Dudes in bands how do you take care of BS?

[kev]

Well, the Metallica way:

Put solo guitar player in the corner and tell to shut up
Sack bass players if they fail to impress
Drummer & Singer take all, and sometimes require counciling/rehab to continue on

 

[nwright]

Haha, this is pretty good to read.

In my old band, I did everything, literally, except write the lyrics. I wrote the music, recorded the music, booked 100% of the shows, did 100% of the flyers, did 100% of the artwork, just everything. Then, in the end, the band resented me for it. So, right before I left I suggested we all come in with some new ideas, and that I would LOOOOVE to not have to do everything.

Over the next 3 months, you know who came to rehearsal with any new material? Me. So, I left and the band called it quits. Now, none of them are doing anything with music.

In my current band, we are pretty much a democracy in terms of business decision making. In terms of music, it's a little less so. We started as a 3 piece, guitar/bass/drums. After a year, we got a vocalist and he left not long after he joined...6 months later, we got a new vocalist who's been with us since. I think he stills feels like the outsider and it's probably justified. He lives a good ways from us, so he only comes out maybe once a month, and we send him mp3's of new material to write lyrics to. So, the 3 of us (the core) make all the decisions in terms of music. It often gets deferred to me and the bass player, as our drummer says too many cooks in the kitchen can be bad, and he realizes his ideas aren't generally as good. And then the bass player then defers it to me, as he sees the guitar as the main melody fixture. But, we try to always get equal say. We've never actually come out and told each other what we must play. More like a general direction we should go and we all follow suit to see what the music calls for.

Luckily, when we all tend to agree when the music is good and when it's bad, so we've never got into it over music. Really, we've never been into much at all...We all have the mindset that the song will tell us where we need to go, and we all have a good understanding on what works and what doesn't, but we always try each other's ideas. I think it's more a respect issue than a controlling one for us. We respect each other as musicians and we are all on a level playing feel in terms of talent, and that helps us listen to one another.

 

[KnifeVariable]

...I did everything, literally, except write the lyrics. I wrote the music, recorded the music, booked 100% of the shows, did 100% of the flyers, did 100% of the artwork, just everything...

Haha that's me, too! Except I also write the lyrics. We function on this "friendly dictatorship" concept and there's hardly any room for disagreements. There comes the seasonal argument and it's usually about something irrelevant, but we've known eachother for 10-15 years and it's all good. The bummer is when I burn out - everything band related suddenly stops... like now for example, I'm focusing on writing material for another project and the band isn't doing anything.

 

[MrLee]

ahh! Im also the only one doing everything in my band! I really hate it! I would very much like more input and new stuff from the other guys! I have told them what I feel and I think its going to change! If not Im thinking of quitting..

 

[JeffTD]

I've been in too many bands where I was the only one really doing anything.

Honestly, I find this problem to originate from band members not being very good at their instrument.

My new bassist and drummer are so ridiculously solid on their instruments that it's become a group effort, even though I still write 90% of the music.

 

[RipShredmohr]

Punch the singer, the bassist will always take your side after that.

 

[iekobrid]

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

It often gets deferred to me and the bass player, as our drummer says too many cooks in the kitchen can be bad, and he realizes his ideas aren't generally as good.

Drummer in my band is the biggest cunt ever in this regard his ideas suck and he has no idea. Bass player can be on planet mars from time to time. Myself, the other guitarist and the singer tent to "just get it". We always seem to be on the same page. Drummers favorite thing is to do this what he calls "pause" however as good as he is a drums it seems he can't count when he isn't playing. I pretty much hate his attitude. I am quiting in September.

 

[deanbailey]

Drummer in my band is the biggest cunt ever in this regard his ideas suck and he has no idea. Bass player can be on planet mars from time to time. Myself, the other guitarist and the singer tent to "just get it". We always seem to be on the same page. Drummers favorite thing is to do this what he calls "pause" however as good as he is a drums it seems he can't count when he isn't playing. I pretty much hate his attitude. I am quiting in September.

lol I know what you're talking about. It's depressing me more and more each day that every other member in my band can not play to a click track. or keep in time for that matter...

...so i end up recording everything except vocals, which they don't know (and i feel shit for not telling them). After 3 years in the band, my other guitarist finally realised that he just could not play to a click, and just instructed as i recorded his parts.
If it wasn't for the fact that the band is "pretty popular" and has a decent following (in a few cities in my country) i'd leave..

 

[Seth Schwiet]

...so i end up recording everything except vocals, which they don't know (and i feel shit for not telling them). After 3 years in the band, my other guitarist finally realised that he just could not play to a click, and just instructed as i recorded his parts.
..

gah, I want to do this so bad, but don't have the guts to be that deceptive
I'm another dictatorship vote (however that works out). Not just with the music, but unfortunately nothing would ever get done if I didn't do it. This makes me the least liked person, but also allows my band to not be a complete joke. I like the other guys in my band, my other guitar player actually takes on responsibility, but the other two seem just to be along for the ride and for that reason, their opinion bears little weight in my mind.

