And since I'm still not through venting about all the band drama...
Here is a blog Joe posted on Myspace and my response to it. I have to mention, I think it's hilarious that he kept everyone as his friends on Myspace just so they can see his posts telling them how much he hates them and doesn't want them contacting him anymore.
Wow! Where do I start, everybody showed up late to band practice tonite to tell me that I was kicked out of the band That I Helped put together, a band that I put my heart and soul into.....I though they were my freinds, I guess I was wrong. I gave up alot for this band, 3 nights a week, the garage at my house to practice In, no problem, free drinks, the police complaints from the neighbors, no problem...giving up time with my wife and daughter and baby. I feel bad that my wife gave up time so that I could pursue my dream and hang out with my friends. My wife who is so supportive of me and the band and did and would have done anything for them, and now for what? Just to be told that Im out because Im not keeping good time and staying in the pocket.....I know Im not the greatest drummer in the world and never said I was, I said aloud on more than one occasion that I had more to learn, but I never gave up sure I got frustrated, but I kept trying, I had fun playing in the band even when everybody was telling me what or how I should play this or that I listened and tried to interpret what I was being told. Im 45 years old and Iv been drumming all my life and I know how to keep time and stay in the pocket so to speak, but the band has to take responseablity also, they sped up and slowed down and didnt stay in the pocket and made plenty of mistakes did I bust there chops for it no! when we sucked it was oviousely blamed on me. People getting on my drumms without asking and trying to show me what to play, bullshit ! they are not drummers, I can play guitar and bass , drumms and keyboards and sing, but did I once pick up anyones instrument and try to show them what to play? no I would have looked like and asshole. I recorded every practice I listened to every tape more than once, believe me the blame is not all on me, who's next to be kicked out? Huh Steve? Ryan? how about you Josh? oh and Brandon, who was nearly kicked out but who I liked and is a good player who I stuck up for and didnt want him to be kicked out so instead he was asked to be the bass player, I fought to keep him in the band, did anybody do that for me? I was a good freind to all of you as was my wife, how can you say that I am welcome to hang out and still be friends after I was humilated like that? would you? You all think that you are better than you are....by getting rid of me it will make you a better band, its to bad you had to lose a loyal and good friend in the processes, I guess it was never about being friends.....I realize that now. I doubt you will get very far with your band or in life If you continue down that road. Im hurt and Im sad and my heart is broken.....but my dream is still alive I will never stop making music. Taken from the book of Steve been BURNT ONCE NEVER AGAIN! FUCK YOU! Joe
1. "I though they were my freinds, I guess I was wrong"
Josh made an interesting point on this. So he says that he was in the band more as friends than as a band member (I don't think he says it here, but it's been mentioned more than once in other communications). However, he can only be friends them while he's in the band?? Some friendship...
2. "free drinks"
Except everyone brought some too...
3. "Police complaints"
It sucks, it's part of the deal though. Sorry. Besides, you're the one with the electronic drum set and you're the one in charge of the volume.
4. "giving up time with my wife and daughter and baby."
Yes, because you're the only one with a family. I'm sorry you missed so much time, but that was a choice you made. And mostly, it was two nights a week. (I'm being really nit-picky, I know. Oh well.)
5. "I feel bad that my wife gave up time so that I could pursue my dream and hang out with my friends."
Gave up time from what? True, she's a stay at home mom, her job is 24-hours a day, but she doesn't have any friends, she doesn't do anything.
6. "I had fun playing in the band even when everybody was telling me what or how I should play this or that I listened and tried to interpret what I was being told."
Ok Joe, that's the problem, they need a drummer that's on the same page as them, that doesn't need to be told how you should be playing something. The fact is, what you were playing just wasn't working with everyone else.
7. "Im 45 years old and Iv been drumming all my life and I know how to keep time and stay in the pocket so to speak, but the band has to take responseablity also...
If you've been drumming all your life and play like you do, the learning curve isn't going to be quick enough for them or you need to devote much more time to playing than you're obviously willing to.
8. "...they sped up and slowed down and didnt stay in the pocket and made plenty of mistakes did I bust there chops for it no!"
