The best drummer I ever knew

There was this guy who played with every big band around, did tours, traveled abroad, made records.......who was just an amazing drummer.

The first time i kicked him out of my band was after an important show, at an important club when he was knocked out in a drunken fist fight with our then road manager. He told people the entire band jumped him, because he really did not remember how he got so beat up, but it was just the one guy who knocked his ass out.

The next time i kicked him out of my band was when our drummer broke his hand playing pool of all things and we needed a fill in drummer, to play an 8,000 in attendance arena show in Prague "big gig for us!" We flew him in and he played great,but then went on a three day binge with my girlfriends father, tried to have his way with my girlfriend, and then passed out ,pants down on the toilet not to be moved by any of the house guests we were entertaining for.


The third and final time I kicked him out of my band was at a festival in which we were to play at 9 p.m. but he had been drinking since yesterday and had not even what you would call a nap. He made an ass out of himself in front of the crowd while setting up equipment, picking fights with fans, insulted his girlfriend who loves him dearly, and was hitting on my girlfriend and business partner. He then begged me for coke, due to my past connections, which he got mad at me for not hooking him up, and which he later found some anyway. So while on stage, he played like shit, and then I noticed the beat beginning to change drastically and then stop.
(clearing my throat)
Now we are a professional underground band that has moved multi thousands of copies of our demo recordings and just recorded an amazing piece of rock and roll, "COUNTRY METAL our album", the fans have certain expectations, beyond that of some local band.......
"dude is turned around during a song blowing chunks off the drum riser." Now it would have been one for the history books if he would have kept playing, and played well while vomitting....that is rock and roll. So I replaced him and he keeps writing and calling me.
I love this guy like a brother, and he has all the potential in the world, but time is no longer his friend and he is an alcoholic who does not believe you when you tell him what he did and how he acted while drinking. He wants to be, and has the ability to be a professional drummer but he just will not do it.

Everyone feel free to write me with your feelings on this guy, and what I should say to him.

by the way: It is common knowledge that I drink too much and there was one dark year where substance abuse destroyed what I was trying to do musically......you see "we are selfish"...because at that time I was not only killing my dreams, but the musical dreams of the people around me too. So yes I struggle too but you got to put your game face on do your art, and go to work. People´s families rely on what I do on that stage.
Bryan W. Bande