Alright so let me explain the situation. I’ve been jamming with this guy for like 3 months now.
He is Swedish-Cuban. A noise rocker/Sonic Youth worshipper. Originally I was optimistic but as time went on it became more and more apparent he just wants to jam and “make Noise” rather than writing songs.
Meanwhile he loses his job and next thing I know is crashing on an air mattress in my living room. I’m a good sport because I wanna get some music out, but he just got high all day and never cleaned or did anything, let alone look for a job.
Fast forward a month and I kicked him out. He’s staying with this chick now. We have one finished song “City on a Hill” which I managed to get recorded in a session I paid for with my roommate who’s a sound engineer.
The next song “Harpies” is basically done and I did lyrics. Now he’s saying he wants to do lyrics, re-write all the guitar parts, blah blah 1 month after the fact. I’m already sick of his shit between him being broke and the constant noise and lack of focus.
The song sounds good to me. We came up with these parts together. I just want to ‘release’ the 2 songs online and call it a day with this dude.
So should I say fuck it and pull a Jourgensen but give him credit for his contributions and put it up, giving him half whatever revenue it generates, or never release these songs because I want to respect “artistic integrity”?
Wow a guy with a decent idea in music but does nothing with it. Yeah I say give him credit and release it. I’d at least give him some kind of notice before you do it though
Did you agree any rights/copyrights issue? If you’re happy with the songs, tell him you’re releasing them and you’ll give him credit & pay him his share if there’s money involved. I wouldn’t hold back on something because of a stoner’s inertia.
Do a Paul Barker on it as opposed to an Al Jourgensen.
Get rid of his parts of the songs and re-do them so they’re your songs…
I hate hearing about leeches that crash at folks house’s until they get kicked out and contribute nothing in the process. Folk that do that aren’t friends…they’re just taking people’s kindness for weakness and making the most out of it.
If Voidhead feels that the waster has contributed something to the songs (ie, they would not be as good without his input) then Void has got something out of the process. It’s Void’s prerogative whether he wants to make something of them or not.
It’s your band, right?
Give him credit, put out the songs, tell him to take a hike.
If he wants to do the songs his way he can do the same in his own band.
See: Metallica’s “The Four Horsemen” vs. Megadeth’s “Mechanix”
Thanks for the responses guys! I’m glad many are supporting me on this.
Akbar/Toot, I might just re-record with another with another guitarist down the road. I’m in the process of meeting new people. I have a jam on Wednesday night. Looking for more. I have ads on craigslist lol which is how I met the Swede in the first place.
Hmm let me explain more. With a lot of work and coaxing I did manage to get some good stuff out of him. And he did pay me some money for living there (though not an equal share). I think someone else could easily play these guitar parts or expand on them, especially with the unfinished one I was talking about. It’s nothing brilliant, but it works. The coolest thing about him which I liked was he created this jangly guitar sound by tuning all the strings to the same note. In the case of these two songs, it was F.
The reality is I like the songs and just want to put them out. If I meet someone else who is willing to play them, fine, I’ll keep them in the set list. If not, I have no problem starting from scratch. If anything I’m more attached to stuff like the “Killing an Arab” cover.
Last night after my first post I mentioned the idea of mixing and releasing the song as is to him just “for now” and then “re-doing it later” and he seemed ok with it. Of course I have no intention to re-do it or do anything more with him. What can I say? I’m a non-confrontational person for the most part (like most people, which I think is a big weakness many of us suffer from) so I didn’t have the heart to say “look, it’s over. I’ll throw you whatever for these songs and we’re done”
Anyway later on the fuck spilled a bunch of his shitty beer on my new Macbook Pro. It got all in the keyboard. The lights were flickering and shit, then went out totally. There was some weird issue where everything was in caps and I couldn’t turn it off. I am really pissed. I just shut it down and I’m hoping this is like a bad dream and it will be cool when I reboot tonight. In reality…it’s probly fucked. Of course I will never get the money from his broke ass. Hopefully I can use the warranty, but they may just say it’s my fault. Either way I’m fucking done with him and if anything this gives me the excuse (as if I needed one) to go ahead and do what I want with the music.
Copyright issues? Yeah let him go hire a fucking lawyer. Can’t even pay his fucking cell phone bill…
The real question is do you expect to make much money with these? If the answer is yes, what’s your secret? and if it’s no, then cool and equal share of $0 is $0.
The real question is do you expect to make much money with these? If the answer is yes, what’s your secret? and if it’s no, then cool and equal share of $0 is $0.
Haha yeah not much. I figure maybe some itunes sales. That’s about it. And I’m putting it on a physical cd which I’ll be pimping as well. Just to whatever fanbase I managed to build up when I had the band in Syracuse. Mostly groupies and such. But yeah not like I’m gonna be rakin’ in serious dough and denying him.
[reply]What do you mean ‘Wolf Eyes’? I’m a big fan of them. Gone by that name on another message board or two [sly]
Thanks for the support.
Ur welcome. And you are Wolf Eyes formerly of the hierophant(rip)? I only ask cause I remember the nursing home link…[/reply]
Yeah I was gonna say…could only be the 'Phant. Yeah my name was Wolf Eyes back there. Man I miss that forum…The new MM board is awful. Not surprised all the cool people form the 'Phant never bothered to make the transition. Most of them hated current Manson anyway and just posted about other shit! Kind of like this board…
[reply][reply]What do you mean ‘Wolf Eyes’? I’m a big fan of them. Gone by that name on another message board or two [sly]
Thanks for the support.
Ur welcome. And you are Wolf Eyes formerly of the hierophant(rip)? I only ask cause I remember the nursing home link…[/reply]
Yeah I was gonna say…could only be the 'Phant. Yeah my name was Wolf Eyes back there. Man I miss that forum…The new MM board is awful. Not surprised all the cool people form the 'Phant never bothered to make the transition. Most of them hated current Manson anyway and just posted about other shit! Kind of like this board…
It’s such a shame cause “the phant” is actually a really well done site. then the board is all just pics of how manson got fat or interview of him making an ass out of himself and then threatening to cut people or some nonsense… i was reading one of the old daydream milk and genocide fanzines i got the other day cause i was feeling nostalgic i guess, and it’s amazing how well thought out, interesting, and intelligent the band came across as back pre-mechanincal animals… then every interview was about the drugs they did… but ya know, gidget was the one who was a fuck up drug wise and had to go… and with him the POAAF image and style, eh nevermind… bands like friends, change and suck…