A good drummer doesn't follow the rest of them band, a good drummer commands the tempo and has to take responsibility for that aspect of it. And yes, everyone made mistakes, and everyone corrected everybody else. You're the only one who seems to have a problem with taking criticism.
9. "People getting on my drumms without asking and trying to show me what to play, bullshit ! they are not drummers, I can play guitar and bass , drumms and keyboards and sing, but did I once pick up anyones instrument and try to show them what to play? no I would have looked like and asshole."
More than a few times I've seen people playing with other instruments. And yes, Josh jumped on your drums. It's Josh, it's the way he is, you know that. Mostly it was just to play around on drums during a break or whatever, but yes, sometimes it was share an idea. Josh mentioned to me that he welcomes other with ideas for what he should play. How are you going to get any better without any input. And yes, Josh drums a little bit, he grew up with two awesome drummers, it would be impossible not to pick up a lot from them. What's funny is how many people have said that Josh is a better drummer than you, in respect to versatility and playing to the vibe of the song. Interesting...
10. "oh and Brandon, who was nearly kicked out but who I liked and is a good player who I stuck up for and didnt want him to be kicked out so instead he was asked to be the bass player, I fought to keep him in the band, did anybody do that for me?"
Yes. Josh (and I've heard Steve as well) was hesitant to join the project because of your drumming. Ryan asked to try it out for a few months, give it a chance, and everyone did. Eventually, he had to agree, that it wasn't working out.
11. "how can you say that I am welcome to hang out and still be friends after I was humilated like that? would you?"
Josh has done it many times. Yes it's embarrassing, but no one can insult you without your permission.
12. "but my dream is still alive I will never stop making music."
Really, because you're acting like this was the end of both your music career and your life. Josh was ready to give a good recommendation through to anyone interested in a drummer for you, but now his first thought will be to spare anyone the trouble of dealing with you and your drama.
It looks like things will be calming down now, he's stopped text messaging everybody and gave up trying to start a bunch of he-said-she-said business. He told them that the rest of their equipment will be on the curb outside of their house tonight at 6.30. Josh will be there at five.
We're almost through with them!
Wow! Where do I start, everybody showed up late to band practice tonite to tell me that I was kicked out of the band That I Helped put together, a band that I put my heart and soul into.....I though they were my freinds, I guess I was wrong. I gave up alot for this band, 3 nights a week, the garage at my house to practice In, no problem, free drinks, the police complaints from the neighbors, no problem...giving up time with my wife and daughter and baby. I feel bad that my wife gave up time so that I could pursue my dream and hang out with my friends. My wife who is so supportive of me and the band and did and would have done anything for them, and now for what? Just to be told that Im out because Im not keeping good time and staying in the pocket.....I know Im not the greatest drummer in the world and never said I was, I said aloud on more than one occasion that I had more to learn, but I never gave up sure I got frustrated, but I kept trying, I had fun playing in the band even when everybody was telling me what or how I should play this or that I listened and tried to interpret what I was being told. Im 45 years old and Iv been drumming all my life and I know how to keep time and stay in the pocket so to speak, but the band has to take responseablity also, they sped up and slowed down and didnt stay in the pocket and made plenty of mistakes did I bust there chops for it no! when we sucked it was oviousely blamed on me. People getting on my drumms without asking and trying to show me what to play, bullshit ! they are not drummers, I can play guitar and bass , drumms and keyboards and sing, but did I once pick up anyones instrument and try to show them what to play? no I would have looked like and asshole. I recorded every practice I listened to every tape more than once, believe me the blame is not all on me, who's next to be kicked out? Huh Steve? Ryan? how about you Josh? oh and Brandon, who was nearly kicked out but who I liked and is a good player who I stuck up for and didnt want him to be kicked out so instead he was asked to be the bass player, I fought to keep him in the band, did anybody do that for me? I was a good freind to all of you as was my wife, how can you say that I am welcome to hang out and still be friends after I was humilated like that? would you? You all think that you are better than you are....by getting rid of me it will make you a better band, its to bad you had to lose a loyal and good friend in the processes, I guess it was never about being friends.....I realize that now. I doubt you will get very far with your band or in life If you continue down that road. Im hurt and Im sad and my heart is broken.....but my dream is still alive I will never stop making music. Taken from the book of Steve been BURNT ONCE NEVER AGAIN! FUCK YOU! Joe
1. "I though they were my freinds, I guess I was wrong"
Josh made an interesting point on this. So he says that he was in the band more as friends than as a band member (I don't think he says it here, but it's been mentioned more than once in other communications). However, he can only be friends them while he's in the band?? Some friendship...
2. "free drinks"
Except everyone brought some too...
3. "Police complaints"
It sucks, it's part of the deal though. Sorry. Besides, you're the one with the electronic drum set and you're the one in charge of the volume.
4. "giving up time with my wife and daughter and baby."
Yes, because you're the only one with a family. I'm sorry you missed so much time, but that was a choice you made. And mostly, it was two nights a week. (I'm being really nit-picky, I know. Oh well.)
5. "I feel bad that my wife gave up time so that I could pursue my dream and hang out with my friends."
Gave up time from what? True, she's a stay at home mom, her job is 24-hours a day, but she doesn't have any friends, she doesn't do anything.
6. "I had fun playing in the band even when everybody was telling me what or how I should play this or that I listened and tried to interpret what I was being told."
Ok Joe, that's the problem, they need a drummer that's on the same page as them, that doesn't need to be told how you should be playing something. The fact is, what you were playing just wasn't working with everyone else.
7. "Im 45 years old and Iv been drumming all my life and I know how to keep time and stay in the pocket so to speak, but the band has to take responseablity also...
If you've been drumming all your life and play like you do, the learning curve isn't going to be quick enough for them or you need to devote much more time to playing than you're obviously willing to.
8. "...they sped up and slowed down and didnt stay in the pocket and made plenty of mistakes did I bust there chops for it no!"
A good drummer doesn't follow the rest of them band, a good drummer commands the tempo and has to take responsibility for that aspect of it. And yes, everyone made mistakes, and everyone corrected everybody else. You're the only one who seems to have a problem with taking criticism.
9. "People getting on my drumms without asking and trying to show me what to play, bullshit ! they are not drummers, I can play guitar and bass , drumms and keyboards and sing, but did I once pick up anyones instrument and try to show them what to play? no I would have looked like and asshole."
More than a few times I've seen people playing with other instruments. And yes, Josh jumped on your drums. It's Josh, it's the way he is, you know that. Mostly it was just to play around on drums during a break or whatever, but yes, sometimes it was share an idea. Josh mentioned to me that he welcomes other with ideas for what he should play. How are you going to get any better without any input. And yes, Josh drums a little bit, he grew up with two awesome drummers, it would be impossible not to pick up a lot from them. What's funny is how many people have said that Josh is a better drummer than you, in respect to versatility and playing to the vibe of the song. Interesting...
10. "oh and Brandon, who was nearly kicked out but who I liked and is a good player who I stuck up for and didnt want him to be kicked out so instead he was asked to be the bass player, I fought to keep him in the band, did anybody do that for me?"
Yes. Josh (and I've heard Steve as well) was hesitant to join the project because of your drumming. Ryan asked to try it out for a few months, give it a chance, and everyone did. Eventually, he had to agree, that it wasn't working out.
11. "how can you say that I am welcome to hang out and still be friends after I was humilated like that? would you?"
Josh has done it many times. Yes it's embarrassing, but no one can insult you without your permission.
12. "but my dream is still alive I will never stop making music."
Really, because you're acting like this was the end of both your music career and your life. Josh was ready to give a good recommendation through to anyone interested in a drummer for you, but now his first thought will be to spare anyone the trouble of dealing with you and your drama.
It looks like things will be calming down now, he's stopped text messaging everybody and gave up trying to start a bunch of he-said-she-said business. He told them that the rest of their equipment will be on the curb outside of their house tonight at 6.30. Josh will be there at five.
We're almost through with them!