- #1
BiGyElLoWhAt
Gold Member
- 1,622
- 131
That's the name of my band, and we're having some problems. Well, problem.
Let me just start off by saying I don't necessarily expect this site to give me a solution, but I would really like some advice.
Background:
We've been a band for 5 or 6 years now (3 of us, 1 is new ~1year in), we started off covers, metallica, megadeth, slayer, testament, annihilator, etc., but with some originals, knowing that we wanted to be an original band. There were a couple songs that were written when I "joined" (it was basically a new band when I joined, no bass player, etc.) that were written by one guitar player solely. I learned them pretty quickly, there wasn't much to them, basic thrash. We moved on fairly shortly to writing songs as a band, a full collaboration. Everyone needs to be on board with every note that everyone is playing.
Fast forward to today, we're one song away from having the album done, we've played many shows, including Pierre's (million dollar stage, but I wasn't impressed) and the Embassy theatre, as well as a lot of dive bars, because, you know... metal.
We've gone through phases, playing phases and writing phases, we play shows, and get off task from writing (I feel this is critical to a successful original band, more on this later) so we can play lots of shows that do little, if anything, for us. Then we take breaks from shows, and write a half a song or a song (the writing process is rather grueling, 7-9 minute long songs with 30-40 riffs in them, shortest one took a month and a half of 2x/week writing sessions, usually 5-8hours long + individual writing so you can bring something to the table to kick off next practice). The point I'm trying to make here is the writing process, for us, takes an excruciatingly long amount of time.
The Problem:
We've sat down and discussed the course of action several times, and it is extremely apparent that there is a 2v2 split in the band w.r.t. schools of thoughts. One guitar player and myself want to keep writing, we're about a minute and a half into the last song for the album, and once we finish it it's done! We can record it and have a tangible album, that we can sell at shows, and people will have something to remember us by after the show's done. Believe it or not, no matter how much people get into our music, they don't really know the songs that well, because, you know... 30-40 riff long songs, 10 of them, in an hour.
The other side, rhythm guitar player and bass player want to gig-gig-gig, and also seem to think that we can keep up with our level of productivity whilst spending a day or 2 a week out at the bars (we all have day jobs, also, by the way). Slight side note, the bass player has brought up the idea of a deadline for writing, which I find contradicting to his stance on gigging (I'm not looking for agreement/disagreement, just saying). I also disagree with that because it puts us in a position of either rushing the song and having it potentially not come out as well as we would have liked, or ditching the deadline at the end, in which case it was pointless. They say they have a plan to get us from point A (nobody, AKA where we are now) to point B (global domination), but never produce it, and quite honestly, I feel like if we go along with this, it will be detrimental to our end goal.
The reason I bring this up is this: we've had "the talk" probably 4 or 5 times now, over the course of the last year, and come up with a game plan, but then shortly thereafter, someone gets pissed and brings it up. That happened today, and it got rather heated.
I'm not sure how to proceed. Another problem that we have and have been trying to deal with (well lead guitar player and I), is that there is a sort of, I don't know how to say it, but "parental" role that the two of us have, and we don't like it. We write the majority of the music, book ALL of the shows, etc. No matter how many times we say stuff to the effect of "This is a full collaboration, everyone has equal say", it doesn't really change. It has gotten a little better, the rhythm guitar player has started pitching more riffs at band practice, so that it's not just a song that the two of us write in front of the other two and they nod their heads and learn the riffs.
What I'm asking for is how to proceed with this. We have band practice tonight, and I feel I need to force "the talk" again, and hopefully get the air cleared (I'm doubtful it will happen permanently, however).
How can I guide the discussion productively, without actually guiding it? I don't want a mediator, I want the band to stay the band. Everyone is equal, although they don't necessarily act like it, so I don't want to run the show, but I think someone is going to have to step up and keep it along a straight line, or relatively, at least.
I'm still shaking after the long heated discussion we had just an hour or so ago via G+ hangouts.
Advice? Correct me if I'm not being fair/rational. How to run a collective meeting, get people involved, and GET A DECISION MADE THAT WILL BE STUCK WITH.
It makes it really hard, also, that lead guitar player and I are almost ALWAYS 100% on the same page with each other, and bass player rhythm guitar player are the same way.
