Band kicked me out

[shizznit]

The first proper working band I played for when I was 20 handled my departure very poorly. The singer and guitarist who were very close friends of mine came to my house and told me the band had split. Soon afterwards I found out the truth. I had heard from several people within our circles that they were told by them that they sacked me because I wasn't up to scratch and they wanted a player to join them for a big tour during the summer. That was very hurtful that they lied to me and didn't have the balls to talk to me about any issues they had. They bad mouthed me to my friends and it was all very upsetting and embarrassing. So, they replaced me with a guy that never played bass before and didn't own his own bass!?

Thankfully, a lot of my friends saw through the bullsh*t and I had a lot of support from them, but at the time I felt that two of me closest friends stabbed me in the back. The singer apologised for the situation a couple of years ago and were are civil towards each other again, but the guitarist still thinks he did nothing wrong after all these years. Over the years I have seen them both start bands and nark off a lot of talented musicians in the process. I have always been better without them and so have lots of other musicians.

I had the final laugh though. My replacement got arrested at Galstonbury before they were due to play for having £600 worth of class A drugs on him.

[Papalampraina]

[quote name='gub' timestamp='1346449754' post='1789530']
Bass players are a bit like cooks anyway, never trust a skinny one
[/quote]

I'm 120kg myself and find this approach non-musical and racist. Really glad my bandmates have the same opinions like me.

[fretmeister]

Presumably if you had been aware you would have resigned to not get in the way though?

For all the right on outrage, image is important. I'm a fat bloke and I sympathise, but the market place has decided that image is important, so it is important. Whether that is morally right, or artistically right has no bearing. As soon as someone else invests in your product, they get a say.

The days of "only" enjoying music via radio or record and then turning up to a gig are gone. The vast majority of high selling music is on TV first, and we see them before we hear a note.

The very second you get paid you become a business with a product. To think otherwise is naive.

[SpaceChick]

I've found this quite sad to read.

Betraying a friend due to their weight is really sh*t.

You are better off without them.

[rOB]

[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1346503015' post='1789978']
Betraying a friend due to their weight is really sh*t.
[/quote]

I agree. Very sad situation and inexcusable behaviour on your band mates part. All my sympathy and good wishes for the future.

[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1346501885' post='1789961']
For all the right on outrage, image is important. I'm a fat bloke and I sympathise, but the market place has decided that image is important, so it is important. Whether that is morally right, or artistically right has no bearing. [/quote]

I don't think anyone is really saying that image isn't important in selling a product but I don't agree that morals have no bearing. Decent behaviour to your friends/bandmates should really come first.

[BluRay]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346499812' post='1789921']
Is it possible the label only really want one of the guys and you are the first to go like this? Have you been replaced or has the label 'provided' a bass player for them?
[/quote]
I had a mate who got signed to a major label years ago. The main part of their contract was for UK distribution and promotion, but there was an "extended licensing option" they were very excited about as it mentioned activities in the USA....at least until it transpired the licensing deal for the USA was to license the entire band! So the name and the songs would all be replicated in the USA using 100% different line up! Needless to say they turned down that option once they twigged the implications. I've no idea how common that was - but I laughed long and hard when I heard about it.

[risingson]

I guess you can probably take some comfort in knowing that the 99% of bands I know that have had 'major label interest' have been totally taken for a ride, wasted 3 to 4 years of their life and ended up worse off than when they started, financially and musically. And to be honest, f*** em as well! You're better than that.

[sime17]

Dude, feel the basschat support! From the stories I've heard the path to the golden 'One album, brief notoriety, followed by obscurity' is littered with shallow ambitious little gits who screwed over mates but later found that the cash advances and 'hospitality' they got from the record company was all being carefully totted up by someone. If there's any karma they'll be in debt in a year's time and you won't.

Well, as the 'Creme Brulee' guy in the league of gentlemen rightly said - 'it's a $hit business son'. It's a bit like the kids graduating from rock school who turn up to auditions to find half of their tutors are going for it too.

Am I too cynical? Maybe. Anyway, I blame Simon Cowell. Not entirely sure why, I just do.

Screw em - move on

[solo4652]

Something's not quite making sense to me here.

Why didn't the band/agent say something like: "We'd like you aboard. Is there any way you could slim down a bit?" Why was the OP apparently not given that option? I just wonder if the the [i]true[/i] picture might be a little more complex than somebody's girth.

Edited September 1, 2012 by solo4652

[Big_Stu]

Lot of talk about weight issues, some comparisons with hair issues. One of the best bands I ever saw live - only the once thru lack of chance afterwards - was Gillan; with the mighty John McCoy on bass.

Knowing how superficial the music biz has always been & even more so since so many shysters want to latch onto Cowell's working method I imagine there is more to it than that - & even without that proviso of weight/hair/whatever the chances of them achieving anything from such a low profile label that makes it worth dumping on a mate are thankfully F'all or slim............. and Slim just left for the day.

[musophilr]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1346460060' post='1789637']
(a ) if there's any songwriter credit to be had, insist on it. That way, their treachery will be rewarded forever
(b ) bunch of losers, you're better off without them.
[/quote]

^ This.

If that's the best excuse they can give for getting rid of you, then you're best rid of them! As for getting signed - that's just the start of their worries. They'll be owing the record company for a long time, the record company at its whim could fail to promote them and while they're under contract they won't be able to work for anyone else. Think of it as a lucky escape.

