I HATE BEING IN A BAND SOMETIMES

yesdog

Silver Member
This rant goes out to all of you Drummers that gig on a regular basis. I am in a band right now that gigs every weekend I get payed well and its like a part time job I love it. We get great gigsThe boss/ leader. He picks the songs gets the gigs provides rehersal space , even a roland T.D 12 kit for me to use so practices are at a quiet level. Now some decides to send him an email stating we need to play more challenging material and the tunes we play are boring. Thanks to that persons genius thinking the band is most likely going to dispand after 2 years of hard work. I like to play challenging stuff as well. THATS WHY I PLAY IN OTHER BANDS. I play in a big band ensemble. a band that does current material. and get together with other musicians once a month and play fusion. This band plays classic rock. I am so pissed off about this. If this guy wants to play more challenging stuff join another band don't bring your guitar god music into this. I have a blast playing in front hundreds sometimes thousands. Besides when you play guitar god stuff know one in the crowd could care less. Why can't people keep there mouth shut. Quit or play in another band. Thanks a lot Bandmate you just slashed my income because you and some others are bored playing the same songs every weekend. I hope they never go on tour and have to play the same songs every night for six months straight. I'M PISSED. I just need to vent. Thanks for reading.
 
Last edited:
This rant goes out to all of you Drummers that gig on a regular basis. I am in a band right now that gigs every weekend I get payed well and its like a part time job I love it. We get great gigsThe boss/ leader. He picks the songs gets the gigs provides rehersal space , even a roland T.D 12 kit for me to use so practices are at a quiet level. Now some decides to send him an email stating we need to play more challenging material and the tunes we play are boring. Thanks to that persons genius thinking the band is most likely going to dispand after 2 years of hard work.

Why do you think the band is most likely going to break up?
 
Stay tight with the band leader Doggie....if you're happy with the way he's been calling it, stick with him. Can't you either replace the guitarist or just pull his head in, rather than throw the baby out with the bath water and disband?
 
I'm a bit confused myself?
I read your post twice and I think that I am missing some points that you need to clarify.

Please elaborate further.
 
At least the guitar god isn't the band leader.

If the guitarist pushes for more guitar worshipping stuff, then calmly and respectfully tell him no. If he keeps going, say it again. If he leaves because he can't get his solo, that's his loss.
 
Guitar God needs to G.T.H.
That's what I was thinking.
I didn't understand why the rest of the band didn't tell him so.
I was wondering if their wasn't more to the story.

Your band is not broken, You shouldn't try and fix it. You are getting gigs and working.
The guitar player is wrong!
Don't change a thing.
 
im with everyone else on this but maybe you guys could play songs that he has fun in thats still simple for the rest........none off the top of my head that even remotely relates to classic rock lol..... or just throw in an extra chorus every few songs tell him to solo and b happy with it lol

i dont know just thrown ideas out there
above all try to make it work it has to b nice to get payed to play drums!
 
From my personal experiences, when some band member is thinking he's better than the band, it's time to kick him out. I was in a band where we ignored it until it got to the point where the band as a whole lacked enthusiasm and dedication and just died really. That was fairly depressing, and you don't want it to reach that stage.
 
im with everyone else on this but maybe you guys could play songs that he has fun in thats still simple for the rest........none off the top of my head that even remotely relates to classic rock lol..... or just throw in an extra chorus every few songs tell him to solo and b happy with it lol

i dont know just thrown ideas out there
above all try to make it work it has to b nice to get payed to play drums!

we play forplay long time from boston , seen all good people from yes all the way down to give me shelter. we play some challenging stuff and simple stuff. I don't know why people need to rock the boat. the way we have always done it is over the winter when festival season is over we play every other weekend. and take a month off of giging to learn new material for the summer. we stick with the same songs for the whole summer. that way things are nice and tight. We backed up the Gin Blossoms and we were only suppost to play from 5 to 6:15, we ended up playing to 7:00 the croud wanted more and more. the man in charge let us play. The gin Blossoms were pissed because we cut into there start time. Guitar players are a dime a dozen. there are nine people in this band and we are finally dialed in. I told one of the guitar players go on tour with a major act for a year playing the same songs over every night and making it sound fresh and put on a killer show. The reason we play a certain set of songs is so they sound tight and know them in your sleep so you can concentrate on putting on a great show with confidence, every thing is tight and mostly mistake free night after night. thats what we do and we put on a pro performance. I will do what I can to keep things together. Thanks for the advice and input.
 
