Band issues, what would you do?

[Wolverinebass]

You're either in the band or you're not in the band. If I'd seen that post I'd have quit immediately. I don't take crap or even dare I say it, the scraps from other people's tables.

[jazzmanb]

4 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

You're either in the band or you're not in the band. If I'd seen that post I'd have quit immediately. I don't take crap or even dare I say it, the scraps from other people's tables.

I get about 20 gigs a year at a good rate from a band I'm not in .Music doesn't have to be so precious 

[yorks5stringer]

Well, one consequence of the situation is that my GAS has been sharply reigned in.

I was thinking 4 P/T Basses were not enough, but now I'll stick with them and maybe even sell a couple...

[PatrickJ]

17 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

FWIW I have responded to their original response( we always intended to gig with different line-ups) asking for more transparency in future and saying how disappointed I feel with the situation.

I'm curious to hear how the band responded to your message?

Did they play the festivals minus bass, or did they have another player, or were they using an alternative instrument (keys??) - I can't imagine a band playing without any sort of low end ??

Edited September 11, 2018 by PJ-Bassist

[discreet]

1 hour ago, jazzmanb said:

Music doesn't have to be so precious.

Well, no. Especially if it's Jazz. 

[bazzbass]

On ‎09‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 02:04, Len_derby said:

Think about Darryl Jones. Played with the Stones for 22 years and not considered a proper Stone...

Ron Wood is STILL the new guy, only been with them for 44? years lol

[yorks5stringer]

9 hours ago, PJ-Bassist said:

I'm curious to hear how the band responded to your message?

Did they play the festivals minus bass, it did they have another player, or were they using an alternative instrument (keys??) - I can't imagine a band playing without any sort of low end ??

They did some gigs as 2 acoustics plus cahon and the other with the same lineup plus fiddle. Both their albums have bass all the way through.

[yorks5stringer]

Just a quick update: following me seeing an ad yesterday advertising the band on Dec 1st as part of a 3 band line-up, I asked the question, (as I had not been consulted re being free that day) if they were doing it  as a duo , trio or quartet,  and would that be without me?

They replied thanking me for my input over the last year and said we ought to call it time. Gutted😉!

 

Bunch of cowboys.....

[Wolverinebass]

Just now, yorks5stringer said:

Just a quick update: following me seeing an ad yesterday advertising the band on Dec 1st as part of a 3 band line-up, I asked the question, (as I had not been consulted re being free that day) if they were doing it  as a duo , trio or quartet,  and would that be without me?

They replied thanking me for my input over the last year and said we ought to call it time. Gutted😉!

 

Bunch of cowboys.....

They're tools. Get yourself a better band where you're actually "in the band."

[discreet]

Just now, Wolverinebass said:

They're tools. Get yourself a better band where you're actually "in the band."

Yes, they're wänkers. The OP has been involved in the band equivalent of a zero-hours contract. Not surprising though really, in a gig economy. Wakka! Wakka! 

[Monkey Steve]

well that sucks...though I guess it answers a few questions

remind me, has this happened after you'd asked for clarification on your place in the band?  It would be a very clumsy power play if you're suddenly not in the band after asking form clarification that you are in fact in the band.

they must have a whole sack full of insecurities and tiny, tiny pen1ses

[12stringbassist]

From the initial post, I would ask them for a list of dates, with the ones that they want you on asterisked.
Then make a decision.

I personally would not want to be in a band that drops musicians as per the main two people in the band, then picks them up again.

It's not you. It's them.

[martthebass]

1 hour ago, yorks5stringer said:

Just a quick update: following me seeing an ad yesterday advertising the band on Dec 1st as part of a 3 band line-up, I asked the question, (as I had not been consulted re being free that day) if they were doing it  as a duo , trio or quartet,  and would that be without me?

They replied thanking me for my input over the last year and said we ought to call it time. Gutted😉!

 

Bunch of cowboys.....

Think you file this one under 'no loss'.

Much better to be part of a band where you're appreciated.

