Dudes, why don't y'all run off and start a liberal vs. conservative thread and let this one get back to the original topic. Jeez.
Nobody for President in 2012. U.S. OUT OF NORTH AMERICA, NOW!!!
Back to the topic... As I feel the original poster's pain, and have been through it several different ways, and am fighting to keep from going through it agian.
I know how badly it sucks losing a band right when it starts to get good.
My current band, 7 Mysteries (
http://www.7mysteries.com) has been struggling for two of the three years we've been around. Our first lineup began as friends from a local Unitarian Universalist church that we all attend (
we're also the official/unofficial rock band of the church and it's our home base).
:sad1: We lost our original bassist to illness (
we still consider her a member). Our current bassist is fantastic, but he's not as tall and hot as Lisa.
:confused4: Then our original drummer took a job in Seattle, too far to commute back to Kansas City for practice. We consider him technically a member still too, and frequently text him during practice, begging him to return.
:-\ Our Rhythm guitarist left when his daughters said they missed having him around. But still ran our website and came out to our shows to help run sound and take pics.
:doh: Our second rhythm guitarist impressed us in auditions since he played some jazz pretty well. Unfortunatley he couldnt translate it to a style that would work with "Rock this Town", "I want you to want me", "Love Shack" or "the Time Warp" at all. So we fired him.
:hello2: Fortunately our original Rhythm Guitarist's daughters missed NOT having their dad around, and they missed coming to see his band play, so they begged him to rejoin.
:icon_scratch: Our second drummer ended up not quite understanding that we're all "Parents with Day Jobs" when he kept arguing that we needed to practice on weeknights (
uhh.... schoolnights?!?!?) so he could lay around on saturdays and watch TV after a hard week at his desk job, so we canned him.
Currently we're drummerless, however we're in the midst of auditions. We have two coming over this weeked, by Sunday we'll have invited one of them to join. One is a Pagan/Wiccan truck driver. The other is a Transgendered dude (former girl). And so far the Transgendered dude is in the lead. He seriously plays with some ferocity and groove.
My former bands that kicked ass but imploded....
...Four years ago I was in a Blues-Based-Countrified-Jazz-Rock band (
Yes, that means "jamband", but I don't like that label) that rehearsed twice a week for two years, played sporaticly due to the fact that blues clubs wouldnt book us (
we didnt ever play the blues per se) and rock clubs didnt book us (
we don't do Nickelback, and there is a prjudice against bands who play even one Grateful Dead song), but right as we started to get the attention of some clubs for just how good we were, three out of five members nearly die in the same week. Our Drummer and Bassist were twins, when one's thyroid freaked out and shut down, so did the others. And our Guitarist/Vocalist, a 350 pound redneck hippie, had heart problems that caught up with him. We were damn good too. Our rhythm section, being twins, had a freakishly amazing connection and could hold it in the pocket like nobody's business. The charismatic frontman, whose large personality was matched by his girth, could rip it up on a strat like nobody's business and could write interesting songs full of hooks. That band should have turned a profit.
...In 2003 I was in a band called The Enablers (
now The Hopeless Destroyers, they still gig around KC) with a drummer on a methadone program, a schizophrenic alcoholic guitarist, and an alcoholic with diabetes on vocals. Our keyboardist was a kid with jazz chops who wanted to see if he could play in a punk band for the challenge, and he was awesome. I have no drug, alcohol or mental problems, I just like the music, the two songwriters in the band were, are, the real deal and should be making records and going on tour. They're that good, the entire world is missing out. But, yes, it was a disaster waiting to happen while I was in the band. For a breif three months we were the greatest punk band on the planet. If you blinked, you missed us. I quit on April fools day, 2003, when our vocalist drank himself into a coma after a show. He's healthy, and dry, now. And they still kick ass.
...In the '90s I was in a band that was an all instrumental freakshow, two bassists, congas, drums, percusionist, Myself on guitar, and a "noise" guitarist who could not play to save his life (
we put every spare effect pedal in his signal path and turned them on, then we turned his amp down to where you could hear everyone over him, his sound was like a warbling, waving, tapestry of unusal noise that he then learned to work with, granted he still couldnt really play, but it worked). We started to garner some local attention, as we'd throw our own guerilla music festivals at a park by getting permit for a "family reunion" so we could use a stage and electricity. But, the aforementioned "noise" guitarist got in the habit of inviting new members to join. We found ourselves with around 13 members before it got completely out of control and it imploded. Though, that last practice was pretty cool, two saxaphones, two drum kits going at once, diggerdedoo, etc. It didnt explode completely, it actually split off into three bands at that point. Though I could have played in this band, as a 7 peice, forever and not get bored. It was every weird instrumental thing I ever wanted. Oh well.
...The band I ended up in after that explosion was an alterna-rock thing. We had female vocals and keys. But our drummer drove off our second guitarist and bassist. Then we were a three peice, drums, myself, and a keyboardist/vocalist. But then the drummer drove her off. He was mean. He was selfish. He liked to suck powders up his nose. That's something to avoid. Drummers with drug problems are never a good thing.
My advice.... What has worked for me... is to own the PA. Keep a drum set and bass rig, in your home. Its what I do. It keeps everyone coming to my place to practice. Its a democracy, but I have a greater sense of being in control. And it takes very little time to set up if all anyone brings is their guitars, or keyboard. My drummers have always brought their own throne, as milk crates are more comfortable than the throne that came with my Musicians Friend "Pulse" drum set, it works just fine, but it was cheap.
It also helps to have a dozen originals written, totally arranged and plotted out. To have a good overal plan of what the band is. To have a good three or four dozen cover tunes learned backwards-forwards-inside-and-out and be able to play them on the gutiar, bass and at least keep the beat on the drums for all of them (originals too). Seriously, if you appear to be in command, you will have it as you bring members in. The faster you get a band from zero-to-setlist, the happier everyone seems.
And no drugs or drunkenness at band practice. I won't impune anyone for their habits, I'm dry and clean, but I havent always been. And a clean dry band practice is a productive band practice.
And don't bring any known jerks into the band. Take your time in the begining.
I could keep typing... but my lunch break is over....
