MikanHannille Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 [quote name='lou24d53' timestamp='1426253473' post='2716189'] Personally, I don't work well with the 'dictatorship' method. In the band I play in, all our decisions are taking as a majority rule. I left a band a few years ago due to the singer (and majority songwriter) starting to inflate his ego to epic proportions and decided it wasn't for me. Playing in my band is a hobby to me, one I take seriously granted, but I already have a boss at work, I don't need one to answer to in my free time. [/quote] This. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Democracies work fine so long as when the vote goes against someone (or you) the losing party gives it their best shot and doesn't sabotage it and then carp from the sidelines. Been there and the band imploded and everyone lost except for the guitarist who grabbed the name and honoured the bookings with a different line up. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I'm the dictator! I do the arrangements for the band and run the rehearsals, decide on the set list and have final say on logistics at gigs etc. The hard part is not being too concrete in what you want. Audiences want character and performers can be fake if they are conforming to somebodies rigid expectations. Learning to let people have their input is hard but we're musicians right, we should be able to listen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The key to a successful dictatorship is having faith in the dictator. The dictator wants me to play bass. It's not so they can micro-manage what I play. It's because they trust me and know whatever I do will be right. If the dictator is making bad decisions, time to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_the_bass Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 (edited) My band think we're a democracy. What no one has realised is I make small suggestions and they run away and do what I want them too thinking it's their own idea. We generally have an equal creative input and we all operate to our strengths. I'm the ideas man The singer is the salesman The guitarist is always on a quest to realise my ideas and bring perfection to everything. The drummer is soon to be replaced! Edited March 14, 2015 by Dave_the_bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 It depends on the aim or purpose of the band. If the idea is for a bunch of friends to enjoy themselves making music, a democracy is fine. However, if the aim is more business-like, then someone needs to have at least a casting vote of some sort or nothing gets done. Degree of input counts, too. If someone provides an expensive PA or gets bookings, in addition to the contributions they make to playing, arranging, etc that should count for something when decisions are made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Band politics, eh? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAaWvVFERVA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 [quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1426319411' post='2716833'] The key to a successful dictatorship is having faith in the dictator. The dictator wants me to play bass. It's not so they can micro-manage what I play. It's because they trust me and know whatever I do will be right. If the dictator is making bad decisions, time to go. [/quote] I think the title dictator implies some negative connotations. When we think about dictators we think about Hitler, Moussolini, Saddam. Whereas both Hitler and Moussolini were elected democratically and once in power changed the law to become dictators. Usually there's only one way to get rid of a dictator... Anyway I prefer the term band leader. Usually in any group of people one person will end up making the final descision. If you look round the band and feel nothing ever gets done unless you push them, say something that gets something done or are the one who ends the endless debate by making the final descision for them - then you're the leader. It's just that they haven't worked that out yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The band I play in is called "Dick Venom & The Terrortones". The name says it all. The band was Mr Venom's idea originally, he writes all the lyrics, comes up with a fair amount of the musical and rhythmic ideas, does the vast majority of the band organisation and, as a front person, is the main reason why the band is as popular as it is. Everyone else has an input, but ultimately Mr Venom has the final say as to how the songs sound and what the band does and we accept this because nearly all the time he is actually right, and from my PoV this band is the most fun of any I've been in and the most successful in relation to the musical climate of the time. And TBH it doesn't really bother me if a musical idea I've come up doesn't get approval, because I've got a load of other ideas ready and at least one of the will be turned into a song that we'll be playing at the next gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Dave Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Dictators tend to have too little confidence , experience or skills to be good leaders .Good leadership qualities are not dictatorial. The trick with democracy is to avoid too much compromise - one definition of which is nobody getting quite what they wanted. Personally I'd find playing with a bully or a wimp equally difficult , though I have learned when to wear each of those hats myself and remain in control either way ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradwell Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Update on my situation: we had a band practice/writing session today and got a lot sorted out. When there's a load of disagreement, I think the basic mechanism is that I get annoyed about lack of progress, put a lot of effort thinking through the problems and come up with a plan to get everything organised. There's generally a bit of drama to it, and I stamp about to let them know who's boss but never lose my temper. However, we have the understanding as band mates we wind each other up from time to time and problems always get talked through rather than festering for too long. I mentioned we changed guitarists a few months ago - followed the same basic pattern and I took on the responsibility of asking him to leave. It was pretty much settled today that I'm the one calling the shots on strategic matters (equipment, logistics, priorities for the work load etc.) and the writing process is much more collaborative. Sometimes it would be nice to sit back, play bass and let somebody else do the work, maybe I'll have that luxury when I'm older and playing in a different band. There was even agreement that we would build a song around my slap bass riffs Our recent focus has been writing melodic tunes that suit fingerstyle and I need to balance it out with the occasional moment of self indulgence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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