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Author Topic: Randell Kirsch  (Read 36078 times)
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« Reply #25 on: December 22, 2015, 12:16:01 PM »

My point, if you don't know, then don't speculate. I have no problem discussing anything as long as it is factual.

Sorry, I completely disagree. Most of what is discussed here is speculation and opinion. If we avoided speculation, then it would all be "favorite songs" polls and whatnot. Nearly every "Smile" discussion ever undertaken would be null and void. Nearly every discussion on inter-band relationships would be negated.

It's all clearly labeled as speculation and guesses. Nobody is saying they know for certain what happened. Indeed, I've made sure in EVERY post related to this topic that I've clearly stated we don't know what happened. But there's enough information and interest to speculate.
So, if you get a speculative answer, then where does that leave us? Not knowing anymore or less than where we started. Seems futile to me and only leads to band member bashing. Especially, if they think the speculation is the actual truth.

I think the bigger issue is sometimes the speculation/opinion turns into conventional wisdom or fact.
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« Reply #26 on: December 22, 2015, 12:18:20 PM »

I've spoken to three members of the touring group over the past several months at different shows and to a close friend of a many decade member about the band and the touring.   They are all tired, some feeling their age, and all feel pressured to put out their best effort on more dates than they really care to play but don't have a voice on how many shows are performed so keep going to keep their jobs.  And they all appear very road weary.  I suspect that when an individual member begins to slip a bit in attitude or performance it becomes an issue of are you with the program or not.  I don't think Mike randomly replaces or fires people, he is just in charge and will see that the band functions as he sees fit for as many shows as he is willing to do in a given year.   

This is really great insight. The current travel and performance schedule is incredibly ambitious. As a, relatively, young man, it makes be tired to just think about.
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« Reply #27 on: December 22, 2015, 12:27:58 PM »

My point, if you don't know, then don't speculate. I have no problem discussing anything as long as it is factual.

Sorry, I completely disagree. Most of what is discussed here is speculation and opinion. If we avoided speculation, then it would all be "favorite songs" polls and whatnot. Nearly every "Smile" discussion ever undertaken would be null and void. Nearly every discussion on inter-band relationships would be negated.

It's all clearly labeled as speculation and guesses. Nobody is saying they know for certain what happened. Indeed, I've made sure in EVERY post related to this topic that I've clearly stated we don't know what happened. But there's enough information and interest to speculate.
So, if you get a speculative answer, then where does that leave us? Not knowing anymore or less than where we started. Seems futile to me and only leads to band member bashing. Especially, if they think the speculation is the actual truth.

The point of discussion is the discussion itself, not always seeking answers, certainly not always definitive answers. Again, this is just the nature of just about every message board/online community I've seen. Some people are looking to further their knowledge, some to just share their thoughts or opinions, etc.

I don’t see any problem with posting that common sense, past patterns of band member changes, and available evidence would seem to indicate Randell Kirsche may well have not chosen to leave the touring band. Maybe others are trying to be provocative with such an idea, but I can only offer that I’m not. It’s just a common sense observation, not a definitive statement of fact.; and it’s one worth mentioning (again, just in my opinion) in the face of the suggestion that the standard of evidence  means we shouldn’t discuss anything at all that can’t be factually proven. If one thinks none of this matters, then the entire topic/thread can be skipped.

But I’m not a big fan of being absolutely incredulous about the theory/idea/opinion that Foskett and Ike leaving Brian’s band and joining Mike’s has nothing to do with politics, and that the resulting politics may have led to someone being a casualty of said politics. If I think politics were involved, it isn’t to suggest that Mike’s a bad person. It just means politics were involved.
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« Reply #28 on: December 22, 2015, 12:33:40 PM »

I've spoken to three members of the touring group over the past several months at different shows and to a close friend of a many decade member about the band and the touring.   They are all tired, some feeling their age, and all feel pressured to put out their best effort on more dates than they really care to play but don't have a voice on how many shows are performed so keep going to keep their jobs.  And they all appear very road weary.  I suspect that when an individual member begins to slip a bit in attitude or performance it becomes an issue of are you with the program or not.  I don't think Mike randomly replaces or fires people, he is just in charge and will see that the band functions as he sees fit for as many shows as he is willing to do in a given year.  

