Ever hate when you go to an audition...

[YL_Bass]

and another bassplayer who you know who is a better player than you is walking out as you walk in?


And he's that dude that always gets the great gigs instead of you even though you keep practicing more and more.


If you are him, I both hate and respect you.

[Highfox]

lol Been there.
But isn't it great and makes you feel a lot better when you later hear they kicked him out for being an a**hole and you went on to find the right band.

[bassplayer8953]

It all boils down to the best person...not player...for the job. Picking someone for a band requires everyone to blend...personality-wise, as well as having a similar level of talent. Having great chops will sometimes get you the gig...but down the road, the ability to get along with the others in the band...be a team player...have the same outlook regarding music, day jobs, traveling, (baggage...wives, kids, non-music stuff, which could compete) will help whoever's selected to keep their gig. Otherwise, eventually the non-music stuff becomes an issue, and somebody lands up leaving.

Work on your chops...and have in mind what you expect...and can bring to...a band that would hire you. When we audition prospective player, this all comes into play. The non-music stuff can be the deal breaker...and the next most talented could wind up being the best match...JMO...

[YL_Bass]

Originally Posted by Highfox

lol Been there.
But isn't it great and makes you feel a lot better when you later hear they kicked him out for being an a**hole and you went on to find the right band.

Sad part is, he's totally not an a-hole. Very nice, met him at a show kept running into him on different gigs and we started auditioning for the same side stuff all the time.

Very friendly, fun to talk to about gear.


Which makes it all the worse.

[Yerf Dog]

So you're a stalker, eh?

[tdub0199]

Originally Posted by bassplayer8953

It all boils down to the best person...not player...for the job. Picking someone for a band requires everyone to blend...personality-wise, as well as having a similar level of talent. Having great chops will sometimes get you the gig...but down the road, the ability to get along with the others in the band...be a team player...have the same outlook regarding music, day jobs, traveling, (baggage...wives, kids, non-music stuff, which could compete) will help whoever's selected to keep their gig. Otherwise, eventually the non-music stuff becomes an issue, and somebody lands up leaving.

Work on your chops...and have in mind what you expect...and can bring to...a band that would hire you. When we audition prospective player, this all comes into play. The non-music stuff can be the deal breaker...and the next most talented could wind up being the best match...JMO...

I totally agree w/ this, our band has been through four drummers in the last year, although they were all really good drummers, their personalities just didn't mesh well with ours... and thats what really matters to us....

[PJSShearer]

Originally Posted by YL_Bass

and another bassplayer who you know who is a better player than you is walking out as you walk in?


And he's that dude that always gets the great gigs instead of you even though you keep practicing more and more.


If you are him, I both hate and respect you.

It worries me that you mention "auditions" in the plural - you guys get fired a lot??

[PJSShearer]

Sometimes, not getting a gig can be a blessing in disguise - I once had a guy I'd known from school turn up at an audition for my gig when I was leaving to go to university. This was for a Saturday night dance band doing the Working Men's Club circuit in the UK, we were out every Saturday night with the odd Friday and Sunday thrown in, kept me in Beer, Cigarettes, Petrol/Gas and Girlfriend, but it was never going to be anything else. The other guys were in their late 20s/30s and we played stuff that catered for the "mums and dads" market.

He was already in a local band rock band which was doing pretty well, but he wasn't happy with them and so was looking around.....

Anyway, he wasn't right for the gig and he wasn't offered the job - I don't think he would have wanted it anyway so it was no big deal. In the end he stayed with the band he was in and .... they were on Top of the Pops a few months later, had many top 10 singles and several hit albums. I didn't go to college in the end, I was also in prog band and gave that a go - I left after a few months and got into the night club/cabaret scene (I read) and worked at that for 10 years or so.

I occasionally wonder if a certain 3 piece from Woking would ever have happened if their Bass Player had got my old gig that evening - what do you think "Blessing in Disguise"??.

[sethlow3]

I've had that happen a bunch before, years ago with a few players... depends on what "better" means. They could play way flashier and fancier than me and would get those kind of flashier, metal, jazz gigs whereas I started to go another direction and fall in love with groove, R&B and less is more. Years later I am making money on the road and they are still playing flashy slappity stuff with a normal day job. So "better" isn't always better... One guy can't get ALL the gigs.

[weemac]

On the other hand I been the next bass player in a band when one of the local guys I admire has moved on from (does that make sense?)

It's nice when the rest of the band think that you are good enough to fill the previous guys shoes.....

emac.

[archer121]

Originally Posted by weemac

On the other hand I been the next bass player in a band when one of the local guys I admire has moved on from (does that make sense?)

It's nice when the rest of the band think that you are good enough to fill the previous guys shoes.....

emac.

Or that you're just good enough.

[weemac]

Originally Posted by archer121

Or that you're just good enough.

That too....

emac.