Venting (Not the Neo-Instruments kind)

[vonnor]

So over the weekend I went from being in two bands to being in zero. 😲

 

My steady band, who's lead singer recently moved a couple hours away, had the drummer and bassist a couple weeks ago pull together a "side-hustle" with their old guitarist and singer (from years ago). They originally asked me to cover keys for them, but shortly afterwards decided they're going with tracks (boo hiss). Then on Sunday our now-out-of-town singer says he's bowing out to work with a local group in his new hometown. Meanwhile our regular guitar player, who is as close to technically perfect as any cover guitarist I've ever worked with but quite the "Shoe-gazer" on stage, is spitting bullets pissed at the drummer and bass player for not inviting him to their new project.

 

Ah, drama. I managed to dodge it for 10 years so I guess I was due. 😁

 

~ vonnor

[KuruPrionz]

I won't bore the universe with all the stories but yeah, being in a band is going to lead to all sorts of fun little soap operas. 

10 years is a great dodge!!! Consider yourself lucky. And, apparently stable and reasonable. 😇

 

 

[Stokely]

You are not kidding; and it seems the older musicians get (and venue owners, and booking people) the less mature they get   Soap operas get more common, not less.

Sorry to hear about the bands.  That is a very good run.  My own band has been together for almost 12, but there have been some pits in the road and fair number of lineup changes.

Freaking tracks...thankfully there's been no hint of desire for them, I'd be out the door instantly.   Talk about killing live music, tracks have successfully trained audiences to not give a shit if music is live or canned.  Big reason why I don't go out spending money on shows.

[ProfD]

1 hour ago, vonnor said:

So over the weekend I went from being in two bands to being in zero. 😲

 

Ah, drama. I managed to dodge it for 10 years so I guess I was due. 😁

One or two doors closing could be the sign of a better opportunity on the horizon. 

 

Maybe it's time to start a new band with the shoe-gaze guitarist.   

 

Of course, someone else would have to front the band.😁😎

[kpl1228]

1 hour ago, Stokely said:

Freaking tracks...thankfully there's been no hint of desire for them, I'd be out the door instantly.   Talk about killing live music, tracks have successfully trained audiences to not give a shit if music is live or canned.  Big reason why I don't go out spending money on shows.

That to me was the worst part of the story! Can't imagine being in a band with all members chained to a laptop for the night just to pay one less member. I enjoy technology too but this truly kills the pleasure of playing in a weekend band, even if as the keyboard player I was the one programming the tracks.

This legit needs to be a new post category: where keyboard players just VENT about anything. Hey maybe you just created it now.....

[o0Ampy0o]

If that guitarist is this good make the most of it and be The Shoe-gazers? Hit the stage as introverted mama's boys but step up the music so there is an extra striking contrast that gets attention. Pick a set list that screams and cries your repressed virgin hearts out.

[bill5]

7 hours ago, KuruPrionz said:

I won't bore the universe with all the stories but yeah, being in a band is going to lead to all sorts of fun little soap operas. 

 

Hence the reason I don't. Zero patience for snowflakes (or drama queens or moody shits or whatever the politically correct term is now, if there is one). 

[AUSSIEKEYS]

14 hours ago, vonnor said:

😲

 

our regular guitar player, who is quite the "Shoe-gazer" on stage

 

 

 

Simply put his shoes on his mic stand. The audience will think he is looking at them ...problem solved.

 

I believe there is a mic stand adapter by most of the stand manufacturers available for shoe hanging.

 

They seem to have adaptors for everything else

[eric]

So sorry to hear this about two bands, @vonnor

 

I can empathize. After I "quasi-retired" from nearly full time touring back in the late '90s/early '00s, I joined a wedding and general business band that had a really nice long run with lots of success. In 2010, our singer tragically passed away and we fulfilled our final gig commitments with sub singers, then closed the books on that band. Very tough and sad situation.

