Bands and band members - aaagh!

[Jakester]

The perennial topic - why is it not possible to have a stable band for any length of time? It is a fundamental force of the universe? 

So, I play in a rock covers band. We formed a couple of years ago, but had a rather lacklustre singer who eventually, after telling the crowd "I don't know the lyrics to this so sorry if we sound a bit stinky poo" - WE didn't, he did - we decided to replace. 

Did that in Jan 2020 with a great female vocalist - she really added another dimension and opened up our potential repertoire. She was really enthusiastic and got us some good gigs and contacts. 

After rehearsing we managed one gig the week before the first national  lockdown was announced. During lockdown, she decided she'd rather do something else so quit. Sigh. 

We managed to replace her in between lockdowns with a really nice, experienced chap, and we've managed to get a few decent gigs on the books over summer (COVID permitting!) with a view to ramping up later in the year. 

.

.

.

So now, one of our guitarists has said he doesn't think he can carry on.  In fairness, he recently had a shoulder op so we have arranged a dep for the first couple of gigs, but it seems he's become disillusioned (for various non-musical reasons) and has decided not to continue. This leaves us with at least two more gigs (including August Bank Holiday weekend!) that he's not going to do.

I'm not sure how many times more I want to have to go through the audition/rehearse process again myself. In fact, thinking about it, the last stable band I was in was from 2008 to 2013, which I ruined by moving away for work. Every band since then has been "in flux".

Is it the resting state of the rock covers band to be in constant renewal? There must be some mathematical description for the function that when a rock covers band reaches equilibrium there must immediately occur a destabilising event. 

Sigh. Back to JMB/Gumtree...🙄

[fretmeister]

This is why I joined an educational trust band that my kids attended. Multiple ensembles if various sizes, doesn’t matter if someone doesn’t show up!

As long as it isn’t the drummer. Or the bass... damn it. No days off for me!

[Acebassmusic]

15 minutes ago, Jakester said:

The perennial topic - why is it not possible to have a stable band for any length of time? It is a fundamental force of the universe? 

Is it the resting state of the rock covers band to be in constant renewal? There must be some mathematical description for the function that when a rock covers band reaches equilibrium there must immediately occur a destabilising event.

I think it IS the resting state of all groups of people who get together for hobbies / work / anything really 🙂

After running my band for 15 years I closed it down 2 years a go to give myself a break. I would have classed the band as stable over those 15 years even though people joined and left for various reasons - changes in work, family health, other interests etc. The process of finding the right replacement person(s) to fit in both musically, personality wise and level of committment / ambition (we were amateur) is quite a tough thing to do and can be a bit demoralising having to go through the rebuilding / relearning process, get the band working really well and then have to start the process again after a while. Same thing happens at work, you build a team up and then someone gets promoted, retires, changes job etc. and you start again.

It can be frustrating and demoralising but in my case a number of the best players that came into the band were replecements (no disrespect meant to anyone who's been in the band. I was very lucky 🙂 ) I just take the inevitable changes as "part of the job".

[uk_lefty]

It's so hard but I think the lockdown is doing funny things. Without direct contact people are left with too much time for their mind to wander and for a long time it was hard to see if or when we'd be getting a band back together. Hopefully you get the new singer fired up and it sounds like the guitarist has quite a valid reason to leave. Unless you have a really clear vision of what you want to achieve I'd suggest finding an established band that needs a bassist, that rakes away a lot of the false starts you get with trying to set up something new. I've hedged my bets and found a covers band very similar to mine but in a different area that needs a bassist, my covers band may well fold soon, and as a side project I've started up an 80s band but while I'd love it to work I'm not expecting too much from it. 

[la bam]

I also think theres too much contact nowadays with smartphones.

Pre 2005, when you just used to meet on a wednesday night or at a gig once or twice a month, everything ran smoothly and you looked forward to it. No distractions, no arguing.

Nowadays, with texts, whatsapp, facebook, you cant get away from it and its every day dealings with pointless things that run everyone up the wrong way. Sometimes to breaking point. Hence they leave.

[Skybone]

Indeed, our previous singer asked for a "break" in March last year, then decided to quit in May. 

Ads went out into the ether, with a few responses, some discounted due to the obvious 'dreamer'. When lockdown eased, managed to get a couple of auditions done before being shut down again.

A year later, no further on, but we do have a rehearsal booked for the first time in months, which is something positive at least.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Happy Jack]

6 hours ago, Jus Lukin said:

It's endlessly frustrating, but just watch a few Rock Family Trees to see how endemic it is. Comes with the territory.

Sorry, this episode is not currently available

[Happy Jack]

There are bits available on YouTube but it's all rather messy.

 

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[NancyJohnson]

In answer to the OP, band lineups ebb and flow. 

Have you never seen any of Pete Frame's Rock Family Trees?

Edited May 13, 2021 by NancyJohnson

[Happy Jack]

As a slightly more relevant contribution, I'm finding 'the end of Covid' more challnging in terms of band members than any other point.

I've got one band where the singer was not prepared under any circumstances to be in a confined space with the other two of us until May 17th (because them's the rules) even though all three of us have had Covid and lived and all three of us have had both jabs. Which would be sort-of-OK had he been prepared to tell us that this was his thinking before last week. Up until then, he would only give vague and woolly comments about can't be too careful and guys, you just need to give me a bit of time. So he's managed to inflict the worst of both worlds on the band.

I've got another band where the drummer was not prepared under any circumstances to be in a confined space with the other three of us until May 17th (because them's the rules) even though all four of us have had Covid and lived and all four of us have had both jabs. He made it very clear right from the start that he wasn't prepared to break the rules so fair play to him. We booked a rehearsal room for the afternoon of the 17th - at his suggestion - and yesterday he WhatsApp'd us with

I’m really looking forward to getting together next Monday but am also mindful that we will be in a closed airless space so can I ask that we all do a lateral flow test on the Monday morning, please.

