13 posts
Well seems my cover band is losing steam. We had some really good shows, made some money, and now our booking is way down and a few places that we were in tight with are not having us back any time soon. We are not drawing like we were. Could be the many personel changes, could be lotsa things.
So our former manaer who was the singer in a very popular local cover band called Token Blonde has decided she wants to get that band back up and running. I figure, sure, why not, she can get booked anywhere in the area pretty much at will, so it will be great. I plan on doing it without really stepping on my current bands toes. We all are involved in multiple projects anyhow, so should not be a big deal.
Boy was I wrong. The singer in the proposed new band is married to the singer in my current band, and they are getting divorced, and it seem sthey lak the ability to keep their personal lives out of their business. On top of that, 3 members of my current band, including the singer, are giving me shit and acting as though I am some kind of traitor or something. The only reason my bass player isnt giving me shit, aside from the fact that he is a little more grown up than that, is that he is coming with me to play in the new band. The drummer was going to but he let the other guys with their talk of sticking together and keeping priorities straight get ot him.
The way I see it, I never signed an exclusivity or non compete agreement. This chick gets calls to this day from places like The Jacksonville Landing wanting to know if her band is back togetther and can they play New Years. (New Years at the Landing is a cool local gig). She was responsible for a lot of this bands early success, when she calls a bar and says she's sending them a band, they open the doors wide for her. So seeing that due to the divorce she is no longer managing us, and she is putting her own band together, looks like a goose laying golden eggs, of course I am going to play with her.
The kicker is that my singer was her drummer in her band, and his whole issue with this is that he wants to play in this band and because of their marital issues, she won't have it. I like the guy and all, but even he has said he can't blame her, he is the cliche of a rock-n-roll groupie lover. Even with her at the show, he is not shy about fondling any bitch that moves, with his wife right there. It has been a source of much drama over this past year.
Between her already established connections to get good paying gigs, the fact that we will be a 4 piece instead of 5 (more money, less egos, better sound, etc...) and the fact that the set list she sent me is completely different than what I am playing now (stuff like Janis Joplin, Melissa Ethridge, No Doubt, Chicago, etc..) and the fct that there has been this weird negative vibe floating about my band for about a month, I would be and idiot not to play in this band. So I and my bass player are doing it, we will have a drummer rounded up in the next few days, she is already booking some shows in 09 for us. If my other bandmates are going to make an issue of it, so be it, it's on them, not me.
Same shit, different day Shaun. Not just for you but for any talented and therefore usable player out there.
Years ago, I was in the same position believe it or not. I turned down one long standing band for a better gig that didn't work out. That was the last time I played out on a regular basis so BE CAREFULL!!.
On the plus side, I did get a lovely wife and daughter out of it so I guess I shouldn't complain too much :-).
I'm getting flashbacks... ;D
Shaun,
There are several issues here. One, you (your words, just saying) NEED the money from the gigs. Two, music is supposed to be FUN. Not drama.
Play what is fun, and play the gigs that pay. Be true to yourself. And look at the bright side. Many of us never get asked to play with anyone, much less decide between gigs that actually pay for some of our gear.
DO WHAT YOU WANT! ;)
Fuck, I could not deal with musicians on an intimate band situation unless I hired them and had control over the work ethic (not their personal musical technique). It is not a "I have to control everything issue", I just do not like working with undisciplined people who allow their feelings to rule their brains.
Over the years I have played in several bands and truth be told, as great as it is playing with other live musicians, I could not deal with them on a daily basis.
You are a better man than I to put up with all that.
Oh yeah - Token Blonde! I remember them...
I don't recall ever seeing them at the Landing, though. New Year's Eve at the landing is usually pretty awesome if it isn't too cold. We played New Year's Day one year, and that was pretty fun. The Florida-Georgia weekend gigs are definitely the best Landing gigs, though, in terms of having a crowd - just wall-to-wall people, partying their asses off. You definitely feel like a rock star playing to thousands and thousands of people.
Playing the Token Blonde setlist makes you much more marketable in the Jacksonville area, for sure, than your current band, which could be part of the reason you haven't had a lot of repeats, no matter how good the band is.
Look at it as a way to further expand your playing...and seriously consider trying to get some bookings for Bike Week down in Daytona - there's money to be made there, too.
Band drama seems to be ubiquitous. Knowing when it's time to stop dealing with it, and more importantly, how much of it you decide to take, is a musicians' survival skill in and of itself.
I quote the fictional jazz legend Del Paxton, "Ain't no way to keep a band together. Bands come and go. You got to keep on playin', no matter with who."
Good luck!
Tripper
P.S. You playing anywhere this weekend? I'm going to be in Jax and I'd love to come check out a show...
Tripper, we had a lot of repeats, until about a month ago. Then things kinda sorta changed. But I agree, Token's list is much more diverse and marketable.
We will be at Box Seats in Fleming island Friday.
spaivxx — Dec 10, 2008Tripper, we had a lot of repeats, until about a month ago. Then things kinda sorta changed. But I agree, Token's list is much more diverse and marketable.
I just re-read what I wrote, and I in no way meant to imply that you guys hadn't had repeats...that came out completely wrong. I've been following your stories about the band pretty closely, because I enjoy that sort of thing. I wish someone would do a reality show about a busy cover band, with a bunch of guys who also have day jobs. That'd be funny.
We will be at Box Seats in Fleming island Friday.
Kick ass...my brother lives right near there. If it works out, time-wise, I will be there.
Tripper
Would be awesome to see you and you are more than welcome to sit in on a song or two.
Well, shit is not working out with Token Blonde for now. Diana siad she can not handle the drama involved in "wrecking Chain Reaction". Although she understands that it would not be her, or me doing the damage, and that the reaction of my bandmates is quite petty and selfish, she does not want to be saddled with the blame by her ex husband and my guitar player. I talked to my guitar player and he point blank told me that he was pissed that he was not involved in the project and that from his point of view he and Steve (our singer) were getting fired by a band that they started. (Steve was the original drummer in both bands and the two of them are the only two left that were here when I got here).
I am learning the setlist anyway. I know Diana and I believe that when all the dust settles, she will want to get back out there and when she does, if I am available, I will be ready. Meanwhile we have a new "manager" (meaning a groupie type chic that has some nebulous involvement with our singer and happnes to know a lot of the bar folks and has the free time to run around dropping off promo packs -- now that is classic-ready-for-reality-TV stuff). Some boookings coming in, etc...
My bass player and I, who go way back (to at least 04, you know, the way back days) and are very good friends have been doing a lot of talkoing about whatt we actually want out of our musical endeavors and we both agree that Chain Reaction is not the vehicle to get us there. It is fun most of the time and has been lucrative at times, but in the end it is like any other dead end job. We both would rather be doing more serious music, even if it is covers, and we both would like a much smaller band, ideally a 3 piece. The problem is I am no singer, and though he can sing, he does not feel he is good enough to front a band and play bass. So we got to talking about all the very successful, even lefendary guys who were average or even just subpar singers, but they had something to say so they went out and sang. ZZ Top does no have an awesome singer, Jim Morrison wasn't exactly stellar (although he is one of my all time favorite singers/lyricists), Zappa, Hendrix, SRV, etc...
We are going to start working on our vocal chops and try some open mic and acoustic jam nights and see if we can get something useable, the goal being to find the right drummer (a long term associate, someone who will share our vision) and get some kind of ecclectic jazz influenced bluesy thing going. We could start out charging less than my band does and still make more per person, and eventually when we get fully off the ground, probably end up making more than my band does, and splitting it 3 ways. The cool thing is we cna play standard blues/jazz/classic rock/funk stuff and add extended jam sections and all, kind of like what my old 5 piece blues band did, but with a bit less clutter and more style.
For now we are sticking with CR, and if CR gets over it's current problems, then cool, we will still work on our other project anyhow and still collect money from CR.
Well, that's a sensible path.
2007 was sort of a lost year for my current band, Roman Holiday. That year started with us as a four-piece, playing mostly newer music with a bunch of 80s pop stuff thrown in, at venues where we made very little money, to ending with us as a three-piece, sounding better than ever, and making about three times as much as a band, which grew even more this year.
The drummer quit in February. We found a new one through some really trying auditions.
The singer quit in April. We had to decide whether we wanted to replace him or not. Ultimately, we tried replacing ME instead (and I became the singer), but the guy we picked didn't get that he was supposed to be the bass player, not the keyboardist, and ignored us when we told him what he needed to know for a show, resulting in him only having learned 2/3 of our songs. We fired him.
The new drummer had to quit because of his job in July, right around the time we were working the new "bass player" in. Auditions were a nightmare this time, with people not showing up and just horrible musicians trying out.
We eventually decided to just keep it a three-piece, get a drummer who can sing (which we finally did, and he ended up having to quit on us this year, prompting another searching-picking-firing for a drummer who ended up not learning our stuff until we nabbed our current guy, who quit his other band to join us), and like I said, we ended up better than ever.
You guys can do it, for sure. Sometimes you just have to get through it, and it's often a pain in your ass through no fault of your own except for being there.
Good luck, and hopefully see you tomorrow night!
Tripper
I don't have as much experience with bands as you guys; but after moving interstate I found a couple of guys to play with. I posted once before (at the hole I think...) that the guitrist was a little controlling. Well, I ended up playing guitar too; and at the time I posted that I was a little worried they were keeping me on while they tried out another bass player. At the time I was playing bass; and figured they couldn't afford to lose me if the otehr guy didn't work out.
So we did a few rehearsals that went well; and even did my housewarming party that went ok. Couldn't hear myself singing the 2 songs I sang; and someone mentioned I they could tell I had a cold. (Which I WAS getting over - but it leaves you disillusioned a little)
But then the guitarist says I'm working and studying etc etc and me and drummer boy are going to start a kiss tribute band. See ya. Call ya next Jan when my study is over.......
His line up; so all of a sudden he's gonna change direction???? He'd sacked me once because I was playing (guitar) in a garage band; so maybe he didn't have the heart to sack me again.....
My new role travelling interstate makes it impossible to be in a band. I'm spewing. I've got all this time to practice and learn stuff; have all the gear (5 guitars; bass, acoustic - so 7) and no band to be in........
Tripper — Dec 11, 2008Good luck, and hopefully see you tomorrow night!
Well, that didn't happen...I couldn't make it out Friday night (too much going on with family that evening). I'm bummed.
Next time I'm in Jax, I suppose...I hope you had a great show, Spaivxx.
Tripper