This is really great insight. The current travel and performance schedule is incredibly ambitious. As a, relatively, young man, it makes be tired to just think about.

Very good insights indeed. But let us also remember that just as nobody was making Foskett or Ike leave Brian's band, nobody made anyone sign up with Mike's either. With the exception of Ike, the guys in the band have been touring with this band for years. Foskett knows the grind from his 80s stint as well.

I'd certainly subscribe to the idea that eventually some folks might burn out and/or lose some steam, and maybe they don't voluntarily exit. But certainly with someone like Kirsche, I haven't heard anyone suggest he was lagging behind in concert. I think the Kirsche thing is actually a bit of an anomaly, as I'm *guessing* it had much more to do with getting Ike than wanting to discard Kirsche.
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« Reply #29 on: December 22, 2015, 12:35:05 PM »

 3D

 

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« Reply #30 on: December 22, 2015, 12:42:15 PM »

It makes sense to me, generally speaking. Again, like unfortunately most workplaces. Politics, backbiting, ass kissing, etc.

Kowalski always has seemed like a nice guy, and as folks like Stebbins have pointed out, was a great drummer back in the 70s. But I certainly thought that one personnel change, musically speaking, should have been made back in the 80s.

But that's one of very few cases where a backing band member was very obviously a hindrance performance-wise.

Most of the guys that have exited have never overtly been performing badly on stage. Perhaps almost the entire '81 band might fall under that category, including most of the actual BBs themselves.
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« Reply #31 on: December 22, 2015, 12:45:22 PM »

My point, if you don't know, then don't speculate. I have no problem discussing anything as long as it is factual.

Sorry, I completely disagree. Most of what is discussed here is speculation and opinion. If we avoided speculation, then it would all be "favorite songs" polls and whatnot. Nearly every "Smile" discussion ever undertaken would be null and void. Nearly every discussion on inter-band relationships would be negated.

It's all clearly labeled as speculation and guesses. Nobody is saying they know for certain what happened. Indeed, I've made sure in EVERY post related to this topic that I've clearly stated we don't know what happened. But there's enough information and interest to speculate.
So, if you get a speculative answer, then where does that leave us? Not knowing anymore or less than where we started. Seems futile to me and only leads to band member bashing. Especially, if they think the speculation is the actual truth.

The point of discussion is the discussion itself, not always seeking answers, certainly not always definitive answers. Again, this is just the nature of just about every message board/online community I've seen. Some people are looking to further their knowledge, some to just share their thoughts or opinions, etc.

I don’t see any problem with posting that common sense, past patterns of band member changes, and available evidence would seem to indicate Randell Kirsche may well have not chosen to leave the touring band. Maybe others are trying to be provocative with such an idea, but I can only offer that I’m not. It’s just a common sense observation, not a definitive statement of fact.; and it’s one worth mentioning (again, just in my opinion) in the face of the suggestion that the standard of evidence  means we shouldn’t discuss anything at all that can’t be factually proven. If one thinks none of this matters, then the entire topic/thread can be skipped.

But I’m not a big fan of being absolutely incredulous about the theory/idea/opinion that Foskett and Ike leaving Brian’s band and joining Mike’s has nothing to do with politics, and that the resulting politics may have led to someone being a casualty of said politics. If I think politics were involved, it isn’t to suggest that Mike’s a bad person. It just means politics were involved.

Send Jeff & Ike an email and ask. Don't speculate about something you have no knowledge about. Seriously, I would hope that most of us who come here do so to gain knowledge, not sit and speculate. Go back reread what you originally posted. I wouldn't have even answered if you just thought is was politics. You made it sound like Mike stole them away from Brian and that Randall was sacked for some terrible reason. We know none of that.
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« Reply #32 on: December 22, 2015, 12:54:26 PM »

My point, if you don't know, then don't speculate. I have no problem discussing anything as long as it is factual.

