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I need help with a problem in my band (long)

PJVITALOGYPJVITALOGY Posts: 54
edited January 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
hey everyone...ive got this problem in my band and we really dont know what to do....heres how it is:

ok so the band consists of Me-Lead Guitar, a Bassist, a Drummer and thats what we want it to be like...but with a lead singer that we havent got yet. We have really good chemistry as well.

anyway...it started out with us 3 and a rhythm guitarist...but hes REAL crap....much less skilled than any of us, and hes too obsessed with rap and the chili peppers (however, he loves Riot Act lol). when he rarely jams with us...the chemistry just isnt really there.

so we want to kick him out but we havent got round to it.

then we auditioned a lead singer whos also a good friend of ours and we still havent heard him sing properly....he was kinda nervous on that day. one of the others suggested he be rhythm guitarist as well as lead singer to replace the crap guy...so now hes gone and bought a electric guitar and he thinks hes in the band.

while this is going on, weve also got a REALLY REALLY awesome rhythm guitarist that weve found....hes just so good...and hes got some real good riffs hes written already. also, hes real smart and knows a lot about the music business, and almost definately could get us a record deal. we havent told him hes in our band though, but he knows about our problem with the others, and knows that we want him in the band.

so we want this guy in our band...but weve got 2 other rhythm guitarists weve already half-commited to.

its gonna be so hard to kick someone out and i dont know if well be able to do it.

weve REALLY fucked this up BIG TIME....what the hell do we do?

PS. we dont want more than 2 guitarists.
Post edited by Unknown User on

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    parchyparchy Posts: 205
    Dump the zero's and get with the hero (the beast)... it may sound harsh, but the music business will eat you up and spit you out of you're not talented...
    Make Movies. Don't make Videos. Videos are evil.
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    justamjustam Posts: 21,402
    That seems like a social-interaction problem really.
    And this is more than one problem, it's three:

    1)How do we kick out the rhythm guitarist we don't want?

    2)How do we tell our friend who wants to be the singer that
    we still haven't heard him really sing?

    --->3)What about these people who we've misled into thinking they are in the band?

    Good luck.
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
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    thelouderthebetterthelouderthebetter Posts: 57
    Beware of people that "know a lot about the record business and could get a deal" That just doesn't happen much these days. Has he had a contract or is he in a band that has had one?

    We had to "clean house" a couple of times and it's hard, but if you want to be a band, you have to go with talent and people that you can get along with. Once the band gets filled with friends that do half the job, feelings get hurt and the music doesn't flow.
    There are always people that seem like they would be better than who is in the band, and always friends that want to be in it!

    I don't know where I'm going with this!,,,, Oh, get the rhythm guitarist you want, if you want one, stand up and say no to the ones that you don't want, and make sure the singer IS really good.
    Good luck, too!
    Smile :)
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    FlizankFlizank Posts: 59
    In our band, we recently added another member who's a guitarist. He also isn't very good, but we added him because we knew with another guitarist, it would give us options. Now one of us can play piano/organ, do more complicated vocals (or simple vocals, but one of us can sing without a guitar, a la Eddie), and we just have another person who can write songs.

    The guy who you havn't heard sing yet... hear him sing, and if he's good, he's in the band as a singer, and the really good rhythm guitarist should definately be in. Now the singer can also play guitar, so if you ever WANT the flexibiltiy of having another guitarist, you can have that flexibiltiy.

    The other guy.. just kick out. You've parted ways, it hasn't worked out. So it goes.

    Sucks for him.
    PresiWAH of the Evenflow Fan Club
    Don't need a hand, there's always arms attached.
    Don't get behind I can't fall back.
    Why must we trust all these rusted rails?
    They don't want no change. We already have.
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    StraightDayBusStraightDayBus Posts: 7
    Read Motlëy Crue's autobiography, THE DIRT. Then do what Mick Mars did when they needed to kick out one of their early guitar players. Also, the book just fuckin' rules.
    "If I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead" - Layne Staley

    Vancouver '98
    Vancouver '03
    Benaroya Hall, Seattle '03
    Arnhem '06
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    PJVITALOGYPJVITALOGY Posts: 54
    thanks for all the help guys....i think i might go with:

    kicking out the shit rhythm guitarist, adding in the real good one.
    the lead singer i reckon well keep him as a lead singer/ part time guitarist and ifs hes bad then after a month or two well break it off with him. thats probably the best way to do it.
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    A Surprise LeftA Surprise Left Posts: 743
    i'm no lawyer yet alone one in the music business but IF you ever make it could you not have a problem down the track considering you have misled anyone you are planning on kicking out?
    The wind is blowing cold
    Have we lost our way tonight?
    Have we lost our hope to sorrow?

    Feels like were all alone
    Running further from what’s right
    And there are no more heroes to follow

    So what are we becoming?
    Where did we go wrong?
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    PJVITALOGYPJVITALOGY Posts: 54
    Originally posted by A Surprise Left
    i'm no lawyer yet alone one in the music business but IF you ever make it could you not have a problem down the track considering you have misled anyone you are planning on kicking out?

    im sorry...but i didnt understand any of that:)
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    MONKEYNUTSMONKEYNUTS Posts: 114
    if THEY HAVnT SIgned Up anYONE TO A CONtracT then surelY DIR SHUdnT b a proBLEM SUprise lefT. MONKEYNUTS DOnT FINk VERBAl agreemenTS R LEGAly BiNDIN
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    puremagicpuremagic Posts: 1,907
    1. In the music business, people sue at the drop of a hat, even on verbally implied situations. A word you need to forget when discussing personnel matters is "promise". Make a decision. Whether its to see the person again or not. Don't promise anything and that includes your time of day.

    2. I'd excerise caution with the one who "can get you a contract". Make sure that person understands he/she is just "another member" of the band not the "spokesman" not the "implied manager" which everyone looks up to for guidance. This could hurt you down the road.

    3. Be exceptionally sure of what you are signing. If nothing else, remember this. If you don't feel comfortable, don't be pressured into signing anything. Don't sign something because your pretending that you know what your doing. Don't sign something because you want people to think your cool. The word atty. usually gets you a second option to look at. You have a right to seek legal advice. If you get big, a second opinion to your atty. is always good.

    Repeating: Music is a business.
    If you can't even make a decision to tell someone they can't be part of your band. You had better make sure you don't sign anything without legal guidance. Get your own atty. perferrably someone you do not know and someone who is not associated with the record label. Get a listing from the American Bar Association.
    SIN EATERS--We take the moral excrement we find in this equation and we bury it down deep inside of us so that the rest of our case can stay pure. That is the job. We are morally indefensible and absolutely necessary.
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