But we are not without drama!
Our last rehearsal was not quite stress-free. Things have been really good overall lately, as far as personalities within the band seeming to mesh, musical styles working, basically everything other than musical proficiency level. We've all gone on record saying that we'd rather play in a band of guys (and girls) that get along than play in a musically gifted band made of up personalities that just don't work. So far, the compromise has swung back and forth a bit, but right now I'd say it's the best it's ever been. Everyone gets along, and we're all pretty good, too. Well, at least no one sucks. Or so I thought.
So we had one rehearsal to throw 10 more songs together, go from the 90-minute bag that we had to a something like three full sets for today's gig. They were all songs we'd at least played through before, before we'd cut the list down to the 90-minute set we played last Sunday. Now it was time to add them back, and see if we have three full sets. We do. We got through the songs, not all silky smooth like we would've liked, but close enough for rock and roll.
After running through a song, one of the singers said something about how it felt a little fast. I agreed, so did a few others. We run through it again. Just before counting it off, JT says under his breath "Tempo is not the biggest problem this band has right now" and then click! click! click! click! we start the song again. What the fuck? I might have been the only one who heard it, or at least the only one who remembered by time we finished playing the song, because when we finished the second time it was better, and we moved on. No one said anything. But it was kind of an assholish thing to do. If there's something you want to discuss, say so.
After practice, Angela and Jessica tend to be the first ones to leave. They have the least gear to pack, and also tend to have the most other stuff going on on their schedules. The girls leave, David leaves, and for a minute it's just me, John, Jerry, and JT, the "core" of the band, the elders. We have seen singers come and go, and lead guitarists come and go. JT takes this opportunity to point out that David thus far has not thrilled him. He's shown himself to be a very nice guy, but decidedly on the mediocre side as far as pure guitar talent goes, and he was brought on mostly for lead guitar. I have to agree. So does John. I don't specifically recall what Jerry said, but he's not an idiot. So there it is. My position is that he's not great, but he's not horrible, and we've played one gig together. He feels a bit unseasoned to me, which is weird because he supposedly has some years in the biz, same as we all do. But I'm willing to see how much he changes, improves, over the next four to six months.
John called me today. We commiserated together about today's gig that was cancelled, but that's not why he called. JT has contacted John more than once, since that last practice, to restate how strongly he feels about replacing David. Whoa! I'm nowhere near that point, and either is John, and either was JT or so we thought, but I guess we were wrong. He wants to pull the trigger, now. We just fucking finally put a working lineup together again after 8 months, and he wants to find a new guitarist? Fuck. I say give him some more time, John says give him some more time, JT thinks any more time we put in is wasted, because he just doesn't see the potential. I can completely see that position. I just don't care. I'd rather play in a band with David, actually play gigs, than replace him and spend another six to eight months not playing, while we bring yet another new member up to speed. Fuck that. If it comes to that, I'm okay with David. He's not the best lead guitarist we've had, in fact he's probably the worst, but he's okay, and okay is good enough for me right now.
I tell John that that's my position, and it is his as well. I tell him that I'm curious what Jerry says, and I'm sure that Jerry is the next call he'll make (it is), but what he chooses to share with me regarding that conversation is up to him. We leave it at that.