is he childish or am i overreacting? band issues

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so, i used to be in a local punk band, Static Breed. recently we had our first public show at a rather popular cafe and novelty store downtown called 3rd Street Stuff. we did ok, i mean, it wasnt all that great, but you could barely tell because the music was so loud and our audience was so close. the crowd liked us ok, people moshed a little. in fact, more people stopped while walking by when we played than when the other bands played. a few minor mishaps though, due to our guitarists bad planning of practice days. we had had one day of practice in that whole month leading up to the show, and even i didnt know the set list before the day before the show. i had to improv. 75% of my basslines, because i had forgotten the riffs because i learned them the day before, and whats worse was i couldnt hear what everyone else was playing. our drummer was under the impression that we did horribly so he left because of that. immature much? thats like leaving your best friends birthday party because you didnt get the slice of cake with the H on it. and because the drummer left, the guitarist left too. of course he also left because him and the vocalist argued alot because of the band, but they were never really big arguments (in fact i thought they were joking 80% of the time, and just picking on the guitarist because hes the youngest member, being age 15) and no one had told the vocalist (who was the leader and founder of the band) untill a few days later... when he then decided he didnt want to continue the band.

it took me over a year after being kicked out of a death metal band to finally find this simple, but fun, successfull punk band, only to have it disband because some immature children couldnt take a slightly bad show.

bright side is that 5 minutes after the bulliten saying that we had disbanded went up on myspace, i got some offers from some other bands, as well as asking a VERY prominent local death metal band, called Colossi, if i could join (as theyd been looking for a bassist for a long time) i mean these people do shows outside of the city, and even outside of the state. and death metal is more my style anyways, being so similar in structure to classical music (my first instrument was violin, approx 8 years ago now) still gotta learn the song they sent me and pass the tryout though.



anyone else here have similar issues? it doesnt have to be with band stuff, it could be things like coworkers at work, friends at school, something as such.

This I don't know, I've always found band politics to be incredibly confusing, especially when it comes to really picayune, trivial issues such as this. --Try out for the death metal band, though.

I agree, though it seems childish on their behalf. Bands are just a bit of fun.

One of your members was 15? That says it all.

You can't just fudge your way through a gig. This isn't the 1970s, even punk bands need some level of competence.

Yes, that was all immature BS, but honestly, was there no way for you to force them all to practice?

This just in, folks. No practising = s**t GIG.

Yeah. I think you should be glad that band's over, because if that was how your first show went, and that's how they handle this kind of thing? You got off easy.

Plus, not being able to hear each other - cardinal sin. You NEED to hear each other.

Ah the joys of band politics!

Practicing isn't everything but it certainly helps to know the songs. I have been in bands where there was minimal amounts of practice where we got away with listening to demos in the van on the way to gigs. No-one has ever heard of any of these bands though so I suppose this fact just propagates the case for regular practice!

To pull off gigs with literally no practice or structure you need virtuoso musicians who are full to the brim with confidence and can read eachothers's thoughts.

The only formula I have ever found to work for me is one where nobody takes themselves or the music too seriously and is just in it for the fun of playing. You obviously need good songs but that can almost be achieved mathematically once you rip off enough stuff (there is no new music, just different music).

My last band probably had some gigs which you could technically say sounded pretty bad but we weren't doing it for the music or the audience or to become popular. Sounds pointless? Not when you have glorious costumes that prevent you from playing your instrument properly and the audience can see this and is giggling.

Career musicians are so boring to talk to. I would do it all again just to see the look of disgust on the main act's faces when I stumble out drunk in a tinfoil and duct tape spacesuit with charity shop sparkly PVC corset; the easiest way to usurp the main act whether you are any good at playing live or not is to make people laugh and cause a spectacle.

For many people I know who frequent gigs the songs are a sideline anyway as they have heard it all before. It is not enough just to be good or technically proficient.
Have I just got completely the wrong idea about gigs?
True musical genius has a whole room spellbound whether they want to be or not. For everyone else there is the comedic approach!
Musicians know your place!

I just saw a band fall apart. I know this because the drummer is my pal, and I made the graphic design for the cd packaging and a poster. They already had a deal with a producer, and everything was already set, oh, and they where going to be on tour in the country.

But it fell apart. A friend who was also in the band and makes the sound effects told me that the singer and the keyboardist had huge egos, and that "they fought all the time over stupid little details".

Another vote for finding new people. I think you'll be better in a new band. Good luck in the tryouts!

Yeah, band politics are always complicated, in my experience. That's why I chose to go it alone. Less to worry about.

I think you should join to the death metal band, maybe it's your big chance. Good luck!

I can go either way, honestly. I like being solo, but something about the rehearsal room when you're in a band, there's an amazing rush when your music comes together. Also I like having a collaborator - not someone to write with, at least not much, but someone to spark off, and think 'hey, I could do better than that!' and then just keep trying to out-write each other.