Enough is Enough! How to Fire a Band Member

Trying to figure out how to fire a band member can be a difficult and frustrating ordeal. But when it’s necessary, it’s just that—an unavoidable consequence of discovering that this person, for whatever reason, simply isn’t going to work out with your band.

Maybe they’re incompatible musically. They might be unreliable, skipping practices and showing up late to gigs. Or maybe they’re just an insufferable (insert your favorite expletive here). There are a lot of reasons to fire a band member, and there are some telltale signs you should fire a band member too. We’ll go over all of that here. But at the core of this decision is one simple fact. For whatever reason, this person simply isn’t working out with the band. And that can be a tough situation to find yourself, in for any number of reasons.

So let’s take some time to discuss how to fire a band member the right way, and look at some of the things you might be able to try to avoid needing to fire said bandmate, too. After all, you don’t want this to go down like that infamous Brian Jonestown Massacre brawl in Australia. Big yikes.

Reasons to fire a band member

Managing a band gets complicated fast, largely because of all the different ways a band can be defined. Your bandmates are your business and creative partners, and (hopefully) they’re your friends as well. And nobody wants to fire their friends! But there are perfectly legitimate reasons to fire a band member. Here are some examples:

• Musical incompatibility (their style just doesn’t fit)
• Talent issues (they’re struggling to keep up, or their skill level just isn’t on par with the rest of the band)
• Unreliable or irresponsible (they aren’t working hard enough or they aren’t showing up when they’re supposed to)
• Drug and/ or alcohol abuse (this can cause all sorts of serious problems, sadly)
• Attitude or behavior issues (Negativity, meanness, rudeness, aggressive or dangerous behavior, it can all be a serious drag on a band)
• Being a diva (There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the spotlight … so long as you can share it with everyone else who wants it, too)
• Different ambitions (Maybe you want to tour or record, and they want to do local gigs, or vice versa. Either way, that’s no bueno)
• Creative differences (the band wants to go in one direction, but this bandmate is adamant about another direction)
• Personal issues (any social or romantic conflict causing serious tension in the group needs to be taken care of)
• Holding the band back (If you can’t progress because of a particular band member, you may need to let them go)

Signs you should fire a band member

Those aforementioned reasons to fire a band member aren’t always obvious. You may be aware that a band member is rude, or coming up short talent-wise, or navigating a substance abuse issue … but that may not necessarily mean they need to be kicked from the band, right? So what are the signs you should fire a band member, or in the very least have a serious discussion about it? Ask yourself these questions and determine how many of these you’re saying “yes” to:

• Is this issue affecting more than one member of the band?
• Is the quality of your music taking a hit?
• Is your band missing out on opportunities?
• Has anyone been hurt or harmed, emotionally or physically, as a result of this bandmate’s actions?
• Do you consider this issue to be a permanent one that will have long-term effects or consequences?
• Can your band go on without this person’s contributions?
• Do tensions flare when they show up (or when they don’t show up?)
• Is there nothing you can do, or they can do, to resolve this issue?

Before you hit their eject button, try and work it out

Before you worry about how to fire a band member, we first need to stress the importance of at least attempting to resolve these issues your band is having. Firing a band member is a pretty drastic step. It might be irreversible. It could upset other members of the band, who may not see eye to eye with you about this. And if this problem hasn’t been addressed yet, especially in a setting where other bandmates were involved, this might stir up new conflicts and problems you don’t want to create without good cause.

Take the time to fully examine the band member’s shortcomings, and how they’re affecting the band as a whole. Gauge where the others stand on the issue and confirm whether these problems are indeed issues other bandmates are annoyed or frustrated by.

If you’re sure this is a serious issue the band needs to address, consider calling a band meeting (with or without the bandmate in question). Discuss why you feel the band member should be fired. Point out those aforementioned signs you should fire a band member, and see if the others agree. Approach this issue democratically and professionally and let every voice chime in fairly.

You should strongly consider chatting with the troublesome bandmate. Explain the issue and state clearly the resolution you’re all hoping for. If possible, give them a reasonable timeline to address and resolve the problem. And above all else, make sure you’re not just hearing, but also listening to their side of the story, too. Try and see this situation from their perspective. If you were in their shoes, you’d hope for that same treatment, right?

If all else fails, you’ll have to let them go

If you’ve given this band member fair warnings and ample time to turn things around and it’s still an issue, it may be time to end their partnership with your music act. And there’s no easy way to say it: firing someone sucks. You have to be some sort of terrifying sadist to sincerely enjoy firing people. So let’s go over some steps to make sure you’re doing this as amicably as possible:

1. Make sure the rest of the band is onboard. Call a band meeting, excluding the person in question, and verify that everyone is okay with this. Discuss the problem with everyone and let each person speak their mind.
2. Prepare some notes. List specific grievances and instances that were particularly troublesome to you and other bandmates.
3. If applicable, have their band agreement handy, and consider bookmarking specific violations of that agreement as needed.
4. If you have a band manager, they should be the one doing the firing. you should strongly consider staying home and letting them handle this instead.
5. Set up a personal, one-on-one meeting with the band member. Be accommodating of their schedule. If you’d feel better doing this in a public space, you definitely can.
6. Ask the bandmate specifically what they think of the band currently. They may have their own issues they want to address or vent about.
7. Let them down easy, and be professional about it too. Explain the issue. Note how other bandmates feel about it. Explain in a friendly, professional tone how it isn’t working and why you’re letting them go.

A few closing notes on how to fire a band member

There are a few other considerations to weigh when firing a band member. So during and after this process, you may want to ask yourself (and your remaining bandmates) a few more important questions:

• Does the exiting bandmate need to be replaced? If so, how quickly do you need to find someone new?
• Will this affect your music catalog? Does the fired bandmate own particular songs or parts of songs? Are they owed continued royalties?
• When can this person collect their belongings from your rehearsal space/ studio? Can the band be present to help them with their gear?
• How will your band announce this person’s departure? Will you support them in their future endeavors?

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: firing someone is an awful experience. But sometimes it simply can’t be avoided. We hope this guide helps you navigate this unfortunate situation. In a perfect world, you’ll find someone more compatible to fill that role, and they’ll move on to a new band they fit with better too. And in an even more perfect world, you won’t need to revisit the question of how to fire a band member in the future. We can hope!