Miscellaneous > Rants & Raves

Getting Fired

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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. :wave:

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! :thumb-up:

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. 

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