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Band communication


J. Dan

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Not much in band life aggravates me more than lack of communication and it's a very common issue. One band I started gigging with recently, they're nice guys and the gigs are decent, but there've been gigs booked that I didn't know about til later, gigs cancelled that I didn't find out about until I asked about it a couple days before the date that was originally given to me; times when they offered a gig I thought I'd be doing to their other keyboard player (that's perfectly fine with me, I'm not available for all of them so I want them to keep us both in the loop) and I didn't find out about it til way after the fact, etc. etc. I don't care at all WHAT app or forum is used, a combination of text, fb messenger and email is fine with me, but just make sure everyone knows what's going on. With this band it's gotten to the point where I don't care. I'm fully expecting to only find out about a gig a couple days before hand that was booked weeks back, and am sort of looking forward to telling them I can't make it (even if I have nothing going on!). Another band I just auditioned for last night (and passed!) for some really good sub dates, a very successful traveling tribute band, I can already tell that the communication is going to be lacking and uncoordinated. Can't believe how bad some people are at this stuff.

 

Yes, Google calendar for gigs and everybody's availability should be S.O.P. but not too many people seem to be able to get that together.

 

What bugs me is when guys just refuse to engage with modern technology. I don't care how old you are, to work as a musician today, you *have* to at least be comfortable with texting, messaging, basic apps, YouTube, Spotify, Waze, bluetooth, etc, join the modern world, it all makes our job so much easier and when you fail to get on board it just makes it harder for everybody. When someone says "Can anyone burn me a cd?" it's so ridiculous.

 

 

Rich Forman

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While I recognize that my former day gig required me to employ a somewhat linear way of thinking, I don't believe that it is unreasonable to expect all band members to agree to use a language that everybody understands. I appreciate clarity when it comes to communicating business matters. As much as I loved the guys in one group that I played with for many years, a couple of members had an annoying habit of communicating in an oblique, jokey, beatnik-hippy jargon. I can't tell you how many times I thought "WTF are you talking about?" as I read band e-mails. While I appreciate a friendly tone, when it comes to gigs, I like bulleted points re: dates, times, pay, load in, etc.

 

 

 

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While I recognize that my former day gig required me to employ a somewhat linear way of thinking, I don't believe that it is unreasonable to expect all band members to agree to use a language that everybody understands. I appreciate clarity when it comes to communicating business matters. As much as I loved the guys in one group that I played with for many years, a couple of members had an annoying habit of communicating in an oblique, jokey, beatnik-hippy jargon. I can't tell you how many times I thought "WTF are you talking about?" as I read band e-mails. While I appreciate a friendly tone, when it comes to gigs, I like bulleted points re: dates, times, pay, load in, etc.

 

 

 

Mostly agreed, but last minute cancellations shouldn't rely on a medium that requires somebody to somehow know they need to check it. They all knew I was driving back 6 hours to get to practice. A phone call or text in that situation seems reasonable regardless of whatever normal means of communication may be preferred.

 

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Curious, do any of you suspect passive-aggression behind this?

 

Everyone knowing one guy is driving 6 hours to make a band practice night sounds like people are deliberately screwing with that guy.

 

In this case it is NOT not caring about communication. This is not caring about YOU.

 

You might want to soften this potential reality by citing all the varying circumstances when the band has failed to communicate. It doesn't matter. This specific incident places the spotlight on how they felt about YOU. No one cared to spare you the trouble AND everyone cared to screw you over by leaving you on your own.

 

This is not to say it is all about disrespecting YOU, with this incident you may only have been the outlet for the general sour mentality floating around the group. Everyone did disrespect you but it might only have been convenient that you had something they could screw with rather than a consensus that you alone are not worthy of respect.

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My bands also have email chains that can get quite long, but whenever someone has to cancel or re-schedule a rehearsal they always start a new email. It's a simple solution that works great but only if everyone is on board.

 

It's just common decency to be aware that someone may have a long drive or has working hours that require some lead time when cancelling or postponing rehearsals. Unless it was a real emergency, I'd never cancel a rehearsal a half hour before knowing that someone has a 1 hour drive.

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I helped start the break up of one band i was in over misunderstood emails. I didnt care, i was sick of the female co-singer who wanted to turn a rock band into a Katy perry / Lady Gaga / country mashup band of confusion. no knock on either of them - i"m 100% impressed with their success and career. Its just not for me as a rock band rocker playing classic to 80s to a few newer rock songs.

 

She started sending posts of how many views some new LG song had gotten on YT - as if that had anything to do with what we should add. I, uh ... sorta went off. I proved to the band that we have to play Justin Bieber. Then I proved we have to add an N"Sync song and I recommended they all start working on their dance moves before rehearsal.

