Creative Conflicts In Bands

Creative Conflicts In Bands

Here’s the back story: I have been in 3 or 4 bands in the past 5 years doing vocals or guitar and have noticed that somewhere between the 8 month to 1 year mark cracks start to appear as band members start to follow different (sometimes conflicting) creative pathways.

My current band has reached this point… and the whole situation is really kicking my ass: Im doing rhythm and lead guitar + vocals so you would expect that I show up to practice with riffs/vocal lines or even the occasional full composition to work on. Right?
My bassist is just shooting down every single idea I bring to the table and not in a polite way either: (turning up his volume and playing over me in a different key).
The drummer and I tried to talk it out with him the other day and got absolutely nowhere explaining that its not about any specific riff or beat its more about not sh!tting on peoples creativity and remaining open to new ideas that could push the sound forwards.

So we are stuck in this stalemate the drummer wants to do more challenging timings, I would just like my ideas to be given a fair chance and the bassist wants to do what he wants to do (and its his studio we practice in). We just got our first set gig-worthy and I don’t want the band to fall apart over this but I cant see a way to resolve it.

It seems it takes everyone in the band to make a good song but only one member to kill a good idea. An environment where new ideas are frequently murdered is not an easy place to be creative.

This was pretty much just a rant but any advice or accounts of your experiences with band conflicts would be appreciated.

wow 2 of these in one day

As far as I can see theres 2 solutions

A) Everyone stop being a douchebag
B) Quit

Not that I have any experience or anything, thats just the way I see it. If someone wants to be a retarded jerk, then I don't think theres much you can do about it, its their choice

Well... what does the bassist want?

from what i understand he wants any new material to come from free-form funk style jams in 4-4 time that he leads and i'm supposed to come up with coherent rhythms, riffs and vocals to match what hes doing on the spot...
which is a great way to plant the seed of an idea, but its certainly not the only way.

So basically,he wants to try a new style,but you dont.And hes mad,cause you wont.sounds selfish.

@Gshred: think you misread, I'm happy to try new styles and methods of composing songs but we only have one or two 1 1/2 hour practices a week so in reality some of the ideas will have to come from the time outside that small window?

So he is asking you too use your free time to come up with funk.stuff?

I'd hear him out. Let him work with something, and go with it. Tell him that if you lay one track down like that, that he'll have to let you lay a track down your way.

Come to some sort of an agreement. See what works best. Couldn't hurt.

At some point is a relationship those harder discussions come up. I agree; give him a good chunk of time doing what he wants. Maybe you guys can sit down outside of the practice space and cerebraly discuss ideas or even the whole creative process.

i suppose i just need to step back and approach the problem with more of a level head. its just hard to look at it dispassionately and find an objective standpoint.

You took the words right out of my mouth harleyofdoom. If you like the band overall, it might do ya some good to just take a step back. Do you enjoy the music, the gigs, and is the band itself successful? If you do and you are still unhappy, then you may want to quit and form your own band. You may be a creative type A! This is not a bad thing. You just may need more creative control over a band.

my band is on now around 4 summers, I never encountered problems like that... ofcourse, my situation is so different, because I had to do all the composing except lyrics all the time... and if our bassist is not overdrunk, he never be that childish as your bassist there.

finding balance what everyone wants is FOOLS GOLD!... what I think, good songs and compositions born from itself, with jams where dudes have fun... another way is to compose or plan whole song and no exeptions.

2 cents
Emp

@harleyofdoom

I Feel you pain man I have worked on 3 bands so far, and trying to get 4th into gear. Most I can say is that I hope things work out for you.

I was kicked out of the first band that I was in for doing too many drugs, being drunk on stage, and either showing up late for practice or not at all. I was mad then but now looking back 25 years ago it's kinda cool for some reason to be able to say that. It was truly the rock n roll thing to do!

I was kicked of my first band cuz of an egotistical guitarist who was worried about me stealin his spotlight.

I quit a band after a week cause the bass player(although technically proficient) absolutely hated me. Wasn't because I was a good guitar player, but rather I was a shredder and a metal guitarist. That's the last time I join a funk group XD