When a great band breaks up, the fans always lament “Why couldn’t they just stay together?”
Then follows conjecture and gossip. Who didn’t (or couldn’t) get along with whom? Who’s ego (or ambition) was out of control?
But if you think about it, odds are actually against any group staying together for a protracted period of time.
The lurid problems mentioned above certainly play a part in many band dissolutions. Especially with very high-talent, high-profile bands, musicians can come to differ in their opinions on the directions the band, or certain individuals should take to achieve their artistic visions. And these visions may not be the same – in fact it seems unlikely they would remain the same.
Beneath the musical and artistic aspects, too, let’s not forget that every band member is a human being (unless it’s a Techno band, of course). And humans have lives. They have families and relationships, good times and bad times, and just as these truths affect the people that work in any company you’ve worked at, it affects how they interact with their job, the band.
In a high level professional band, there are pressures from the public and record companies for bands to work through difficulties, since time, emotion and lots of money has been invested in them. We’ve all heard tales of the longtime bands where nobody actual speaks together anymore, and everyone travels in separate buses – only financial obligations could spawn such a weird arrangement.
For most of us who dwell beneath that rarefied stratum, we know all too well why our bands have trouble staying together:
- Personal issues – changes in employment, changes in home life
- Variance in Goals – some members want to really “go for it”, while others just enjoy “having fun”
- Variance in Skills – some members may be fairly static in their skill levels, while others progress more, in effect “outgrowing” the band
But one thing we all have in common, pros and “gifted amateurs” alike – if we love playing in a band, and love playing in front of people, we’ll always find someone to practice and gig with. And if it takes 100 tries to find the right band, so be it!
