Dumb replies to Craigslist ad

[TBrett]

I was having a good laugh over the Dumb Craigslist Ads thread just now and was reminded of a recent experience when we posted an ad of our own. My bf (an awesome bassist who turned me on to TB) and I decided to start a band and posted an ad on Craigslist and a couple of similar sites. We eventually revised and re-posted the ad, just to be as clear as possible about the project and what we were looking for. Here's what we wrote:

Alt Rock Guitarist Wanted

Further to our recent ad for a drummer & guitarist to form an original alt rock band, we’re still looking but we want to get the guitarist on board first. Then we can book practice space and check out drummers as a group. Pro attitude, gear & transportation a must.

M bassist, F vocalist, late 30s. Experienced, but this is the first time we’ve put a band together from scratch. Influences are Foos, QOTSA, Iggy, etc. Enjoy heavy, hard rockin', edgy music with melodic twists. Aiming for weekly practice, starting with mutually agreed-upon covers with intent to develop original pieces and work toward performance. Love having a good laugh & libations, but we're also serious about getting this project up and running.

We heard from and met with some great musicians, but a few of the replies made me wonder how some people make it through a day. For example:

im not sure if you got my email i play guitar and alittle bass incase but im interested in jamming call me

When I wrote this guy back and asked for some details about his experience and background, what kind of gear he has, and what his long-term musical goals are, I got this response:

set up a jamm and lets see great gear and experience fun yet serious two kids and a wife

Apparently our ad wasn't as clear as we'd thought, for this person didn't seem to get it at all:

Hey,
just caught your ad, I'm a 42 year old multi-instrumentalist looking for something to get into, what were you guys thinking.

And there was this gem:

I read your ad, which I found quite amusing. I am a lead guitarist in my mid thirties, but only have access to a semi-acoustic guitar. Let me know if that works for you by replying by e-mail or by phone.

I wrote her back, asked about her background, what she meant by having "acess to" a semi-acoustic, and whether she had also access to an amp, and heard nothing further from her.

Another guy emailed us and invited us to check out his My Space page. He wasn't sensational, but he seemed a solid enough player so we wrote him back to set up a jam, suggested a couple of covers to start off with and asked if there were any tunes he'd like to cover for the purposes of the jam. Here was his reply:

actually,,,,i'm looking to get into an established all original band situation, i don't really do covers anymore

Guess the part in our ad where we mention starting with mutually agreed-upon covers with intent to develop original pieces wasn't clear, either!

Anyone else have any gem responses to share when posting ads to join or start a band?

[Soverntear]

about a year ago, i post an add stating i was a new player looking for people to jam with OR a band that would be willing to take me on as there "play dough player" (aka mold my learning to your band) lots of replys come in most of them stating there looking for someone with experience (i thought i said i was new???)

two of them i go meetup with one was a jam which went ok, i was sloppy to be expected but i kept up alright. they said everything was ago and low and behold no replys after/ second one, i meet the vocalist and guitarist at a coffee shop, hit it off well with them they say they have a space with amps so all i would need is my bass, again no replys after. call me crazy but if i didnt feel it was a right fit i wouldnt lie to the person saying i was interested.

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Soverntear

call me crazy but if i didnt feel it was a right fit i wouldnt lie to the person saying i was interested.

Not everyone who wants to start or be in a band has the first clue as to what it's really about. And they all want to come across as the best thing since sliced bread. REAL musicians don't really deal with a lot a deception and the kind of drama you read about here. The guys I play with don't even make contact very often outside of the gigs. We play, make folks dance, collect our money, and go home.

[TBrett]

Originally Posted by Soverntear

about a year ago, i post an add stating i was a new player looking for people to jam with OR a band that would be willing to take me on as there "play dough player" (aka mold my learning to your band) lots of replys come in most of them stating there looking for someone with experience (i thought i said i was new???)

two of them i go meetup with one was a jam which went ok, i was sloppy to be expected but i kept up alright. they said everything was ago and low and behold no replys after/ second one, i meet the vocalist and guitarist at a coffee shop, hit it off well with them they say they have a space with amps so all i would need is my bass, again no replys after. call me crazy but if i didnt feel it was a right fit i wouldnt lie to the person saying i was interested.

Agreed, Soverntear. That just wastes everyone's time. I hope since then you've managed to hook up with the right folks. We eventually connected with a couple of great musicians and very cool dudes and had an excellent first jam. But it took quite a while to find them and set it up, which surprised me, considering we live in a fairly sizeable city. It's true what they say about showbiz, perseverance is half the battle. Hang in there!