Drummer is on thin ice , and it's got a bunch of cracks.

[sedan_dad]

Does it matter what the rest of the group thinks? Just asking.

No.

 

[bearhart74]

Counsel, Warn, Suspend, Terminate....

too many chances

 

[David Sutkin]

How do they get those gigs? The time-honored practice of underbidding.

Or the other time honored practice of "Knowing the right guy"

 

[tom_305]

I've done a gig with Barrance opening for us. He's a high energy dude. I wouldn't want to back him up with someone who didn't have his head on straight. is sam from gaunt/new bomb turks still playing/living in ohio? sounds like this would be up his alley, if his alley still has a 614 area code.

 

[tpaul]

Some people can't handle success and are compelled to avoid it or, if success is thrust upon them, to f**K it up. If that's what's going on here, no amount of warnings will work for long.

 

[BooDoggie]

Just give him his participation trophy and send him on his way... After all his self esteem is far more important than the band's future isn't it !!!

 

[lamarjones]

Don't say anything until you got a replacement, and make the change. Don't ever ask for people to step up, they either know to do it on their own or they aren't there.

 

[PauFerro]

Great policy if you are a business who wants to avoid a lawsuit. I think it is overkill in most band situations. I think you can go straight to Warn then Terminate.

I have used all four stages before. But I would tend to skip the suspend option. It's hard to suspend someone from a band because you need SOMEONE to fill their spot if they are a drummer, for example. And you can't very well suspend your singer.

I did once consider suspending any rehearsals with a band until people came to their senses about rehearsal efficiency, but thought better of it. So, I like Counsel, Warn, Terminate better.

 

[petrus61]

Lighten up sparky. What I posted are the true facts. Like I said, I needed to vent. I'm keeping my options open and radar on. We just can't abruptly jettison him without a ready to go guy in the wings. I have to admit that when he's on task he's great. Super sense of tempo but consistency and sense of team is demanded.

Sorry, dad.

 

[morgan138]

is sam from gaunt/new bomb turks still playing/living in ohio? sounds like this would be up his alley, if his alley still has a 614 area code.

Was not expecting the thread to go here. Gaunt and NBT were both great!

 

[jamro217]

I'd be more concerned about having this fester until the inevitable explosion. Like Barney Fife would say: "Nip it in the bud, Andy." I know the TB cliché of "fire the drummer", but there is a time and a place for everything and this sounds like it.

 

[JimmyM]

Or the other time honored practice of "Knowing the right guy"

That, too. I know a guy who's a fine guitarist but has a friend who's just barely competent on the bass, and they stick together like glue and he hires him on every gig he can.

 

[bassdrop]

Has this drummer always acted like this or did the situation begin on better terms before shifting? When people start acting like this they generally want a way out of the situation but don't have the courage to quit. They are literally signaling to you to do it for them. Otherwise they will continue to do the bare minimum or slightly less while also exhibiting a deteriorating attitude of ambivalence and situational nihilism.

 

[G On Bass]

IME it will continue until addressed. A previous band I was in had similar members. Never learned songs right, never learned lyrics, relied on iPads for everything and played what they felt like, even though it was not 'in genre'. The band leader refused to address it, so since it was a local band I left rather than fight. I sat in with them about a year later and it had actually gotten worse. Sounds like you guys have something going so the drummer is the one who needs to be going as well. Good Luck!

 

[BassGuyFL]

A classic case of someone that doesn't have all the pieces of the puzzle together. Great drummer but can't dress appropriately or figure out when the gigs are. Unfortunately it will never get better or change so you either will have to deal with it or replace him. No amount of hoping or wishing he will change will work.

Been in that position before. You throw someone a life preserver and they throw you back an anchor.

 

[collins81]

A little excessive perhaps?.....

Not for Spinal Tap...

 

[karl_em_all]

This is a real deal, bonafide, legitimate, fire the drummer thread. Also, throw in a flying elbow from the top ropes for me would ya? Tanks

 

[Thumpin6string]

Notice the bass player keeps playing. The show must go on!

 

[mancefine]

My pet peeve is also bandmates who don't practice on their own or those you have to beg to practice. Bottom line is that if someone isn't chomping at the bit to immerse themselves in their instrument then they are destined to doom your band and won't be committed, ever. If he can't even commit enough to remembering the songs then get rid of him now before you get bigger and to where a lineup change would be a red flag to labels, etc. Having a band with a subpar drummer is like building a house on a sand foundation. It may look OK for the first few years but it's going to implode pretty quickly. If you guys are having that much success you should be able to find a committed, better drummer pretty easily.

 

[Wesley R]

As someone who does these kinds of gigs all the time, including backing up Mitch a couple times in the past, I can tell you that I've seen musicians in backup bands who range from mind-blowing to incompetent. Not in mine, of course, but in other bands. How do they get those gigs? The time-honored practice of underbidding.

Do you actually bid gigs? Is it a formal process like an RFP is issued and it states the songs, type of gear, number of musicians or what? I am just curious from the perspective of one who bids (non music related, except sound systems) most of my adult life.