I've never been in a band that fired anyone before, if there were that many problems it genrally disentegrated into it's own mess. I thought I would be able to be very caviler and distant about it but I wasn't. In fact, I ended up voting to give him another shot. I'm obviously emotionaly invested into what we're doing, but maybe I'm taking it all the wrong way. I'd like to get some feed back to try and give this entire situation some much needed perspective.

Never fired anyone because, to me, that would mean we're making money and getting paid.
I have kicked people out of bands before.
They had to be a pretty big pain in the ass for that to happen.

band >> democracy >> soap opera

that said,

1. if you fire this person, can the band function w/o that instrument/voice?
2. if you fire this person, do you have another person lined up?
3. is this person providing any essential quality that defines "the band"


"you get what you settle for" - mork from ork

If you've talked about it more than once with the person who is giving you problems, made it clear what's wrong and asked him what he thinks he could do to help remedy it, and still nothing has changed after a reasonable amount of time has passed, then it's time to kick him out. Having a band member that doesn't pull his or her weight will only drag you down more and more over time. If it's personality issues, those can just fester until it all explodes while you're on the road and there's nothing you can do about it. Better to nip these things in the bud. Be nice about it, but be realistic.

I usually end up being the replacement...

quote:

Originally posted by duckbeat:
I usually end up being the replacement...

"This is a job for a Duck!"

quote:

Originally posted by duckbeat:
I usually end up being the replacement...

"For crying out loud, a Duck could do this job!"

Are you going to fire Scutt?

Hahaha... No. we're not firing anybody yet. (it wasn't scutt) We just have a pretty rigorous practice schedule and we were all really feeling like one of the guys just wasn't as commited as the rest of us. After last night he knows to either be there and give it what we all do, or he can grab his things without having to be asked.
I was on board with just kicking him out untill he asked for another chance. Then all my resolve went out the window.
I just hope it doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.
Of course all of this the night before we go into the studio (shameless plug for Sight 16 goes here) to record for the first time together. This could get intresting.

I've kicked someone out of the band for not ever coming to practice, for always showing up to practice trashed (even at 11 a.m. practices) etc. It's hard. The person was a longtime friend, and he was going through some hard times. And after it was done, I realized I should have done it a year ago or more. He was really dragging everything down, and stressing everyone out.
So yeah, if your comrade wants to work, that's cool. But you may really lighten the load for everyone else if there's so much tension and drama.

I've had to kick someone out before. It wasn't too hard because the guy didn't seem that into playing anyway.
But now, we're playing with this other guy who seems really into it, but he aint that great...
What do i do there?

The Shoulder Voices have a very effective method of shedding band members, as we have nearly a dozen or more ex-band members. We just never call them back. It says enough without saying anything. We are still good friends with many of them, and on good terms. Also, we (Bobby and I) are hard to be around for extended periods of time and not getting phone calls from one of us usually comes as a relief. I can't really recall when we've had 2 shows in a row with the same members since 2003.

It's amazing how energizing it is to lose someone. All of a sudden you are tighter, get along better, can write faster, etc.

All my band needs to do at this point is replace me, and they are going places!

quote:

this other guy who seems really into it, but he aint that grea

A guy who's enthusiastic will get better exponentially and be a stronger asset to your band in the long run. If he's enthusiastic about practicing on his own sometimes and can take criticism, that is.

There was a point when the bassist and I considered losing our drummer. He broke up with his girlfriend and since he's a drummer, that made him homeless. He had taken a habit with a certain soft drink beverage way too far. He sold his drums, said it was for a new place, but he remained homeless. He had to play on our bassist's little practice kit and looked like a strung out giant behind the thing. He missed practices. We didn't play as a complete band for two or three months. We auditioned some guys, but Nate is one of our best friends. We couldn't find anyone that could fill that space. He eventually got a new girlfriend (no longer homeless), and quit, uh, drinking soda so much. He bought a kit, and I feel like the fact that we made it through despite the adversity has tightened us up, musically and personally. So, I would say that if the band member is a seriously good friend, its worth it to stick by him or her. This person might need your support. However, if not, this city is full of musicians, there's a good chance that you'll find someone who has more to bring to the table

quote:

Originally posted by Ditch Troll:
... this city is full of musicians, there's a good chance that you'll find someone who has more to bring to the table

It seems that drummers are harder to come by...

Every band has drama, it's just part of the game. I've said this before... being in a band is like having multiple girlfriends. As with any relationship you have to compromise and accept certain things about people. No 2 people are alike and there are definitely no 3-6 people (in a band) that are alike. Your band members have to be like brothers (or sisters). You have to be willing to take a bat in the head for those guys and at the same time you have to be willing to forgive them when they fuck up. This is especially true when you are planning on hitting the road. Band members have got to be getting along and looking out for one another or you are in for a disaster. I also think that drama can become transparent (thru your music) at shows and can affect performance.

If someone in your band is not committed and is missing practices that is a big problem and yes I would replace them. (But only after talking to them and giving them a chance to change). Sometimes a good talking to will get them to stop slacking. And if they aren't going to change do you really want someone who won't give 100%???

One more important thing to consider is how replacing that member will affect your band. Replacing someone in the band WILL affect the dynamics and sound. Question is, is will bthe change be for the better or for the worse???

quote:

Originally posted by WebMonkey: being in a band is like having multiple girlfriends.

I couldn't imagine anything worse than juggling three girlfriends, and none of them will sleep with you.

quote:

Originally posted by captain of industry:

quote:

Originally posted by WebMonkey: being in a band is like having multiple girlfriends.

I couldn't imagine anything worse than juggling three girlfriends, and none of them will sleep with you.

!!