I'm a bit confused myself?
I read your post twice and I think that I am missing some points that you need to clarify.

Please elaborate further.

Bob, the simple version is we got steady gigs getting payed. the band leader provides The P.a practice space takes us out to dinner has us over for partys and a couple of guys decide to tell him that are songs are not challenging enough and its getting boring. so now the band leader was insulted and pissed off and is thinking of getting out of it. I agree with the band leader. he is a wealthy person who has invested thousands of dollers into this band. I am just a hired gun. I show up prepaired and early and never bitch or noodle during practice. And I have a great time doing it. like I said in my first post I like to play other music thats more challenging as well so I do it in other bands.
 
Guitar players are a dime a dozen.
Agreed.
there are nine people in this band and we are finally dialed in.
That's quite a large band.
I told one of the guitar players...
And if you have more than one to start with, there really shouldn't be a problem. Let the "guitar gawd" walk, and wish him well. Your "other" guitarist becomes "first chair" now. With eight people "still in the band", .... probably no one's gonna even "miss" the cat who wants out.​
 
Sorry to hear about this mess Scott. I very much understand your band leader's position. We've just worked through a similar situation. I suggest that you, and other like thinking band mates, support the leader & let him know how appreciated his efforts are. He should come round after a while. If he doesn't, then he's as "precious" as the unhappy guitarist.
 
9 people. My God I don't know how you have kept it together this long! Honestly I would stick like glue to the leader dude. He sounds like one in a billion. I'd follow orders with a smile. Let the GG rock the boat. I'd just hang on.
No doubt 9 "artists" in one room can be hugely problematic.
 
I agree...kick GG to the curb, replace him if needed, and move on. It's about that time of the year where you said you take your break(s) so nows a perfect time to do it. Spend your down time rehearsing your songs without that member and book more shows. Don't let one guy bring down a good thing. There's a reason why it takes 25 guitarists to change a light bulb....
 
Ah Primadonas! Don't you just love them? Tell the GG to either take a hike or stop bitching and join another band if he's so bored. Why would the leader or the other band mates let a dime-a-dozen guitar weenie ruin it for everyone else?

Tell him flat out that the band IS gigging and making money and if he desires more challenging material, form his own band or join another one. Heck, kick him out just to piss off HIM!

Guitar players are thick as flies on manure. You throw a stone and hit 50 of them.

I'm hearing this same thing almost from a "lead" guitar player I was in another band with. He wants to play and is good, but won't join a band unless he can play lead.

Oh well....

Good Luck.
 
If this is a paid professional gig being run by a leader with 9 people in his employ, there is no need for the drummer to say anything. Let the band leader deal with this.
 
Bob, the simple version is we got steady gigs getting payed. the band leader provides The P.a practice space takes us out to dinner has us over for partys and a couple of guys decide to tell him that are songs are not challenging enough and its getting boring. so now the band leader was insulted and pissed off and is thinking of getting out of it. I agree with the band leader. he is a wealthy person who has invested thousands of dollers into this band. I am just a hired gun. I show up prepaired and early and never bitch or noodle during practice. And I have a great time doing it. like I said in my first post I like to play other music thats more challenging as well so I do it in other bands.
I agree with you. I also play in several bands. I play what fits. I find that the simple music goes over better in clubs and it gets gigs. People like plain old music that they understand.
I don't mind playing it if the audience likes it.
I do just like you do. I do my job as is needed to make the band work.
The guitar player is wrong. He should do other projects just as you and I do.

I think that there is a lot to be said for a drummer that provides the proper groove for the music that is being played. I think that it is an art in itself to play tasteful grooves and fills.
The same applies to the guitar and the other instruments. They should play what fits.
 
Back
Top