Hobbayne Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 It is well known that Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker hated each others guts. Dave Davies and Mick Avory had a punch up on stage. I used to play in a band where the guitarist and singer wouldn't speak to each other on or off stage, that made for some interesting gigs. Any other grumpy band member stories? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Browning Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I played in a band with a guitarist whom I couldn't stand and who, likewise, couldn't stand me. We were stupidly polite and nice to each other but I imagine he was seething at the mere sight of me as much as his very name would set my teeth on edge. Luckily now play with 3 absolutely top guys and we get on really well. We have a pretty much even gig/curry night ratio!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 David Sylvian nicked Mick Karn's girlfriend - don't suppose that went down too well.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 We don't have any "can't stand each other moments" but there are some annoying habits by each of us that get picked up on... Sh!t backing vocals but insisting on singing, widdling the intro or main riff to the song at full volume at a gig before the rest of the band is ready, not knowing whether you got paid for a gig or not, being late, being under the thumb, organising gigs without telling everyone else... Usual stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 All is calm, all is bright in my current band. Which is nice. I wouldn't mind some of Fleetwood Mac's success, but not sure how I would have dealt with the, ah... somewhat 'interesting' relationship and substance issues... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCrane Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_1,_1974 " The bemused stare between John Cale (right) and Kevin Ayers (left) is said to be explained by the fact that Cale had caught Ayers sleeping with his wife the night before the show. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrunoBass Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 The two guitarists in my last band couldn’t stand each other, forced smiles and nice to each other’s faces but behind each other backs it was contrast slagging off, nasty criticism which eventually spilled over into all out antipathy. Most of it was down to ego; both were great musicians but it was definitely a case of two many dogs in the pen, decidedly unhealthy rivalry. Eventually it all imploded; I’m told in spectacular style. I wasn’t there to witness it, I’d jumped ship sometime before. My current band all get on very well. Any issues get aired and usually resolved quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 (edited) My last lot was a load of mates, some closer than others - I only really knew the lead guitarist very well, who asked the singer from one of his other bands, and the rhythm guitarist from another old band who brought a drummer that he knew with him. We all knew each other well enough to say hello to in the pub, but for some of us it wasn't any closer than that before the band started. Fell apart when the singer's coke habit got out of control. Shame, because when he was good he's got a great voice, but when he was bad he'd not show up to rehearsals, and did a couple of gigs where he could barely sing. We sacked him and the band soldiered on for a while but gave up when we couldn't find anybody to replace him who was half as good. After a period in rehab(ish) he was back and ready to go again, and we had a chat about either reforming the band or doing something new. He was really up for it, but refused to have anything to do with the rhythm guitarist or drummer. Because he hated them. Really, really hated them. I'd never spotted any particular issues between them and was confused But on asking why, it turns out that he'd maintained the peace while he was in the band, but on reflection there was a lot of passive/aggressive stuff between them all, which boiled down to him thinking that the other two weren't very "rock n roll" (the drummer was quite posh) and looked down on him (which they did, for his various failings) and them thinking that he wasn't worth the trouble due to his history of letting us down. When the band started and for the first couple of years we'd practice every Saturday in Holloway and then have a night out in Camden. That then declined over the next year or so with one side or the other finding excuses to not come to the pub after all, usually after finding out whether the other(s) were definitely coming out. They all now tolerate each other's presence if we all happen to be out in the same pub at the same time, but that's about it. Changing tack from my old bands, a drummer mate of mine is trying out for a Police tribute band. I have already suggested that the test of whether the chemistry is mirroring the original is whether he has a fight with the singer/bass player at the audition Edited May 21, 2018 by Monkey Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Many years ago in a previous band I refused to talk to the female singer for several months until it became too much effort to keep up so I started talking to her again. Eighteen months ago our main singer and our drummer had a spectacular stand up row in the car park immediately after a gig over who should have signalled the end of a song. It turned out this was the culmination of two years of festering resentment which the rest of us didn't have a clue about. That was the last gig the drummer played with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 In the early days we had problems with LSD (Lead Singer Disease) in a couple of my early bands but once you all start getting a bit older the egos calm down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 a main reason I've not been in a band for a few years now is that with most of the ones I've checked out, at least one of the members was someone I reckon I might've exchanged a few slaps with. You might also think with being in a duo or trio there might be less chance of fisticuffs / hairpulling but history says, 'no chance' e.g. McCartney & Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Everlies, Police, Tears for Fears, Sam n Dave... