Engel
Senior Member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2009
- Messages
- 7,878
- Reaction score
- 9,766
Some of you might know I am in a country cover band. It is a little out of my comfort zone being a rock guitar player but I was delighted at the invitation to play in a gigging band as a rhythm guitarist. I tried out and was hired on no problems. It took me a while to learn the set list as I had not heard 90% of the music they played. Took me a few weeks to really nail it all. When I joined the band, the band was never about money, it was about having fun. With that being said, we all were in mutual agreement that we wanted to play out, schedule gigs, make a little gas money just for the hell of it.
Learning new songs evens the playing field for me. The rest of the band doesn't know how to play the song either. I have no trouble at all. I usually pick up on them way before the rest of the band does. I end up playing teacher to the rest of the band. I also play mandolin and harmonica which brings alot to this band. I've brought in some equipment (mics, monitors etc) to the band. I even bought myself a new LP and amp since I have been in the band. I've showed up to gigs sick and still played/loaded/unloade, with a bad back. It's been 3 months and I feel I've contributed alot to them.
Things started to go funny within the last month or so...
Everyone went on summer vacation. We didn't plan it but our vacations ended up being about 4 weeks consecutively which worked out well. We just wouldn't schedule any gigs during that time.
Come to my surprise, they scheduled a gig while I was away on break and played without me
.
I found out right before I left. I gave them advance as to when I was leaving. Apparently it was a scheduling mistake and they took the gig anyways. Ok, whatever. Shit happens. Red flag one.
The lead guitarist, a young hot shot, is the type who skips a lot of practices and is always "busy" when it comes time to unload/load the trailer full of our gear. This is all OK because his dad is the drummer and mastermind, if you will, of the band. I try really hard to leave my ego at the door. I can't say the same for him. As a rhythm guitarist, I find it hard sometimes to even play rhythm guitar. He takes many of the rhythm riffs on top of all the lead. Red flag 2.
He uses a volume pedal which totally drowns out anything I play. One gig he was in Eb and the song was standard. The bass player came to me and told me my guitar was out of tune. I showed him that my guitar volume was turned off. I was pretending to play because it was a song they learned while I was away on vacation. Red flag 3.
One practice, while he was chasing a girl in another town, he called his mom. She told him we were all practicing and learning a new song. He got butthurt and told her that he felt like I was there to replace him. Seriously?
I was playing bass in this song. Black flag 1.
From the beginning, I got the feeling that the band was nothing more than a backing band for this kid to mega solo to the entire night. I really don't even care, I have a lot of fun playing in the band and most of the time it's been drama free (until recently). I've put up with all this drama so far and done my best to hold my tongue. Holding it in is beginning to make it not fun.
The icing on the cake:
We're a 5 piece band. Lead/Rhythm/Bass/Vocal/percussion. Last week there was a new guy at practice. I asked who he was. He's a guy the drummer just met the day prior and invited him to practice to "jam"... No big deal, it's his house, his practice space.
Let me back up a little bit, the band as a collective have been pushing to throw in a few rock songs, however, our singers voice is more of a country voice and he does have a hard time with rock even though we've played a few new rock songs recently. We had not discussed ever looking for a second singer or replacing our current one. Why would we? The guy is great!
Back to the new guy. The whole practice went like this:
Play this new guys original songs while he sang them.
I felt it was a total waste of a practice. We didn't learn any new songs or practice any old ones. We are a cover band. Not an original band. Originals don't bring in crowds and we all know this. This guys vocal range is about the same as our current singers.
"hey do you care if new guy comes to practice thursday?"
Black flag 2
Sure, why not.
Thursday:
New guy is in the band.
No band meeting.
No real tryout.
No need for a new member.
The singer and I had no idea. The rest of the band decided this without us. No mention of it. Oh by the way, he's playing at our biggest show yet this weekend.
Black flag 3.
Two front men:
Now our band has a second singer. He knows no cover songs. Has never been in a band before. He can play guitar (very mediocre) but between the rest of us we've already got the guitar parts covered. Our country cover band just did a 180 overnight.
The drummer asked me how I felt about the new singer?
I told him two things:
This decision was made very fast
The decision was not made as a band
We had a long talk. He kept reminding me how much money he has spent on this band and that he started the band, his practice space, his trailer etc. and how he was doing this for his son, the lead guitarist. He also told me that if I wanted to leave that I could and hinted that I was easily replaced. There was another guy ready to fill my spot if I left
I have considered leaving but I can't right now. We are under contract to play soon at a big show. Once the show is over then I wont be bound by contract anymore. I'm not sure of the direction the band is going but I am going to keep my options open.