 

[deanbailey]

gah, I want to do this so bad, but don't have the guts to be that deceptive
I'm another dictatorship vote (however that works out). Not just with the music, but unfortunately nothing would ever get done if I didn't do it. This makes me the least liked person, but also allows my band to not be a complete joke. I like the other guys in my band, my other guitar player actually takes on responsibility, but the other two seem just to be along for the ride and for that reason, their opinion bears little weight in my mind.

It's a little complicated, each member who's part i re-did knew i was doing it (except the drummer) wait...it's like this...everyone knew i re-did the other guitarist part because he literally can't play neat enough but we keep him because he writes pretty cool stuff.
only the bassist knows i did his part.
no one knows i re-did the drums.
And I'm thinking of doing the vocals over because there are some dead parts, but thats the hardest part to do without being "spotted", plus my vocalist is touchy about his parts...

 

[Seth Schwiet]

that's funny, redoing vocals, I imagine that would be tough. Luckily my drummers solid enough for my liking. But the other guitar player is so stubborn about taking any sort of suggestions especially about his guitar tone. He has his low, his presence, and his resonance cranked and his mids above 12o'clock on his 5150. I'm no tone king, but that is the most anti-cruch sounding muck I've heard.

i like this thread, it's therapeutic

 

[deanbailey]

The vocals are quite similar to "the black dahlia murder" but with more "black metal-top-of-the-larynx" pitched vocals. No singing.

I was the vocalist in the previous band i left (which went on tour with Sepultura last month) so it's not hard for me to pull it off. It's getting him to not listen like a reverse karaoke machine that's making me think otherwise...he's FUSSSY

 

[Via Noctis]

I know that being my only post my opinion does not mean shit, but in my band I was a leader for a long time and found that everyone just thought I was a dick, so for the most part 1 or 2 people take care of the business but we vote on decisions. That way when 1 person has a dumb ass idea majority vote rules.

 

[Skyweaver]

general democarcy for the band - everyone having input, means everyone gets something out of the band...BUT theres needs to be one final decision maker, otherwise it just go's round and round in circles as some wishy washy shit.............

it never ceases to amaze me how some people can never commit what they say they will, and how some band members are afraid of making a decision and sticking to it.....

someone has to have a final say of who comes and who has to go for the good of the band - recently I booted the bass player out, it was the best thing I have ever done..if your gonna lead a band - do your best to be human (read kind) but remeber nothing else matters but the music

 

[Chryst Krispies]

Basically whoever is writing the majority of the shit makes the rules,. Basically if you are just sitting arou nd mooching offa peoples riffs and then you bitch , then you deserve to get the shit kicked out of you by the band.

 

[AudioPhile777]

...so i end up recording everything except vocals, which they don't know (and i feel shit for not telling them). After 3 years in the band, my other guitarist finally realised that he just could not play to a click, and just instructed as i recorded his parts.

...our bassist could keep time if he had a basket.

...so i felt bad for the first week or so after doing it, but the fucktard quit the band a few months later, so i dont care anymore.

... this thread is like therapy...

 

[deanbailey]

... this thread is like therapy...

Indeed, i had to get my last few posts off my chest.

 

[Vimana]

I've been in too many bands where I was the only one really doing anything.

Honestly, I find this problem to originate from band members not being very good at their instrument.

My new bassist and drummer are so ridiculously solid on their instruments that it's become a group effort, even though I still write 90% of the music.

Me too, it fucking pisses me off. I show my friends a riff thats Metal but not all that Heavy and one doesn't say anything and the other reminds me of how he doesn't like Metal. So I play a Rock riff and my other friend says its too "complicated" for him to play it on bass, bass wasn't meant to play the same thing that the guitar plays, it wouldn't be there if it was. So I try getting them into doing something and then when one of them finally does something I get so fucking fed up and I just go along with it. But then my friend who came up with the thing he came up with will act like he does everything when I try and do stuff for hours 'til something happens. He's always negative, I said "how bout we take turns soloing to fill out the rest of the song, when I let a note ring it will be your cue to solo and when you let it ring I will go and so on". And he interrupted me several times while I was explaining saying "this isn't gonna work". So when we try he messes up once and completely gives up. He just thinks that making a song takes no work, he thinks its as simple as music, lyrics, done. Its not, whenever there is a small snag he decides he doesn't want to do anything.

 

[Chryst Krispies]

No offense to anyone here BUT on that note. I truly believe that 99.9% of my problems have come from drummers. It's like a curse or something. I don't know