Kicked in the teeth

vjf1968 · March 9th, 2008, 09:13 PM

Well I was just kicked in the teeth at about 2:45 this afternoon when the lead singer of the country band I’m in called to tell me that I’m no longer in the band. No reason other than the band and I was a bad fit. This is funny because we had a great gig last night and we played the best we ever played since I joined the band before the end of last December. Granted I do not make myself out to be the world’s greatest guitar player but I do know how to play but I also need musicians to play with and play off of and this was not the case with this band.
Due to everyone having full-time jobs and in some cases families we could only get together every Tuesday and practice for maybe 2 hours. The drummer always had to leave early to catch his train and the fiddle player also left early (if he would show at all) to fulfill other commitments. I made every practice and every gig but I was expected to learn the songs on my own and be ready for next practice and play flawlessly. For some reason everybody was ok with this. It seems to me for band to get real tight and able to read each other they have to practice with each other and play a ton of gigs especially, when you change the arrangements and the key of the recorded songs.

This band played 2 gigs a month tops since I joined making that 8 in total and a band member missed one to do something else. We are not talking a professional operation here, not even semi-pro. It would be more accurate to say still infantile

The thing I guess I’m really mad at is that nobody had the forethought (or the guts) to tell me what exactly what the problems were. I mean we are not talking ace players here, when they started 2 and ½ years ago they couldn’t start and end a song at the same time. The guy replaced was there from the beginning but was started to develop the personality of Syd Barrett and on top of that hated playing country music and made it known in front of audiences but it took them forever to fire him. Plus he wasn’t doing anything I couldn’t handle.

I did everything that was asked of me (when something was asked), put money into a new DRRI for club gigs and other gear, went in with all the enthusiasm any could ask for and did my job, even played with a real bad cold, but I guess I’m another victim of band politics. I was the only other person to try out for the band so I really do not know what they are looking for.

Well hopefully this might lead to something better but I’m doing some serious head scratching on this one.

In case if your wondering why I didn’t give the singer an earful when she called, I learned a long time ago when people made their collective minds up about something, no matter how stupid or illogical there is no reason to get into an argument .

Tim Armstrong · March 9th, 2008, 09:17 PM

That sucks, man.

Oh well, dust yourself off and find the new door that always opens...

Cheers, Tim

ravindave_3600 · March 11th, 2008, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vjf1968

I learned a long time ago when people made their collective minds up about something, no matter how stupid or illogical there is no reason to get into an argument .

True words. Now, find a better band and steal all this band's gigs

Just kidding.

hugo · March 11th, 2008, 01:19 AM

I'm sorry to hear they treated you that way. I would be a little hurt too. On the other hand, do you really want to be in a band that doesn't gel? I mean, it doesn't sound like a band to me, it sounds like a bunch of guys playing a gig once in awhile. You deserve to be in a band that is a band. Do those guys think that's how Led Zep made it, by playing together once a week, leaving early, practicing songs seperately? Come on....
I agree with Tim as hard as it is to think that way now. Trust me another door will open and it will be better than the one that just closed. It really will work out to your benefit. Get searching for another band and I'm sure you'll see that's not how a real band does it, not one that wants to get anywhere or get better. I'm actually quite happy for you.
It'll be okay, man. Really, it will.
Good luck and keep practicin and playing. Find another band and you'll be all the more happier for it. Reread your own post and personally I think you'll see you weren't really that happy, were you??
Good luck buddy.

shoebox22 · March 11th, 2008, 01:23 AM

My money says the old guitar player decided he wants to come back.

Hang in there. There is ALWAYS another band.

Edited to add: Shoebox here. Above posted by hubby RCinMempho but I agree.

So go out, and get a better band. The DRRI can blow them off the stage.

tiktok · March 11th, 2008, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vjf1968

....In case if your wondering why I didn’t give the singer an earful when she called....

Ah.

mark norwine · March 11th, 2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vjf1968

In case if your wondering why I didn’t give the singer an earful when she called,

Double ahhh.....

pengipete · March 11th, 2008, 10:30 AM

It sounds to me like they were a bunch of mates playing at being in a band.

They may be right about you not fitting but I'd take it as a compliment.

Next time - aim higher.

vjf1968 · March 12th, 2008, 04:31 PM

Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement. I will soon be back in the saddle.

