Everything Sucks -- by Jim R.
I think everything sucks. Yep. Everything sucks a lot. When I was younger I always dreamed of playing guitar in a rock band. And I always thought that this band would be made up of my friends. Eventually, I taught myself how to play and tried to teach my friends, but they never caught on. By the time I was 16 I had an electric guitar and started taking guitar lessons. By this time I knew some people from school who played and started to become friends with them. I met this one guy who got me a job at his job, a fast food restaurant and over a few years we became close friends. He had this alternative band called "Leftalone" and he played lead guitar in it. After eight months or so this band broke up and he was looking to start a new one. I offered my services and told him flat out that I wanted to be in a band with him. A couple of months later he form a band and asked this little retard of a kid to play in it. I was really upset that a close friend of mine would do that, but being the forgiving person that I am, I let it go. Two months after this little incident, his band went through some line up changes and I asked again to be in the band, he just kinda fluffed it off and didn't even talk about it. This new band "Holden" only had one guitar player in it and I couldn't see why I wasn't allowed to play. I was so mad, out of spite I formed my own band called "Vandelay Industries". Well this band did a little better than what I expected but over all we sucked. Even while I was in my band I asked constantly to be in "Holden", telling them I would ditch my band in second (I really would ditch it too). Over the course of 10 months or so, I did "Holden" a lot of favours expecting nothing in return but to consider me to be in this band. My best friend and his band had no problem asking me for rides, to record band practise, drive gear around, and even borrow my guitar at a show because my friend broke a string. I did all of these things and continued to ask to play in his band as the rhythm guitar player. By this time my band had broken up and I haven't been up to anything. "Holden" went into studio twice and recorded songs with like 5 guitar tracks! I really started to not buy the whole, "my band doesn't need two guitars..." bit and when I found out that they had some guy playing the second guitar part I was hurt, really hurt. This guy had been playing with them for about a month before I had found out. I even drove some gear around for them while this guy was in the band. NOBODY TOLD ME! I was told later on that the reason I wasn't allowed to play in my best friend's band was for two reasons: a) my amp wasn't "professional" looking enough (it was loud enough, just not a stack amp. **plus their bass player didn't even own an amp!!!) and b) I listen to punk rock more than other forms of rock music, so, they were scared that I might influence them to play punk (even though I wouldn't be writing the music and I thoroughly enjoy the music they compose). I was told then that I "shouldn't be so upset" but I think I had the right to be. And just for the record, I am still best friends with the lead guitarist, even though everytime he mentions his band I go through fits of rage. THE END