Sorry, I completely disagree. Most of what is discussed here is speculation and opinion. If we avoided speculation, then it would all be "favorite songs" polls and whatnot. Nearly every "Smile" discussion ever undertaken would be null and void. Nearly every discussion on inter-band relationships would be negated.

It's all clearly labeled as speculation and guesses. Nobody is saying they know for certain what happened. Indeed, I've made sure in EVERY post related to this topic that I've clearly stated we don't know what happened. But there's enough information and interest to speculate.
So, if you get a speculative answer, then where does that leave us? Not knowing anymore or less than where we started. Seems futile to me and only leads to band member bashing. Especially, if they think the speculation is the actual truth.

The point of discussion is the discussion itself, not always seeking answers, certainly not always definitive answers. Again, this is just the nature of just about every message board/online community I've seen. Some people are looking to further their knowledge, some to just share their thoughts or opinions, etc.

I don’t see any problem with posting that common sense, past patterns of band member changes, and available evidence would seem to indicate Randell Kirsche may well have not chosen to leave the touring band. Maybe others are trying to be provocative with such an idea, but I can only offer that I’m not. It’s just a common sense observation, not a definitive statement of fact.; and it’s one worth mentioning (again, just in my opinion) in the face of the suggestion that the standard of evidence  means we shouldn’t discuss anything at all that can’t be factually proven. If one thinks none of this matters, then the entire topic/thread can be skipped.

But I’m not a big fan of being absolutely incredulous about the theory/idea/opinion that Foskett and Ike leaving Brian’s band and joining Mike’s has nothing to do with politics, and that the resulting politics may have led to someone being a casualty of said politics. If I think politics were involved, it isn’t to suggest that Mike’s a bad person. It just means politics were involved.

Send Jeff & Ike an email and ask. Don't speculate about something you have no knowledge about. Seriously, I would hope that most of us who come here do so to gain knowledge, not sit and speculate. Go back reread what you originally posted. I wouldn't have even answered if you just thought is was politics. You made it sound like Mike stole them away from Brian and that Randall was sacked for some terrible reason. We know none of that.

The speculation, not any statement of fact, was that Kirsche may have exited because Mike wanted Ike. A common event in the work force. Is that a terrible reason? I have no idea. If Kirsche didn't want to go, it was probably a bummer for him.

And no, boards aren't only for "gaining knowledge." Otherwise, we wouldn't have fantasy track listings and favorite song threads. That's about sharing opinions.

Speculation on topics we RARELY have any direct knowledge of or connection to is what most of this board is. Are we supposed to step into speculative "Smile" threads and tell people "Don't speculate! You weren't there at the sessions!", and direct them instead to e-mail Brian and ask him?

And I never suggested Mike "stole" Foskett from Brian's band. I do feel, and again just my opinion, that Foskett's *hiring* once he was out of Brian's band, as well as Ike apparently/presumably *leaving* Brian's band for Mike's band, were quite possibly motivated in part by inter-BB politics. It's nothing new, and it's just a theory/hunch/idea, etc.
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« Reply #33 on: December 22, 2015, 01:12:37 PM »

Cowsill has trouble  turning on  a keyboard  & didn't replace Meros.
I meant he replaced Meros' place in terms of being one of the two keyboardists in the backing band, not that he was necessarily playing Meros' parts.
I only saw Cowsill playing keyboard with Mike & Bruce a few times, but he seemed perfectly adequate -- although, frankly, there were too many keyboardists on stage, and too much keyboard in the arrangement, in the early 2000s.


Quote
Cowsill was bucking for Kowalski's job for years and finally MK. got sick of all the bull & didn't care anymore either, he's glad to be out too.

This actually makes sense to me. Most people in audiences don't tend to notice the drummers, and I never hear people at gigs talking about drummers, *except* when I've been to Mike & Bruce gigs. The three I went to with Kowalski on drums, people came out talking about how terrible the drumming was, and how it nearly ruined the show. The ones I've been to with Cowsill on drums, they come out talking about how great he is.

