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Sigh I've had more than a few arguments about this perspective in the past, and I'll hold steadfast to one simple rule - if you're not on stage, then you're not

Sigh I've had more than a few arguments about this perspective in the past, and I'll hold steadfast to one simple rule - if you're not on stage, then you're not "in the band." I didn't say "not important," but if your bassist gets sick, your PR person isn't going to get up on stage and fill in. There are ancillary roles that are important, but firing a Tour Manager or Lawyer is not the same as replacing a drummer, it just isn't. Or, in a rough analogy, just because a waiter brings you food doesn't mean they had a hand in making it in the kitchen.

dagw 11y ago
I guess it all comes down to the question of what any given band is. Is it essentially a performance arts collective just trying to cover its costs or a business just trying to maximize profits. All bands fall somewhere on that spectrum, and the answer to who is part of the band depends on where they fall on that spectrum. firing a Tour Manager or Lawyer is not the same as replacing a drummer, it just isn't. No, and replacing your CFO is not the same as firing an administrative assistant. But they're both part of the company. in a rough analogy, just because a waiter brings you food doesn't mean they had a hand in making it in the kitchen. No but they are crucial to the whole restaurant experience and thus the success of the business. A bad front of house can completely wreck the best of intentions that the kitchen might have, and a great front of house can save the day if the kitchen fumbles the ball.
- 6stringmerc 11y ago
  Hmm, well, I guess if you want to obfuscate the term "band" and expand it to be an "organization" of course we're not going to see eye-to-eye. "Part of the company" is completely off-track and downright wrong when talking about a Lawyer versus a Drummer. A drummer contributes to the making of what the lawyer defends. This is very clear in the sense of one is a member of the band, and the other is a member of the organization. One contributes on a creative basis, the other does not. Cut-and-dried definitions here. No front of the house could ever save a restaurant if the kitchen decides to walk out, right? No band, no organization. No pilots, no airline. It does kind of make me chuckle that the only times I've had this kind of discussion is with a non-musician who wants to equivocate their functional role with what comes out of the guitar amp. Other people might buy it. I sure don't.

dagw 11y ago

I guess it all comes down to the question of what any given band is. Is it essentially a performance arts collective just trying to cover its costs or a business just trying to maximize profits. All bands fall somewhere on that spectrum, and the answer to who is part of the band depends on where they fall on that spectrum. firing a Tour Manager or Lawyer is not the same as replacing a drummer, it just isn't. No, and replacing your CFO is not the same as firing an administrative assistant. But they're both part of the company. in a rough analogy, just because a waiter brings you food doesn't mean they had a hand in making it in the kitchen. No but they are crucial to the whole restaurant experience and thus the success of the business. A bad front of house can completely wreck the best of intentions that the kitchen might have, and a great front of house can save the day if the kitchen fumbles the ball.

6stringmerc 11y ago
Hmm, well, I guess if you want to obfuscate the term "band" and expand it to be an "organization" of course we're not going to see eye-to-eye. "Part of the company" is completely off-track and downright wrong when talking about a Lawyer versus a Drummer. A drummer contributes to the making of what the lawyer defends. This is very clear in the sense of one is a member of the band, and the other is a member of the organization. One contributes on a creative basis, the other does not. Cut-and-dried definitions here. No front of the house could ever save a restaurant if the kitchen decides to walk out, right? No band, no organization. No pilots, no airline. It does kind of make me chuckle that the only times I've had this kind of discussion is with a non-musician who wants to equivocate their functional role with what comes out of the guitar amp. Other people might buy it. I sure don't.