 

That didnt kill the band. She started a shit storm after we played a gig at the big county fair and instead of 4 sets we only had 90 minutes. She only got to sing 8 of 18 songs and had a total fit. My guitarist buddy stepped up to quit, and i quickly joined him and exited stage left.

The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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We"ve shifted to WhatsApp with one band â we create a thread for each tour and put the setlist and road book there, as well as any photos/videos from the tour. For now it seems to be the best way â one tap and I can access all the media & attachments that might have been posted through the whole life of the thread.

 

With my band I will text for basic potential availabilities of a gig, and then confirm everything by email. Everything else is through email, with Dropbox or google drive links.

 

 

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I'm certain none of this was intentional or passive aggressive. They sit around checking messenger and probably just thought I got the message. It got even worse, after I ranted and said if it's short notice I need a text. BL started a group text with details of tonight's gig....I got nothing and sent out another blazing message asking "can somebody please tell me what's going on?" He showed me his phone - I got none of the conversation. But for some reason it showed up weird. If my number was 123-4566, it was showing up 12 34567. Nobody knew I wasn't getting any of the messages. I suggested adding my area code since the number showed up weird.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Also tonight the singer suggested that if somebody has to cancel something same day, that they should be responsible to call each band member. That works for me. Messenger is good for stuff that I check once a day. Now that we have google calendar, that saves the trouble of having to scroll to find dates and details. So I think the phone call for same day changes is reasonable.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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BL started a group text with details of tonight's gig....I got nothing and sent out another blazing message asking "can somebody please tell me what's going on?" He showed me his phone - I got none of the conversation.

Also tonight the singer suggested that if somebody has to cancel something same day, that they should be responsible to call each band member. That works for me. ... So I think the phone call for same day changes is reasonable.

The day before yesterday's gig, we all got a text that was sent LAST WEEK about last week's gig. Luckily it wasn't an important text. But text can be unreliable. The suggestion that if it's last minute, a phone call is warranted is a good one. Or if texting or emailing same day as gig, ask everybody to confirm receipt. If someone doesn't, call them.

 

These are only my opinions, not supported by any actual knowledge, experience, or expertise.
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The day before yesterday's gig, we all got a text that was sent LAST WEEK about last week's gig. Luckily it wasn't an important text. But text can be unreliable. The suggestion that if it's last minute, a phone call is warranted is a good one. Or if texting or emailing same day as gig, ask everybody to confirm receipt. If someone doesn't, call them.

I know email gets delayed based on size and somewhat on the route. I have not researched text prioritization. I have demonstrated to people how unreliable text is having them text me in person. I have not ever received some of those texts. I suspect it has to do with the providers we use. I will consistently receive from some people while others it is unpredictable. I have received one at least a month old from my niece. Sometimes they will slip in and you miss them because they are buried in a list of later texts by the time they show up. I just see I have unread texts and I think I am caught up but the icon does not go away so I dig for these. Sometimes I am done with the recent incoming texts and don't notice the icon is still present.

 

 

 

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Sometimes they will slip in and you miss them because they are buried in a list of later texts by the time they show up.

 

 

Absolutely. When I get very lengthy texts, they get broken up automatically into smaller individual sub-texts. I assume everyone's does that too. But they are CONSTANTLY coming in out of order, or some of the sub-texts come in much, much later. Highly annoying.

 

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I'm in a trio that uses texts. It works I have never not gotten the texts. My only issue is since its a 3 way communication I get EVERY text. The other two in the band have known each other since High School and are about 15 years younger than I am. There are days when they constantly sending text to each other. Mostly music related, but my phone starts bling, bling, bling and drives me nuts sometimes. I can't turn the sound off because I don't carry the damn thing everywhere but its usually not far and my family texts and usually they're important. What's worse is they will Facebook message as well as text. My iPad goes off too! I like the band communicates. Just maybe filter by importance!

 

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A cover band I am in uses email for setting up gigs (is everyone available) and misc stuff. Google calendar for the official gig and rehearsal schedule. Band members are to update the calendar with "blackout dates". This works really well and so far no misunderstandings. We might use text the day of the gig if someone might be late. For communication with venues, I use email exclusively (that way I can easily search and look stuff up). When I book in the Google calendar I use it's email feature to update everyone.

 

I am in another band that uses text a lot more. It can be annoying as my phone is going off, and much of it is not urgent. I user the band web site as the final say on where we are gigging when in doubt.

 

I view Facebook messenger as very primitive compared to a tool like Gmail. So I prefer never to use it.

 

I view text as more problematical after the fact. tougher to look stuff up and using your phone the screen is a pain.

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