[yorks5stringer]

1 hour ago, Monkey Steve said:

well that sucks...though I guess it answers a few questions

remind me, has this happened after you'd asked for clarification on your place in the band?  It would be a very clumsy power play if you're suddenly not in the band after asking form clarification that you are in fact in the band.

they must have a whole sack full of insecurities and tiny, tiny pen1ses

Yes, when I asked why they were doing gigs in August without me, they said they had always adapted the lineup to suit the venue or promoter, be it duo, trio, quartet or sextet -5 piece! I said I appreciated that but could they be more transparent about the process and keep me in the loop as I was still committed? I did  also point out at the audition they explained they were looking for a bass to make up a 5 piece band to play Festivals etc. Problem was they did at least 3 Festivals without me even though the venues were large enough. My last f2f rehearsal/contact  with them was on 21st August, then radio silence.....

I already knew the die had been cast and suspect money was at the bottom of it as the gigs I did play tended to be for cider tokens or food and a drink (Charity)rather than cash. I think I only got paid 3 times in around 8 gigs and they creamed off the lucrative paying ones as a duo......yes I know, my bad!

[discreet]

16 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

...they explained they were looking for a bass to make up a 5 piece band to play Festivals etc. Problem was they did at least 3 Festivals without me even though the venues were large enough.

Yeah, that's totally unacceptable. I think I would have let them know exactly what I thought about that and moved on. 

[Wolverinebass]

16 minutes ago, discreet said:

Yeah, that's totally unacceptable. I think I would have let them know exactly what I thought about that and moved on. 

Yeah, they wouldn't have seen me again after that either. However, they would have been seeing an emergency dentist....

[skankdelvar]

3 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

They replied thanking me for my input over the last year and said we ought to call it time.

I say we should all go round and give these bastards a savage leathering. Let's sort out a minibus.

[yorks5stringer]

Just now, skankdelvar said:

I say we should all go round and give these bastards a savage leathering. Let's sort out a minibus.

Naw, they ain't worf it, leave it art.🤐

[discreet]

4 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Naw, they ain't worf it, leave it art.🤐

Matter of principle, innit? They disrespected our faahhhmlee. End of.

[skankdelvar]

6 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Naw, they ain't worf it, leave it art.🤐

 If nothing else, it would have been a nice day out. We could have had chips on the way back.

[skankdelvar]

2 minutes ago, discreet said:

Matter of principle, innit? They disrespected our faahhhmlee. End of.

You are Big Vern and I claim my £5.00

[Stylon Pilson]

36 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

Naw, they ain't worf it, leave it art.🤐

They deprived you of the satisfaction of quitting, by firing you first. I think that that's unacceptable.

Oooh, ooh, unless you actually said "you can't fire me, because I QUIT!" - pleeeeeease tell me you said that.

S.P.

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, yorks5stringer said:

I already knew the die had been cast and suspect money was at the bottom of it as the gigs I did play tended to be for cider tokens or food and a drink (Charity)rather than cash. I think I only got paid 3 times in around 8 gigs and they creamed off the lucrative paying ones as a duo......yes I know, my bad!

Yeh - I wouldn't let the amount of free gigs exceed the amount of paid ones!

[bumnote]

i think thats really poor behaviour. Same thing happened to a friend of mine who plays drums. He used to do a 60 mile round trip every sunday for rehearsals and found out, as you did, that they had been doing gigs as trios as well as their normal 4 man line up. If people are upfront, an informed decision can be made. If the band says nothing, they know what they are doing is underhand, and they are contemptable. Hopefully they will advertise for a replacement who has read your post.

 

[yorks5stringer]

37 minutes ago, Stylon Pilson said:

They deprived you of the satisfaction of quitting, by firing you first. I think that that's unacceptable.

Oooh, ooh, unless you actually said "you can't fire me, because I QUIT!" - pleeeeeease tell me you said that.

S.P.

My last email to them:

Am I to assume, that the December 1st gig at Glastonbury URC is as a  duo or 3 piece?

 

I notice the other 2 bands on the bill are a 3 piece or 5 piece, so just wondering if your decision was based on  Promoter requests or some other reason? I did ask you for some transparency  around these sort of decisions in my last email.

 

I mention this as I was close to getting some paid Sunday pm dates at 2 venues for the full band but if you feel a 5 piece redacted is no longer viable then I will direct my energies to other projects.

 

They did not answer my question in their reply but just suggested I leave as I was obviously dissatisfied..!