Flakey Band Members?

sergiodeblanc said:
He always showed up though!

One time we’re already on a darkened stage thinking dude is AWOL, and then the crowd parts like the Red Sea and here comes Steve in full stage dress carrying an LP in one hand and a Super Reverb in the other.
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I had a band member like that… just sucked out any momentum rolling into the show by never knowing if the show would happen. Almost all of them did go, but man it was getting old having to wonder. I eventually moved on. I definitely know what you mean.
 
There's claims one guitarst always watched TMZ on the bus.. Any guesses? No scroll cheating 🤣
 
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sergiodeblanc said:
I wouldn’t call it “flakey” but I had a guitarist who’d leave you literally thinking he was never gonna show up until the very last second.

I learned a lot from that dude.
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This is so familiar. Back in my full time bass playing days one of our guitar players made it by the last minute 8 times out of 10. I swear he had ADD because he could not go from point A to B in a straight line without getting side tracked by something. I remember one time when he needed a ride to practice. I lived 20 minutes away from him and I called him to let him know I was on my way. I asked him "are you ready?" He said "ready when you are." I drove the 20 minutes, pulled in the driveway, beeped the horn and he comes out of the front door with soaking wet hair, a towel wrapped around his waist and signals "one minute" with his hand and jumps back in the house! (You gotts be kidding me!!). So I go into the house and guess ewhat? He's got his dinner cooking on the stove! But the was worth it because he was a great guy, a great player and one of the funniest people I ever met. Miss him. He passed away this passed August 10th. Heaven got one heck of a comedian!!

In the same band was another guitar player who wasn't what I would call flakey, but in time his ego started getting the better of him. (Or maybe it was his insecurities). I tend to think it was the latter. At first he was great. A real bro and to this day one of the best guitar players I ever heard. But in time he couldn't stand it when anybody got a bit more attention than he did. Whenever our other guitar player would do a solo, this other guy started doing anything to get the attention onto himself. And if a girl on the dance floor was looking at me and not him, oh boy, look out. Then in time he really started to turn on me in some very hurtful ways and I know it was all because of his insecurities. He eventually left the band, was in a few other bands but never reached any kind of success. Of all the musicians I played with, he was the one who wanted to be a real "rock star" more than anybody. Wanted the mansion, the cars and of course, the women. I ran into him a few times throught the years and while he was civil towards me.......there was an element of "I'd rather be elsewhere than talking to you."

Too bad becasue at one time we were great friends. I even got his number this summer and sent him a text saying "lets get together and talk things over because I don't want any bad blood between us." I'm still waiting to hear back from him.
 
Mike J. said:
This is so familiar. Back in my full time bass playing days one of our guitar players made it by the last minute 8 times out of 10. I swear he had ADD because he could not go from point A to B in a straight line without getting side tracked by something. I remember one time when he needed a ride to practice. I lived 20 minutes away from him and I called him to let him know I was on my way. I asked him "are you ready?" He said "ready when you are." I drove the 20 minutes, pulled in the driveway, beeped the horn and he comes out of the front door with soaking wet hair, a towel wrapped around his waist and signals "one minute" with his hand and jumps back in the house! (You gotts be kidding me!!). So I go into the house and guess ewhat? He's got his dinner cooking on the stove! But the was worth it because he was a great guy, a great player and one of the funniest people I ever met. Miss him. He passed away this passed August 10th. Heaven got one heck of a comedian!!

In the same band was another guitar player who wasn't what I would call flakey, but in time his ego started getting the better of him. (Or maybe it was his insecurities). I tend to think it was the latter. At first he was great. A real bro and to this day one of the best guitar players I ever heard. But in time he couldn't stand it when anybody got a bit more attention than he did. Whenever our other guitar player would do a solo, this other guy started doing anything to get the attention onto himself. And if a girl on the dance floor was looking at me and not him, oh boy, look out. Then in time he really started to turn on me in some very hurtful ways and I know it was all because of his insecurities. He eventually left the band, was in a few other bands but never reached any kind of success. Of all the musicians I played with, he was the one who wanted to be a real "rock star" more than anybody. Wanted the mansion, the cars and of course, the women. I ran into him a few times throught the years and while he was civil towards me.......there was an element of "I'd rather be elsewhere than talking to you."

