ottog1979
Senior Member
...that you can be in for a while? I'm wondering about experiences of others in this regard. How hard has the been for you? Was it quick or did it take a lot of trial & error? What do you put up with to be in a good band with gigs but difficult personalities (if at all or anything)? It seems to be a hard target to hit when trying to find 4-5 players that are fairly equal in talent and desire, want to practice/gig with similar frequency, willing to contribute to band management (gig sales, promotion, management, sound/mix/PA, etc.) and get along fairly well.
Here's my story and why I ask: Playing for 5 years again after a 25-year hiatus (career/raising kids), I've been in 3 bands. Still in 2 of them, the first & the last. The first are neighborhood friends, don't gig often and are sometimes musically challenged which has continually motivated me to be in another band also. However, I stay be cause I like them personally, it gives me playing time and will always be there to keep me playing. The other band gigs more often and is musically great. We're all pretty equal in ability, sound fantastic and I'm challenged and stretched (which I enjoy).
That said, I'm about to leave the better band because of personalities - one in particular. The person and environment is toxic. The toxicity has recurred intermittently but often enough that I know it's not fixable, won't go away and I don't want to be around it anymore. So, in a week, after the next two gigs, I'm done.
So, that puts me back out looking/auditioning. Not a bad thing, but its left me wondering the experiences of other DW members and how long it's taken you to settle into a really good and compatible band with guys you like, get along with and have fun with. Any stories/tips?
Here's my story and why I ask: Playing for 5 years again after a 25-year hiatus (career/raising kids), I've been in 3 bands. Still in 2 of them, the first & the last. The first are neighborhood friends, don't gig often and are sometimes musically challenged which has continually motivated me to be in another band also. However, I stay be cause I like them personally, it gives me playing time and will always be there to keep me playing. The other band gigs more often and is musically great. We're all pretty equal in ability, sound fantastic and I'm challenged and stretched (which I enjoy).
That said, I'm about to leave the better band because of personalities - one in particular. The person and environment is toxic. The toxicity has recurred intermittently but often enough that I know it's not fixable, won't go away and I don't want to be around it anymore. So, in a week, after the next two gigs, I'm done.
So, that puts me back out looking/auditioning. Not a bad thing, but its left me wondering the experiences of other DW members and how long it's taken you to settle into a really good and compatible band with guys you like, get along with and have fun with. Any stories/tips?