Why did your band fall apart?

The Absolute

Controvertial one..

What caused your band to break up?

You start.

Shreddingblood

They were lazy motherfookers.

The Absolute

Deleted User wrote: »

You start.

Two previous bands, but wouldn't consider either of them real bands (which is why I didn't start off with those). In both cases we had two or three practices, never really hit it off or felt it working, so went our seperate ways. Adolescent bands really, so I don't think they really count.

The reason I've come up with this thread apart from curiosity it actually to try to detemine what bands need to work out, by seeing what causes them to fail, if you know what I mean.

Guessing that poor comminucation, lack of commitment, poorly defined roles and unequal decision making are gonna be the big ones.

Duke Leonal Felmet

The first band I was in split because we knew we were no good. After we recorded our first demo, people just stopped talking about more rehearsals.

The second band I was in didn't have a principal songwriter, so I took on that mantle. However, I cannot write lyrics, just melody and chords, so we had all these instrumental songs, but no lyrics. And we could never tie down a bass player.

The third was a covers band, and it worked really well, with lots of great musicians. I learned a lot about the craft of music there, although I found playing covers soul destroying.

After that, I stopped playing for over three years, and have spent the past year getting a new originals band going.

BornIn84

I find that alot of people dont wanna set up an originals band..they just want to play in covers and make a quick buck instead of building something exciting and new. I find it very frustrating all the bands ive joined in the last while, people just get lazy, dont wanna practice or arent consistent...
I'm playing guitar 11 years now and have lots of live experience, i subbed in and out for a few bands when needed and about 10 months ago decided i wanted to set up my own band. I gotta say trying to find musicians is so hard! Ive found drummers and bassists and then they pull out at the last minute. I have to say there does seem to be alot of singers around who are up for it. but drummers and bassists are impossible. Really wanna get something going but cant find the right ppl.

Dani21

i agree with bornin84 .bassists are impossible to find...female singers are great cause they have the motivation...drummers are hard to get too and guitarists are everywhere...half the guitar players cant even play.i shouldnt say that but its true.

Malice

Funnily enough my experience at the moment is that decent guitar players are the ones that are impossible to find. Not counting myself I know three drummers, two bassists and a vocalist but can I find a guitarist or two to combine them all into a couple of bands? Can I hell!

Back on-topic, my last band broke up because the bassist became a dad and I had to move from Galway to Tralee for work.

BornIn84

I agree about the guitar players. I would consider myself pretty good and always striving to get better. But some ppl are more into how they look holding a guitar instead of learning how to play the bloody thing.
IF you know any drummers and bassists looking to jam, send them my way. really really wanna get something new set up.

The Absolute

Feeling very good about being a bassist right now. :cool: Not the intended result of starting the thread.. If any of you bassist hunters are Galway based, PM me.

son.of.jimi

The Absolute wrote: »

Feeling very good about being a bassist right now. :cool: Not the intended result of starting the thread.. If any of you bassist hunters are Galway based, PM me.

Quick he's a bassist! Catch him!!!

The Absolute

*She*

Duke Leonal Felmet

The Absolute wrote: »

*She*

You're just teasing them now...

Malice

Shreddingblood hit on it earlier as well but I'd go a step further and say that a lot of people totally underestimate the time commitment necessary to be in a band. That results in them seeing the band as a chore rather than a worthwhile investment of time. Once something stops becoming fun and becomes more like a job then enthusiasm drops.

Rigsby

The Absolute wrote: »

Feeling very good about being a bassist right now. :cool:

+1.

My previous band broke up because we did not seem able to hold on to a singer for long. After the third one left, the lads decided it was time to call it a day.

Rigsby

The Absolute wrote: »

*She*

A female bassist !!! Even rarer still.

Owen

The Absolute wrote: »

*She*

Pretty good feeling to be a bassist alright! My bands which never made it were always as a result of people just not understanding that you learn songs at home, not at rehearsal. Silly other things like when you learn a harmony, being able to sing that same harmony again and again - the amount of people who forget and end up singing exactly the same as the lead vocals only slightly out of key!

