Bloody bands...

[thisnameistaken]

Short rant: Spent the best part of a year looking for a good drummer, found one, hooked up with a couple of vocalists who I'd been in the process of putting something together with a few years back but it never happened for whatever reason, they involved a talented but flaky piano player, the more people that got involved the less likely rehearsals became, and currently the drummer is the only person who has responded to my texts and phone calls for the last three weeks.

Spoke to the drummer just now and he's said if he doesn't hear from them this week he's not going to bother with it. Thankfully he's still interested in playing with me, but man I am annoyed. :/

Planning to spend a week demoing tunes without leaving the house and then cast around for more players, but with the instrumentation I want it's difficult. And we had a good sound going on. I hate flaky people.

[flyfisher]

I sometimes think it's more difficult to find a bunch of people who can actually get on with each other than it is to play an instrument!

[thisnameistaken]

That's the other thing we actually all get along very well, which makes it more frustrating that three out of the five of us cancel commitments routinely for reasons that I can't altogether appreciate. The pianist in particular comes up with some rum excuses and has managed to attend about half the rehearsals we've arranged, the vocalists have managed most of them but often put the start time back at short notice (half an hour's notice). The drummer has cancelled none, despite having suffered pretty serious epileptic seizures the previous day on two occasions and turning up with cuts all over his face. I've cancelled two but without wanting to turn this into a sympathy thread I had about the most acceptable excuse I can think of.

I don't know. It makes me realise how lucky I've been with band members in the past.

[uncle psychosis]

Sounds like you need to send them a message along the lines of

"Me and the drummer want to rehearse on a regular basis, we'd like you to commit to that, are you able to? If not, we'll have to find someone else who is as committed as we are".

A wee kick up the arse is what some people need sometimes.

[Acebassmusic]

"Getting a full band of musicians in a room together to practice is like herding cats!" - as quoted by a good friend

[chaypup]

If I were you I'd book some small gigs. When there's a tangible objective it gives people much more motivation to turn up to rehearsals.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Acebassmusic' timestamp='1341333199' post='1717246']
"Getting a full band of musicians in a room together to practice is like herding cats!" - as quoted by a good friend
[/quote]

Never a truer thing was said. Why, is beyond me. For some reason, musicians seem to be among the most fickle of humans.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='chaypup' timestamp='1341333871' post='1717264']If I were you I'd book some small gigs. When there's a tangible objective it gives people much more motivation to turn up to rehearsals.[/quote]

Actually, two band members have tried to put us on bills already, and they are the two least-reliable people. I said no!

[thunderbird13]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1341573575' post='1721091']
Actually, two band members have tried to put us on bills already, and they are the two least-reliable people. I said no!
[/quote]

I wonder if thats the problem - perhaps their waiting on the edge too see if something wil take off and if it doens then they havent wasted too much effort

[xilddx]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1341337958' post='1717351']
Never a truer thing was said. Why, is beyond me. For some reason, musicians seem to be among the most fickle of humans.
[/quote]
I don't think it is just musicians, it's just people.

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='thunderbird13' timestamp='1341574217' post='1721108']I wonder if thats the problem - perhaps their waiting on the edge too see if something wil take off and if it doens then they havent wasted too much effort[/quote]

That might be the case with one of them, but the other two have a bunch of songs they want us to work on and we have been working on them, so it's been as much their project as ours. I don't know, I think they're just a bit flaky generally. It's perhaps not surprising that the three who are difficult to organise are the three who smoke weed.

[Coilte]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1341574544' post='1721111']
I don't think it is just musicians, it's just people.
[/quote]

You could be correct, but in my experience, musicians have been less reliable than other people.

[oldslapper]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1341574544' post='1721111']

I don't think it is just musicians, it's just people.
[/quote]

I know what you're saying Nigel, but I don't find the same level of hissy fits, flakiness, snobbery and unreiablity in any of the team sports I've been involved with.
I find bands can be the the most frustrating collection of individuals......, musically satisfying yes, but "herding cats" sums it up sometimes.

John

[xilddx]

I have had a few problems in the past in bands, but the vast majority have been very reliable. However, the sh*t people were all in the amateur bands, the pro bands I play in are unstintingly reliable and nice people to be around. The only recent problems have been with a very flaky couple of violinists, they were unceremoniously ditched after two chances. Unreliable musicians are simply not tolerated in any of the bands I play in.