Members Kramerguy Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 So last summer our drummer decided to leave, and fwiw, it was pretty mutual. He was a good guy, it just wasn't a good match. So we get a replacement, and while the replacement is a decent enough guy, he talked way too much, and rode the crashes like crazy, was just too loud and was not progressing like we had hoped. We had fall gigs coming in a month and were a little worried that he wouldn't be ready. It wouldn't be a trainwreck, so at least we knew we had the gigs covered. So a former co-worker of mine that I did lunch with one day, was telling him our woes, and he said he just left his band because they weren't gigging enough. Hmm.. This guy had sat in with us before (1 song here and there) and I knew he was a monster drummer and I knew from him sitting in that he knew a majority of our material. So we audition him and he nails it pretty well. We go into the fall gigs for the most part pretty smoothly. EXCEPT... right before the first gig we did with him... He brings up that the practice schedule isn't working for him, that once a week is too much so he's only willing to do it once every two weeks. Few days later, bunch of songs we do aren't working for him, not hard enough, too poppy, he's not going to do them anymore.r few days later (after first gig), we have to talk more between songs, rearrange sets because it's wearing him out and he's too tired to play. few days later... now he wants to shorten each set, instead of 13-15 songs, 10-11.. Next gig... his GF sits in the closest seat to the band and just sits there the whole night looking completely miserable, like it's the last place on earth she wants to be (this continues to be the status-quo for every gig) we also notice, something we told him was unacceptale when he joined us, but now at every gig he gets set up, tunes his drums at full volume for about 20 minutes, then fo rthe next 30-45 minutes practices every roll, fill, and mini drum solo known to drummers the world over, and also still making minor tuning adjustments inbetween outbursts. Once the dining room and bar are completely clear of all non-employees, then he takes a break til we start.. but when we start, there's nobody there cause they all left.. So yesterday, we get the email "I quit, bars suck, this scene sucks". I emailed him back, asking him nicely to fill out the jan gigs in case we cant find anyone (next gig is a month away, and we are gigging 3 weekends in a row from there!) and he doesn't respond. I text him, no response. What a freeking asshole. The search is on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnelly428 Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 drummers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 drummers. Bull{censored}. How about...musicians. Better yet, people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Drummers are a lower species of Primate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 I suppose I shouldn't expect anything more clever than drummer jokes from a bass player... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zon5string Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Bull{censored}.How about...musicians.Better yet, people. Exactly. Change the word "drummer" in the OP's post and the two other responses to it would have been the same, with the same word changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 How many bass players does it take to screw in a light bulb? A: Zero. The keyboard player can do it with his left hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted December 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 this isn't a rag on drummers... just local level musicians in general... out of the 50-60 local ones I know personally, I'd say maybe 5 of them including myself are "class acts" that follow an honor code something like* show up on time, every time*show up prepared* never cancel unless it's absolutely dire* find own fill-in for cancel if it has to happen* always give more than enough notice before leaving, give enough time for band to find replacement* be honest with gig $$* don't WANK* don't play over people when they are talking (at rehearsals) hell.. I could go all day.. maybe we should write a musicians ethical conduct guide or something lol Anyways, stop the hating on different positions, everyone has met the asshole bassist, the asshole guitarist, the asshole drummer, and the asshole singer. Add any other position, and I'm sure someone has worked with an asshole there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted December 14, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 14, 2011 Sorry to hear of the OP's woes. Tring to replace a member and having what looks like a promising new prospect take a nosedive is always rough. drummers. I've posted this a zillion times: there are less drummers available out there than guitar players or bass players (the latter because there's a good amont of guitar-to-bass-crossover) and this means a greater percentage of the available, skilled, "issues"-free drummers are already in bands. For the same reason, the pool of available drummers is going to have an extra-high level of flakes, weirdos, hacks, and assholes. (It's also the reason I play drums in three different bands right now, and none of them is even my main band. Trust me, it's not 'cos I'm amazing, it's because I'm pretty solid and relatively friendly and sane.) Unless this changes somehow, someday, looking to find a suitable replacement drummer is gonna suck. So don't blame drummers. Everyone who picked a different instrument, yeah, you, it's your fault there's so few drummers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnelly428 Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Bull{censored}. How about...musicians. Better yet, people. How's this? Drummers. /shrug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members modulusman Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 I know that alot of musicians are flakey. In my band though it is the drummers. They seem to have a lifespan of 1-2 years before they go on their merry little way. Had one quit after he married his cousin[cue up banjo music]. Had to fire another one for being constantly late and lazy. Two others let their wives lead them around by their weiner and had to quit. The guy we have now is an awesome drummer and has toured the US and Europe with a national act. The problem is he is a fu@#up in every other way. No day job, driver licence, drug/alcohol issues, 3 kids with three different women none that he can financially support. He has been with us for a year if he last 2 it will surprise me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 I'm surprised you hung with him as long as you did. I'd have started looking to replace him right about