bitflipper Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Our drummer is undergoing radiation therapy for cancer, and the side effects are proving too much for him. We've cancelled Saturday's gig and will probably have to cancel everything else on the calendar. I am seriously bummed. Most would say "just get another drummer", but it doesn't work like that. Even though this band focuses on vocals and vocal harmony and exploits that as a differentiator from other bar bands, what keeps me going is tightness. I remember seeing Tower of Power in the 70's, at a bar long-time Seattle residents will remember, the old Aquarius Tavern. I sat there slack-jawed, unable to comprehend how a band could be so tight, especially with so many players onstage at once. Some day, I thought, I'll be in a band like that. Well, it's taken 50 years, but I'm finally in a band like that. And it's the drummer who's the glue that makes that happen. No band can ever be tighter than its drummer. My buddy Mark is a frickin' machine when it comes to precision, be it rock-solid tempos or never missing a cue. He truly is the glue. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeGBradford Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Ah sorry to hear that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Smith Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Backing tracks? Sorry to hear about your bud/drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Roseberry Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Big shoes are hard to fill. Drummer is literally the heart of it all. Positive thoughts/vibes for your drummer to make a full recovery. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwal³ Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 hope he recovers well and drums again 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xoo Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 That sucks: good drummers are incredibly hard to find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigb Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Hope the band can play again Dave but, more importantly, hope your friend beats the big "C!" 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbognar Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 At my age, with member health issues and some turnover of singers, I always savor gigs, realizing it could be the last. I'm with you on the tightness thing. People are pretty surprised when they hear our band. Sorry you guys are having to go through this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitflipper Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Back in the day it used to be an ongoing joke that a band would break up as soon as they ordered business cards. It was more often the case that band members just got sick of each other after enough time on the road. Or it'd be a fight over a girl. Or someone insisting on doing their original song that everybody else hated. Such trivial reasons to give up. And I just bought a new PA, too. I reckon I've got about 90 more gigs to go before I break even on that one. Can't go solo - I need at least one other bandmate to help move the bass bins. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bapu Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 That's truly a bummer about the skins man, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57Gregy Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 That is bad news. I hope it all turns out well for everyone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shane_B. Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 Sorry to hear that. Hope it turns out OK for him and the rest if you. Our drummer developed arthritis and couldn't play anymore. He sang also. I came up with the idea to use a drum machine and see how it went. Nobody cared and we actually improved. He controlled the drum machine. Good ol' Alesis SR-16. I still have it and you can still buy them new. Eventually we recorded backing tracks and didn't even use it. In the end, we were much better because everything was tighter, and always the same. And we got more bookings. I know, I know, sometimes you need to extend songs and it's technically not a band, but it was still the 4 of us, and it worked. Very well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeringAmps Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 20 hours ago, Jim Roseberry said: Positive thoughts/vibes for your drummer to make a full recovery. 19 hours ago, craigb said: more importantly, hope your friend beats the big "C!" Yes 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wookiee Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Sorry to hear of your friends troubles, I have been witness to the toll chemo takes. Wishing you, him and his family all the best Dave. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Smith Posted March 22 Share Posted March 22 Yep I have seen chemo first hand. Past it now, never want to repeat it. Thoughts and prayers for your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 On 3/21/2024 at 7:27 PM, bitflipper said: And I just bought a new PA, too. I reckon I've got about 90 more gigs to go before I break even on that one. Can't go solo - I need at least one other bandmate to help move the bass bins. Sorry to hear about your mate. Hope it works out ok. Way back when my band spilt up on the very same day that I made the final payment on the synth that I was pressured into getting that I couldn't really afford, hence the paying monthly. Aside from a house it was the one and only time I ever bought anything that I didn't pay for up front. I guess it was a good lesson in that regard. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 I hope your buddy, Mark, heals both quickly and completely, and the magic that is that combination of musicians survives. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitflipper Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 3 hours ago, paulo said: Way back when my band spilt up on the very same day that I made the final payment on the synth that I was pressured into getting that I couldn't really afford, hence the paying monthly. Aside from a house it was the one and only time I ever bought anything that I didn't pay for up front. I guess it was a good lesson in that regard. Back in the mid-70's I'd been shopping for an electric piano and had settled on a Roland product, mainly because it was only $400. That was nearly half my monthly day-job income at the time, but I'd managed to put aside just that amount out of a summer's worth of gigging. The week I was going to go down to Guitar Center to score it, my buddy - the band's guitarist - asked me for a loan. His old girlfriend was coming for a visit, and he wanted to show her a good time. The deal he proposed was that rather than paying cash for the EP, I'd instead finance it and give the money to him. He'd then make the payments for me. True to his word, he did make the $40 monthly payments - for exactly 10 months. Unfortunately, that left a balance of $150 due to interest. He claimed he'd satisfied his part of the bargain. That led to a falling-out that nearly killed the band and kept hard feelings going for a long time. In the end he agreed to keep making the payments until the bank said it was done, and we remain close friends to this day. But I've never forgotten the lesson I learned: don't lend friends money. That's why, when my current bassist needed a Sansamp, I just bought one without discussing it with him and gifted it to him on his birthday. That's why, when our former guitarist needed a new amp, I just bought it with the understanding that he'd buy it from me someday. Still waiting on that, but if any of us could ever become wealthy rock stars it would be him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vere Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Cancer has removed more people from my life than I think old age has! But in amongst the sad stories are many of my friends and family that beat the *****. There’s a new treatment now called immunotherapy that has brought back at least 5 people I know. My son in law lived 10 year longer than his excepted time by simply eating only real food no alcohol a few reefers staying active and playing his LesPaul. And repeating the words I am not ready to die so FU cancer. But I 100 % understand the importance of a tight drummer. I played bass most of the time in real bands and there’s a huge difference when you have that unmistakable groove that only happens with a good drummer. The whole reason I ended up learning about midi was I just couldn’t stand playing with bad drummers. And possibly the punters wouldn’t notice the drummer was missing but it would just suck to have to go the canned drum route. But for me it’s that or stay at home which is the worst of the 2 evils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulo Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 1 hour ago, bitflipper said: I've never forgotten the lesson I learned: don't lend friends money. My dad always said that if you lend someone money and then never see them again, consider it money well spent. 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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