What to do, and what not to do in a band

[sweatybettygirl]

What to do:
-expect your band members to get there and start on time, every time.
-practice and work out new material regularly (our biggest weakness).
-strive for the best in musicianship
-set an example of professional behavior on and off the stage.
-meet and talk to the audience during breaks, hand out business cards, give away a cd, create a mailing list, announce where you'll be next
-leave the place as good or better than you found it
-pay your bandmates promptly

What not to do:
-put up with bad behavior from bandmates
-do the same songs in the same order month after month
-adjust the lights, take a phone call, speak to someone on the mic across the room- in the middle of a song / set.

[Mike M.]

Did we cover everything? Nothing else to add? Anyone????

[Derrick Edwards]

We have a saying in the Union, "If you're there just in time, you're already late!"
I know that just like the drummer in a band, I have to be there at least 2 hours before the gig to set up all of my percussion rig. It takes time to get everything that you need on a gig into a small space without crowding out the other band members.
Ok now this is a personal pet peeve I have, the one thing I always say to everybody in any band that I'll work with before the gig is this, "Do NOT take ANY of my percussion gear and pass it around to people in the club!"
In the past I've had some over-enthusiastic front person(s) go over to my percussion table and grab a bunch of rare exotic instruments and pass them out as if they were gifts to the audience! After the set I would have to individually track down these people who had my gear and try to get it back. I've lost a few things in the past thanks to that kind of behaviour. Most pro musicians would NEVER let someone take their gear and give it to the audience. (Imagine someone in the band would take the sax player's horn and give it to the crowd and have everybody blowing into it! I know there would be a serious fight after that action! LOL!)
A good time can be had by all (the audience and the band) if we all respect each other's "private property" throughout the gig.

[Mike M.]

Guess I wouldn't mind someone taking one of my guitar picks, but that's about it...I never heard of that situation - that's crazy!

[Derrick Edwards]

Hi Mike,
Yes, it's sad but true! It's happened to me at gigs serveral times in the past when I used to play the old Holiday Inn Disco circuit and at some rock gigs too.
Nowadays I usally set up what I call a " Psycho Perimeter" to keep unwanted hands from reaching out to grab my gear! But unfortunately they won't let me use barbed wire anymore LOL! (Oh man, just ask anybody who has worked with me these days and they'll tell you how VERY strict I am about people not messing with my gear! I've had to pay a lot of good money to obtain it and a lot of the percussion I use can't always be bought in the local music stores around here.)
Oh well, that's the life of a percussionist, we're always searching for that elusive "special" effect that will put a nice flavor to the song and push it to the next level.

[John Tallent]

Derrick,

I'm right there with you my friend. I know of what you speak. Some time ago, I was invited to play percussion at a benifit. I would be playing with three of the five bands. I got there early as I always do and the sound/production crew had me set up and get sound checked - not a problem.
Eventually the show went down and it was fun and for a good cause but, during the last act (which I was not performing with) one of the other drummers who had become conveniently drunk, grabed sticks from some place and was banging and crashing on all my gear !
I was eating in the back of the hall and one of the concerned musicians approached me and said, " You better get up there !" I shot up onto the stage just as this clown took a couple of whacks at my $400.00 slit drum. All I can say is that I was polite but firm and I wanted him off my percussion battery immediately. This clown decided he wanted to fight me then and there so, it almost got ugly. As luck would have it the situation was diffused and the only thig that was busted was my 10 inch splash cymbal which I had to replace out of my own pocket becasue his band mates said it was my fault for leaving my stuff where there mate could get at it - imagine that !
Yes sir, you gotta have eyes in the back of your head especially when you play exotic percussion as Derrick and I do. It seems to attract people and make them want to hold/play it.
John Tallent
Persephone's Dream

[Derrick Edwards]

Hey John,
That sucks about what happened to your splash cymbal. That was very disrespectful of that guy who did that! He should be sued for damages to your equipment.
Brother, I think you and I are the only musicians in the band that need permits to carry a concealed weapon to any gig LOL! Seriously, I had thought of carrying a stun-gun whenever I played out just to keep people from bothering any of my gear.
Well, these days I use several "No Tresspassing" signs and large sheet to cover up my gear when I'm not on stage. I want people to know without a shadow of doubt that my expensive gear is NOT the "community playground!"
Derrick Edwards

[John Tallent]

Derrick,
A concealed weapon ? You mean a boom-stick !! Ahh yes but, alas, we may only do that in our National Parks. As to a stun-gun, I did carry one with me for two years when I was on the road back in the late 80s. I felt it would be better served if I gave it to our sound man ( who doubled as a bouncer - very handy he was ) to have at his disposal since he would usually have a clear view of the goings on.
After nearly 18 months of not needing the stun-gun my sound man grew bored and decided to stun his can of Pepsi. The problem with that is the can of Pepsi was sitting on the edge of the mixing board and, we were in the middle of a live performance at that very moment.
There was a "very-very" loud PA fart and then nothing except for our sound man be thrown backwards out of his chair. I seem to remember that the set we were playing was over and there was about a half hour delay as he and I went out to the truck to get our spare power amp and get the PA back up and running . While out in the truck I asked what the hell happened and he told me and instead of getting mad, I just laughed and laughed ... there are times like now that I still laugh.
Band stories, you gotta love them because there is absolutely no need to lie, it is all true !!!

[Derrick Edwards]

John,
I think youshould've kept the stun gun for yourself! You sure could've used it that day on the guy that broke you splash! LOL!

[John Billigen]

i would of just grabbed one of his cymbals in exchange for his ass because i would of mopped the floor with him

[John De Cola]

Dancin Girls are always a plus.

[John Billigen]

amen

[John De Cola]

Dancin Girls are ALWAYS a plus