Too bad becasue at one time we were great friends. I even got his number this summer and sent him a text saying "lets get together and talk things over because I don't want any bad blood between us." I'm still waiting to hear back from him.
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Likely he was on that path before you met. Friendly while you were of use to get him to the stage front, useless if you presented anything but a platform for him to stand on. While that seems common in the biz, I've found most musicians to be genuine and regular/mostly normal sort of people. That "upwardly mobile" kind are no fun at all. Your life is certainly not lacking without that sort of drama.
 
RickP said:
Likely he was on that path before you met. Friendly while you were of use to get him to the stage front, useless if you presented anything but a platform for him to stand on. While that seems common in the biz, I've found most musicians to be genuine and regular/mostly normal sort of people. That "upwardly mobile" kind are no fun at all. Your life is certainly not lacking without that sort of drama.
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Indeed. Other players from other bands who knew him always said the same thing. "He's his own worst enemy." Can't and won't deny the guy had talent. He worked at it but he was also a natural. Had the "it" factor, no doubt. But again, I know it was his insecurites that got the best of him.
 
Y'all ever had a 4x12 borrowed/stolen from you by a friend/band mate? I did...
Gave him several chances to make it right over the years. He's had the means for 30 years.

If I ever see that MF again...
Yeah...
FU Leroy(Jason)!
 
A guitarist buddy of mine (my mentor and jam partner) was asked to join up with some local guys I know and used to play with many moons ago. He asked me what they were like (competent, dependable, work ethic...) and all I could say was they were good that way 40+ years ago.
We got together about a month later to play and I asked him how it was working out. "Pfffftttttt!"(add in any slang vulgarity of your choice) and he said it lasted two practices before he walked. I was pretty much dumbfounded because I knew they "were" good players (drummer, bassist and rhthym guitar) when I played keys with them. They had a play list of a very specific genre that I would never put out there as general popularity type stuff, very narrow audience around these parts. Naturally, he objected and made some broader spectrum suggestions. Their answer was "We're professionals, we play what WE like and if the audience or you don't like it too f'ing bad.
Not only flakey, that's both arrogant and ignorant IMO.
My friend is an incredibly good and seasoned gig player with many years of sit-ins and stage performances with the likes of Skynnyrd, Vai, Allman and several others of significantly greater fame than a bunch of local bar band jammers. Regardless of them being personal friends of mine.
Ego is often a very bad thing if it becomes bigger than your talent or acquired skill.
 
Mike J. said:
This is so familiar. Back in my full time bass playing days one of our guitar players made it by the last minute 8 times out of 10. I swear he had ADD because he could not go from point A to B in a straight line without getting side tracked by something. I remember one time when he needed a ride to practice. I lived 20 minutes away from him and I called him to let him know I was on my way. I asked him "are you ready?" He said "ready when you are." I drove the 20 minutes, pulled in the driveway, beeped the horn and he comes out of the front door with soaking wet hair, a towel wrapped around his waist and signals "one minute" with his hand and jumps back in the house! (You gotts be kidding me!!). So I go into the house and guess ewhat? He's got his dinner cooking on the stove! But the was worth it because he was a great guy, a great player and one of the funniest people I ever met. Miss him. He passed away this passed August 10th. Heaven got one heck of a comedian!!

In the same band was another guitar player who wasn't what I would call flakey, but in time his ego started getting the better of him. (Or maybe it was his insecurities). I tend to think it was the latter. At first he was great. A real bro and to this day one of the best guitar players I ever heard. But in time he couldn't stand it when anybody got a bit more attention than he did. Whenever our other guitar player would do a solo, this other guy started doing anything to get the attention onto himself. And if a girl on the dance floor was looking at me and not him, oh boy, look out. Then in time he really started to turn on me in some very hurtful ways and I know it was all because of his insecurities. He eventually left the band, was in a few other bands but never reached any kind of success. Of all the musicians I played with, he was the one who wanted to be a real "rock star" more than anybody. Wanted the mansion, the cars and of course, the women. I ran into him a few times throught the years and while he was civil towards me.......there was an element of "I'd rather be elsewhere than talking to you."

Too bad becasue at one time we were great friends. I even got his number this summer and sent him a text saying "let’s get together and talk things over because I don't want any bad blood between us." I'm still waiting to hear back from him.
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Yeah, my guy was the best dude even if he was terminally late or missing.

He’d seriously stress out the singer and drummer with his antics, but our bass player and I just kinda laughed at it.

