Quote:
Originally Posted by
sage691
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Continuing my RANT from post 274:
IME when it comes to so-called bands there is usually one person pulling the cart (the MULE !) and everybody else is just along for the ride. The irony is that it is almost always the MOST gifted person who is the beast of burden - money-wise, effort-wise AND talent-wise. It is usually the songwriter who expends the most energy and places him/herself in the greatest position of risk both personally and financially. So this whole "split things equally" band democracy concept, where every member suffers and contributes equally during the hard times, seems like a fairy tale to me - I have virtually never seen it in REAL life ! It just seems like some kind of pop culture fantasy people get duped into believing because famous bands x, y, and z portray themselves this way publicly. I'm talking hundreds of "unknown" bands I have witnessed up close over the years, some very talented and original - and 99.9% of the time the story is the REVERSE of the "band democracy" concept !!!
Ironically, whenever I have witnessed malicious GREED and toxic "lack of appreciation" for others' sacrifice and/or contribution, it has been from those who are NOT songwriters or band leaders ! The insistence on "being fair" and "splitting things equally" always seems to come from those who contribute the least, who make sure to be pursuing another career simultaneously as a safety net, and who always have an excuse (kids, family, wife) as to why they can't contribute financially or put in any REAL time ! There's always something else more important than the music at the top of their "to do" list. But they damn sure want to argue about how important their "creative contributions" are, even if they realistically only amount to 10% of the Big Picture.
I've already stated I believe 100% in a hierarchical structure within any team trying to accomplish a goal. But you seem to misunstand a few things.
1. Being the singer/songwriter doesn't mean you're the most talented. Unless you're Prince and can do all the instrumentation yourself, you are not more talented than your fellow musicians. And this entire thread is evidence that you need their help to get where you want to be. A mature way to look at this is that your talent is specialized or developed in a very specific area (just like your drummer friend).
2. How in the world are you going to chastise other musicians for not wanting to put all their eggs in YOUR basket? Are you capable of financially supporting them and their families?
3. Yes... Family, kids, and a wife are WAY more important than music, and a great excuse to have better things to do and a more stable way to make income.
I think I heard Mike Tyson say that if you don't have humility, life will make sure you get a lesson in it (paraphrased).
It's also my experience that those who make the most noise about something are usually trying to compensate for something. This thread has definitely gone on long enough.