United States

I just got home from a gig. We lost our keyboard player/rhythm guitar/harmonica/harmony singer/techno wiz/best friend/sound guy/swiss army knife, I had to put together a new P.A. learn his parts plus play lead and sing lead, and set up P.A. (10,000 watts)
Our bass player has a degenerative back disease and may have to stop playing (he is also an awesome singer and good friend)
In Spite of all the problems the gig went great the crowd could not tell the difference the new P.A. sounded awesome and we got a lot of compliments.
They say life ebbs and flows but as a diehard musician I will not go down without a fight. I love music and interacting with fellow musicians it's fun and the crowd responds to that, so the trailers in the garage. I have a good drink of 1792 and ginger ale. In spite of all the negativity I am extremely blessed, and we had plenty of good turkey LIFE IS GOOOD!!!

J ? You lost your best friend? As in quit or as in gone?
Cant your bassest get a lighter guitar and sit down?
Your a Texan by God, you got to kick life's ass till they throw dirt in your face.

That's the right 'tude.

Hey George, no he is still alive, he had to leave the band do his job, his company promoted him and he has to travel, plus he has a new girlfriend (my brothers ex wife) kind of reminds of Peyton Place, the bass player played setting down all night and I think it helped a lot.
We are a three peice band now, but everyone sings (3 part vocal harmonies and lead). We had to learn a bunch of new songs which is cool.
I basically had a choice, start over again, or kick life's ass till they throw dirt in my face and well what can I say I'm a Texan!!!!!

Whew! Hope his trade was worth it for him.
Yea buddy, Remember the Alamo n all that!

I talked to our bass player this afternoon and his back did a lot better, our drummer and I and my lovely wife who mixes that 10,000 watt P.A., set everythging up, our bass player just kind of showed up, set his amp on top of his speaker and helped as much as (we would let him), and we hope he won't have to quit so that is good news!!!!! sorry guys Sat. am after the gig I was PWSI (posting while slightly intoxicated) if you guy's have noticed I alway's call this OUR BAND because I have been on the other side of "I was his or her guitar player " and in my humble opinion this is very important to keeping a band together long term, I can not stress this enough, no one wants to feel like an outsider, there is the exception that some musicians want to be proffesional, and allthough I applaud you for this, you proffesional's need to be up front with that and be perfectly clear that this is what you want. Most of us are kind of living life as it comes and may not necessarily have had the proper guidance when we were young, but have the same burning desire to be the best musician we can be I.E. S.R.V. anyway my point is if you are the leader of a band you must be unbiased AT ALL COST. I have had the very GOOD FORTUNE of working with very good musicians,leaders, and experienced song writers.
If you set your band up with the intension that you are the owner and you want to assume that responsibility, then let your members know that from the onset (this is in my opinion almost impossible) and I wish you luck, but if you are mature and I don't care (if you are 15 or 50) you must put the good of the band before your own interest, and the balance between this and what you want to acheive as an individual artist is a conflict of interest. So in my opinion, it is in your best interest that your band mates feel like they are co-owners and have a vested interest in the project. This in my opinion is very difficult because as the leader of the band you are torn between, usually your bandmates want to be co-owners when it is time to pick the songs you are going to play or when it is time to divie up the proceeds from a gig. You band mates need to be team players as well SUCK IT UP and take responsibility for the roll you play in your band and the potential success

Egos & power-trips, the destroyer of many a band. Yes I think everyone should be a co-owner unless a leader is voluntarily chosen.

I am soooo lucky. Although we defer to Ray as defacto leader of sorts.
It is "our" band. We all contribute music lyrics etc. Its a great set up.