here: right before the first gig we did with him...He brings up that the practice schedule isn't working for him, that once a week is too much so he's only willing to do it once every two weeks.Few days later, bunch of songs we do aren't working for him, not hard enough, too poppy, he's not going to do them anymore. At that point it would seem obvious to me that he's not the right guy for the band and it would only go downhill from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnelly428 Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Sorry to hear of the OP's woes. Tring to replace a member and having what looks like a promising new prospect take a nosedive is always rough. I've posted this a zillion times: there are less drummers available out there than guitar players or bass players (the latter because there's a good amont of guitar-to-bass-crossover) and this means a greater percentage of the available, skilled, "issues"-free drummers are already in bands. For the same reason, the pool of available drummers is going to have an extra-high level of flakes, weirdos, hacks, and assholes. (It's also the reason I play drums in three different bands right now, and none of them is even my main band. Trust me, it's not 'cos I'm amazing, it's because I'm pretty solid and relatively friendly and sane.) Unless this changes somehow, someday, looking to find a suitable replacement drummer is gonna suck. So don't blame drummers. Everyone who picked a different instrument, yeah, you, it's your fault there's so few drummers. It was a tongue in cheek comment based on my personal experience. In all my years of experience (sarcasm. 5 years) Drummers have been the ones who have had the most personal issues that I've run into. Is that to say that ALL drummers suck, no obviously. Generalizations are not all inclusive. In my current band we have had 1 singer, 1 lead guitar, 1 rhthym, 1 bass and are now on our 6th drummer. 4 of those 6 were because of personality issues/ conflict and unreliablility. Our last one would still be here (RIP Dave), and our current is a class act. I'd be in a band with either the last two all day long. No issues whatsoever. So having had to bring 5 drummers up to speed completely, finding another drummer sucks. I hope I don't have to do that any time soon. Good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted December 14, 2011 Author Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 I'm surprised you hung with him as long as you did. I'd have started looking to replace him right about here:At that point it would seem obvious to me that he's not the right guy for the band and it would only go downhill from there. ME personally, yes I would have tossed his ass right there, I've grown extremely sensitive to red flags with these clowns, but alas, we're a democracy.. so I was out-voted. On the positive side.. I got a lot of "you were right" comments last night after captain hindsight visited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted December 14, 2011 Moderators Share Posted December 14, 2011 It was a tongue in cheek comment based on my personal experience. In all my years of experience (sarcasm. 5 years) Drummers have been the ones who have had the most personal issues that I've run into. Is that to say that ALL drummers suck, no obviously. Generalizations are not all inclusive. In my current band we have had 1 singer, 1 lead guitar, 1 rhthym, 1 bass and are now on our 6th drummer. 4 of those 6 were because of personality issues/ conflict and unreliablility. Our last one would still be here (RIP Dave), and our current is a class act. I'd be in a band with either the last two all day long. No issues whatsoever. I understand. I'm just sayin'- there is a good reason for the perception that drummers are inclined to be more flaky or problematic, but it's just math. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crustee Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Bull{censored}.How about...musicians.Better yet, people. w3rd. Instrument played has nothing to do with it. Some people are just douches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Crustee Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 I'm surprised you hung with him as long as you did. I'd have started looking to replace him right about here:At that point it would seem obvious to me that he's not the right guy for the band and it would only go downhill from there. No {censored}. I have only said "no" to one song, and it was more of a "please God, NOOOOO!" than it was a flat refusal, AND it was BEFORE the song was ever practiced, much less put in regular rotation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FitchFY Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 *shrug* Drummers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members musicmanmu Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 *shrug*Douchebags. They play the drums (and guitar, bass, keys, sing, make my burger at McDonald's...etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 *shrug*Douchebags. They play the drums (and guitar, bass, keys, sing, make my burger at McDonald's...etc.). You forgot "...are audience members" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FitchFY Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 You forgot "...are audience members" Truth. "FREEEEEEEEEBIIIIIIRRRRRRRRD! Oh my God, I'm so funny! Jon! Hey, Jon! Did you hear me yell for 'Freebird?' Hahaha... hey, can you get me another Bud Light lime?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarguy19 Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Truth. " FREEEEEEEEEBIIIIIIRRRRRRRRD! Oh my God, I'm so funny! Jon! Hey, Jon! Did you hear me yell for 'Freebird?' Hahaha... hey, can you get me another Bud Light lime?" But...that guy wants a Natty Light or a Pabst, if there's nothing cheaper on special that night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarguy19 Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 everyone has met the asshole bassist, the asshole guitarist, the asshole drummer, and the asshole singer. The drummer, bassist, and singer...sure. But an asshole guitar player??? I don't buy it. Of course...I try not to talk to other musicians 'cept the ones in my band...and some of you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 The drummer, bassist, and singer...sure. But an asshole guitar player??? I don't buy it. Of course...I try not to talk to other musicians 'cept the ones in my band...and some of you. IMO, guitardists = assholiest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted December 14, 2011 Members Share Posted December 14, 2011 Based on this thread, I guess I can conclude that KEYBOARDISTS are the coolest guys of all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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