I've bent over backwards to be positive and constructive with this guy over the last six months, but I have to draw a line somewhere. If I have to start providing proof to the drummer that I have a recent, clean Covid test before he'll rehearse with me, then frankly that's a band that I can live without.

 

[StickyDBRmf]

A rock (or anything else) cover band is a dangerous thing. There is the passionate musician that lives for the experience no matter what and the chap/chapess who thinks it 's a good idea until it clashes with the decor. I watched "Bohemian Rhapsody" last nite w/ my g.f. who is 36 and I am 63. She sings. Very well I might add. She was born the month after LiveAid. I was cooking in the hottest summer in Baltimore MD, and opened my own restraurant in October. ('85). The whole Freddy Mercury thing is a tradgedy but I have many friends that died during "not knowing what is killing us". But there's a point in the movie where Freddie addresses the band and says, " WTF?" So yeah. 

[Dan Dare]

A band is no different from any other cooperative enterprise - workplace, sports team, etc, etc. It is likely to include an equivalent mix of personality types, from good eggs to awkward tw@ts and all shades in between.

To quote Sartre, "Hell is other people".

Edited May 13, 2021 by Dan Dare

[StickyDBRmf]

37 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

A band is no different from any other cooperative enterprise - workplace, sports team, etc, etc. It is likely to include an equivalent mix of personality types, from good eggs to awkward tw@ts and all shades in between.

To quote Sartre, "Hell is other people".

Good name for a band

[casapete]

The 8 piece band I was with for over 15 years had relatively few changes in personnel, just singers (naturally). They seemed to love it at first and then lose interest after a year or so. My current band have had the same lineup for the last 10 years (me being the newest member), until  recently when our keyboard player retired. Had a devil of a job replacing him too but finally got a great guy to replace him, thank god.

Think it was Count Basie who when asked how he kept a big band on the road replied - 'I pay them money'. 

[chris_b]

4 of us got together last week to film 4 songs for a promo video and we all had to take a Rapid Lateral Flow test and show it to the drummer before he would join us. His daughter is quite ill and living at his house, so I can understand the caution.

I feel that me and my family have safely come this far. Messing up right now and getting ill would be a crazy thing to risk. I have no advice to the OP re band members, except chose professional players. But even that isn't a guarantee of finding "normal" people!   

[uk_lefty]

12 hours ago, StickyDBRmf said:

I watched "Bohemian Rhapsody" last nite w/ my g.f. who is 36 and I am 63.

I bet you love saying that! ☺️👍

[uk_lefty]

13 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

If I have to start providing proof to the drummer that I have a recent, clean Covid test before he'll rehearse with me, then frankly that's a band that I can live without.

Unfortunately that may be the way of the world very soon for lots of things, especially as new variants of covid emerge. At least he's given you notice, unlike the person in the other band. 

[oldslapper]

38 minutes ago, uk_lefty said:

I bet you love saying that! ☺️👍

And why not? It’s a really good film. 

[itu]

One thing that has been steady with the band I am playing with is the day and time: Thursday @ 19oo. There's no messing with hundreds of messages/calls/mails. I just have to be there in time. Simple and easy.

[lowregisterhead]

14 hours ago, Happy Jack said:

I've got another band where the drummer was not prepared under any circumstances to be in a confined space with the other three of us until May 17th (because them's the rules) even though all four of us have had Covid and lived and all four of us have had both jabs. He made it very clear right from the start that he wasn't prepared to break the rules so fair play to him. We booked a rehearsal room for the afternoon of the 17th - at his suggestion - and yesterday he WhatsApp'd us with

I’m really looking forward to getting together next Monday but am also mindful that we will be in a closed airless space so can I ask that we all do a lateral flow test on the Monday morning, please.

Irritating, but I have a feeling this may be part of the 'new normal' for spending time in any enclosed unventilated space, at least until COVID cases properly settle down.

[Cat Burrito]

I think with the current Covid-19 situation things are much more heightened. My super busy main band has been almost radio silence for over a year and quieter bands have gotten busier / creative during lockdowns. I guess everyone is fighting their own battles from those who have been furloughed through to those who worked throughout in public facing. Line-ups can be a challenge at the best of times, and sadly these aren't even the best of times.

[uk_lefty]

10 minutes ago, Cat Burrito said:

I think with the current Covid-19 situation things are much more heightened. My super busy main band has been almost radio silence for over a year and quieter bands have gotten busier / creative during lockdowns. I guess everyone is fighting their own battles from those who have been furloughed through to those who worked throughout in public facing. Line-ups can be a challenge at the best of times, and sadly these aren't even the best of times.

I'm in a similar boat to you. My band that had a great 2020 to look forward to is looking like it could fold. Lockdown has been tough. 4 of us are parents, one is a single parent with two teenagers, one has two grown up children who got sent home from uni and working away all while his livelihood was under threat and his wife's job disappeared within minutes of the first lockdown, one has no commitments whatsoever but his work changed his job and he's busier than ever. So my proposal to rip up the set list and start again went nowhere. I don't know when we will meet up and if we do it's likely to just be a social. 

However between lockdowns I found a drummer and guitarist and formed an 80s band. We brought in a singer who we couldn't work with until 2 weeks ago. Though early days I'm hoping this band can get going because there's great potential. 

[BigRedX]

The thing you have remember is that for most musicians, unless it is their main source of income, playing in a band comes a long way down the list of priorities such as family, work, sport, sitting in front of the TV, and IME many simply view it as something that fills an otherwise empty evening once a week.

You can't expect these people to have any kind of serious commitment - especially for a covers band where it simply regarded as a bit of fun and hopefully some beer money.