends more time learning how to add effects to it.
This goes on for 2-3 months.
I sorta figured it out with my reaper knowledge. But they wouldn’t listen to me.
They had command of the mouse and wouldn’t give it up.
They couldn’t figure out why there is a delay in the recordings. I tell them it is a thing called latency.
And there is a buffer control to fix it, nope wouldn’t hear it. They put up with it and after laying a track, manually try to shift the wave file back in position " try 0.002 milliseconds"
I stopped going to the “recording sessions”, I tell them ill just do my bass tracks on my home studio.
A while later I ask when I can put my tracks down.
“oh we finished the bass tracks, I just did them, since the lines are easy” says the rhythm guitarist.
Took a listen “ all songs with steady root note lines”
A locally known coverband, asks us to open up for them.
We jump on it, told him we’d do it.
After Lead guitarist VOLUNTEERS for a weekend overtime shift on the exact same gig date, knowing we had a gig.
We had to flake out. Never heard from them again.
The straw that broke the camels back..
Drummer was friends with a drummer of a locally famous funk/party band.
He scored us a opening gig. Which would give us a ton of exposure.
Only problem , Lead guitarist was on vacation that date.
We agreed to do it as a trio, + guest percussionist to fillout the sound.
Tailor the setlist to avoid any songs with guitar solos.
Finalize the setlist, get together to practice. Everything sounds really good. Drummer thinks otherwise.
2 days before the gig, drummer calls the funk band and cancels behind our back
“ it didn’t sound right without the lead guitar, so I cancelled the gig”
Singer emails me about the cancelation, I tell him “ tell him to uncancel it or I’m out”
Too late. Guess the funk band won’t be asking us if we can open for them again.
I quit the band.
2 months later…
Lead singer calls me, “buddy asked us to play a bush party, you wanna play? Go out with a bang?”
I agree, “ I ll play, email me the setlist and ill showup and play”
Lead singer” we ll have to practice”, Me” no I know all the tunes, we been playing them for 6 years,just email me the list and ill show up…, actually forget it. I don’t want to do it”
Heard they stopped practicing, and looks like the band will dissolve.
Bass players.. taken for granted until they’re gone.
Sounds like we’re a highschool band eh?
We all in our 30’s married, kids..
we had a drummer who would get sucked into final fantasy online. it would take hours of nagging to get him to come down to practice.
Lead guitarist I used to play with was an immensely talented guy but had the worst communication skills when it came to music. He caused more then a few blow ups and shouting matches between himself and other band mates. He was also good at pointing out mistakes made by other band mates but never noticed when he screwed up.
The sad thing about this is that he is actually a pretty decent person. I consider him a friend but I will never play in a band with him again.
The sad thing about this is that he is actually a pretty decent person. I consider him a friend but I will never play in a band with him again.
I started a band back in the early 2000's. We had a guitarist that would grace our presence by showing up and playing with our band. This guy was 20 years older than us. At the gigs he would hang out by the women's restroom and watch the girls walk by (creepy).
Crowd always loved us. He'd stand there like a stick in the mud and play his guitar. Once or twice per night he would ruin the mood by saying, OUT LOUD, "hey guys, that one was actually pretty close".
At one time I mentioned that we would need to start paying the sound guy a little more. He sent me an email saying "who died and [expletive] put you in charge"? Well I did start the band and find all the musicians, put all the songlists together and made CDs for everyone, paid for and setup the website, paid for and had shirts made, and I was booking all the gigs. So I guess ... nobody.
The last straw was at a rehearsal when me and one of the guys had a disagreement about something. He jumped up in my face like he wanted to fight, even though he wasn't part of the conversation. I quit and took the band name. I think they continued with a new singer and a new format (oldies).
I later found out that this guy used to be a cop. He was fired and sued for sxually assaulting a fellow female officer. I also found some articles on the internet about him asking for favors from women that he would stop on the highway.
(creepy).
Crowd always loved us. He'd stand there like a stick in the mud and play his guitar. Once or twice per night he would ruin the mood by saying, OUT LOUD, "hey guys, that one was actually pretty close".
At one time I mentioned that we would need to start paying the sound guy a little more. He sent me an email saying "who died and [expletive] put you in charge"? Well I did start the band and find all the musicians, put all the songlists together and made CDs for everyone, paid for and setup the website, paid for and had shirts made, and I was booking all the gigs. So I guess ... nobody.
The last straw was at a rehearsal when me and one of the guys had a disagreement about something. He jumped up in my face like he wanted to fight, even though he wasn't part of the conversation. I quit and took the band name. I think they continued with a new singer and a new format (oldies).
I later found out that this guy used to be a cop. He was fired and sued for sxually assaulting a fellow female officer. I also found some articles on the internet about him asking for favors from women that he would stop on the highway.
(creepy).
That story make me feel better about my experience.
Once I joined a band that was starting out, and they had about 5 songs down. The singer/rhythm guitarist sounded good. Nice voice, good playing. I thought this would be a good fit.
Then I come to quickly realize that the singer was basically lazy, and wouldn't put the time in to learn the 40 or more songs we would need as a cover band. He was constantly coming to practice unprepared, and trying to sing off a lyric sheet, having not listened to the song, since his phrasing was consistently off. After a few gigs, we dumped him and got a reliable singer.
we must of had the same drummer, all mopey and zero confidence. " i can't do this, lets learn a easier song" no concept of dynamics either.
haha we had to set up a computer monitor during our gigs. he could never remember the lyrics. then i said instead of lugging a whole computer for lyrics. why dont we just print them out?? tower, plugs, monitor all on stage by his feet. monitor duct taped to a bar stool.
