I was reminded today that sometimes the person with the most talent and skill is the worst person for a job.

Case in point my bands search for a drummer and bass player to fill out our bands line up and become permanent members.    In other words member who play well and will stick around and keep playing with the band for more than one summer.

As far as bass players we had the biggest problem with these.   We are a mainly original band with really good songs, we get nothing but compliments when we play out.   However, we would audition bass players, they would show up and love it and still end up quitting after a few months.   They usually left after they found being in a band was sometimes hard work for very little reward.  We had some really talented bass players over a couple of years, but none stuck.  

Finally I got sick of this and took up bass on top of playing lead vocal.   Am I a great bass player?  No.  However I am a good bass player and get the job done.   I had no natural talent for bass I had to work at it a good year before I was capable enough to play bass and sing at the same time.

So, although most of the other bass players we have destroy me on bass as it happens I am the best one for the job because I’m sticking around.  As a plus I now have a hand in writing the music, instead of just singing and telling the other players what key and the structure of the song.

Finding a drummer was much the same story.  When my band first started we had a drummer for a couple of years that, well, needed some lessons.   When we first started we were new to song writing as well.  So, the skill level was comparable.  

Fast forward two years and we outgrew him and he didn’t improve.  His skill level at drumming was often a point of argument in the band when he wasn’t around.  Eventually we had to fire him as he was holding us back musically.

Fast forward another two years and we went through two really great drummers.   The last one was phenomenal.  He could play cover and originals the first time he tried them, perfectly enough that they sounded recording quality.   And his timing and back-beat were really awesome, he really made us sound good.  That is, when we actually played………..

At first it was great everything went smooth.   Then came the girlfriend who had to come to every practice and argue with him or cause a scene.   Finally after a couple of months of practice we tried setting up gigs.   The drummer had some funny ideas.   He couldn’t be bothered to move his drum set for $100 guaranteed + the door for an two hour gig, even though we were a new band and no one knew us.  But, it was alright to play an hour gig opening for his friends CREED tribute band and making $60 dollars for the whole band.

On top of all this he was talking about getting publishing rights to our songs, even though they were all written before he was in the picture, because he read a book that said that was where the money was in music.

Basically, anything we tried to do he would put the brakes on for one reason or another and relegated the band to practicing in the garage, drinking beer, and talking about making it.

Finally, we just decided it would be better to not have a drummer at all than a drummer who thwarted everything the band tried to do.

After going through all the boobs, misfits, drunks and ego maniacs  it occured to me that the only drummer I ever played with that acted normal, didn’t have a huge ego, a substance problem and had a regular job was the drummer I mentioned earlier that wasn’t good enough.   If I could only have his personality with the skill of these other guys.

I made the decision that it would be better to play with someone I got along with rather than someone who was really talented but a jerk.  

Still, there was the skill thing.

The drummer in question was a little older now.  I thought maybe now that he’s older he’s better or at least willing to improve on the things we want him too.   From what I remembered about him he had a very good work ethic.

So, basically I called him up and asked if he was still interested in my band.  He was.  I made it clear that he would have to get a new kit, and learn how to play to our liking and take critiques.

As I was still relatively new to bass I told him we would have to learn together.

Fast forward again a few months and he turned into a new drummer.  He bought loads of videos and listened to our critiques and took them to heart.  So, now we have the best of both worlds,  a drummer who can play his ass off without being an ass.

The moral of the story is that sometimes the person with the most talent or skill is not always the best person for the job.   Not to say someone with natural talent can’t be a hard worker too.  But, many times people with talent take for granted what they have and let it go to their heads.