The Wages, An Illustrated Story | 23. Songs and Parables | Hammertown
My lead guitarist had just quit, and we were about to head from Hamilton into London, Ontario, to play at one of the festivals there. Just an afternoon spot, but on the main stage. I had been hopeful that we could impress, and get a later spot next year, but now I was just hoping to do a good job without the lead.
“We’re on the bill, and people are expecting professional musicians who don’t disappoint.” I said to the band. “Everyone getting on this bus is a professional. I am proud of all of you. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Jerome, the guitarist in question, had been fighting with just about everybody in the band for a while, except for me and Joanne, my bass player who had become my girlfriend of a couple of years.
Finally Jerome argued with me several days in a row.
About silly things; “Look, Brandy, my guitar is being tuned before yours, so it will be less in tune by the time we play. My lead is more audible, and so my tuning is more important, so fuck it, mine should be done last.”
As if his guitar would go out of tune in the two minutes it took for mine. Things like that.
It was extreme of him to quit in mid-tour. I didn’t really understand his reasons, and I thought that word of a dramatic mid-tour quit might precede his next auditions elsewhere. I had tried to explain this to him without sounding threatening, but to this Jerome said, “I am also tired of being condescended to as if I was your God-damned student all the time.”
Which I found upsetting, because I like to feel I am helping my musicians, not just bossing them around. I didn’t think of the helping and teaching as a bad thing. But I guess he did.
So I rallied everybody for a set without lead guitar, and we got into our half-length aqua-coloured school bus that had some back seats chopped out to make room for music gear, and headed to London.