Here's a bit of cut and paste truth from a local Seattle forum:
Geez... I come home from work to meet my 9 year old just getting home from school on a Friday evening and all hell breaks loose!
The original lineups of Heir Apparent rehearsed about 5 days a week, sometimes more on weekends. We all had day jobs, girlfriends, pets, and some of us had wives, too... we made time for all of them.
Fact is, I never made any 5 day ultimatum.
I simply reiterated what I know works from experience.
I would be happy with three days a week these days.
They offered one.
Listen, seeing what's really behind this blindsided announcement isn't rocket science...
McCormack is using my name and contacts to self promote his new endeavor to resurrect Fifth Angel, specifically to see if he can get another free trip to Europe. He evidently prefers the instant glory and attention of playing momentary rock star by copying someone else's work again... getting to be hero the easy way. That's really all there is to it.
Although they all had offered to be available for the quick and easy crunch-time rehearsals to prepare for trips to Europe again, the fans want new material. I was never under the illusion that any of them were prepared to do the real work involved in creating a new album. That was something I felt needless to advertise until others were in place... but, here we are.
Besides, there are significant philosophical differences based on perceptions of reality between some of us... for example, I believe in global warming.
No lineup since 2000 has rehearsed enough to write new material.
The norm has been two days a week, with the singer showing up half the time, and people complaining about paying for rehearsals.
That's just barely enough to learn the old set for some gigs that will earn enough to pay for rehearsals. It's a dead end if you don't take the next step to invest in the future.
You guys all know what it's like to believe in what you're doing, spending a small fortune sending out CD's and hoping someone will listen and respond...
I have the opposite dilemma (since 1999):
I'm constantly being sought out by record companies and promoters who are wanting new material... I just can't find four other guys to get on the same page.
This is all about love of music and having an intelligent message.
I don't feel my standards are excessive by any means.
After all, they were barely enough to get this far.
Their announcement was bullshit on several levels.
...But, this is the problem with "news" sources that don't bother to get any confirmation of truth or perspective before they splatter shit worldwide.
There is so much about this situation that you don't know.
Ultimately, I hope to write music that can stand alongside my prior work.
Moreover, I'd prefer to be a member of a collaboration.
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Very few aspiring rock/metal musicians get to the point of earning a living to legitimately call it their profession. Fewer still even consider the business side of things that make it possible until they're confronted with them; lawyers, partnerships, copyrighting, publishing, business licenses, trademarks, taxes, contracts, etc.
Setting up and managing a business is expensive and time consuming in it's own right. Then, be the guy who is responsible for funding, building, and equipping the studio/rehearsal room, managing the project, and then seeking people who have the talent, desire, and intelligence to understand and appreciate the shared responsibility of calling yourself a band. Offer them an equal split of profits if they'll share some of the load, after you've invested your life making their involvement as easy as possible.
Now maybe you understand my position as a guy who expects a certain degree of commitment and dedication in order to accomplish something on par with (name the professional band) in a reasonable time frame.
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The guys I just took to Europe call themselves members of Heir Apparent after re-learning enough songs to play a few shows. We hadn't even spoken since 2004.
The fact is we assembled solely as a touring lineup to make these gigs happen. It was senseless to even ask them if their experience in front of those audiences was enough to get them to commit to being a real band.
A couple of them would've needed deprogramming.
Religious zealots and the band's well-established Man/Nature philosophy don't mix. Some refused to learn certain songs simply because the lyrical message made them uncomfortable with reconciling their dogmas. In mind-boggling contradiction, some of our most popular songs that don't mention evolution, yet blatantly expose hypocrisy in religion didn't bother them at all.
All in the name of metal, right?
It was only possible to do these shows because we prostituted our beliefs for the sake of the experience.
You know, sell your soul for a day, convincing yourself you're taking the high road to mix with the poor lost souls, and be indignant about the hypocrisy the next.
Repent and all is forgiven, right?
So much smoke and mirrors...
A little dose of reality is all some people can handle.
When you're standing at the foot of the Acropolis, a lasting monument to man's evolution of engineering and civilization that dates back 4800 years, how can you possibly reconcile your religious belief system that is only 2000 years old? How about the religious offspin that is 150 years old?
The dichotomy defined.
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On the question of finding time to rehearse, let alone whether I expected anyone to quit their jobs:
Listen folks, everyone works a day job unless you win the raffle.
When you're not at work, you do what you want.
If you have a goal to be in a productive band, you'll easily find 2-3 hours on 3-5 days a week that you really don't need to be sitting in front of a TV or computer screen. If rehearsal time isn't something you arrange your free time schedule around, you're not going anywhere. Rehearsal isn't something you do when there's nothing on TV, it's something you do because there's nothing else you'd rather be doing whenever you get the chance. If you don't have that attitude, kiss it goodbye. It's a simple as that.
If you can't make quality time with your partner the eight hours you're in bed every night, Saturday and Sunday mornings, and the occasional lunch hour, that's your own damn fault.
Don't blame rehearsal!
I can go weeks without picking up my guitar... it's easy to find a million other things to do with my time. BUT, when it's time to gear up, it easily takes precedence over every non-essential activity.
You're either ready when the lights come on, or you're not.
I'm not excited about doing everything myself. That's not a band, it's not a team, it's not inspiring. It's a drag.
But, you have to do the work to get in the game. Getting in the game is still just playing the raffle.
Having a ticket isn't enough... You must be present to win.
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Ultimately, since these guys were recruited to fulfill spots specifically for playing some live gigs, it sure is gracious of them to announce that they're allowing me to continue on with my project...
If I'm boxed in to one day a week locally, I might as well look worldwide for people who want to collaborate. So, in essence, I'm opening the door.
The candle still burns.