I'm undecided as of now but If the feel of things doesn't change soon I may walk away and try to do solo gigs or look for other bands. I don't like feeling like the hired help instead of part of the band. I just hate the feeling of not knowing how things are going to play out.
:sigh:
Learning new songs evens the playing field for me. The rest of the band doesn't know how to play the song either. I have no trouble at all. I usually pick up on them way before the rest of the band does. I end up playing teacher to the rest of the band. I also play mandolin and harmonica which brings alot to this band. I've brought in some equipment (mics, monitors etc) to the band. I even bought myself a new LP and amp since I have been in the band. I've showed up to gigs sick and still played/loaded/unloade, with a bad back. It's been 3 months and I feel I've contributed alot to them.
Things started to go funny within the last month or so...
Everyone went on summer vacation. We didn't plan it but our vacations ended up being about 4 weeks consecutively which worked out well. We just wouldn't schedule any gigs during that time.
Come to my surprise, they scheduled a gig while I was away on break and played without me
.I found out right before I left. I gave them advance as to when I was leaving. Apparently it was a scheduling mistake and they took the gig anyways. Ok, whatever. Shit happens. Red flag one.
The lead guitarist, a young hot shot, is the type who skips a lot of practices and is always "busy" when it comes time to unload/load the trailer full of our gear. This is all OK because his dad is the drummer and mastermind, if you will, of the band. I try really hard to leave my ego at the door. I can't say the same for him. As a rhythm guitarist, I find it hard sometimes to even play rhythm guitar. He takes many of the rhythm riffs on top of all the lead. Red flag 2.
He uses a volume pedal which totally drowns out anything I play. One gig he was in Eb and the song was standard. The bass player came to me and told me my guitar was out of tune. I showed him that my guitar volume was turned off. I was pretending to play because it was a song they learned while I was away on vacation. Red flag 3.
One practice, while he was chasing a girl in another town, he called his mom. She told him we were all practicing and learning a new song. He got butthurt and told her that he felt like I was there to replace him. Seriously?
I was playing bass in this song. Black flag 1.From the beginning, I got the feeling that the band was nothing more than a backing band for this kid to mega solo to the entire night. I really don't even care, I have a lot of fun playing in the band and most of the time it's been drama free (until recently). I've put up with all this drama so far and done my best to hold my tongue. Holding it in is beginning to make it not fun.
The icing on the cake:
We're a 5 piece band. Lead/Rhythm/Bass/Vocal/percussion. Last week there was a new guy at practice. I asked who he was. He's a guy the drummer just met the day prior and invited him to practice to "jam"... No big deal, it's his house, his practice space.
Let me back up a little bit, the band as a collective have been pushing to throw in a few rock songs, however, our singers voice is more of a country voice and he does have a hard time with rock even though we've played a few new rock songs recently. We had not discussed ever looking for a second singer or replacing our current one. Why would we? The guy is great!
Back to the new guy. The whole practice went like this:
Play this new guys original songs while he sang them.
I felt it was a total waste of a practice. We didn't learn any new songs or practice any old ones. We are a cover band. Not an original band. Originals don't bring in crowds and we all know this. This guys vocal range is about the same as our current singers.
- He knows no cover songs.
He's never been in a band before.
"hey do you care if new guy comes to practice thursday?"
Black flag 2
Sure, why not.
Thursday:
New guy is in the band.
No band meeting.
No real tryout.
No need for a new member.
The singer and I had no idea. The rest of the band decided this without us. No mention of it. Oh by the way, he's playing at our biggest show yet this weekend.
Black flag 3.
Two front men:
Now our band has a second singer. He knows no cover songs. Has never been in a band before. He can play guitar (very mediocre) but between the rest of us we've already got the guitar parts covered. Our country cover band just did a 180 overnight.
The drummer asked me how I felt about the new singer?
I told him two things:
This decision was made very fast
The decision was not made as a band
We had a long talk. He kept reminding me how much money he has spent on this band and that he started the band, his practice space, his trailer etc. and how he was doing this for his son, the lead guitarist. He also told me that if I wanted to leave that I could and hinted that I was easily replaced. There was another guy ready to fill my spot if I left
I have considered leaving but I can't right now. We are under contract to play soon at a big show. Once the show is over then I wont be bound by contract anymore. I'm not sure of the direction the band is going but I am going to keep my options open.
I'm undecided as of now but If the feel of things doesn't change soon I may walk away and try to do solo gigs or look for other bands. I don't like feeling like the hired help instead of part of the band. I just hate the feeling of not knowing how things are going to play out.
:sigh:
