Lazorphaze

(this may be Jim's area)
Hi there,
I started my band about 8 months ago, and we had sax, bone, piano, and drums. i got frustrated with the bone player and cut him(out).
Things were going pretty fine with just the 3 of us til this bass player calls me , and long story short, he gets in. Now, I didn't know that he's more of a rocker. Actually, he's pretty much a square. Anyway, we went for about 2 or 3 weeks with him, when he says we should get a singer. Well, about that time I have the last rehearsal for a week, and go on vacation. While I'm on vacation, this little rat decides to get her in. So they rehearse with her a lot, and I'm taken aback when I return, but I go along with it. Then we start playing some rock songs (not my choice, the bass player's dad's ) and then my piano player gets this guitar player. Now, we're no longer the jazz band i wanted. We're more of a rock/jazz/blues band, and I recently talked to the guitar player online, and he says he might quit after our gig (school being a big factor) , so I was thinking around that time I could fire our singer (because I am supposed to be the figurehead of power, being the person who started this whole thing, and the leader of it (at least in my view, I should be)).
What do you guys think?

trickg

Do you own the PA equipment? If so, it's your decision to make, although I can tell you that once you allowed a decision that was made without your approval to stand, your authority as the bandleader was greatly diminshed.

Unfortunately, sometimes the best bandleaders are often not liked very well because they are the ones that have to make the tough choices for the band. Had I been in your shoes, I would have put a stop to the whole singer idea as soon as I got back. Those decisions are not theirs to make, they are yours.

I'm in a situation right now where I'm the drummer for a praise and worship contemporary rock band. I'm 34 and I've been around a bit when it comes to playing, performing, and gigging for money. This by no means makes me an expert where the inner workings of a band are concerned, but it does give me a base of knowledge to pull from.

Anyway, our bandleader is 23 - fresh out of college, and I've got some pretty big issues with the way he's doing some things and how he's running the band. However, since I have been in this band, I have done a pretty decent job of just keeping my mouth shut because as much as I don't like some of the things this kid does, it's HIS band, not mine. I have talked to him one on one about a couple of things, but never have I crossed the line and told him how he should run his band. I figure that if I don't like it, I can leave. Simple as that.

At this point, you might be better off cutting your losses and disbanding the group for a while and staring again fresh at a later date because they have already eroded your authority and much of the respect that they should have given to you. Too many cooks spoil the pot and by allowing them to get away with some of the things that they have, you have effectively promoted them to cooks right along with you, and now they are spoiling the pot. (the band)

Some may agree with me, some may not, but that's how I see it and that's how I call it. I would never want to actually BE the bandleader. It's a thankless job and most of the time the bandleader doesn't get the respect they deserve.

__________________
Patrick Gleason
email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
"At my signal, unleash hell."
- Maximus Decimus Meridius

ScreaminRaider

Being a band-leader is a tough gig. I alost prefer to just be another guy in the band. Has anyone ever heard the "Buddy Rich Tapes"? If you have never heard them, it's hilarious. Buddy Rich would chew his band out after almost every show...good or bad, because he was a good band leader, and he expected nothing less that perfection. Well, some of his guys decided to record these tyrades. It's funny to listen to (If you are old enough). It kinda reminds me of a recording I heard of Bob Knight yelling at his players after a game.

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Jonathan Wright

bigaggietrumpet

Trickg is right on the money. Disband the group, if the piano and drums are willing to go back to the way it was (possible, but not likely), just quit telling everyone else when the rehearsals are. But yeah, you've lost a lot of authority. You are gonna have a hard time reestablishing that.

__________________
Michael Smith
Hullabaloo: The official band of Texas A&M Basketball
Kanstul 1537/ Schilke 14
LA Olds Studio

chetbaker

Go straight to the source....fire the bass player 8) !!!

Butch

__________________
Kanstul Mariachi Premier
Kanstul 1525 Flugelhorn
Pieces - Warb. 6ESV top/Black #3 BB - Warb. 6FLM

mark935

Maybe it's another La bamba story.
8)