Andy Summers · March 12th, 2008, 04:40 PM

Can you be difficlut to deal with, opinionated, or any of those other fine qualities we know and love of our fellow man?
We had a guy in our band who was remarkably disciplined and a great player, but he was sooooo difficult to gel with as a person...and band or not..I think you have to gel with the person before the musician.

vjf1968 · March 12th, 2008, 05:18 PM

Honestly, I don't know. It's not like I didn't get along with everybody. My friend is the bass player and we been in another band before. My feeling is that the drummer is still sore about how the previous guitar player got the sack and I honestly believe that he wants him back. And let me tell you NOBODY wanted to hang out with this guy.

My major gripe was the fact that the band wanted to keep getting these paying gigs but only wanted to practice 2 hours a week. We were suppose to start at 6 and go till 9 but we would never make it to nine because the drummer had to leave at 8:30 and the fiddle player would also have to leave early (when he would show up at all). I tried to learn the songs by myself but as I stated before I need other musicians to play off of. Practicing in a vaccum only gets you so far.

It's over and done with now so I'm done thinking about it. I'm left with the impression that they honestly do not know what they want out of a guitar player.

neocaster · March 12th, 2008, 05:19 PM

If they're not serious, and you are, you'll see them in your rear view mirror for a bit until they disappear altogether.

Andy Summers · March 12th, 2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vjf1968

Honestly, I don't know. It's not like I didn't get along with everybody. My friend is the bass player and we been in another band before. My feeling is that the drummer is still sore about how the previous guitar player got the sack and I honestly believe that he wants him back. And let me tell you NOBODY wanted to hang out with this guy.

My major gripe was the fact that the band wanted to keep getting these paying gigs but only wanted to practice 2 hours a week. We were suppose to start at 6 and go till 9 but we would never make it to nine because the drummer had to leave at 8:30 and the fiddle player would also have to leave early (when he would show up at all). I tried to learn the songs by myself but as I stated before I need other musicians to play off of. Practicing in a vaccum only gets you so far.

It's over and done with now so I'm done thinking about it. I'm left with the impression that they honestly do not know what they want out of a guitar player.

Band politics suck. You just want to play and have fun, but unfortunately stuff like this gets in the way so often.

Charlie Bernstein · March 12th, 2008, 07:32 PM

Bummer. They don't deserve you. Move on.

March 9th, 2008, 09:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
vjf1968 Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Philadelphia Age: 40 Posts: 902 7 Photos	Kicked in the teeth Well I was just kicked in the teeth at about 2:45 this afternoon when the lead singer of the country band I’m in called to tell me that I’m no longer in the band. No reason other than the band and I was a bad fit. This is funny because we had a great gig last night and we played the best we ever played since I joined the band before the end of last December. Granted I do not make myself out to be the world’s greatest guitar player but I do know how to play but I also need musicians to play with and play off of and this was not the case with this band. Due to everyone having full-time jobs and in some cases families we could only get together every Tuesday and practice for maybe 2 hours. The drummer always had to leave early to catch his train and the fiddle player also left early (if he would show at all) to fulfill other commitments. I made every practice and every gig but I was expected to learn the songs on my own and be ready for next practice and play flawlessly. For some reason everybody was ok with this. It seems to me for band to get real tight and able to read each other they have to practice with each other and play a ton of gigs especially, when you change the arrangements and the key of the recorded songs. This band played 2 gigs a month tops since I joined making that 8 in total and a band member missed one to do something else. We are not talking a professional operation here, not even semi-pro. It would be more accurate to say still infantile The thing I guess I’m really mad at is that nobody had the forethought (or the guts) to tell me what exactly what the problems were. I mean we are not talking ace players here, when they started 2 and ½ years ago they couldn’t start and end a song at the same time. The guy replaced was there from the beginning but was started to develop the personality of Syd Barrett and on top of that hated playing country music and made it known in front of audiences but it took them forever to fire him. Plus he wasn’t doing anything I couldn’t handle. I did everything that was asked of me (when something was asked), put money into a new DRRI for club gigs and other gear, went in with all the enthusiasm any could ask for and did my job, even played with a real bad cold, but I guess I’m another victim of band politics. I was the only other person to try out for the band so I really do not know what they are looking for. Well hopefully this might lead to something better but I’m doing some serious head scratching on this one. In case if your wondering why I didn’t give the singer an earful when she called, I learned a long time ago when people made their collective minds up about something, no matter how stupid or illogical there is no reason to get into an argument . __________________ "the cult aesthetic of liking only what's obscure is just as sick of being mindlessly led around by the nose" -Mark Mothersbaugh