If I were a drummer as good as Cowsill, stuck playing something that wasn't my first instrument, while someone as bad as Kowalski was was on the drums, *I'd* be pushing to take over.

Which is not to say Kowalski wasn't good in the 60s and 70s. But by 2001, the first time I got a chance to see any Beach Boys lineup, he was having trouble even keeping time.

Quote
Cowsill & Totten got into the band because Adrian and Mrs. Love were not friends and his days were numbered also.

If so, we have a lot to thank Jacqui Love for, frankly. Scott and John are immensely talented musicians. Adrian Baker, along with Kowalski, was a very weak link in the post-1998 lineup of the band, and when he was replaced the band improved dramatically.

(Again, nothing against Baker as a person, or indeed as a guitarist. But his vocals on the shows I saw were frankly horrible.)

Quote
Also for $200 a gig and all the travel it's a tough way to make a living & stay married also.... the $$$ never did trickle down much despite all the $$$ Love makes.
If that's what they're paid, then it *is* a hard job for the wages, and increases my admiration for them immensely -- that's roughly what I get per day for my office job, and I can go home and see my wife every evening. I do hope they're either actually paid more than that, or believe the other benefits of the job outweigh the financial ones.
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« Reply #34 on: December 22, 2015, 02:17:40 PM »

Hey Jude -
 Briefly -  Most of the original / longtime touring members,  remain  freinds with Al Jardine and not the Love's. Read between the line's. The politic's behind the scene's were ass kissing.  Some  like to ass kiss and others wouldn't.   Cowsill has trouble  turning on  a keyboard  & didn't replace Meros. Cowsill was bucking for Kowalski's job for years and finally MK. got sick of all the bull & didn't care anymore either, he's glad to be out too.   Tim Bonahome took over for Mike M. because he didn't want to be sh*t-canned either but in all fairness he isn't even close to the musicain Meros was.  Tim is a good guy thou but doesn't sing either & that was impossible anyways playing all the decks of keyboards & B3  Meros played.  The sound suffer's without a B3 onstage it's the choice of many professional musicians even today for the "fat sounds". Cowsill & Totten got into the band because Adrian and Jackie were not friends and his days were numbered also. Cowsill was brought in to sing and Totten to play the guitar as Adrian needed a break from the madness & left the band to go to England for Christmas 2000... so on and so forth..
Also for $200 a gig and all the travel it's a tough way to make a living & stay married .... the $$$ never did trickle down much despite all the $$$ Love makes.



 



There is no way these guys are only making $200/show.
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« Reply #35 on: December 22, 2015, 02:36:45 PM »

Cowsill was brought in to sing...

Simply not the case. I interviewed Cowsill back in fall 2009 and asked how he "got the call":

"Flash forward to 1998. I get a call at midnight from Chris Farmer. I hadn’t spoken to Chris since I left Jan and Dean [in 1986], so naturally I assumed he wanted something. That something was to drive to the airport and get on a plane to Minneapolis. Mike Kowalski was having some inner ear problem and had to get off the plane, so I filled in for a small string of gigs on drums. While on that trip Adrian Baker asked if I could sub for him on a few dates, New Year’s being one of them. I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play any leads on guitar. So… I did a week for Adrian, and that was that. Then just about a year and some months later, Phil Bardowell asked if I could sub for him in Europe while he worked on his solo project. (I had no idea they were simultaneously hiring Scott Totten, thank God.) Again, I said I would do it if I didn’t have to play lead, and he said Adrian would do them.

So, I am practicing my ass off for a month trying to learn Phil’s guitar and vocal parts (and mind you, I’m not a genius on guitar), I get a call from Farmer about a week before we go out and he says “Are you ready”? I said as long as I’m not playing lead guitar I’m good to go. He said “Oh didn’t anybody call you? You’re playing piano.” I said “Really?” So I was in a mild panic. They send me a copy of the show with Timmy’s piano parts. I had no idea Mike Meros was leaving the band. So I’m thinking to myself, “what a daunting task to be sure”. Then “LIGHT BULB”!!!  So I called Billy Hinsche…my hero. My good friend to this day. Man, he sent me everything and even offered to meet with me and go over the parts. So I do the summer in Europe and by the end of the run, Phil has decided to not return and I was hired. TA DA!!!!!"

