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[herbyguitar]

Long story short:

I'm a guitar player and singer. I've toured all over the US for about 10 years back in the day. Been in many bands. Recently I've been bandless, so when I ran into a good singer/front man in the same position I asked him to start a new project with me. He said yes, so I started looking for other musicians to fill out the band. I asked a bass player friend of mine if he was interested and he said yes. The singer said he found a drummer. GREAT. We now had all the people we needed. Our first get together was more of a get acquainted jam which went very well. Afterward the singer said he knew another guitar player and wanted to bring him into the band. I said "sure. As long as he's good and will work with me".

A week later we have another rehearsal with the new guitar player. He was good but he over played, didn't show interest in working with me. The new guitar player had more hair and was about 20 years younger than me.

After the jam I told the singer how I felt and that I didn't think it would work out with the new guy. The day before the next rehearsal the singer tells me "we don't jive well and I don't want to do the band thing right now". I called the bass player friend of mine and he tells me that they're still practicing the next day. He doesn't know about the conversation I had with the singer. He says he feels bad for me but he's going to go ahead and play with the other guys and their NEW guitar player.

Basically I got fired from my own band by the singer and my friend the bass player decided to ignore our friendship and go with it.

In over 30 years of playing in bands I've never been fired and I've never been back stabbed. I was replaced by a younger guy with more hair. It wasn't a talent issue.

[vansinn]

Yeah, it sucks.  It's basically the same as in business life, where it's called a hostile takeover.
Sometimes a band even holds a meeting with a lawyer, to have legal referrals, and kicks out the founding member while keeping all the songs.
This happened a few years ago to Liv Espenes from Liv's Eyes.

I'm very sorry for your loss, dude.  At least the band hadn't yet developed songs you had written..
Maybe, when starting a band, one needs to start with defining legal documents, then place adds in magazines and the net, hold official interviews/tests, have members sign the legal documents just like when signing contract to a job.
If the band then kicks out the founder, he/she can do the court to claim damages and legal rights to songs&lyrics.

One topic I need to bring up: It sounds like all the other members had agreed to carry on without you.
Which necessitates the question if you acted overly controlling?

My feeling is that you never indicate such behavior in here..
Best of luck with the next band efforts.

[Soloist]

Man that blows! They hijacked your project.  Some people are all about looks and show not about substance and talent. Things usually happen for a reason, maybe your better off finding some new band mates!

[Dante]

I'm on board with what Soloist says - probably something better around the corner, keep your mind open to new projects.

Sucks that they're being such douches about it, but those aren't the friends you need to associate with anyways. Be you.

[Kim]

I've heard of things happening like that plenty of times, but not to anyone I know personally. 
I'll agree with the "better things for you elsewhere" ideas.  As I see it, you probably dodged a bullet as things could have gotten much uglier further down that road with those folks and as long as you maintain your professionalism (regardless of whether they do or not) I think the "right" people will notice. 

[herbyguitar]

I appreciate all the good vibes from the community.
The question came up that I may have been too controlling. Just the opposite. I busted my ass to accommodate the singer and his preferences.

[rnolan]

Hey Herby, sorry to hear that, shame the bass player didn't stand by you  .  But also the way it was done to you sucks.  One of the first bands I ever played in was pretty much organised by the drummer (who wasn't that good).  If he wanted to change members, he'd disband the band then start it up again with the players he wanted back.  After a few of these cycles, I wasn't invited back.  Probably because I didn't want to play running bare and that sort of stuff.

[herbyguitar]

I found out that the other guitar player had a studio and plenty of gear... which wouldn't have been a problem, because, as I told them, I was in a position to come up with all we needed after we made a full commitment and got some rehearsal time behind us. The thing is, the other guitar player was well known in that area. I was the outsider.

I had a conversation with my 'friend' the bass player afterward and asked him why he didn't stick up for me. I told him that he could have shut down the dissent with his veto vote. He got self righteous and told me I needed to get over myself. Incidentally, he was already in two other projects...   

[rabidgerry]

This a really shitty thing to happen to you man.  The sort of thing I remember happening back when I was trying to get a band started and I was late teens and other guys with more money and gear were more appealing than me.  And those tactics, so juvenile that that guy could not tell you face to face.  Obviously because he knew he had no really excuse and was just being a prick.  Reeks of teenage early band years when people haven't grown up yet and learnt to be diplomatic or have a set of balls.

[rnolan]

I think someone else said it before, if they are going to be like that, why would you want to be involved with them.  Bands are like family, you need to be able to trust one another.  Not that that takes away the hurt  .

[herbyguitar]

Hurt. Yes. I've never been fired from a band before, let alone my own. After decades of playing and 10 years on the road. I thought I'd seen everything. I grabbed me a bottle of Jack and drank myself stupid. Not in public   

[Zilthy]

Sorry that happened Herby.

There is a lot I could go on about this, but it is kind of sad that as a society/people (we) still cannot or do not communicate, and things end up being done in manipulative ways.