When you lose your band

[MarshallJMP]

Again thanks MJMP    I had it shaved off a couple of years ago.  Growing it back now though  :headbanger:  Going for a mullet this time I think    I do the laughing emoji but I'm serious

Well at first I did not recognise you without the hair, I was thinking for a moment you had a second guitar player also, but watching a bit more I was like mmm that's Gerry without the hair. And  is it also a different color? You had black hair, no?

[rabidgerry]

I can't remember where on here I mentioned that I had a bass player now and was just looking for a singer now to complete the new band lineup but you will not believe what happened to said new bass player who was fantastic and really just starting to fit into the band. 

About a month ago he had an accident with his motorcycle chain.  He ended up losing his index finger on his left hand and part of his thumb.  You could not make this up.  So leaves the poor guy (he was a music tutor by trade) unable to play many instruments that he had played previous and of course totally screws up the fact he was our new bass player.

Leaves me in a bad situation again as the guy wants to try and continue with the band despite not yet knowing how.  I've agreed to wait on him, but I said as soon as he realises, or should I say if he realises that he physically will not be able to play bass with us he has to hold his hand up and tell me rather than me have to tell him.  Of course I want him to succeed.  But how realistic is this?  Anyone know any three fingered guitar players or bass player?  How do they cope?  I want him to pull through this and hope he finds a way because looking for a new guy again will be a nightmare and sets me right back to where I was a year ago with only a drummer and having that one extra guy really boosted morale.  But then the constant lack of progress again just makes me want to pack it in and not play again.  Yesterday was the first time in weeks I played guitar.  My calluses have gone it's been so long.  I wasn't as terrible as I thought I would be and managed to play some songs ok with the drummer, but it says a lot as to where my motivation to continue has gone.  For the mean time I'm not retiring.............but it's tough.

[Harley Hexxe]

Hi Gerry,

     Django Rienhart. (I probably spelled his name wrong).

     A Gypsy Flamenco guitar player who is well known all over the world. When he was a boy, a fire mangled his left hand and he lost the use of ring finger and pinky. He ended up being one of the most sought after Jazz players of his time. Look him up. He could play like a bat outta hell.

     If this man has the mental determination, he can find a way to overcome this adversity, and he will get back to playing every instrument he loves to play. Being a music tutor, tells me he has a deep passion for the art.

     IF you need another example, think of Def Leppard's drummer, Rick Allen. He lost an arm, but came back and played on their biggest selling album of their history as a band. Maybe it was the fact that he was a one-armed drummer that helped push the band's popularity on that album? I don't really know, I'm just guessing here.

    I guess what it comes down to is this: How close are you guys as friend, (the 3 of you)? Is he good to work with, and does he inspire you to do things on the guitar, as well as your drummer? Those things are important to the chemistry within any band. If the chemistry is there, then maybe it's worth giving the guy a chance, especially if he is determined to succeed himself. Being an outsider, I can't give you any clear direction. All I can do offer a suggestion. In the end, it comes down to you guys. How much do you want it to work?

[rabidgerry]

Hi Harley, I actually of know Django Reinhardt and looked him up right away when I first knew what happened our bassist.  But I always thought he had two fingers.  When I saw him, he has a full deck.  So perhaps he had lost the ability in some.  Most importantly it looks as though his index finger is working.  This is the anchor finger in my opinion for a guitarist.  Django has this finger.  Our bass player does now.  Not sure who has it worse.  But I get what you are saying my man, I just think it might be a worse for us.

Well this is it, he's a new member.  I barely know the guy.  I just know that he was much better than the last guy.  However the last guy was the frontman, and singer and best friend of nearly 30 years so there is a bit of a difference.  I know musically with this new guy things musically would have been better.  Him and the drummer I have now were the best musicians I have ever had in the band.  I could communicate so much easier with them because they understand music a lot better.  But hey, it's all gone tits up now and we don't even have a singer yet either.  And finding a replacement for the last guy will be tough, not many people into this kind of music in Ireland never mind have the ability to scream really high and as relentlessly as our last singer.  I guess we shall just have to see what happens with our bassist.

[rnolan]

Hey RG, wow that's really horrible for him, I spose only time will tell if he can adapt and still play bass.  One option will be go left handed but that will take allot of work and who knows how his damaged hand would go picking  .  I cut a tendon at the last joint on my left index finger (very sharp chisel) when I was 23 (many moons ago). so became a 3 fingered player.  I had an operation which restored some stability to the tip but I can't bend it much.  I can play flat style runs and barre with it but if I want to play blues rock stuff style (thumb over the top of the board etc.) I basically use 3 fingers and open chords are harder e.g. open C I have to play with last 3 fingers.  I did contemplate learning left handed but persevered in the end.  I've lost some dexterity but it wasn't the end of the world.  The thumb loss will be harder to compensate for.  All you can do is give it a go, if it's not going to work then move on.  Playing the bass on keyboard also may be an option? Wolfmother made that work and other bands have done it that way.

[MarshallJMP]

OMG this sad for him and you. You really have some bad karma over you. I hope it works out in the long run.

