Edgar Summers Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I was reading the thread on tempo which became decidedly ANTI-drummer (which I found very entertaining ). Now this... Who do we hate worse? Drummers or guitarists? "Music should never be harmless." Robbie Robertson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I was reading the thread on tempo which became decidedly ANTI-drummer (which I found very entertaining ). Now this... Who do we hate worse? Drummers or guitarists? Neither. I don't think the other thread was ANTI-drummer, just anti-bad-drummer. Same with this one. They just highlight the traits that are common in unprofessional guitarists and bad drummers. I'm sure good drummers and guitarists would have a problem with these examples as much as we do - Eric's comments are evidence of that. For whatever reason, each instrument's bad players tend to be bad in common ways. For drummers it can be bad tempo, too many fills, coming out of the fills off-beat. For guitarists - too loud, wanting to solo too long/too much. I'm sure if you ask them, they could come up with some common complaints about bad keyboard players they've played with. Our guitarist is great. But he told me a funny story about his first band when he was a teenager (he's in his 40s now). He played in a band with a bunch of older guys (probably 30s & 40s and he was around 17). He said at that time, to him, the song was just a reason to play a guitar solo. Nothing else mattered, it was only there to provide a basis, a delivery system, for the guitar solo - that was the only thing that was important. Of course they had to sit him down and tell him to cool it. He's not like that anymore, but maybe some guys never grow out of it. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanker. Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Who do we hate worse? Drummers or guitarists? Depends on the gig... A ROMpler is just a polyphonic turntable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ITGITC Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Banjo-pickers or Accordian-squeezers? "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." - Victor Hugo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Summers Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 I was joking earlier, but you know when you get to play with a really good drummer and/or guitarist it can be amazing! For MY bad guitarist story: I once had a coked-out guitarist who jumped head first off a 6 foot stage to attack some guy in the audience who flipped him off. We finished the song while he was out there fighting! We parted ways about three weeks later. "Music should never be harmless." Robbie Robertson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mate stubb Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Trombone players. Moe --- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clpete Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 No gear, no case for his guitar and pressure from his step parents? How old is this guy? 17? I think he's between 40 and 45. He's blind. He was playing a student model Stat that he got for Christmas. Apparently he can't hold on to equipment or a band. Real life is indeed stranger than fiction, and frequently funnier; what a whacked story... But you probably should suggest to the leader/singer that he get a hold of a hand held recorder, and record - off the phone headset - the next conversation with the guitarist; also it's important to inform the guitarist that he is being recorded. He'll find it may come in handy - especially in court - if anything bad goes down. Hopefully the guitar player is just a windbag full of gas, though... The bandleader won't call the police to report the threat, but he does have one of his phone calls recorded because he left it on voice mail. He thinks it's all hot air and not worried. We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clpete Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 I was reading the thread on tempo which became decidedly ANTI-drummer (which I found very entertaining ). Now this... Who do we hate worse? Drummers or guitarists? Some of my best friends are drummers or guitarists. I don't hate em I just wish that I could always play with great players that aren't a PITA. I'm glad I play keys because we are perfect! Our crap doesn't even stink. We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 He could have dealt with the gig in the moment; ignored the drama; deduct the $20 from the guitarist pay and explain why. The show goes on, everyone is paid and the guitarist learns a $20 lesson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus64 Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 He could have dealt with the gig in the moment; ignored the drama; deduct the $20 from the guitarist pay and explain why. The show goes on, everyone is paid and the guitarist learns a $20 lesson. Guys like that don't learn lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clpete Posted January 19, 2010 Author Share Posted January 19, 2010 He could have dealt with the gig in the moment; ignored the drama; deduct the $20 from the guitarist pay and explain why. The show goes on, everyone is paid and the guitarist learns a $20 lesson. Oh yeah, he could have done that and we talked about that very scenario at the next break. But this entire display by the guitar player and his group was very disruptive and stressful for the show. The singer tried to solve it. He left the stage and got the step mother in. This is what he wanted. Then, when she got in they wanted more. They started to demand the friends be let in also. This is all happening on stage and we are not playing. He finally said "Just try and ruin my good time." and handed his guitar to him and calmly said "I guess you better go then." We play for free. We get paid to set up and tear down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonglow Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 We once had an extremely talented lead guitarist, possibly genius level. But this guy simply could not manage his own affairs. He lived out of his car for a while, and had to borrow a guitar to audition with us. We were all in our early-mid 20s (young and dumb) and so blown away by his