What was crazy is like, I understood when we were gigging in town but… where TF was this dude disappearing to when we were on tour?

lol! First time in a town, we knew nobody, there was only our van, and it would be parked outside, and…. Steve is nowhere to be found!

It wasn’t drugs or anything, I gather he’d just chase rainbows and/or butterflies or something?
 
Classic rock cover band gig, think FM radio circa 1978-80. Cream, Zeppelin, Free, Santana, Skynyrd, Stevie Ray. It was pretty great music and my bandmates were all semi-pros. (Arguably, I was the weak link, but I worked hard and woodshedded and held down rhythm guitar pretty well.)

Took a break at the country-club gig (Texas-OU Weekend, so you can imagine the crowd and the alcohol). Our bass player was tossing back his fourth or fifth Cosmopolitan.

Hearing him play? I couldn't tell! He was dead on time and right on the chord changes. (I privately worshiped him: He got the tricky little run-down on the third line of the chorus in "Badge." Nobody gets that right - he was brilliant.)

Till he came up to me on the break, a fresh Cosmo in hand. He grinned, said hi, and gave me the old nipple-twist. Hard. No warning, nothing, just a glassy grin.

We finished the second and third sets and I never played with him again.

=K
 
Kiwi said:
Classic rock cover band gig, think FM radio circa 1978-80. Cream, Zeppelin, Free, Santana, Skynyrd, Stevie Ray. It was pretty great music and my bandmates were all semi-pros. (Arguably, I was the weak link, but I worked hard and woodshedded and held down rhythm guitar pretty well.)

Took a break at the country-club gig (Texas-OU Weekend, so you can imagine the crowd and the alcohol). Our bass player was tossing back his fourth or fifth Cosmopolitan.

Hearing him play? I couldn't tell! He was dead on time and right on the chord changes. (I privately worshiped him: He got the tricky little run-down on the third line of the chorus in "Badge." Nobody gets that right - he was brilliant.)

Till he came up to me on the break, a fresh Cosmo in hand. He grinned, said hi, and gave me the old nipple-twist. Hard. No warning, nothing, just a glassy grin.

We finished the second and third sets and I never played with him again.

=K
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Well that sure gives nipple stories a new twist! Thanks for sharing!! Hilarious (except the pain)!!!
 
Kiwi said:
Classic rock cover band gig, think FM radio circa 1978-80. Cream, Zeppelin, Free, Santana, Skynyrd, Stevie Ray. It was pretty great music and my bandmates were all semi-pros. (Arguably, I was the weak link, but I worked hard and woodshedded and held down rhythm guitar pretty well.)

Took a break at the country-club gig (Texas-OU Weekend, so you can imagine the crowd and the alcohol). Our bass player was tossing back his fourth or fifth Cosmopolitan.

Hearing him play? I couldn't tell! He was dead on time and right on the chord changes. (I privately worshiped him: He got the tricky little run-down on the third line of the chorus in "Badge." Nobody gets that right - he was brilliant.)

Till he came up to me on the break, a fresh Cosmo in hand. He grinned, said hi, and gave me the old nipple-twist. Hard. No warning, nothing, just a glassy grin.

We finished the second and third sets and I never played with him again.

=K
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I pay good money for that sort of thing.
 
deathworlder said:
It's the main reason I quit the music scene...
I decided a long time ago, if I ever got back into it, I'd be a solo act with 'guns for hire'.

I'm starting to get 'the itch'...
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In my 20s I was in a few bands. Every time they talked about going pro, I quit. I wanted my music to be fun; not a job.
 
My worst is about 2 years ago. A singer/guitar player I had worked with extensively (and gotten paid by) calls me for a gig at a club we had played at many times. It’s one of my favorite places to play. My sister is visiting from Massachusetts, and my new girl friend wants to hear me play. I show up and cart my gear near the stage. I notice there’s another guitar player on stage and I ask the keyboard player what’s up? He says “what are you doing here?”. It turns out the keyboard player had booked the gig and called this guy to do a “one gig audition.” He didn’t pay the guy and pocketed the money. Said singer/ guitar player played stupid and said I’ll get you up later. I looked at him and said not tonight. We all left. The two women were more upset than I was. The silver lining is that my girlfriend realized that very little was going to phase me, and that I was a good guy. Now, we live together and she’s the light of my life.
 
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