General Music Chat

No. Really. I mean it.

But...

I'm not the band leader, so I can't just fire him. There are a number of reasons I want to continue with this band, so I need to somehow help this drummer learn to keep time.

But it's worse than that.

He's also a raging jerk. A monumentally unpleasant personality. He doesn't listen to me, he doesn't listen to anyone in the band. He regularly insults other people in the band. He thinks he's being funny. He isn't funny.

So, I'm frustrated. It's difficult for me to even talk to the guy.

And that's when he's sober. Which he mostly isn't.

We played a gig a few weeks ago at a place that only had a beer and wine license. He brought in a bottle of whiskey in one of his equipment bags. He drank most of the bottle over the three hours we were playing. And got louder and sloppier the more he drank. And more aggressively nasty toward everyone.

tough situation.

has anyone sat this person down and told them what's needed/expected from them?

it's one thing playing w a jerk who has skills.... or playing w a less than skilled player who's a good guy/gal and a good hang.

but someone who DOESN'T play well and is a jerk? no way. unless you absolutely NEED that gig, i'd recommend taking a walk unless the band leader and/or rest of the band agree to find another drummer. life's too short.

If the other guys in the band have no problem with the way the guy is, then you have no choice: quit the band. IF a majority of the other guys in the band are NOT ok with the guy, then you all go to the leader and make him do something.
IF you don't take the problem in hand first, it'll eventually work its way to the front and kill the band anyway.

It's not a rock band if the drummer sucks.

My suggestion is to beat the bushes and find a better fit first. Chat with him and make sure you are on the same page and want the same things from the band in terms of gigs, rehearsals, music style, etc. Once you have vetted this guy and heard some of his recordings or talked to former band mates, move to the next step. Talk to your band leader and air your feelings and impressions of current drummer. Is he open to consider someone else cause I met this guy and... Set up an informal jam with just you, band leader, and new drummer and see what gives. If it works, ask band leader what he thinks. Is it time for a change? The right drummer will transform the band and energize all the players.

Well, lots of great comments.

Sadly, it kind of confirms stuff I really already knew.

I guess I was hoping for some brilliant silver bullet. In hindsight, that was stupid, wishful thinking.

I'm going to just have to bite the bullet an call this idiot and talk to him and try to make nice. For now. I expect we're going to be looking for a new drummer sooner rather than later, so I will just need to cope in the meantime.

If the other guys in the band have no problem with the way the guy is, then you have no choice: quit the band.

Well, the Good News(?) is that at least one other person in the band has openly agreed with me about the guys timekeeping and two others have made it clear they don't like his attitude. I suppose that's something.

I've been out of the music scene for a little while and when I tried to get back in I realized my biggest obstacle was nobody had a clue who I was or what I was capable of. So this band is my vehicle to get out there. Heck, it might even turn into the band I'm really looking for (but not with this drummer). What I would really like is to be able to enjoy playing with these guys for as long as it makes sense and if and when I leave to do so on amicable terms.

What in life ISN'T a compromise? So, why should we expect playing music to be any different?

Sounds similar to what happened with me and the Beatles tribute band I was in several years ago. I. too, had been out of circulation for a while, and the band was a great way for me to get back into things.
Unfortunately, the drummer had a bad case of timing, and would play at too-fast speed too much. When a click/metronome was suggested, he got all defensive and claimed his timing was perfect. Then we got into a tv studio for a live broadcast, and when we got DVD copies back it became quite obvious that he had timing issues. Unfortunately, again, the bass player didn't want to say anything to the drummer, and was the only who could, due to their history. So the lead singer quit first, and then after trying a few replacements, everyone else got discouraged and 'that was that'.

I sympathize. The drummer my band is currently working with is perfectly nice but she isn't really keeping up with the rest of the musicians. When she was brought on, she was explicitly told that she needed to up her game or we would have to part ways after a certain amount of time. Now I wish I had that problem where we disliked the drummer. I agree with the other guys on here. You have to make it clear where you stand. If one person is severely lacking, all the time and money anyone puts into the band ends up wasted.

Cajun Daddy is right, "it's not a rock band if the drummer sucks"

That says it all

Ahhhhh, it doesn't matter WHAT the style of music.... If the drummer ain't happening... ain't NOTHING happening.

Ahhhhh, it doesn't matter WHAT the style of music.... If the drummer ain't happening... ain't NOTHING happening.

And how many hundreds of times have I said this you mother AHOLE. Few words missingOMG

I am going to PHUCK WITH YOU EVERY CHANCE I GET!

i am done with you!

Ok class. This means one thing...

I am going to PHUCK WITH YOU EVERY CHANCE I GET!

And this means the exact opposite.

i am done with you!

Ahhhhh, it doesn't matter WHAT the style of music.... If the drummer ain't happening... ain't NOTHING happening.

Yea, that's where the music starts. In most songs the beat and the bass is what you "feel" before you get the song. As long as that is great, you can't even mess it up with a sloppy guitarist (like Jimmy Page) if they can just hit notes in the right key.

But, the flip side is anything else is lipstick on a pig. Having a bad drummer means your band sucks, no matter how good the rest of the players are.

If the drummer can't do a click track....you've got a bad one. So that's my first question and their response tells me all I. need to know.



.

Ahhhhh, it doesn't matter WHAT the style of music.... If the drummer ain't happening... ain't NOTHING happening.

And how many hundreds of times have I said this you mother AHOLE. Few words missingOMG

I am going to PHUCK WITH YOU EVERY CHANCE I GET!

i am done with you!

Meds, Glen, get back on the MEDS