SquadLeader
Gold Member
So I'm in an absolutely belting band. I really like the music. And the last thing I want to do is walk out on the band. I think it would devastate me. It's the last band I'll likely ever be in, and definitely the best I have ever been in.
But, we hardly ever play any gigs. Our bass player is a policeman and is at the mercy of shift patterns. I have asked them at least 10 times this year if they are available for a gig on a set day and the pattern always goes "yes", "yes", "no...I'm on nights".
By the end of this year we will have done 7 gigs. We could have done at least triple that. We've had to turn down decent festivals, paid gigs, all sorts. And it's almost always down to this one guy.
I'm now in a position of complete confusion. I don't want to leave this band. I don't particularly want to put to the other two guys the idea of getting a new bass player because I'd feel duplicitous. Rather than crap on this guy, I'd rather walk myself. But I don't want to do that.
The guys seem happier recording albums...which I think is a total waste of time. And when we do gig they seem happier to do support slots for larger bands. I think a lot of this is ego driven. I'd rather do good gigs, in front of people in pubs and smaller live music venues. I've come to the point where, for a whole host of reaons, I really quite despise these support slots.
I'm about to call a band meeting and explain my feelings on the subject. I want to make it clear that no-one is to blame for this. Shifts are shifts. Work is work and must come first. But this band is not fulfilling my requirements any more as things stand.
I think I want to lay out my requirements for 2015 as follows:
If the band don't like this...I'll walk. I'm just getting a bit too old and tired to be doing something which is irritating me so much that I struggle to sleep some nights.
If anyone on here can give ANY advice whatsoever on this I would be humbled. I'm finding this to be a very difficult position I find myself in.
But, we hardly ever play any gigs. Our bass player is a policeman and is at the mercy of shift patterns. I have asked them at least 10 times this year if they are available for a gig on a set day and the pattern always goes "yes", "yes", "no...I'm on nights".
By the end of this year we will have done 7 gigs. We could have done at least triple that. We've had to turn down decent festivals, paid gigs, all sorts. And it's almost always down to this one guy.
I'm now in a position of complete confusion. I don't want to leave this band. I don't particularly want to put to the other two guys the idea of getting a new bass player because I'd feel duplicitous. Rather than crap on this guy, I'd rather walk myself. But I don't want to do that.
The guys seem happier recording albums...which I think is a total waste of time. And when we do gig they seem happier to do support slots for larger bands. I think a lot of this is ego driven. I'd rather do good gigs, in front of people in pubs and smaller live music venues. I've come to the point where, for a whole host of reaons, I really quite despise these support slots.
I'm about to call a band meeting and explain my feelings on the subject. I want to make it clear that no-one is to blame for this. Shifts are shifts. Work is work and must come first. But this band is not fulfilling my requirements any more as things stand.
I think I want to lay out my requirements for 2015 as follows:
If the band don't like this...I'll walk. I'm just getting a bit too old and tired to be doing something which is irritating me so much that I struggle to sleep some nights.
If anyone on here can give ANY advice whatsoever on this I would be humbled. I'm finding this to be a very difficult position I find myself in.