The bands I were in that did make it usually broke up as a result of unprofessionalism creeping in after a few years. One guy got perpetually drunk and his hygene became a serious issue after he stopped washing himself. Another band just stopped wanting to learn new material, and kept trying to stall the start of every gig and finish them early after a few years.

I think bands who do make it need to keep themselves entertained by learning new material, and playing fun venues. There's nothing worse than the same set night after night in the same surroundings - be that always weddings, or the same 10 pubs. It'll break any good band up. We're humans, we get bored easily!

mdflanner

Commitment is where i always found the problem i seen my fair share of people that lived within a 10 mile radius of where we rehersed and they either wouldnt show or were always late,this annoyed me due to the fact i lived 50 odd mile away and was always there and had my kit set up before everyone else.it was already mentioned above that some people just dont know how much is involved....

Furious-Red

Malice wrote: »

Shreddingblood hit on it earlier as well but I'd go a step further and say that a lot of people totally underestimate the time commitment necessary to be in a band. That results in them seeing the band as a chore rather than a worthwhile investment of time. Once something stops becoming fun and becomes more like a job then enthusiasm drops.

That was very well said . People dont realise if you want to make it as a band in the music industry you need to put as much time into it as possible , it is a job and if you all work hard at it , it will pay off in the end . There is no point in practicing every once in awhile and expect to make it . Also people think once they start gigging they will get a phone call off a record label within no time or they will make it big asap . They may not have the patient to play gigs for ages to even start get a proper following etc

StaticAge11

Ego was the main thing that came into it. Someone joined late and took over the whole group. Then kicked me and the drummer. I'll be first to admit I wasn't the best player at the time (now I am decent at best :P) but we were still in school and learning our ****, me and the other guitarist worked pretty well as a rhythm/lead combo. Just ego of another member ruins it all

Rigsby

StaticAge11 wrote: »

Ego was the main thing that came into it.

I think this is one of the main ingredients in the break up of a lot of bands.

Furious-Red

StaticAge11 wrote: »

Ego was the main thing that came into it. Someone joined late and took over the whole group. Then kicked me and the drummer. I'll be first to admit I wasn't the best player at the time (now I am decent at best :P) but we were still in school and learning our ****, me and the other guitarist worked pretty well as a rhythm/lead combo. Just ego of another member ruins it all

Something similar happened to me with the last band i was in with our singer , the bass player eventually left and i was let go . But in the long run im kinda happy because im in a new band and really enjoying it

Grolschevik

Hmmm...

Death.
Marriage.
Kids.
Mutual antipathy.
Lack of commitment.
Laziness.
Unrealistic expectations.

Audio Carnivore

The (Extremely Helpful) Boards.ie Guide To Not Splitting Up (First Edition)*

1) Finance
Make sure all members of the band are on the same page financially. When you form, determine there and then how you're going to split any profits that might come your way. Whether you've one songwriter who expects full royalties or whether you write together and, like good communists, divide all earnings evenly, decide from the outset how it's going to work. Should you somehow get to the stage where you've got an album in the charts and the record company are asking to know who's account(s) they should credit with the royalty payments, you don't want to all of a sudden find yourselves in the middle of a "lively debate" over who wrote what, who does the most work, who "contributes" the most, whether or not X would have written Y if Z hadn't come up with that really powerful beat first, etc.

2) Decide On What You Want
Do you just want to play some covers? That's fine. Make sure so does everybody else. Do you just want to have fun and write original material for your own edification with a few mates and damn the consequences? That's fine too. Make sure so does everybody else. Do you want to make a living out of it etc etc etc.

3) Ego
Don't let anyone become a dictator (Unless that's what you signed up for, in which case, ask yourself; do you really want to spend several months of the year in a van or tourbus with an overgrown child?). Be nice to one another!

4) Don't Overdo It
Addictions are for when you've already got a gold-plated mansion in Beverley Hills. Hey, it means you can write a critically-acclaimed "comedown" album and reap the benefits of a swathe of "My Booze/Drug Hell" press. Worked for Brett Anderson...

* To be added to ad hoc

Duke Leonal Felmet

The (Extremely Helpful) Boards.ie Guide To Not Splitting Up (First Edition)*

1) Finance
Make sure all members of the band are on the same page financially. When you form, determine there and then how you're going to split any profits that might come your way. Whether you've one songwriter who expects full royalties or whether you write together and, like good communists, divide all earnings evenly, decide from the outset how it's going to work. Should you somehow get to the stage where you've got an album in the charts and the record company are asking to know who's account(s) they should credit with the royalty payments, you don't want to all of a sudden find yourselves in the middle of a "lively debate" over who wrote what, who does the most work, who "contributes" the most, whether or not X would have written Y if Z hadn't come up with that really powerful beat first, etc.

2) Decide On What You Want
Do you just want to play some covers? That's fine. Make sure so does everybody else. Do you just want to have fun and write original material for your own efication with a few mates and damn the consequences? That's fine too. Make sure so does everybody else. Do you want to make a living out of it etc etc etc.

3) Ego
Don't let anyone become a dictator (Unless that's what you signed up for, in which case, ask yourself; do you really want to spend several months of the year in a van or tourbus with an overgrown child?). Be nice to one another!

4) Don't Overdo It
Addictions are for when you've already got a gold-plated mansion in Beverley Hills. Hey, it means you can write a critically-acclaimed "comedown" album and reap the benefits of a swathe of "My Booze/Drug Hell" press. Worked for Brett Anderson...

5) Know Your Enemy
Don't give people with attitude problems the time of day. If you wouldn't have a pint with the person, you shouldn't be in a band with them,

dw_newtown

I rarely talk about it but I've decided that this thread is the perfect place to tell the story of the cover band that i was in, The Renegades...

The story begins in Newtown, a townland in Lobinstown, Co.Meath where my little brother acquires his first electric guitar in Sept 2005. Being the jealous, curious type I decide to get my own after a couple of months figuring out whats what and whos who. After moving to Glenwood, Dundalk with a college mate (bass player of note from Kells called Coli) to make up the rent, the next year or so was spent learning bits and pieces.

During the summer, the little brother had become a mini-celebrity by playing little spots at Newtown Country Club across the road. The owner recognised a willingness for us to play and offered the lounge for us to practice. This sowed the seeds for the jamming sessions which led to the formation of Blackjack, a new venture with a bass player (me) because i had money to get one and a drum kit obtained from one of my brother mates. Our next door neighbour Dean started battering away and our lead singer Colm hadnt much going for him other than an interest in RHCP!

By Oct/Nov 2006, Colm got bored and the band became two guitarists and a bassist. it became clear that a real drummer was needed. Shay from Rathkenny answered the call and The Renegades were born. We played our first spot at Dean's sister's 21st on 1 December 2006. Songs like Buck Rogers, Dani California and Monster became our party trick...

The next two years were spent trying to get gigs and practicing, buying more gear, drinking the majority of what we earned and making a lot of noise!

In relation to the thread, the split of this band hurts me a lot because we had a better opportunity than most to get up and running properly on the basis than we had a lounge with a stage to practice instead of shed like most other garage bands. we didnt work hard enough to learn all the songs properly, we couldnt decide on a definitive set list, we didnt invest enough money towards better gear, the best thing we could have done was wait another 6 months.

it was a shotgun introduction to the life of a cover band, which needs a huge commitment of time and money coupled with a real passion for music and a desire to get better at your instrument. The fact was that all the members wanted different things. I wanted to be successful and respected, the drummer wanted to be in a country band and the guitarists were metalheads!

while i have probably left out the finer details of the dynamics that were at play, its worth considering this: Do I regret it? the answer is always no. i dont regret failing at something i thought i would like to do. we fell into the age old "teenage rock band" category that a lot of people do and i learned way more from doing it than thinking about doing it.

