fun on stage

[gwEm]

my drummer says he'll turn up to the sound check at 8 for our set at 10. he doesn't show up, so we sound check without him. at the very last minute our set get brought forward to 9.30, still no drummer. so we gamely start the set sans drummer. he turns up at 9.45, absolutely angry that we started without him, and then plays deliberately shite to sabotage the set.

 :x

not sure what to make of the situation. the excuse was he had more important things to do than the soundcheck. which it does sound like its true, but anyway.. completely bizarre his attitude when he did turn up, no excuse really.

i'd like never to work with him again, but he is a good drummer, and a good friend as well. i guess i'll probably have to forgive this one  :(

[Twinfan]

I'd tell him straight - pull a stunt like that again and you're out.

Pulling the whole band down like that is out of order.

[AndyR]

I'd tell him straight - pull a stunt like that again and you're out.

Pulling the whole band down like that is out of order.

+1

By the way, he's gonna be thinking "how the hell could they think it was sensible starting without me?". From his point of view, that's valid.... so you also need to address that in order to keep friendly relations going. I'd suggest pointing out that the only other option was to pull out altogether and, among other things, you decided to "protect him from being entirely responsible for that" by covering for him.

I slightly p1ssed off my drummer once by starting an encore without him - he'd gone off to get a drink before last orders. As I saw it I had a choice, we played an encore or we waited for him and didn't (an encore would have gone over time then - I was very particualr about not p1ssing off landlords). So I announced what we were doing, and told the barmaid to serve the drummer asap, we all had a good laugh (audience and barmaid included) except the drummer...

After the gig he tried to tear me off a strip, I proceeded to start tearing him off a strip and, much to my surprise the keyboard-player and bassist weighed in as well. When you're gigging you're gigging, takes precedence over everything else, organise yourself a bit better. He didn't do it again... and it was forgotten quickly and we all remained friendly.

[Antag]

I'd tell him straight - pull a stunt like that again and you're out.

Pulling the whole band down like that is out of order.

+1

Sounds like the band would have been better off in this instance playing without a drummer.

I'm not sure I'd accept the "had more important things to do" reason for the lateness either.  Not that I'd want to pry into his personal life (assuming it was that) but he at least owes the band a more detailed explanation that that IMHO...

[Dmoney]

I think he attitude was pretty bad, playing badly deliberately.

Did he tell you he was stuck? Did he know in advance he would have been late? I'd have tried to explain that to the promoter in advance, and then if i turned up on the night and the promoter was stressing me after perhaps showing some understanding for the situation, then I'd be irate at the promoter.

[gwEm]

I'd tell him straight - pull a stunt like that again and you're out.

Pulling the whole band down like that is out of order.

+1

Sounds like the band would have been better off in this instance playing without a drummer.

I'm not sure I'd accept the "had more important things to do" reason for the lateness either.  Not that I'd want to pry into his personal life (assuming it was that) but he at least owes the band a more detailed explanation that that IMHO...

we may have been better off yes. i know hes trying to organise his wedding at the moment, he was delayed doing something todo with that (without warning mind you)

[gwEm]

I think he attitude was pretty bad, playing badly deliberately.

Did he tell you he was stuck? Did he know in advance he would have been late? I'd have tried to explain that to the promoter in advance, and then if i turned up on the night and the promoter was stressing me after perhaps showing some understanding for the situation, then I'd be irate at the promoter.

i was the promoter in this case.. when he didn't show up at 8 like he promised, maybe i should have chased him indeed. i was caught off guard by the previous act doing a set half the length i'd asked them to do. i can understand my drummers lateness, it more the attitude when he finally arrived that worries me: playing badly, and trying to argue with me when i'm in the middle of a track.

if he'd have shown up, waiting until a pause between songs, and got going, i would have be quite pleased probably.

[Dmoney]

aaaaah.

that's different then.
I'd be a bit annoyed at that band for playing a mad short set!

no question your drummer is out of order. my old band couldn't have played without a drummer. So it's a bit different.
The night sounds a bit awkward. loads of bad luck. thats why i don't put on gigs.

[gwEm]

aaaaah.

that's different then.
I'd be a bit annoyed at that band for playing a mad short set!

no question your drummer is out of order. my old band couldn't have played without a drummer. So it's a bit different.
The night sounds a bit awkward. loads of bad luck. thats why i don't put on gigs.

these things happen at gigs (shorter/longer than usual sets being played) all the time of course. the thing with an electronic music night is that people are dancing away to the music. you can't stop the music for more than a couple of minutes without completely losing that kind of atmosphere.

you're right - i should stop putting on gigs. except for the incident under discussion (which is pretty major in my view) the rest of the night went pretty well and a good time was had by all though.

i still find the situation with the drummer slightly depressing

[shobet]

Were the batteries in his Mickey Mouse watch flat or does he not understand what the little and big hands mean? Whilst you're at it you'll probably need to teach him to count an' all.

[ToneMonkey]

Drummers respond to beats, so beat him.

[Ratrod]

Kick him out. It doesn't matter how good he is.

I'll garantee you he'll do it again at some point.

[Philly Q]

the excuse was he had more important things to do than the soundcheck. which it does sound like its true, but anyway..

So he phones up or texts you, surely?  In this age of instant communication, there's really no excuse.  Even I have a mobile phone (even though I hate the bloody things).

But, by the same token, you should've told him you were having to start early.  I realise you were stressed though!

I think you and he just need to sit down and talk about it, to be honest (there you go, that communication thing again).

[gwEm]

the excuse was he had more important things to do than the soundcheck. which it does sound like its true, but anyway..

So he phones up or texts you, surely?  In this age of instant communication, there's really no excuse.  Even I have a mobile phone (even though I hate the bloody things).

But, by the same token, you should've told him you were having to start early.  I realise you were stressed though!

I think you and he just need to sit down and talk about it, to be honest (there you go, that communication thing again).

we had zero warning we were about to start though, thats the thing. anyway, some good advice here. thanks all

[Philly Q]

we had zero warning we were about to start though, thats the thing.

That's you exonerated then, apologies!  :)

I can sort of understand him being a bit pissed off that he's turned up (what he thinks is) 15 minutes early and you've already started.  He handled it very badly, obviously, but perhaps he just panicked a bit because it was an "instant decision" situation?  (He still should've let you know about not turning up to the soundcheck)

Anyway, what happened happened, it can't be changed, but it needn't happen again.  We're all going "yeah, don't take any shite, kick the $%&#er out!" but it doesn't have to be all aggressive like that.  You said you're friends - sit down calmly, face to face, and talk it out (maybe you already have).