Breaking the Band
On the heels of good news yesterday, after sending out a message that my video was on MSN, I also got some bad news ... my bassist quit. I got an email saying that him and my guitarist had talked about how I was recording a new cd yet I had not asked either one of them to play on it. He felt slighted and insulted and did not want to learn new material he didn't play or promote a record he had nothing to do with (which is what's he's been doing thus far ... color me puzzled!), so he decided 2 leave.
I had many thoughts running through my head at the time about this, so I decided to step back and take a day before I sent a response. I have not yet responded. One of the good things about a blog is I get 2 vent and sort shit out in my head if I want 2 (and of course, welcome the feedback of cyberlings).
First off, I had nothing to do with deciding who would play on this record. I played all the instruments on my first two cds and this record, which isn't even a full length but a 5 song EP, is the first time that I'm having other musicians involved. Therefore, I'm letting someone else have a hand at producing it and I let him make all the decisions about who would come in to play the parts. All I did was lay out each part on a keyboard and he sent it to the musicians to learn. Now, granted my producer in this case is also my drummer, but I'm sure he had his reasons for asking or not asking who he did. I didn't concern myself with it.
Secondly, while I have the utmost respect for my bassist, he is extremely talented and experienced, he seems to have fallen victim to the mentality that was brought about by the other band member, the mentality that we are indeed "a band". Well, we are not a band in the purest sense of the word. I'm a solo artist, they back me up. When I put it out there like that, it could sound that I'm an egomaniac or something, but that's not the case. I would love to be part of a band, but in a band each member has its function and you work together as a team to benefit the whole. As it is, I'm the one writing and producing all the songs, I'm the one fronting the cash for everything, I'm the one who is marketing, promoting, advertising and booking gigs, all they do is learn my songs, rehearse and show up to play. Let's get real. If you wanna be a band, it takes a lot more than that. I would love to be in that type of band sometime, but that's not what this is. I mean, for crying out loud, they've only played 3 shows with me! Give me a break. I've been busting my ass for the last 4 years on this thing and they're crying to me about "how a band works?"
He said he would re-consider his position if he could re-record the bass tracks and do it in his own way and not be "dictated to" - cuz that's how a band works, or we could negotiate that I pay him a fee for each gig, which is what originally happened anyway. I did a search, found some players, offered them each $100 to play my CD release back in January and prayed I wouldn't lose my ass. Thankfully, I didn't. We all got along well though and everyone was interested in doing more together. Great, I thought. I made it clear that I couldn't pay for every gig like the CD release, and gave them the option of either playing free gigs or only playing gigs where there was some kind of guarantee. I've been very upfront and honest about everything as far as I know, which is why the idea that suddenly we're all in a band and I'm hurting people's feelings by not asking them to play on a recording that I'm paying for and writing and co-producing is really kind of ... well, childish if I'm honest.
If I wanted to have him play on the record I still could because we haven't started actually recording anything yet. We're still in pre-production sort of. But I don't know that I will ask him though. He has the mentality of owning a piece of this or something and that ain't happening. All the players are paid to play ... not much, granted, but still. That reminds, I'll need to research and get those forms for them to sign before we start. But I digress.
So, the only upcoming gig that I have booked where I need a band is the Baltimore Music Conference. It's a free gig. I can either pay him to play it if he agrees or find someone else. I don't know what to do yet. As it is, I'm still missing a keyboard player and a lead guitarist, even though we can get by without all that. Don't know what I'm doing yet.
"Every chance U get is a chance U seize." - Coldplay, Speed of Sound
I had many thoughts running through my head at the time about this, so I decided to step back and take a day before I sent a response. I have not yet responded. One of the good things about a blog is I get 2 vent and sort shit out in my head if I want 2 (and of course, welcome the feedback of cyberlings).
First off, I had nothing to do with deciding who would play on this record. I played all the instruments on my first two cds and this record, which isn't even a full length but a 5 song EP, is the first time that I'm having other musicians involved. Therefore, I'm letting someone else have a hand at producing it and I let him make all the decisions about who would come in to play the parts. All I did was lay out each part on a keyboard and he sent it to the musicians to learn. Now, granted my producer in this case is also my drummer, but I'm sure he had his reasons for asking or not asking who he did. I didn't concern myself with it.
Secondly, while I have the utmost respect for my bassist, he is extremely talented and experienced, he seems to have fallen victim to the mentality that was brought about by the other band member, the mentality that we are indeed "a band". Well, we are not a band in the purest sense of the word. I'm a solo artist, they back me up. When I put it out there like that, it could sound that I'm an egomaniac or something, but that's not the case. I would love to be part of a band, but in a band each member has its function and you work together as a team to benefit the whole. As it is, I'm the one writing and producing all the songs, I'm the one fronting the cash for everything, I'm the one who is marketing, promoting, advertising and booking gigs, all they do is learn my songs, rehearse and show up to play. Let's get real. If you wanna be a band, it takes a lot more than that. I would love to be in that type of band sometime, but that's not what this is. I mean, for crying out loud, they've only played 3 shows with me! Give me a break. I've been busting my ass for the last 4 years on this thing and they're crying to me about "how a band works?"
He said he would re-consider his position if he could re-record the bass tracks and do it in his own way and not be "dictated to" - cuz that's how a band works, or we could negotiate that I pay him a fee for each gig, which is what originally happened anyway. I did a search, found some players, offered them each $100 to play my CD release back in January and prayed I wouldn't lose my ass. Thankfully, I didn't. We all got along well though and everyone was interested in doing more together. Great, I thought. I made it clear that I couldn't pay for every gig like the CD release, and gave them the option of either playing free gigs or only playing gigs where there was some kind of guarantee. I've been very upfront and honest about everything as far as I know, which is why the idea that suddenly we're all in a band and I'm hurting people's feelings by not asking them to play on a recording that I'm paying for and writing and co-producing is really kind of ... well, childish if I'm honest.
If I wanted to have him play on the record I still could because we haven't started actually recording anything yet. We're still in pre-production sort of. But I don't know that I will ask him though. He has the mentality of owning a piece of this or something and that ain't happening. All the players are paid to play ... not much, granted, but still. That reminds, I'll need to research and get those forms for them to sign before we start. But I digress.
So, the only upcoming gig that I have booked where I need a band is the Baltimore Music Conference. It's a free gig. I can either pay him to play it if he agrees or find someone else. I don't know what to do yet. As it is, I'm still missing a keyboard player and a lead guitarist, even though we can get by without all that. Don't know what I'm doing yet.
"Every chance U get is a chance U seize." - Coldplay, Speed of Sound
posted by Saturn at
11:09 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home