HALP ME
Let me just start off by saying I don't necessarily expect this site to give me a solution, but I would really like some advice.
Background:
We've been a band for 5 or 6 years now (3 of us, 1 is new ~1year in), we started off covers, metallica, megadeth, slayer, testament, annihilator, etc., but with some originals, knowing that we wanted to be an original band. There were a couple songs that were written when I "joined" (it was basically a new band when I joined, no bass player, etc.) that were written by one guitar player solely. I learned them pretty quickly, there wasn't much to them, basic thrash. We moved on fairly shortly to writing songs as a band, a full collaboration. Everyone needs to be on board with every note that everyone is playing.
Fast forward to today, we're one song away from having the album done, we've played many shows, including Pierre's (million dollar stage, but I wasn't impressed) and the Embassy theatre, as well as a lot of dive bars, because, you know... metal.
We've gone through phases, playing phases and writing phases, we play shows, and get off task from writing (I feel this is critical to a successful original band, more on this later) so we can play lots of shows that do little, if anything, for us. Then we take breaks from shows, and write a half a song or a song (the writing process is rather grueling, 7-9 minute long songs with 30-40 riffs in them, shortest one took a month and a half of 2x/week writing sessions, usually 5-8hours long + individual writing so you can bring something to the table to kick off next practice). The point I'm trying to make here is the writing process, for us, takes an excruciatingly long amount of time.
The Problem:
We've sat down and discussed the course of action several times, and it is extremely apparent that there is a 2v2 split in the band w.r.t. schools of thoughts. One guitar player and myself want to keep writing, we're about a minute and a half into the last song for the album, and once we finish it it's done! We can record it and have a tangible album, that we can sell at shows, and people will have something to remember us by after the show's done. Believe it or not, no matter how much people get into our music, they don't really know the songs that well, because, you know... 30-40 riff long songs, 10 of them, in an hour.
The other side, rhythm guitar player and bass player want to gig-gig-gig, and also seem to think that we can keep up with our level of productivity whilst spending a day or 2 a week out at the bars (we all have day jobs, also, by the way). Slight side note, the bass player has brought up the idea of a deadline for writing, which I find contradicting to his stance on gigging (I'm not looking for agreement/disagreement, just saying). I also disagree with that because it puts us in a position of either rushing the song and having it potentially not come out as well as we would have liked, or ditching the deadline at the end, in which case it was pointless. They say they have a plan to get us from point A (nobody, AKA where we are now) to point B (global domination), but never produce it, and quite honestly, I feel like if we go along with this, it will be detrimental to our end goal.
The reason I bring this up is this: we've had "the talk" probably 4 or 5 times now, over the course of the last year, and come up with a game plan, but then shortly thereafter, someone gets pissed and brings it up. That happened today, and it got rather heated.
I'm not sure how to proceed. Another problem that we have and have been trying to deal with (well lead guitar player and I), is that there is a sort of, I don't know how to say it, but "parental" role that the two of us have, and we don't like it. We write the majority of the music, book ALL of the shows, etc. No matter how many times we say stuff to the effect of "This is a full collaboration, everyone has equal say", it doesn't really change. It has gotten a little better, the rhythm guitar player has started pitching more riffs at band practice, so that it's not just a song that the two of us write in front of the other two and they nod their heads and learn the riffs.
What I'm asking for is how to proceed with this. We have band practice tonight, and I feel I need to force "the talk" again, and hopefully get the air cleared (I'm doubtful it will happen permanently, however).
How can I guide the discussion productively, without actually guiding it? I don't want a mediator, I want the band to stay the band. Everyone is equal, although they don't necessarily act like it, so I don't want to run the show, but I think someone is going to have to step up and keep it along a straight line, or relatively, at least.
I'm still shaking after the long heated discussion we had just an hour or so ago via G+ hangouts.
Advice? Correct me if I'm not being fair/rational. How to run a collective meeting, get people involved, and GET A DECISION MADE THAT WILL BE STUCK WITH.
It makes it really hard, also, that lead guitar player and I are almost ALWAYS 100% on the same page with each other, and bass player rhythm guitar player are the same way.
HALP ME