Back to the drawing board...

[Aahzz]

You may remember that earlier in the year I was putting a new band together...it seemed promising at the time. Really good drummer, really good bassist, me on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. The first lead guitarist we had was decent but kept not learning the songs and left early, but I had faith we'd find someone new.

Put out Craigslist ads, got responses, but somehow almost every time I had someone ready to come in either the bass player or drummer would cancel practice at the last minute. We changed days to accommodate schedules, but something always came up - and the new potential player would find something else, or just think we weren't ready for them (to be fair, given the constant cancellations, we weren't, though we should have been).

Finally last Saturday was the 5th week in a row that practice got canceled, so I pulled the plug on the project. I like the guys, but we should have been booking gigs by now.

Before this band, I had a project kind of coming together, doing jam band stuff. It fell apart for solid reasons. Now, in that case, I was on lead, which is not my comfort zone, but I was digging it.

So, new plan. First, I listed my PA for sale - I do NOT want to be the guy putting everything together, scheduling, etc. I've had my fill. Second, I'm going to take a couple months and woodshed on my lead chops. I was getting decent, and can get where I want to be.

Then, hopefully around March, I go looking for another jam band type situation. I have some connections in that community, and think I'll be able to get into something that fits my needs better.

 

[dmatthews]

Great that you have a solid plan. Too bad you had to pull the plug with those guys but I'd have done the same thing.
They obviously were not serious.

 

[BrianC]

A story that is all too familiar

 

[Deleted member 5962]

A story that is all too familiar

It is. It is SO hard to put a band together. Between jobs, families, and other obligations, most people are just too busy to do it. What I found in my younger days was, a mixed bag. I'd have experienced bands ask me to play lead, so I could just jump in and not worry, but they all played bars which I wouldn't do. I'd have less experienced bands that would take other gigs than bars, but they needed a lot of practice, and I didn't have the patience to play with people who couldn't play the song when they showed up for practice, or couldn't stay together while playing it.

Then I had someone whose name you'd all know (or at least the band he played in) ask me to start a band and go on the road. With his name, he could get us immediate regional touring gigs. Couldn't do that either. I had a job/career. His was music. I had a house, and wife and a daughter. He didn't. I couldn't quite my job and "hope" we'd "make it." It was the second time he'd asked me to start a band.

You need guys who's jobs, and families permit the time it takes to make a band work, and that can be the tough part.

 

[DISTORT6]

Yup. The older you get, the harder it is to herd cats.
One good thing, though! You DID get your amp game all sorted out.

 

[bodia]

That sucks. But, you've got a solid plan to get you where you want to be. Stick with it.

 

[László]

The fewer to chase down, the better. Put together a trio.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

The fewer to chase down, the better. Put together a trio.

It worked for Jimi. And Rush, Trower, Triumph and Devo.

Ok, I just made that last one up. Are we not men?

 

[Aahzz]

The fewer to chase down, the better. Put together a trio.

On one hand I agree. On the other hand, the project that I just dissolved did so because we couldn't even get 3 together regularly....

 

[gush]

Oh man…….there are two things that will crush your sole. A bitchy spouse and idiot band mates.

I can control one but not the other……….

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Oh man…….there are two things that will crush your sole. A bitchy spouse and idiot band mates.

I can control one but not the other……….

Wait! you’ve discovered how to control band mates???

 

[Aahzz]

Oh man…….there are two things that will crush your sole. A bitchy spouse and idiot band mates.

I can control one but not the other……….

What's really bad is when you combine the 2. My first wife was also my drummer (she was my drummer first, then wife). Yeah, neither the marriage nor the band lasted.

 

[aphantomvaper]

What's really bad is when you combine the 2. My first wife was also my drummer (she was my drummer first, then wife). Yeah, neither the marriage nor the band lasted.

Marriage has been shown to be the leading cause of divorce

I have the projects like this. A 4 peice, 3 peice and a 2 peice. The two rehearse regularly but is strange music, haven't found an audience yet. The other meet monthly, if that or yearly for the three peice. I can't give up the 3 though, we've written almost 40 songs together.

Woodshed and jam band Ahazz! Some of that scene can be mellow and slightly interchangeable. Goid luck!

 

[Aahzz]

Marriage has been shown to be the leading cause of divorce

I have the projects like this. A 4 peice, 3 peice and a 2 peice. The two rehearse regularly but is strange music, haven't found an audience yet. The other meet monthly, if that or yearly for the three peice. I can't give up the 3 though, we've written almost 40 songs together.

Woodshed and jam band Ahazz! Some of that scene can be mellow and slightly interchangeable. Goid luck!

The interesting thing is that I met the real Mrs Aahzz a couple weeks before I married my drummer. The first marriage was *really* short - she cheated on me 11 days after the wedding, I filed for divorce 3 weeks after the wedding, 7 months later we were actually divorced. The second is 22 years in (24 together) and going strong.

I like the multiple projects idea. I'm looking forward to the woodshedding.

 

[RickP]

Bands can be wonderful, and they can make you never want to conspire with another human to make music again in your lifetime. At one point, the playing was worth the hassle. Now, I feel like it needs to be good to be worth it. Not perfect, but present. My “playing for exposure” days are long, long behind me. I require some commitment to spend the time.

Anyone who has ever lead a band knows your pain, brother. You’ve got a solid plan, and I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[gush]

Wait! you’ve discovered hot to control band mates???

Hahhaha.......I have no band but I've been married for 19 years!!!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I have been married for almost 19 years and have a band with my wife!

I don’t know what the moral of the story is!

 

[dmatthews]

I have been married for almost 19 years and have a band with my wife!

I don’t know what the moral of the story is!

The band that plays together stays together?
You can't cheat on each other on stage?
Timing is everything?

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I have been married for almost 19 years and have a band with my wife!

I don’t know what the moral of the story is!

I do! The moral is, you better dang well hope the band never breaks up!!!!

 

[Aahzz]

I have been married for almost 19 years and have a band with my wife!

I don’t know what the moral of the story is!

It means you did it better than I did first time around!!