I've worked with the same three guys for over ten years and am growing less and less satisfied with what we put out. The places we play love us and we get great crowds but I just don't like how we sound as much as I should.

Guys can't/won't rehearse so new material is tried on the fly, mostly on my shoulders...

I don't need the work, but these are mostly long term clients and there is definitely some fun to this. The guys are pretty good joes but seem content to show up where ever I tell them, provided its not too far away and play. A lot of it sounds really good, but as I said, We can't add new material as fast as I'd like so to me, the show seems to be getting a bit stale.

This has nothing to do with me financially. I've never taken a leaders fee and haven't collected expense money in several years. (My costs are very low.) I cut it right in quarters, which is more generous than most bandleaders do. Bottom line, if the band works once a week, I'd book myself one more NH show and be even.

Part of me says, hey...you're kind of pals with these guys, they've been loyal, your clients and audiences love you so keep it going. Work new stuff in as best you can and don't sweat it.

Another part of me says, hey...guys can't/won't rehearse, new material is difficult to add in and it's not as much fun as it used to be. Play out 2009 and call it a day.


Comments very welcome...

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Bill in Dayton

[This message has been edited by Bill in Dayton (edited 12-31-2008).]

Hi Bill,

I was in a similar situation a few years ago. What was different here though was that band work was getting harder to come by and the OMB market was exploding for me. So it was a no brainer. There was no formal break up of the band, I just let the bookings dwindle down. The drummer is now playing in a jazz trio and the guitar player is in a heavy metal band and I'm in OMB heaven with a lot less headaches. In your case it's a tougher call since you still have a market for it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

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Songman55
Joe Ayala

Bill, are they aware of how you feel? If you're 'kind of pals', maybe you could let them know how you feel and if, IF they are also having fun with the collaboration and want to keep it going, they may be willing to change some old habits. Worth a try, since you've already entertained going it alone after 2009 anyway.

chas

They probably have a pretty good idea but not a crystal clear one.

This'll sound bad but I'm more or less the quality control guy. Two of the guys rarely seem to feel that something "wasn't good enough." The other understands what I'm talking about usually but without rehearsing, its difficult to really address my concerns.

Again, lots of our stuff sounds great...but I hate introducing a new tune in month 1, then not happy with it until month 4 or 5...




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Bill in Dayton

hey bill,
sorry i couldn't get to springfield. i emailed you today. sounds like you want to "raise the bar" and you're not going to get the support from them. From what i heard of you and your professional reputation, i would maybe think about moving on. i went thru this in the 90's, made the switch to a single or got a girl singer and never looked back. as with the band sooner or later if their not going to update with you, your jobs are going to dry up and it will affect your reputation. so with that in mind i would move on cause times are changing.
good luck my friend,
dave
ps. playing at the party room tonight,i will be home and in bed by 9pm. average age 75. now thats what i call retirement.

You have mail, Dave



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Bill in Dayton

ALl bands go through this. The closer you are as friends the harder it is. If you don;t enjoy it and don;t need the income, extricate yourself from the situation and explain why.

There is risk involved yes. They may get with your program and rehearse, learn new songs and you will be artistically content , or they will never speak to you again. How much risk are you willing to take.

My wife settled for the latter. OMBs are far easier to deal with. You are in control of everything, Get all the money and don;t have to fill out those pesky 1099s at the beginning of the year.

Bill ...
I'm glad I never had this problem in 26 years with the same guys ...
But that doesn't help you ...
You should talk to them, give them a 'crystal clear' idea of how you feel, and if they don't want to respond, then YOU have a decision to make - either accept the status quo, or 'cut the ties that bind' ...
I feel for you, because 25 years later I still miss playing with 'my guys', but our breakup was solely due to my relocation to another state ...

Good luck,

t.

LOL, we aren't all that close...

None of us socialize outside the band. I'm closer to one guy more than the others. (I may just like him better...)

I'll still call my sax guy for 30+ duos a year...I've tried to get the bassist to look at putting together an acoustic guitar duo together but he's busy and not that sure he really wants to do something like that. The drummer, well, he's a nice guy who I can talk baseball with, lol...



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Bill in Dayton

Just a slightly different slant, but rather than go totally solo, why not try a few gigs with better musicians? Presumably there's a reason you enjoy music in an ensemble, otherwise you would have gone solo long ago, but if the current guys won't learn new material, get guys that will!

BTW, I have found that using a little pocket recorder (Zoom H2 in my case) has been invaluable for 'quality control'... Actually having to LISTEN to themselves ham it through stuff is often all it takes to wake some guys up, and can avoid the rancor of telling them to their faces it sucks! Some players will get very defensive if you TELL them 9it needs to be better, but will many times fix it themselves if made to endure it like the audience does!

Having a recording is also good for yourself... if the band is cooking, from time to time, it helps to have a good recording of it to compare to your OMB sessions. I know it's hard to admit it, sometimes, but a live bunch of good musicians KILLS even the best of arrangers! Just try to make sure you are playing with the best your area has to offer (if they will play with you!) and you won't get quite so gung-ho about a MACHINE