Musicians who did well despite being overweight: Leslie West (guitarist). IIRC Dill Katz (bass) wasn't a lightweight either. Adele is well overweight but still selling records.

[BassHavoc]

1) @ stingrayPete - They've already replaced me and from what I've heard the guy knew about it before they kicked me out.

2) @ Shizznit - That is what hurts the most, that they were supposed to be my friends. On a lighter note I have a friend in the security business who told me about a guy he arrested at glastonbury with £600 of drugs on him lol

3) @Sime17 - Oh i'm feeling the basschat support and it's great

4) @solo4652 - Thier reasoning behind it was that they can't wait for me to lose the weight because the label may no longer be interested by that time

[stingrayPete1977]

Sounds like a bunch of arse then mate

[steve-soar]

[quote name='BassHavoc' timestamp='1346493701' post='1789831']
The label is called Transcend music http://www.transcendmusic.com/
[/quote]With a roster like that, they certainly have trancended music.

[lowregisterhead]

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1346508309' post='1790043']
Something's not quite making sense to me here.

Why didn't the band/agent say something like: "We'd like you aboard. Is there any way you could slim down a bit?" Why was the OP apparently not given that option? I just wonder if the the [i]true[/i] picture might be a little more complex than somebody's girth.
[/quote]

Simple reason - record company control freakery. They picked on an contentious issue to see how much the rest of the band wanted to 'bend over' if you'll pardon the expression. Now they know they'll conform to any and every demand, A&R will treat the entire band as their bitches and they will do whatever they like. They are utterly screwed.

[steve-soar]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1346517325' post='1790187']
Simple reason - record company control freakery. They picked on an contentious issue to see how much the rest of the band wanted to 'bend over' if you'll pardon the expression. Now they know they'll conform to any and every demand, A&R will treat the entire band as their bitches and they will do whatever they like. They are utterly screwed.
[/quote]Totally this.

My old band went this way, with their manager telling them to replace their bassist, (I was the replacement), then with Warners' telling us that our music was not contempory enough to release....after f***ing signing us to a deal worth a LOT of money. The rest of the band and management bent over, I walked and the band got dropped the next year.

Years later, speaking to the singer and main songwrighter, he agreed that when I left he should have told them to go and f*** themselves, as they lost everything, most of their instruments, (Boogie amps, my Ampeg, 60's Fender Jaguar, Custom Les Paul, all sold be the manager behind the bands back to pay for years worth of rehearsal space that should have been getting paid for from the advance.

You may have had a very lucky escape.

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='lowregisterhead' timestamp='1346517325' post='1790187']
Simple reason - record company control freakery. They picked on an contentious issue to see how much the rest of the band wanted to 'bend over' if you'll pardon the expression. Now they know they'll conform to any and every demand, A&R will treat the entire band as their bitches and they will do whatever they like. They are utterly screwed.
[/quote]

Maybe not yet, but they probably will be. Finding some way to show that they have the upper hand
early on is common practice isnt it ?

[gafbass02]

Definitely a lucky escape mate.

[Big_Stu]

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1346518124' post='1790195']
..................speaking to the singer and main songwrighter, he agreed that when I left he should have told them to go and f*** themselves, as they lost everything, most of their instruments, (Boogie amps, my Ampeg, 60's Fender Jaguar, Custom Les Paul, all sold be the manager behind the bands back to pay for years worth of rehearsal space that should have been getting paid for from the advance.

You may have had a very lucky escape.
[/quote]

^This! Heard of this happening so many times........... in most cases an advance is an advance (hence the name), not a "welcome in" present as so many bands think. You owe as soon as you start doing stuff for labels.

[paulbass]

Pick yourself up,dust yourself down and do your thing.Use this experience to make yourself stronger.Just because a band has been approached by a label it doesnt mean they have 'made it'. I can only mirror what everyone else has said on this thread.The music business can be very unforgiving and i was once told its there to make music not friends.Form a band and kick some butt but most of all be happy!

[flyfisher]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1346448822' post='1789513']
I have never heard of a band that went on to do any good after being treacherous like this.
[/quote]

You might like to ask Pete Best about his experience then.
[url="http://www.beatles-history.net/pete-best.html"]http://www.beatles-h.../pete-best.html[/url]




Edit: apologies to WoT - I posted before reading as far as his post.

Edited September 1, 2012 by flyfisher

[steve-soar]

Rich, just been looking at the bands FB page.

[risingson]

[quote name='steve-soar' timestamp='1346518124' post='1790195']
You may have had a very lucky escape.
[/quote]

This, a million times over. You'll be thanking your lucky stars when they get royally screwed, and sure as the day is long, that will happen. Labels will rinse you dry given the slightest chance.

[mcnach]

[quote name='BassHavoc' timestamp='1346482413' post='1789675']
Thanks guys, for all your support and input, I was already in the process of losing the weight but now I have the added incentive to do it just to piss them off!
[/quote]

I hope you end up in a band where they open for you.
You can step to the microphone at some point during the concert and say "and I'd like to dedicate our next song to our support... this next song is called: Backstabbing Bastards, Traitors and other types of C*nts"

[flyfisher]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1346521080' post='1790241']
This, a million times over. You'll be thanking your lucky stars when they get royally screwed, and sure as the day is long, that will happen. Labels will rinse you dry given the slightest chance.
[/quote]

I'd guess the odds are certainly with the OP when it comes to the band getting screwed over, but it would probably make no difference if he hadn't been fired. Remind me about the tiny percentage of bands that ever make it big?