It's a privilege to be in a band and this chance comes maybe once in a lifetime. He is wasting your - (and your other band members') - time and dedication. Get another bass player!

lindsmuse wrote: It's a privilege to be in a band and this chance comes maybe once in a lifetime. He is wasting your - (and your other band members') - time and dedication. Get another bass player!

I personally have no issue with someone being a little "weaker" as a musician, as long as the passion is there and they are doing something about becoming better... Passion goes a long way... you can even be only "semi competent" and still fulfil your role in the band... AND put on a good show... IMO

warrenpridgeon wrote: I personally have no issue with someone being a little "weaker" as a musician, as long as the passion is there

+1. I'd always rather have a player who needs to improve but wants to, than a good player who isn't interested.

After years of putting together bands of chancers and doing all the work myself, carrying and setting up all the equipment and working up quite a sweat.
I finally have a band with experienced musicians, with more knowledge and experience than I.
I find now I have to work even harder to stay with them, so I carry and set all the equipment and work up quite a sweat :?

First tell him about the band's unhappiness about his performance and attitude and that you will be forced to look elsewhere if he doesn't up his game. If he puts in the effort, great. If he doesn't, well, at least you gave him a chance before you fired him.
Most likely scenario imo is he will probably strip his moer at you guys for confronting him, call you a bunch of losers to save some face and quit on his own. ?

Bass players must know all songs played in all keys!Scales arpegios...
let him memorise the sequence, if he cant get that right for 1 song then replace him..

But I think his heart is not in it...
My first gig I could play any of the songs we did backwards.. and also had to make key changes on the spot... all about the love for the Music..

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

warrenpridgeon wrote: I personally have no issue with someone being a little "weaker" as a musician, as long as the passion is there

+1. I'd always rather have a player who needs to improve but wants to, than a good player who isn't interested.

Sounds like this guy is neither (can't play and too lazy to learn). If he is a good mate keep him on as a roadie

D-tox wrote: Bass players must know all songs played in all keys!Scales arpegios...
let him memorise the sequence, if he cant get that right for 1 song then replace him..

But I think his heart is not in it...
My first gig I could play any of the songs we did backwards.. and also had to make key changes on the spot... all about the love for the Music..

There's also always the "bass guitarist panic scale" and the "if it sounds off go up a semi-tone"...lol

Plet is small but even a vaguely useful bassist must be wandering around who can jump in to almost any number (even technical Metallica) and carry it off. Rather get someone to sit in until you get a permanent replacement, don't let your gig opportunities and momentum get sabotaged... if necessary get another guitarist to fill in on bass - if they have rhythm ?

chris77 wrote: First tell him about the band's unhappiness about his performance and attitude and that you will be forced to look elsewhere if he doesn't up his game. If he puts in the effort, great. If he doesn't, well, at least you gave him a chance before you fired him.
Most likely scenario imo is he will probably strip his moer at you guys for confronting him, call you a bunch of losers to save some face and quit on his own. ?

I think you already know what to do... Chris' advice is good. Give him a week to buck up.

This reminds me of my high school gigging days with other kids (which ended 2 years ago by the way). It was fun but also with a few horrible seasons, since some younger people don't know how to commit and are only in a band because well.. "Its cool". We even had the classic "vocalist and bassist dating, vocalist and bassist fights, bassists disappears before recording" thing. All worked out in the end though.

Kick him, don't even give him a chance in my opinion, he is not changing overnight.

I'd say ditch him and ditch him now: my view is you've given him more than enough of an opportunity to develop his skills and carry his weight in the band and he's done nothing with it. As one of the other posters said, there are no passengers in a band. I've had a couple of similar experiences in the bands I've been in over the years and you do yourself no favours holding on to dead wood (unless it says Fender on it!). Do it and be done with it, get this episode behind you and instead of band being a chore, which is an awful feeling because you and the other members are putting your heart and soul into it, regain the joy of making music together.

Just an opinion of mine so take it or leave it: if your bass player can't play bass and doesn't know the material you're playing you'd be better off not gigging. My advice would be to keep your powder dry until such a time as everyone can handle their instruments and knows the material, honestly, there's no worse feeling than falling flat at a gig, I know, it's happened to me more than once.

playing in a band should be motivation in itself......in this case its not......

yr only solution is to move on without him...no second chances etc....

When you get gigging, you will find that 90% of your time is spent humping gear, printing posters, silk screening t-shirts, humping gear, phoning clubs, sorting out bar bills, humping gear, writing press releases, soldering cables, and humping gear. Anyone not prepared to pull their weight is, well, just dead weight. Oh, yeah - the 10% actually on stage is awesome! and so worth it... :yup:

I wouldn't even call a meeting, just send him this link...
=

Hey man, wait a minute, why is this even a discussion .... just unplug him! ?

www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/10-great-bands-without-a-bassist.html

studmissile wrote: Hey man, wait a minute, why is this even a discussion .... just unplug him! ?

www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/10-great-bands-without-a-bassist.html

Playing in any band is based on two T's Trust and trust.
For any band to function well trust is a requirement.
Trust your own instincts first as the band leader
Trust your equipment and your members. If neither works for you or breaks for some or other reason the trust has been broken and it needs a replacement. Hard but true.