As for why Kowalski left... he didn't. He was "let go" because, quite simply, he wasn't up to the job any more. In 2004, when I saw them, he lost the beat halfway through the first song. There isn't a more straight 4/4 song than "Do It Again", but he screwed it up. he was, to be frank, embarrassingly poor.

$200 a show ? Get real.
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« Reply #36 on: December 22, 2015, 03:19:19 PM »

I've always wondered by they didn't just call Bobby Figueroa (or someone else) back up in the 90s. As I've mentioned, Mike Kowalski was the one really unfortunately  glaring shortcoming in the live band going back to the 80s. I just wonder why it took until 2007 or whenever it was to switch drummers.

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« Reply #37 on: December 22, 2015, 03:21:43 PM »

Hey Jude -
 Briefly -  Most of the original / longtime touring members,  remain  freinds with Al Jardine and not the Love's. Read between the line's. The politic's behind the scene's were ass kissing.  Some  like to ass kiss and others wouldn't.   Cowsill has trouble  turning on  a keyboard  & didn't replace Meros. Cowsill was bucking for Kowalski's job for years and finally MK. got sick of all the bull & didn't care anymore either, he's glad to be out too.   Tim Bonahome took over for Mike M. because he didn't want to be sh*t-canned either but in all fairness he isn't even close to the musicain Meros was.  Tim is a good guy thou but doesn't sing either & that was impossible anyways playing all the decks of keyboards & B3  Meros played.  The sound suffer's without a B3 onstage it's the choice of many professional musicians even today for the "fat sounds". Cowsill & Totten got into the band because Adrian and Jackie were not friends and his days were numbered also. Cowsill was brought in to sing and Totten to play the guitar as Adrian needed a break from the madness & left the band to go to England for Christmas 2000... so on and so forth..
Also for $200 a gig and all the travel it's a tough way to make a living & stay married .... the $$$ never did trickle down much despite all the $$$ Love makes.



 



There is no way these guys are only making $200/show.

Agreed. That would be a disrespectful wage for such an intense, high profile job. I made more than that on my Wednesday lunch shift last week at the restaurant I work at.
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« Reply #38 on: December 22, 2015, 04:25:53 PM »

The BB touring band has always been rather fluid. Even a stalwart like Eddie Carter got pushed out a little bit in the 70s when Jimmy Guercio suddenly became the bass player.  Never really heard why Hinsche and Carter left in the mid 90's. Al and Carl were still around so wasn't just Mike's decision.

Kowalski was a good drummer, I always thought Bobby Figueroa was better. In the 80s after Dennis died, both of them were in the band and then Figueroa left and Kowaski stayed. Should have been the other way around. 

Someone mentioned the mix being too keyboard heavy in the early 2000's, That was the case after 1980 really and only got worse when Foskett left and they didn't replace his guitar.
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« Reply #39 on: December 22, 2015, 04:51:52 PM »

In the 2000's, the Stones' backing musicians were all paid between 3000-8000/gig.
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« Reply #40 on: December 22, 2015, 04:57:39 PM »

If Mike really paid the backing members $200 a night he wouldn't have a backing band. I chalk the rest of this thread up to OP having little more than an axe to grind.
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« Reply #41 on: December 22, 2015, 05:52:52 PM »

If Mike really paid the backing members $200 a night he wouldn't have a backing band. I chalk the rest of this thread up to OP having little more than an axe to grind.

You don't say!    LOL
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« Reply #42 on: December 22, 2015, 06:37:34 PM »

In the 2000's, the Stones' backing musicians were all paid between 3000-8000/gig.

I'm guessing the Stones had a bigger budget show with more overhead costs (probably a lot of arena shows and perhaps some stadiums?) and did far fewer than 150 to 175 gigs per year.

