By T. Perry Bowers
Almost every band I’ve ever been in has suffered from Reluctant Band Leader Syndrome.
Yes. That’s an actual scientific term. Everyone in the band knows who the leader is, but the guy just won’t lead the band. He acts as if the bass player should be doing all the work, getting gigs, setting up recordings, planning rehearsals, etc. If the leader doesn’t act like his band is his band, the band will wither and die.
The moral of this story is don’t let democracy get in the way of art. The only time to put something to a vote in a band is when the decision doesn’t really matter. If the leader has good ideas that work and create audiences but he is willing to have those ideas voted down, the band will never have an audience at all. An artist who appeases other artists by having his artistic ideas voted on is no artist at all.
This probably makes me sound like a dictator – or an asshole! You don’t have to be either. What I’m trying to say is good art should come before people’s feelings.
If you’re the leader of your band, diplomacy is a must, but democracy is not. Artists tend to be sensitive, but sensitive people who stop you from doing interesting, provocative things are not useful in a rock band. If you have a sensitive person in your band and it’s hampering your efforts to get things done, you may want to consider replacing him or her.
Being a bold leader means you need to make business arrangements. You can’t expect your band members to follow your every artistic whim without any compensation. Sometimes being in a band with a bold, artistic leader is enough. The perks of free alcohol, the adoration of the opposite sex and a little gig money will be sufficient for most folks. For others though, it may take a little extra cash.
If you’re the leader of your band, act accordingly. Compensate your members properly in return for them acquiescing to your artistic terms. Don’t give them a vote – explain they will be compensated for getting behind your ideas.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to the others in your band though. You may have the final say but you still need feedback. A good leader is open to all ideas – if someone else in your band has a good idea use it! Give the other band members credit for their ideas, but allow yourself to reap the benefits. You don’t need to hand out royalties to someone who told you to wear an orange scarf, but if they bring you a song that gets people dancing compensation may be appropriate.
Think of your band like a pack of wolves. Everyone needs to know the hierarchy. If you’re the leader, the others are there to support you and your vision. Trust me, if you structure things this way everything goes a lot smoother. It makes hard decisions easier.
Partnerships are common in rock bands too. If you’re Axl Rose, maybe you have a Slash. Co-leadership can work but you need to figure out how you are going to lead the band together. Who has final say on songs? (Maybe you do on your songs and he does on his). With your partner, you need to be slightly more democratic.
If you are a side person, be a good side person. Read my blog here link about side people. Your job is to support the leader of your band. If you feel the itch to take over, you need your own band. Don’t ruin another guy’s band if it already has a good thing going. Start your own band and ruin that instead.
Make agreements – write them down and keep them. If you can’t bring yourself to break out a pen and paper to formalize things at least have a transparent conversation with every member of your band.
No secrets:
Secrets kill bands faster than democracy. Everyone needs to know everyone else’s business agreements. It will all come out eventually, so you might as well be up front from the beginning.
Someone in the band could become jealous and spiteful. Unless that person is a key member, it’s time to let them go. Life is too short to be in a band where the vibe isn’t cool all the time.
People change and you can’t always predict the future, but you can get a good gauge of someone’s character pretty quickly. Go with your intuition. If the guy doesn’t get the band arrangement, let it go.
It’s simple really – Lead your band if you’re the leader. Follow your leader with gusto if you’re a side man. If you want to experience a democracy go to a city council meeting. This is rock and roll people, not politics.
