I don’t talk about it much, especially as time has passed and I’ve moved on with my life, but 25 years ago I was in a band. We recorded a demo, and then the lead singer signed a record contract. We changed our name and re-recorded the demo material along with some new songs for the album release.
The reason I don’t talk much about this is that it was a bad breakup. Three other band members were axed for supposedly not keeping up their chops. Then I went on a missions trip to Scotland and Ireland for a couple weeks. When I got back they told me they were going to start the tour without me but would call when they got the funding for a fifth musician. They never called. Imagine my surprise when I saw them on the Late Late Show with a mystery keyboard player I had never seen before. It sent me into a depression, compounded by the professional problem of the time, known as the “Dot-Com Bubble Burst,” which quickly devoured the startup where I worked.
As part of my quest to identify what went wrong, I bought a copy of All You Need to Know about the Music Business and discovered two fundamentals which I encourage every young aspiring musician to heed: 1) contracts, and 2) sign with the label as a band, not just the lead singer.
My advice to young bands: If you’re in a situation like we were in, where one or two members need improvement to recapture what they recorded in the studio in a live setting, just take a time-out: give them some of the record company’s money so they can skip work and buckle down and practice without worrying about how to make rent or put food on the table.
I wouldn’t be where I am today with my family and lovely home had things gone differently. As a step on my healing journey I finally decided to request one of those things musicians like to hang on their walls.
(Portions of this post were posted on LinkedIn.)