[rabidgerry]

Hey RG, wow that's really horrible for him, I spose only time will tell if he can adapt and still play bass.  One option will be go left handed but that will take allot of work and who knows how his damaged hand would go picking  .  I cut a tendon at the last joint on my left index finger (very sharp chisel) when I was 23 (many moons ago). so became a 3 fingered player.  I had an operation which restored some stability to the tip but I can't bend it much.  I can play flat style runs and barre with it but if I want to play blues rock stuff style (thumb over the top of the board etc.) I basically use 3 fingers and open chords are harder e.g. open C I have to play with last 3 fingers.  I did contemplate learning left handed but persevered in the end.  I've lost some dexterity but it wasn't the end of the world.  The thumb loss will be harder to compensate for.  All you can do is give it a go, if it's not going to work then move on.  Playing the bass on keyboard also may be an option? Wolfmother made that work and other bands have done it that way.

The left handed thing is an option I guess.  I think his hand would be ok enough to do rhythm.  But it would take a long time.  Which would take longer though?  Adapting to three fingers or learning left handed?  I dunno, it's all up in the air at the moment.

I did not realise this about you Richard, so you have a dodgey index finger on your left hand?  Jeez it's amazing you persevered. 

OMG this sad for him and you. You really have some bad karma over you. I hope it works out in the long run.

Don't I know it man!  It really saddens me as I felt the band had a lot more to do and more places to travel and not it's floundering and barely existing.

[Dante]

Dammit Gerry - that sucks, I am so sorry for that guy and you

I played with a bass player who had a day job as a crane operator. One day, his pinky finger on his left hand got  caught in a pulley and came right off....the bone was still there on his hand, but the finger fell to the ground. Doc says it was 'de-gloved'

He had somebody retrieve the finger and went to Emergency. Luckily he saw the best hand specialist in the state to get it reattached (just lucky the guy was in town from San Francisco for a conference or something). While he got the finger reattached, it took a LOOOONG time to heal up and it didn't work or look right...not as much muscle, just skin over bone. It hurt like hell for him to play with it, so he stopped using it. He still plays lots of local shows at casinos, clubs, etc. with his 3 fingers

Now, he only lost his Pinky. Losing an index finger and thumb is quite different, I'd imagine

I believe Jerry Garcia had half a finger on his right hand, not so tough to play that way....Tony Iommi is missing the tips of two of his fingers, you gotta hear his story if you don't already know it
Tommy talks about chopping off his fingers

[Harley Hexxe]

Gerry,

     He didn't completely lose his thumb, so maybe he's thinking he can still anchor his hand to the neck with that and adapt with his three remaining fingers, I don't know. I can't imagine what must be going through his mind during all this. However, he did express the desire to keep going with the band, so he's definitely into the music, so he must believe that somehow, he can do it. My heart goes out to him and I hope he succeeds. For his sake and yours.

    Django still had his fingers but they were useless. I did see a photo of his hand that isn't widely available, and the ring finger and pinky were permanently curled and shriveled. All he had was the use of this thumb and index and middle finger. So essentially, he was a two-fingered player. Now I don't know if Django ever reached over with his right hand and tapped out a few riffs that way to augment his left hand, but that might be something your bass player might be thinking about too.

    In the end, it's your band, so I can't tell you which direction you need to follow, and yeah, it IS tough. I don't envy the position you find yourself in.

[rnolan]

The thumb will be the worst of it,  if that still works, you/he can adapt to 3 fingered.  Fortunately for me when I cut the tendon, I already used my little finger allot, I did a gig the same night I cut it, wrapped a rubber band around my index finger to keep it bent and played regardless.  The surgery later reattached a bit of tendon which gave me some use of it.  While I had the hand in plaster after the operation, I put a slide on my little finger so I could still play until the plaster was removed.  Necessity is the mother of invention, if you really want to play, you adapt.  Adapting to 3 fingered playing is faster I suspect than going left handed, but that's also doable.  All the recordings I've posted on here are from well after I cut the finger BTW, so it's not all doom and gloom.

[Zilthy]

Sorry to hear that and sorry for your friend.

If you are wondering if he will be able to play again, that is up to him.

[rabidgerry]

I get what you mean, but what I meant was if he would physically be able to play again.  His hand initially seized up with pain and he had to exercise constantly to keep it loose.  The last I heard from him was he had regained full mobility, but still in a lot of pain.  He also give us a date saying he would be back with us in January, and he has actually began to play again which is great news.  But we will have to see.  Its physically demanding music believe it or not    It might not sound it, but it is.

So this is a bit of good news on the situation.  Still need a singer though so it could be all for nothing in the end.

The guy playing with his feet is amazing!  Well done him.

This guy also

[MarshallJMP]

Well RG, I really hope you can start playing again next year!! You deserve it after all you have been through.

[Harley Hexxe]

Well RG, I really hope you can start playing again next year!! You deserve it after all you have been through.

+1 

[rnolan]

Hey RG, well that is good to hear, I hope the pain is manageable for him and diminishes over time.  Finding a good singer is hard  . 

(Its physically demanding music believe it or not    It might not sound it, but it is.) 
Absolutely, you have to be "match fit" to get through a gig, let alone rehearsals and lugging all the gear etc.  Long hours, crap money, lucky we love playing or there wouldn't be much live music  :headbanger: