5 Musicians Who Will Destroy Your Band... If You Let Them

Join James Hargreaves to learn who NOT to invite into your band - and how to be the kind of musician who can play with the same group of friends for years on end without ever breaking up the band.

Many images and videos in my YouTube content have been found online without any attribution or credit available. In many cases I have therefore not been able to add a credit in the videos themselves due to lack of information. If your image or video has been used and a credit is required, please email me with your details and evidence of authorship and a credit will be added into the video description.
Many thanks, JH.

[JamesHargreavesGuitar]

Hey all - just to respond to the people complaining about the sound quality on this video...
This was uploaded in April 2021 when I think I had less than 100 subscribers and was still just learning the ropes.
It has since got a massive amount of views - but of course the sound quality etc is pretty basic.
These days I use a proper set up, but back then I just had a basic camera and used the built in mic.
Never knew it would get so many views when I made it... and so that's why the audio quality is a bit limited.
JH

[modularmuse]

One of my old bassists said: 'if you're not playing with the rest of the band, you're playing with yourself'.

[KevinBerus]

You forgot about the person who wants to party more than work at the band

[tiagobordin]

Freddy Mercury in an interview:
- I am not the leader, I am just the singer.

[MikyDunn]

The Drinker: Proceeds to get pissed before and during the gig, most often leading to sloppy playing.

[ClassicJukeboxBand]

Being a band leader, my duties are:

1. Book all the shows
2. Schedule and host practices
3. Find Venues
4. Establish a social media presence.
5. Update, design and pay for the website.
6. Promote and advertise shows.
7. Create band videos
8. Design an entertaining show
9. Contact venues by phone, email or in person
10. Provide insurance
11. Constantly learning about improving the band
12. Direct music
13. Direct vocals
14. Learn how to build a following
15. Create a database of fans
16. Market the band
17. Create promotional materials


All I ask of my players is to do three things:

1. Learn the material both musically and vocally,
2. Show up to practice
3. Show up to the gigs and help load in and unload.

It's amazing how so few people will put even this little effort to be in a good band...

[KevinHGoDawgs]

7 years before Covid hit, I formed a guitar duo with a guy I didn’t really know well, at the time. That turned out to be THE most fun time I’ve had, in my 45 years of playing music. We jelled perfectly together, and had a wide open accepting attitude of playing whatever song that either desired. We wound up being like a jukebox, lol, as our songlist kept expanding, and we played gigs all over our area. We were together until Covid, and everything shutdown, and meanwhile, grandkids and such came into the picture, so we’re inactive right now, but still great friends and still record original songs together. What a fun time it was, after putting up with that ONE guy or girl, in a full blown band, who ruined everything, eventually.

[duanewright]

These are spot on. I've had to deal with ALL of these personalities. I would get so mad when I would go to practice straight from work and tired, and a guy with NO job would always be late and unprepared.
Very frustrating.

[skeeterbodeen]

Being in a band w/4+ personalities, different levels of skill, and commitment, is not for the faint of heart. My best bands have been avg. musicians that enjoyed each others company and "jelled" on a personal level. THEN you have a chance to become better than the sum of your parts, and that's Magic!

[gurmot]

I was invited to join my first band by a showboater who was also the self appointed leader. The band was newly formed when I joined but the leader was a bloke with a massive ego who just wanted to play his guitar at full volume and not listen to anyone else. I was the bass player but just couldn’t hear myself as he was playing so loud in the practice studio, so I asked him to turn his amp down. He laughed and told me to man up, as “this is a rock and roll band and we play loud”. I was fired by text message after the first session, and I see they are still looking for a bass player 6 months later. Karma.

Edit: I’ve now heard that his band fell apart and now playing in someone else’s band. I hope he’s learned but I doubt it. Thank you Karma! 🙏

[jawsxx]

I clicked on the video to see how I crashed all the bands I've been in.

[Daverotherham]

A twist on #5, the control freak, the band leader who demands you play wrong chords, because they worked it out wrong

[jdarkwaters]

I was once in a band as the sole horn player. I was accused of being a showboater, and was often told "Less is more." So I did less. And less. And less. You know what they finally decided was "less" enough? Nothing.

That's right. Nothing.

They didn't tell me they didn't want me in the band. They just whittled my part down to total silence. And then bitched at me when I left.

[g.p.d.]

This one of the BEST videos I’ve found for musicians of every level.
Clear, simple advice to navigate through your music world; no matter how big or small….
Well done!

[alexgoenne]

I worked with a showboater who had zero technical skill and actually thought up relentless arguments against practicing in general. His stance “actually the more you practice, you lose your creativity “ “the more you practice scales the more your strings will break” “I don’t want to practice because I don’t want to sacrifice my style” and the list went on and on….he currently plays in his room by himself begging to come back yet everything is OUR fault

[sjenner]

Axl Rose just raised an eyebrow at “Unreliable man-child”

[Ravvick]

I was once in a band where the bass player arrived with a keyboard one day. We already had a keyboard player. He said he was going to play "2nd keyboards" and have the original keyboard player play basslines. We didn't let him stay in the band.

[bulkvanderhuge]

#6 The Narcissist. Everything they forget, mess up, play wrong etc, is EVERYBODY ELSE'S FAULT. They will also QUIT the band, and not speak to you for 3-4 weeks, and then call you up and lecture you for an hour or two, about why YOU made them mad, and that YOU should be apologizing for what THEY did wrong.

[NewhamMatt]

Had a tantrum-thrower in a community marching band. She threatened to storm off right before we were due to begin leading the town parade because her dance troupe wasn't positioned immediately in front of us. She was the only tubist, so without her, there was no bassline. Never forgot, and while I sometimes had to work with her after that, I ensured that she was never relied on for anything again.

Eventually she chucked a tantrum (again) and stormed out after her best friend was removed as director by the remainder of the band. Literally no one ever contacted her about coming back, and I promptly replaced her with another tubist I knew.

[john_the_boxer]

Whilst I agree wholeheartedly with all of this, it’s very difficult to get 4/5 musicians in a room without at least one of these being present. Musicians as a rule, particularly songwriters, have a touch of ego. Which brings out the perfectionist, and the power trip. Noel is a perfect example. Granted, NG made it work. But that’s a rare occurrence.