What’s the one thing that is guaranteed to happen when a group of people work together? Arguments. It always happens at some point in a band’s career. There’s a small argument that escalates into a much larger one. We hear about bands breaking up or members leaving due to “irreconcilable differences” on a regular basis. It’s just a fact that band mates will not always agree on everything. So what types of things cause issues to arise, and what conflict resolution methods can bands use?
Money & Band Equipment
This is a big cause of conflict within bands. It doesn’t matter how much or how little money the band makes, someone will always feel they are not getting what they deserve at some point. This can come from their role and efforts within the band. A member who handles all the marketing work may feel slighted when the band makes more money from their efforts, and they get the same cut as the rest of the members. If a member does all the booking, then they may feel they deserve an additional cut like a booking agent would get. Even if every member has their own defined task, at some point someone will feel they do more than someone else. Sometimes it can be as simple as a member having a bill to pay, and they make less than what they were counting on. What about a member who has to drive a bit further than the rest of the band for a gig? Don’t think they won’t feel they deserve that little extra to cover their “extra” effort. It doesn’t matter what causes it because at some point in a band’s career money will definitely come up in an argument.
Equipment can tie in with money a lot of the time during band conflicts. Whether the band needs new lights, PA, or a new backdrop, the money has to come from somewhere. Bands will either own the equipment as a band or have individual members own separate items. Both methods have their pros and cons. If the band owns all of the equipment, then no single member has control over anything, but if any member leaves then they will be owed for their shared ownership in the equipment. If members own different items separately, then there is no conflict about who gets what should a member leave or the band split up. But then you gain the issue of any member being able to use their equipment ownership in an argument.
“Well I own the PA so if you don’t want to do this my way then we’re not using it anymore.”
Right there you have a major issue. You have a dictator rising up in your own band using their equipment to force their needs and demands on the rest of the group. This does nothing but create a toxic work environment within the band.
Band Image
At some point in creating a career in music you have to face the fact that image matters. Sometimes it matters more than the music itself unfortunately. Think of your image as the packaging, and you are the product. Companies that produce products for retail pay very close attention to the packaging because that’s the first place a customer’s attention will be. Image becomes a problem however when members don’t focus on a consistent image. Sometimes you have someone in the group who just says “this is what I like to wear and I’m not changing.” Depending on your musical genre of focus, this can be no issue or a big issue. After all, you wouldn’t expect to see a metal band with a singer dressed like a cowboy or someone dressed in goth performing in a country band. It has to be looked at from a business stand point since this is after all a business.
Band Direction/Efforts & Creative Input
This part can include aspects from everything talked about so far. We already mentioned this when it came to money. Nobody wants to do more work than someone else yet get paid the same. The problem in this case doesn’t come from someone saying someone else should be paid less because they do less work. Instead it will be “they do less than I do so I need to be paid more from now on.” You will have someone bring up the amount of work they contribute in comparison to another person or persons and say they need a bigger cut of the pay or more control within the band. That is the other issue. Someone may not care about the money as much as they care about exerting their control over the band.
- “I own most/all of the band gear so I get the executive vote.”
- “I book all the shows so I get to decide the direction of the band.”
- “I wrote the guitar part for the song, and we are not using that drum beat!”
These are just some examples of what can be brought up when someone wants more control in the group’s overall focus. Unless everyone in the group has the same direction in mind for the band or for a certain song, at some point this argument will come up. This is usually where the worst tension will arise because these decisions will have the biggest effect on the group as a whole.
Mitigation of Conflicts
So what can be done to at least mitigate these issues when they does get brought up? Well to start with a band agreement signed by all members would help. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy unless you expect to make a lot of money. If there is a strong possibility or belief that a significant amount of money will be involved, then you should get a professionally drafted agreement. The basic focus of the agreement though will still be pretty straight forward. Obviously each issue discussed so far should be addressed. Who owns/will own what equipment, how the money will be split, what is expected/required of each member, etc…. Having a band agreement in place from the beginning will help to minimize the arguing over some of these issues.
Of course, a band agreement isn’t going to magically solve every conflict. The most important thing to do is keep a level head and be diplomatic in band discussions. Allowing your emotions to control what you say and do is the quickest way to make the rest of the group dislike you. Letting your emotions get the best of you makes you appear volatile. That’s not a favorable trait in someone you work with on a regular basis. As long as everyone in the band does their best to be calm and reasonable in discussions, you should never have any heated arguments.
Sometimes problems only get resolved temporarily though. Worst case is there is continuous conflict in the group over various issues. Should something like this occur, you will just need to address the problem as a group firstly by admitting there is a significant underlying issue that can’t be easily resolved. This could be a member’s attitude, amount of effort, or another member’s use of their equipment to gain more say-so. Meeting and discussing the issue as calmly as possible will help in determining an amicable way to move forward, whether it involves the departure of one or more members or the dissolution of the group as a whole. It is unfortunate but sometimes a group of musicians just cannot work together because of their various differences.