 

I was lucky to find another band within a year after this that has been going strong since then, though several months ago has decided to "retire" and we aren't playing many more gigs after doing a normal 2-3x per month. 

 

I still do a few special gigs with my original touring band, plus a Clash tribute that plays maybe quarterly. Otherwise, trying to figure out the next thing which is potentially an offshoot band from the most recently retired group.

 

I view each change as an opportunity to take a pause, reflect, and decide what's next. I'm still not fully focused yet, as I had thought of marketing myself to a few bands that are established...not trying to be that guy that wants to take over the keyboard chair from someone else, but maybe join a band that could benefit from keyboards. There are some options out there and also a good time to hit the reset button for a moment.

 

I wish you all the best seeking out what's next for you musically, dude!

[vonnor]

21 hours ago, ProfD said:

Maybe it's time to start a new band with the shoe-gaze guitarist.   

 

Of course, someone else would have to front the band.😁😎

Funny you say that, D. That's the direction it's going atm.

 

~ vonnor

[vonnor]

On 9/11/2023 at 6:49 PM, vonnor said:

...Sunday our now-out-of-town singer says he's bowing out to work with a local group in his new hometown...

On 9/12/2023 at 3:05 PM, eric said:

...the next thing ... is potentially an offshoot band from the most recently retired group...

 

Interesting follow-on:

 

I'm back in two bands again! 😲😵

 

Turns out the "tracks" thing was a non-starter for the drummer, then they tried out a guy who reportedly (on BandMix) plays keys and guitar, but ended up being a 3.5 on the talent scale, so faced with gigs already on the books and no utility guy, they gave me the call-back.

Also the "shoe-gaze" but awesome guitarist is indeed putting a classic rock show together with another singer (as @ProfD prof-isied) and has me on hammond/piano.

 

You never know how things will turn out and best to always be positive.

 

Incidentally, guess who the bastage was that stole our lead singer? (*cough*@eric*cough*)

 

~ vonnor

 

p.s. Eric knows I'm just bustin' on him. 😎

[ProfD]

2 hours ago, vonnor said:

Turns out the "tracks" thing was a non-starter for the drummer, then they tried out a guy who reportedly (on BandMix) plays keys and guitar, but ended up being a 3.5 on the talent scale, so faced with gigs already on the books and no utility guy, they gave me the call-back.

I don't like the sloppy 2nds look of it but if you're cool with being the utility guy...make the best of it.😎

[eric]

3 hours ago, vonnor said:

 

Incidentally, guess who the bastage was that stole our lead singer? (*cough*@eric*cough*)

 

~ vonnor

 

p.s. Eric knows I'm just bustin' on him. 😎

 

Yes, it's true! We are some singer poaching mofos down here in the RVA, LOL. 🤣  We even considered naming the band "Poaching Gene." 🤣 LOL.

 

Truth be told, the whole thing went down very organically. Your singer moved to a new city, he had a few small world connections that were random (my brother was involved as a real estate agent in the sale of his house), he had been to see our former band before, and wanted to try out to play with us. So it all came together.

 

Thanks for just bustin' on me, and for letting us poach your singer. I am also thrilled to hear that you are back in two bands! Congrats!

[Lou Gehrig Charles]

Wow, our drama seems pretty tame in comparison.  Of course, I've only been with them less than a year..... 

 

My only "complaint" isn't really a complaint, but when our old guitarist (who left before I started) came back for a few months during the summer, right away he wanted to change up few things; switch a few songs from their original versions to a heavier punk-rock version which coincidently no longer had keys in it.  He also asked us to bring back a couple of their old songs which also didn't have keys....  I rose to the occasion though and four days before our first actual gig I learned a piano accompaniment and played it with them totally unrehearsed at the venue.  "Oh, that's cool, I didn't know you knew that one!" said the gal singer.

[vonnor]

1 hour ago, eric said:

 

Yes, it's true! We are some singer poaching mofos down here in the RVA, LOL.

You're killin' me, Lawson. 😂