A few words of advice to complement whats being said already and to young lads aspiring to do the same: Make sure everyone knows the primary objective of the band. Set SMART short-term and long-term goals. Do it and dont let anyone put you down. Stand by your decision and dont let some old **** tell you youre wasting your time. it your own time so give it a lash and apply yourself the best you can. And enjoy the bloody thing and rock out!!!

MrTrebus

on behalf of bass players, I gotta say.
I cant even remember the amount of ads I replied to here and got nowhere with.
I mean you reply to the ad and ya get a message back saying "yeah, we're looking for a bass player, I'll let ya know when the auditions are "!
Really, if your looking for someone then at least have the auditions set up and ready ffs

then ya hear nothing back and thats the end of that, back to square one !


Im lucky now I seem to have found a decent bunch of lads that Im really enjoying playing with !
First gig with them coming up really soon too

Should be an "unwritten" rule that people advertising here looking for a band member should at least have audition location/times/track listing ready to go when the ad goes live !
my 2c worth anyway !

Malice

Duke Leonal Felmet wrote: »

Don't give people with attitude problems the time of day. If you wouldn't have a pint with the person, you shouldn't be in a band with them,[/SIZE]

I'm not sure sure I'd agree with this. There are plenty of ridiculously talented musicians out there who come across as complete arseholes. Yes of course it helps if your bandmates are also drinking buddies or even just buddies but given a choice between jamming with Dave Mustaine or Jimbo the distinctly average guitarist I'd choose Mr. Mustaine (assuming of course I wanted a thrash metal band).

Duke Leonal Felmet

Malice wrote: »

Duke Leonal Felmet wrote: »

Don't give people with attitude problems the time of day. If you wouldn't have a pint with the person, you shouldn't be in a band with them,[/SIZE]

I'm not sure sure I'd agree with this. There are plenty of ridiculously talented musicians out there who come across as complete arseholes. Yes of course it helps if you're bandmates are also drinking buddies or even just buddies but given a choice between jamming with Dave Mustaine or Jimbo the distinctly average guitarist I'd choose Mr. Mustaine (assuming of course I wanted a thrash metal band).

I just find difficult people difficult to work with. I really don't care about 'making it', I just want to have fun when I play music. That's what matters most to me. This is impossible with a muppetl.

Lothaar v2

One thing that used to wreck my head was band members not 'working on' songs. Like, we'd put something together at a rehearsal... I'd go off and come up with ideas for my bit (another bass player)... but the others wouldn't even think about it until the next rehearsal. Then we'd just jam the exact same thing again. There was no polishing, no attempts at innovation, no experimentation - nothing. The lead guitarist would play the first thing that came into his head, then try to replicate that exactly every time. Same with the drummer. It was a pity, as the guitarist and drummer were very talented - they just didn't realise that they could put some thought into their music.

I don't think that broke us up, though. It contributed to us seriously under-achieving. We had the stereotypical cocktail of egos, bad communication, differing goals etc. It all came to a head and left everyone with a pretty bitter taste.

That was in 1998. I haven't been in a band since I still play the 10 or so songs I had been hoping to record with that band.

rootjuse70

some of the best reasons why my band broke up again and again and again.

- Drummer leaving to go follow the love of his life to Spain.

- Guitarist breaking his collar bone just as we were on the cusp of maybe being offered the chance to play support to someone in the olympia. Guitarist got back to full fitness played one more gig (not at the olympia) then hightailed it off to Scotland

- Another guitarist heading back to the US of A with the wife and kids

- Bass player wanting rid of the drummer due to commitment issues. Bass player then installs drummer who he vouched for. Drummer turns out to be good until drummer gets tired of playing different beats and wants to turn every song into a four to the floor rock song a la BRMC (we were not this type of band and never were).

- Final straw was bass player ringing me one day saying that he was never going to play in the band with the drummer again. no reason was given, just that it wasn't going to happen ever again. no consideration for anyone else in the band. it was over it was his say so.

and apart from a brief period of jamming again the band was over.