March 9th, 2008, 09:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 9,720	That sucks, man. Oh well, dust yourself off and find the new door that always opens... Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

March 11th, 2008, 01:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
shoebox22 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Memphis, TN Age: 53 Posts: 145 7 Photos	My money says the old guitar player decided he wants to come back. Hang in there. There is ALWAYS another band. Edited to add: Shoebox here. Above posted by hubby RCinMempho but I agree. So go out, and get a better band. The DRRI can blow them off the stage. __________________ *They're real anyway......* Last edited by shoebox22; March 11th, 2008 at 12:37 PM.

March 12th, 2008, 04:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
vjf1968 Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Philadelphia Age: 40 Posts: 902 7 Photos	Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement. I will soon be back in the saddle. __________________ "the cult aesthetic of liking only what's obscure is just as sick of being mindlessly led around by the nose" -Mark Mothersbaugh

March 12th, 2008, 05:18 PM	#11 (permalink)
vjf1968 Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Philadelphia Age: 40 Posts: 902 7 Photos	Honestly, I don't know. It's not like I didn't get along with everybody. My friend is the bass player and we been in another band before. My feeling is that the drummer is still sore about how the previous guitar player got the sack and I honestly believe that he wants him back. And let me tell you NOBODY wanted to hang out with this guy. My major gripe was the fact that the band wanted to keep getting these paying gigs but only wanted to practice 2 hours a week. We were suppose to start at 6 and go till 9 but we would never make it to nine because the drummer had to leave at 8:30 and the fiddle player would also have to leave early (when he would show up at all). I tried to learn the songs by myself but as I stated before I need other musicians to play off of. Practicing in a vaccum only gets you so far. It's over and done with now so I'm done thinking about it. I'm left with the impression that they honestly do not know what they want out of a guitar player. __________________ "the cult aesthetic of liking only what's obscure is just as sick of being mindlessly led around by the nose" -Mark Mothersbaugh

March 11th, 2008, 01:19 AM	#4 (permalink)
hugo Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Sarnia,Ontario Age: 49 Posts: 812	I'm sorry to hear they treated you that way. I would be a little hurt too. On the other hand, do you really want to be in a band that doesn't gel? I mean, it doesn't sound like a band to me, it sounds like a bunch of guys playing a gig once in awhile. You deserve to be in a band that is a band. Do those guys think that's how Led Zep made it, by playing together once a week, leaving early, practicing songs seperately? Come on.... I agree with Tim as hard as it is to think that way now. Trust me another door will open and it will be better than the one that just closed. It really will work out to your benefit. Get searching for another band and I'm sure you'll see that's not how a real band does it, not one that wants to get anywhere or get better. I'm actually quite happy for you. It'll be okay, man. Really, it will. Good luck and keep practicin and playing. Find another band and you'll be all the more happier for it. Reread your own post and personally I think you'll see you weren't really that happy, were you?? Good luck buddy.

March 11th, 2008, 10:30 AM	#8 (permalink)
pengipete Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gloucester U.K. Age: 47 Posts: 1,583	It sounds to me like they were a bunch of mates playing at being in a band. They may be right about you not fitting but I'd take it as a compliment. Next time - aim higher.

March 12th, 2008, 04:40 PM	#10 (permalink)
Andy Summers Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: CT Age: 36 Posts: 557	Can you be difficlut to deal with, opinionated, or any of those other fine qualities we know and love of our fellow man? We had a guy in our band who was remarkably disciplined and a great player, but he was sooooo difficult to gel with as a person...and band or not..I think you have to gel with the person before the musician.

March 12th, 2008, 05:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
neocaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chester County, PA Age: 35 Posts: 3,532 11 Photos	If they're not serious, and you are, you'll see them in your rear view mirror for a bit until they disappear altogether. __________________ "...You don't need faith if you know it's gonna work!" "The views expressed here are mine and do not reflect the official opinion of my employer or the organization through which the Internet was accessed."

March 12th, 2008, 07:32 PM	#14 (permalink)
Charlie Bernstein Friend of Leo's Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Augusta, Maine Posts: 2,527	Bummer. They don't deserve you. Move on.