ability, we hired him. Possibly the highlight of our nine-month saga with this dude was this one gig when we were playing a rather large outdoor summer festival. He showed up ten minutes before we were to go on, wearing only these rather effeminate-looking shorts and this scarf sort of thing with tassels around his neck, and not wearing any shoes. Turns out he was banging this chick at her house earlier that afternoon, when her old man shows up. Naked and in a panic, he grabs a pair of her silky gym shorts and the ties from the curtains, splits out of the house, and goes directly to the gig. This guitarist repeated the same scenario with another girl, but this time the old man catches him in the act. They get into a scuffle, and he runs out of the house. He shows up to rehearsal a couple of days later with these gauze bandages and Calamine lotion all over his arms and states the police are looking for him. Turns out that during the scuffle he BIT the womans husband, and the guy pressed charges. The bandages were from the poison ivy with which he came into contact when he ran out of the house into a nearby field. Then there was the time when we had to ask for an advance from a club owner so we could bail him out of jail (for charges unrelated to the above incident) to do the gig later that night Looking back, we were nuts for putting up with this behavior for so long, but the amazing thing was that he was very likable/easy to get along with, showed-up to many shows without any drama, and gave some incredible, stellar performances...undoubtedly the best in the 30-year history of our band. I mean this guy lit a fire under us like you would not believe. Last I heard (probably about 10-12 years ago) was that he eventually landed a recording deal but the 30K the record company fronted him went up his nose. Sad story, incredible waste of talent. "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewImprov Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 We once had an extremely talented lead guitarist, possibly genius level. But this guy simply could not manage his own affairs. He lived out of his car for a while, and had to borrow a guitar to audition with us. We were all in our early-mid 20s (young and dumb) and so blown away by his ability, we hired him. Yeah, but how many other guitar players gave you such good stories to share? That's got to be worth something! Turn up the speaker Hop, flop, squawk It's a keeper -Captain Beefheart, Ice Cream for Crow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmcq Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 I played with a guitar player with "chemical imbalances". And that was when he was straight. Once he threatened to fight the bass player, on mic, in front of the audience. In future gigs when forced to play with him (me as a session guy) I insisted that the mixer or submixer be near me so I could turn down the mics when he started to rant and rave -- on or near a live mic! Unfortunately he was good enough to be asked back by certain people, and/or get gigs from others who didn't know. Fortunately, while drowning, I was able to throw the amp in after him. I remember hearing that idea somewhere..... Neil prymary.com myspace.com/AlteredDominant myspace.com/AlteredDominant www.Prymary.com NordElectro3/S90XS/SteinwayS(midi'd)/KX88/Apple MBP, iMac/MainStage2/Scrbee/NI Komplete/ApogeeDuet/QSCplx1804/JBLmrx512/SpcStnSRX/LogicPro9/DP/ProTools Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue JC Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Musicians who make a scene on stage and, even worse, stop the show with their shit, don't get it and never will. At least he left. He could have stayed and made the gig a living hell. I've seen it happen. Firing is too good for this guy and paying him is out of the question. Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer. W. C. Fields Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffinator Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Jeez. What a train wreck. On another note, how much does this gig pay? I promise, no one I know will want to come see me play country, probably not even my wife. (edit) Except for the folks who will inevitably say "You're playing in a country band?! Man, I'd pay to see that!!!" A bunch of loud, obnoxious music I USED to make with friends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Stanfield Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Jeesh! how much was the door? 5 bucks. The guitarist's behavior is ridiculous, but if the cover was only $5, that makes everyone involved even dumber. I can't get over how stupid that is ... steaming over twenty #$^% dollars and the guitarist acting like a child over it. Pay the cover and talk to the manager and see if he'll comp a drink per head; how hard is this problem to solve? I've been promised a spot on guest lists before, shown up after the band started, discovered that I wasn't on the list, and paid the cover anyway. I'd much rather do that than stand outside like a cheapskate, miss the set, then bother a friend during his break to come let me in. The one time I didn't do that was a major concert one of our artists invited me to, and I was supposed to get a press pass to get some photos for our website - but I had showed up an hour early, called the player on his cell, he came to Will Call, and it turned out to be an issue of my name being misspelled. Jason Stanfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluzeyone Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 Right on ! Why did God make drummers smarter than horses? So they dont shit during parades! As far as guitar players go, I've worked with some good ones myself. My father was a very good jazz guitar player. The problem is most of them dont think like us most the time. Where we are thoughtful about the over-all mix of the band( from our composing/ workstation experience) they look at the band as an auto chord. Something to walk over. Dynamics is a lesson we learn from the beginning of our trade, but sadly, sometimes is a lesson guitar players and drummers never learn. "A good mix is subjective to one's cilia." http://hitnmiss.yolasite.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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