Recenly my bandmates and I have been working our tails off to better our live performances. Since I've picked up my Roland, we now have the means to do what we've been trying to acomplish for the last year (and before I joined as well).  

Our music is fairly unique to the local scene. Hard Rock or Acoustic Rock seems to be the popular game in town, but we're not alone. Infact we've made "friends" with some of our peers.

At our last show, those "friends" attended and now we're hearnig though the grapevine that we (the band) have ripped them off. Stealing ideas from them and incorporating into our sets, music, etc.. Specifically 16bars of a drum beat.

To set the record straight, we haven't, but that's not my point.

I think bands/musicians should be proud of their work, but to honestly believe that everything you do is origional and to state that your "influencing" other local bands is pure B.S.  This is what were getting.  Too bad these people never heard that drumbeat on the CD that was cut 2 years ago. It hasn't changed since.

But I digress. They no longer wish to associate with us. Its fine. We've put it past us and are moving on. No point in doing anything else about it.  I just can't belive the egotistical level people can achieve sometimes.  On a professional level, I can understand this a little better, but when you play in front of an average of 15 people a show, I'm sorry but you don't have room to talk. And neither do I.

ok. its off my chest now.   BTW. I like drumming.  

So many ups and downs in this business, so many ups and downs.  The only way to get by and feel good about yourself in the process is to just maintain a level of common sense and professionalism.  Sounds like you handled it that way.  Kudos.

Who is this?  Lars Ulrich?  

Seriously, just forget about it, man.  If you're worried about burned bridges, then this is one bridge that wasn't worth using if this is the kind of people you're dealing with.

I've heard your band's stuff.  It's good.  You believe in it.  Keep doing it.  That's what's important.    

At certain times a small ego is ok because it showes a certain level of confidence.But once you start thinking you are top dog and that you did " that " first then your in for a shock.Music is in constant rotation,its all been done.Thats just the simple line of it.You did the right thing and lemme tell you this.My older brother has a record label called Melodic Mayhem Music.He did work with Bobby Blotzer ( among others ) and Bobby needs a clue.I heard it all and he thinks he is " THE " man.I hope I never get like that.That to me is just rediculous.How anyone can be so concieted is beyond my compacity for reason.Thats my 2 cents.Sorry for rambling on.

 

Here's a good example of ego gone bad:

My wife and I have been planning a fundraiser for a local grass roots breast cancer charity (my wife is a 2 time survivor).  We had everything donated...the club, food, door prizes, and other bands (mostly friends' bands) offer to perform for free.  All proceeds going to the charity.  All the venue asked was to keep the bar $.  We had asked a popular local/regional band if they would headline the event, hoping they would draw a larger crowd than the rest of our bands.  

From the beginning this band was difficult.  They were rude the night we asked them, looking at us like we were people just after autographs or something.  Then they called us and said they were sympathetic to the cause and wanted to play.  Great.  So I called the bandleader and asked about technical aspects, and to explain what would be provided.  I had volunteered the use of my 6-piece Gretsch USA Maple kit, my Mackie PA, and had a good friend to run sound.  He's a pro that's been running sound in Charlotte for 10+ years.  Remember, this is for a charity event.  They said they needed 6 separate monitors and individual mixes, a 4x12 bass cabinet, a separate aux send for the lead vocalists' in-ear monitors, and complained when I said I didn't have a subwoofer (at the time).  When I tried to explain to him that we didn't have that much equipment, and this was going to be a small venue and a subdued evening, he made a comment along the lines of "...well, REAL musicians need this type of equipment".  That p*ssed me off.  I called my wife and told her what he had said, she called him and said thanks, but no thanks.

Well, he backtracked again, apologized and said they really wanted to play.  So ok.  I spoke to my sound man and he told me what we had to work with equipment-wise and that 6 monitors w/ separate mixes was out of the question for this gig/room.  So, I again told the bandleader what he could expect, what time I saw them starting (9:30-9:45 and play til 11:00) and that we'd need at least one band rep there before 6 to get stage plot, etc.  

Day of the event, trusty sound man calls bandleader to ask instrumentation, etc.  Bandleader again insists on 6 mixes.  He's getting 2.  Soundman was steadfast in what we had to work with, the size of the room, and that it was for a CHARITY event.  The event started at 6, first two bands went without a hitch.  My band was playing 3rd.  We got about 1/3 of the way through, went into an instrumental and my wife(the singer) left the stage.  The bandleader begins hounding her about when are they going to start.  She said that we had just started and they were the next band.  He went on again about his players having to go to work Monday morning, she said lots of people at the event had to go to work Monday.  He threw a bit of a tantrum.  She comes back to the stage during the song and tells me this.  I said to send them home.  She relayed this, they didn't listen.  

After the song was over, I found the bandleader and asked what was going on.  He made it seem like it was an innocent question about when they were starting.  I found out then from my wife what had been said, and I again sent them home.  They left this time.  I found out later from the club manager that they had asked for a free bar tab since they were playing for free.  They hadn't brought a single "fan" with them.  None of them came.  They had done no promoting on their own, didn't even bring their wives/girlfriends.  

We'll never book them again for anything, or recommend them.  We plan on making this event an annual October event.  Guess we'll just have to be the headliners ourselves  

Here's a story on the opposite end of that scale! I was on the sound crew for Tennessee Concert Sounds for a while and got a call to take a system out to the Peabody in Memphis for a fund raiser. I was just a strong back for this crew, not the sound guy. It was an annual event for St Jude I believe and would feature a whole slue of artists, singer/songwriters from Nashville coming on buses and featured Randy Owens of Alabama. He's done this event every year for a long time now. It just so happened that this year there was an all out ice storm! On the way to Memphis with a truck full of concert PA we see cars sliding off the roads and crashes all along the route! But we MAKE IT to the Peabody! Load in is uneventful and we get everything ready to go. I'm thinking all the while "they're going to cancel this show! no one is going to drive in this mess!" Sure enough someone comes up and says "we the artists from Nashville can't make it. The roads are just too dangerous. BUT Randy has arrived and he'll be doing and acoustic show solo tonight instead." The man drove himself to Memphis from Fort Payne, Alabama because he said he "knew those kids were counting on this" I liked to have cried right then and there! His sound guy was awesome. Randy was more than awesome and he did a wonderful show for the folks that made it. And he did for free! For the kids at the hospital. I've been a fan of his ever since. What a class act! That my friends is setting an example.