It makes sense Mike wouldn't pay out nearly as much as that. But yeah, I think $200 would be way too low. I would doubt Mike (or any BB related tour) could afford 8k per show either. That would have Mike paying each band member, at a conservative 150 shows, a gross $1.2 million per year.
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« Reply #43 on: December 22, 2015, 07:35:04 PM »

In the 2000's, the Stones' backing musicians were all paid between 3000-8000/gig.

I'm guessing the Stones had a bigger budget show with more overhead costs (probably a lot of arena shows and perhaps some stadiums?) and did far fewer than 150 to 175 gigs per year.

It makes sense Mike wouldn't pay out nearly as much as that. But yeah, I think $200 would be way too low. I would doubt Mike (or any BB related tour) could afford 8k per show either. That would have Mike paying each band member, at a conservative 150 shows, a gross $1.2 million per year.
I was just throwing it out there as a benchmark. I fully agree that there are a lot of variables to consider. The stones didn't actually pay per show. It was a fixed total per person for the tour, but if calculated by show that's what it came to. I think the biggest non-member salary was about 800,000 for the tour.

Eta: mistake - 800,000 was the biggest payout for a year, not for the full tour.
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« Reply #44 on: December 22, 2015, 08:13:51 PM »

 Roll Eyes
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« Reply #45 on: December 22, 2015, 08:20:43 PM »

I seem to recall that the issue with Mike Meros is that he didn't sing. Replacing him with a keyboardist who sings allowed the band to drop a slot. Didn't his departure coincide with Kowalski's (another no singer) departure? It was at that point that the backing band went from six pieces to five pieces.

Could Kirsch's departure be as simple as a way to save money - A new younger guy will usually be cheaper.


I think the “not a singer” thing was a justification bandied about at the time concerning the exit of Mike Meros. But there were also some other grumblings online back around that time. I don’t recall all the details and don’t know if all the posts are still online. But there were folks posting info suggesting Meros got fudged in the whole ordeal.

They also could have sacked Bonhomme and kept Meros, as I don’t think Bonhomme does a ton of singing either.

My guess, and again just a guess, is that Meros’s exist was a cost-cutting measure, justified by the “he doesn’t sing” excuse. Interestingly, Meros’s last show with the touring band was televised as I recall; it was a 4th of July gig and I think they made a quick mention of it being his last show. I always got the sense his exit was not known WAY in advance, but he certainly knew by that time.


Wasn't Meros ill when he left the band?  Wasn't it announced during his last tour that he was leaving? It was in KC as I remember.
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« Reply #46 on: December 22, 2015, 08:36:11 PM »

Send Jeff & Ike an email and ask. Don't speculate about something you have no knowledge about.

I don't think Jeff could have been any more transparent about how he went from Brian to Mike's band, not that it was really any of our business anyway.  As a fan of his (and Brian's, obviously) I'm personally glad he went into detail as it made things MUCH easier for me to take in.  That said, I don't think there's anything wrong with any of us speculating if, as it's been said, we clearly state that as our intention, and at this point, I think the point's been made, even if that wasn't the plan going in.
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CenturyDeprived
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« Reply #47 on: December 22, 2015, 09:01:07 PM »

Flash back -   Cowsill & Tottan were  subbing for Adrian  Xmas week 2000 - New Years 2001. Adrian left band for England & BB management wanted him "Fired" (not first time either).  Cowsill sang Darlin & Totten hardly played because he didn't know the songs.  Meros & Kowalski had never even scene Totten ever. I know I had dinner with them. I've been to more shows in a year than Doe has ever been to or ever will.   However  latter that year July 5th 2001 Cowsill took over Tim's keyboards at Atlantic City, N.J.  Meros's last show with Love was July 4th 2001. because of differance's with management. Phil Bardowell left for personel reasons and it wasn't anything to do with working on a project. That is a Cowsill fabrication.
Kowalski knew for years that Cowsill wanted his job  which he still held onto for another 7 yrs.   Both Kowalski and Bobby F. were great drummers, you don't think Carl would have had them in the band if they weren't do you ?
Also Kowalski & other former band members are well aware of your "badmouthing".
Love pays the band members $200 / show plus $50 a day food allowance.  End of Story.