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I got solicitors letters. Does that count? The guy in question is still a **** to this day - good to see he's still upsetting other people I notice this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 Personally, I tend to be able to put up with most people until the limits of their talent has been exhausted. I've definitely got some not very friendly relationships with former band members, but they started at the point of the sacking (or shortly beforehand). I haven't been surprised and am not fussed by them, but it always seems to be that when things are going well in the band their annoying tendencies are just little quirks like everybody else has got, and when things are going badly they are evidence of what terrible human beings they are. One in particular, was a really nice bloke, but being a lead guitarist, a bit of a c#nt. When we formed the band, me and the drummer were waiting to see exactly how he proved to be a c#nt, because there was no evidence of anything we seriously objected to, maybe he was the exception that makes the rule, great feller, good to hang out with, etc. By the time we sacked him it had all soured and we had no desire to ever see him again, and certainly never play in a band with him again, and we've all stayed out of each others way. But if he hadn't been so much of a c#nt in the band, I'm sure we'd all still get along brilliantly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 14 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: I got solicitors letters. Does that count? The guy in question is still a **** to this day - good to see he's still upsetting other people I notice this week. please, you have got to expand on that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 19 minutes ago, EBS_freak said: I got solicitors letters. Does that count? The guy in question is still a **** to this day - good to see he's still upsetting other people I notice this week. Proof that solicitors will take money off anyone for anything... I'm guessing. Without knowing anything at all about the context! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 One of the upsides of writing music on my own from a darkened bunker is not to having to engage directly with other human beings during the process… unless I choose to and always remotely over the ‘Net. Saves me a ruddy fortune in hand sanitiser. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 6 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said: please, you have got to expand on that 1 minute ago, uk_lefty said: Proof that solicitors will take money off anyone for anything... I'm guessing. Without knowing anything at all about the context! Can't really expand on it and it could have got pretty messy fairly quickly... but it saddens me to see that his mafia style bullying is still very buoyant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 First band i joined, when i started playing again 10yrs ago, the guitarist really couldn't stand the singer. That band lasted four gigs before he walked off. Mostly though it's all been friendly, if not friends. The only band I don't talk to at all are two brothers I was practicing with...they really were the most unpleasant pair I've met in music. They spent most of their time slagging off local bands. That was 5yrs ago I left, they're still in their garage and I've done quite a few gigs since 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bay Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 I was in the Green Man in Derby many years ago when the band stopped due to a fight (not that uncommon in there at the time). The bouncers waded in and threw out the two offenders, when the melee had settled we realised that the two chucked out were the lead guitarist and the vocalist. Still no idea what happened but it was proper full on fists everywhere fight. They were playing and in the middle of a song when it all kicked off so I presume one made a comment that set the other off or something like that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oopsdabassist Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 1st band I joined was twin brothers and their best mate, been playing together since their teens. the twins are infamous for liking their beer and after about 2 years of them getting lairy I finally quit after they laid into each other..on stage....just as we about to start the 2nd set. I had loads of mates in the audience that night, that was me gone..outta there. As it happens I still see the twins about, they are still playing together..families eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 The drummer in the band I was in hated me. He tried to get me sacked from the band and ended up getting himself sacked......halfway through a gig, no less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 (edited) Not a feud so much as a series of toxic relationships, but I watched a documentary on The Who, on BBC4, where Pete Townshend systematically slagged off the musical skills and contribution of every member of the band's classic line up, barring himself. I was left wondering what the band would have sounded like if everyone had played or sung to his personal satisfaction, because I'm guessing they wouldn't have been the same band at all. Edited May 21, 2018 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 21, 2018 Share Posted May 21, 2018 29 minutes ago, Cato said: I watched a documentary on The Who, on BBC4, where Pete Townshend systematically slagged off the musical skills and contribution of every member of the band's classic line up, barring himself I was left wondering what the band would have sounded like if everyone had played or sung to his personal satisfaction, because I'm guessing they wouldn't have been the same band at all. With a 'regular' drummer and bass player The Who would have been boring, I bet. It was KM and JE's pyrotechnics that made that band what it was. They were both pioneers in their way. If PT can't see that, he must be a ****. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyJohnson Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 There's been a few of the US hair metal bands that have had spectacular breakdowns, but only to reconcile. Van Halen (Roth and Hagar), Motley Crue (pretty much everybody has fallen out with each other), Kiss (Stanley and Simmons vs everyone else). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozza Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Elvis Costello and Bruce Thomas have fallen out pretty badly it seems. From Wikipedia... Bruce Thomas made a brief appearance with his former bandmates when the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but when Costello was asked why Thomas did not play with them at the event, he reportedly replied, "I only work with professional musicians."[ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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