Reasons For Getting Fired From A Band

[gjones]

I had to sack the drummer in my band, who was also my landlord. That was a tricky one.

[blue]

[quote name='Jazzneck' timestamp='1462873917' post='3046409']
Fired / shoved from a sh*t hot, highly rated blues band after 10 years for refusing to play SRV clone stuff like every other blues band in the world (plus there was a load of my work commitments, to be fair.)[/quote]

I've never been in a band where I could afford to refuse to do anything.

Blue

[ambient]

Refusing to wear black with an orange tie .

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1462931579' post='3047076']
Refusing to wear black with an orange tie .
[/quote]

Could have been worse... Could have been a piano tie...

[CamdenRob]

I've not been fired from a band (except a band at school when I was 15, but that was fair enough as I replaced by a very good and much older player... also it was a metal band so you couldn't hear the bass anyway.). I have also left a few bands through mutual consent, ie. reaching an impasse neither of us were prepared to compromise on, which again is fair enough.

I have however over the last couple of years failed to impress at several auditions for reasons ranging from being "too jazz" too being "too bald" and even once "not wearing my bass low enough"... one time after extensive and enthusiastic email correspondence and me recording some bass over a demo track at home, which went down well, I didn't actually make it to the audition after sending a photo of myself and the band leader subsequently discovering I was a White guy... To be fair I would have looked a bit out of place in a band rapping about inequality etc... shame though as it was damn funky music.

It seems I am not alone in this...

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1462911674' post='3046952']
I've only been fired once, and that was because "you're not black enough"....
[/quote]

Edited May 11, 2016 by CamdenRob

[Earbrass]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462913676' post='3046992']
Did they hire you with hopes that you would become Blacker over time?

Blue
[/quote]

[TimR]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1462911674' post='3046952']
I've only been fired once, and that was because "you're not black enough"....
[/quote]

Looking at your profile pic I'd say they did have a point.

[TimR]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1462872433' post='3046393']
I wouldn't shut up about the growing up in the 60s and how amasing the beatles were
[/quote]



We did actually fire a guitarist who kept suggesting we should play Beatles tunes.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462903073' post='3046858']
Hey, it's not your fault you were born in the right time period and right place.

Blue
[/quote]

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1462956102' post='3047167']


We did actually fire a guitarist who kept suggesting we should play Beatles tunes.
[/quote]didn't Glen Matlock get fired because he liked the Beatles too much?

[KevB]

Getting the phone call from the last band was quite amusing. The band leader (clearly saw himself as that but wouldn't admit it) didn't have the balls to call so the drummer (musically weakest link in the outfit) was given the job. At one point he said 'Its not about your playing Kev' at which I was incredibly tempted to say 'Correct, it's about yours - you're not very good' but I couldn't bring myself to do it

[ambient]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1462947308' post='3047087']


Could have been worse... Could have been a piano tie...
[/quote]

Almost as bad, I know a trumpet player who turned up for a gig wearing a waistcoat with trumpets embroidered on the front, with musical notes coming out of it.

[Earbrass]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1462911674' post='3046952']
I've only been fired once, and that was because "you're not black enough"....
[/quote]

You should have told them that wouldn't be a problem as you'd be perfectly happy to "black up" for gigs.

[RockfordStone]

i was sacked for "trying to turn the band into a prog rock band".......... all i did was add fills and not play root notes......

[neilp]

I never thought of "blacking up"! I seem to remember being a bit lost for words, then pointing out that unlike Michael Jackson I was the same colour when I was hired. After that I may have told him where to shove his cuddly toy....

[luckydog]

Refusing, as a matter of personal principle, to play tonic dominant straight 2 time for 4 minutes.......it's true !

You have the wrong man.....!

LD

[Huge Hands]

I had an email from a band colleague this week regarding our latest member (I won't mention the instrument in case they work out who I am), but the reason for wanting them to be relieved of duty was that we need to find someone who is good, rather than someone "...[b][i]who thinks there aren’t enough notes in any scale and that they all need to be played as fast as possible in no special order..."[/i][/b]

Classic!

[tauzero]

For about three weeks on the trot, I was told there was no rehearsal for one reason or another. Then the rhythm guitarist texted me to say that the lead guitarist and drummer, two brothers, had been asked by an old friend of theirs if he could come in as bassist (said old friend was aware that they already had me), so they were getting rid of me. Still, it meant I joined the band I'm still with on a full-time rather than dep basis.

I'm not actually that petty a person as to hold a proper grudge, so when I heard that the replacement bassist had cancer, the news did sadden me somewhat. I hardly think it was karma, definitely a punishment far too harsh for the crime.

[tauzero]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1462975578' post='3047466']
I had an email from a band colleague this week regarding our latest member (I won't mention the instrument in case they work out who I am), but the reason for wanting them to be relieved of duty was that we need to find someone who is good, rather than someone "...[b][i]who thinks there aren’t enough notes in any scale and that they all need to be played as fast as possible in no special order..."[/i][/b]

Classic!
[/quote]

You've got John McLaughlin in the band?

[discreet]

I've never been fired from a band. Obviously I'm not trying hard enough.

Or more likely I always see the writing on the wall and resign well before being sacked.

Edited May 11, 2016 by discreet

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1462976199' post='3047470']
You've got John McLaughlin in the band?
[/quote]

I'm ashamed to say I had to look up who that was. The Wikipedia page states:

[b][i][color=#252525][font=sans-serif] His style has been described as one that incorporates aggressive speed, technical precision, and harmonic sophistication.[/font][/color][/i][/b]

[color=#252525][font=sans-serif]I think our guy only manages the first of those three....[/font][/color]

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='neilp' timestamp='1462975356' post='3047463']
I never thought of "blacking up"! I seem to remember being a bit lost for words, then pointing out that unlike Michael Jackson I was the same colour when I was hired. After that I may have told him where to shove his cuddly toy....
[/quote]

I doubt he'd have felt good baby after that....


Usually the last man standing when it all goes tits up, or I've left.
Never been fired, begged to stay, or come to the next weird offshoot project sure, but never fired.

Also too wussy to fire anyone, hence all the leaving or watching things crumble into sh*te.

[KevB]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1462977479' post='3047485']
I'm ashamed to say I had to look up who that was. The Wikipedia page states:

[b][i][color=#252525][font=sans-serif]His style has been described as one that incorporates aggressive speed, technical precision, and harmonic sophistication.[/font][/color][/i][/b]

[color=#252525][font=sans-serif]I think our guy only manages the first of those three....[/font][/color]
[/quote]

You mean he's Yngwie, then (yes you can look him up if need be)

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1462980938' post='3047539']
You mean he's Yngwie, then (yes you can look him up if need be)
[/quote]

Although not my genre of music at all, I have heard of Mr Malmsteen. (I did still look him up though!).

It's not actually the guitarist in our case!

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1462981464' post='3047550']
It's not actually the guitarist in our case!
[/quote]

It's the tuba player isn't it? always showboating with 200bpm scale sweeps those tuba guys....