Maybe that rate ($200 / show plus $50 a day food allowance) was given to some auxiliary touring musician at one point or another, but I can't fathom that a whole band would take that rate... that's like $30,000/year at 150 shows/year. Something maybe a hardworking full time touring indie band member might make to barely scrape by.

The only way I could see that happening is if there was some other secondary significant income source that the bandmates were also deriving from M&B touring. It's almost hilarious to think about Mike being that much of a cheapskate, until the numbers are crunched, and goes from funny to basically totally impossible. Is there any way that could possibly be true? Is the touring band like Initech?

For example, I know Chuck Berry is an infamous cheapskate on the road about paying his musicians, who I've heard are often just replaced from town to town. But is any actual famous band who regularly tours (and pulls in M&B type money with predictable regularity) actually paying their long term, regular members (who stick around for many years) anywhere near that pitiful amount? I want to believe it's not true. My hunch says it's BS, but I'm curious if anyone thinks otherwise. I'd imagine the band members would be making minimum at least double that figure.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2015, 09:11:12 PM by CenturyDeprived » Logged
AndrewHickey
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« Reply #48 on: December 22, 2015, 09:01:33 PM »

Flash back -   Cowsill & Tottan were  subbing for Adrian  Xmas week 2000 - New Years 2001. Adrian left band for England & BB management wanted him "Fired" (not first time either).  Cowsill sang Darlin & Totten hardly played because he didn't know the songs.  Meros & Kowalski had never even scene Totten ever.

That fits with everything I've seen, yes.

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Phil Bardowell left for personel reasons and it wasn't anything to do with working on a project. That is a Cowsill fabrication.

I think "fabrication" is a little harsh. It's possible that years later he was simply misremembering.

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 Both Kowalski and Bobby F. were great drummers, you don't think Carl would have had them in the band if they weren't do you ?

Bobby is a very good drummer. Kowalski *was* a very good drummer in the 60s and 70s. He was frankly dreadful in the early 2000s. Recordings I've heard of 90s shows suggest he wasn't very good then either.
At a show I saw them do in 2001, Kowalski literally didn't keep a steady tempo on *any* song -- except Good Vibrations, the only song in the show that was *meant* to change tempo.
I have no idea why Carl would have kept Kowalski around. Maybe he'd lowered his standards for an easy life. Maybe Kowalski is a great human being and Carl liked having him around. Maybe a hundred different reasons. But certainly by the early 2000s he simply couldn't play.
No-one here has said a bad word about Figueroa, though. He's a good player, a good singer, and by all accounts a good person too.

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Also Kowalski & other former band members are well aware of your "badmouthing".

No-one's badmouthing them. People are allowed to have bad opinions of performances. I'm not embarrassed to have my opinions known, and I suspect few others are either.
For the record, I think Hinsche, Carter, Figueroa, Foskett, and Matt Jardine are all very good to excellent, Baker and Kowalski embarrassingly poor. I haven't heard enough of Meros' playing (not having seen the band live in the 80s and 90s) to judge, but have no reason to think he was anything other than a very good keyboard player.

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Love pays the band members $200 / show plus $50 a day food allowance.  End of Story.
I actually don't have the difficulty believing this that others do, given that that's US Musicians' Union rates (assuming he's also paying into a pension pot, as he should). I can see them deciding to just pay union scale, though I do think it unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. I think it's a shame if true, though, as they're all fine musicians and I'd be very surprised if they couldn't make better money elsewhere.
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« Reply #49 on: December 22, 2015, 10:52:25 PM »

Also Kowalski & other former band members are well aware of your "badmouthing".

I'm sure they are, and since 2004... like everyone else in the BB cosmos, because I've not hidden behind a pseudonym.

Oh, and it's not badmouthing when it's true: many others have pointed out that MK's drumming late 90s/early 00s became increasingly lamentable.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2015, 10:56:05 PM by Andrew G. Doe » Logged

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