Strangers who "Sit in"

Fletz · #1 08-04-2011, 01:32 PM

I am sort of a perfectionist - I really don't like when we don't sound our best. So, whenever our singer says to some dude at a show, "That's cool - why don't you join us for a tune ..." I cringe. It almost never sounds good. And here's a perfect example. I guess I had higher hopes when he ran out to his car and got his own guitar (I realize now that that's the kiss of death).

This is my band a few weeks ago. Enjoy ... if you can:
‪Musicans PSA‬&rlm; - YouTube

dtsamples · #2 08-04-2011, 01:41 PM

HAHA! You have great tone though.

AsianVoodoo · #3 08-04-2011, 01:44 PM

It can also be really good. Walked up to a trio (bass drumsx2) in Nashville and the bassist let me sit in and lay some funk down. Then again this was summer NAMM =]

Sneakypete · #4 08-04-2011, 02:00 PM

I feel for you.
I am currently plagued by my new band's ex-bass-player. He left the band (all mature but rusty guys) because of family commitments but keeps turning up on practice nights and lecturing forth on what we're doing wrong. I've never heard him play so I can't comment on that but it's a fact that they had been practicing every week for a year and sounded bloody awful when I first joined them. They had no discipline whatsoever - every practice was just an excuse to bedroom-noodle at full volume. Over the past few months things have sharpened up and the band has improved dramatically - even done a few reasonable small gigs - and if I say so myself it's mostly because of my nagging. As far as I'm concerned you are either in the band or you're not and if you're not KEEP OUT OF IT!

derekcbass · #5 08-04-2011, 02:20 PM

I love the fact that it took him a full 30 seconds to realize he was in the wrong key...

Waffles and Scotch · #6 08-04-2011, 02:28 PM

Wow. Was he drunk?

bassbully · #7 08-04-2011, 02:29 PM

Wow those lights are brutal! Where are you playing? It looks like a prison yard or something.

Munjibunga · #8 08-04-2011, 02:29 PM

Back in the '70s, we had a couple impromptu "roadies," and one of them always insisted on singing "Free Bird" with us. We had a steady gig at a road house out in the sticks. So we'd always make it the last song, then call him up to sing it. By then, he was totally 'faced, and always provided the most horrid rendition imagineable. We just laughed all the way through it.

But he always helped us load out the gear.

turbo chicken · #9 08-04-2011, 02:31 PM

oh yea... i will watch this when i get home... im already laughing ... it's probably not as epic as I am imagining though.

Russell L · #10 08-04-2011, 02:59 PM

About 1971 or 72, when I was playing full-time for a living, we had a cute unknown gal come in and wanted to sing with us. I forget what the song was, but turns out she was real good. When asked what her name was, she said...

"Pat Benetar."

Heh, heh.

southgabass · #11 08-04-2011, 03:45 PM

Our drummer did this this past weekend with us... but luckily he knew the guy and knew he could play and picked an easy song... we winged it and it came out great... I had to "recall" lyrics a few times to get him started cause he wanted to sing too... but for the most part the only people that "fill in" are drunk crowd members and people we know who can drum...

southgabass · #12 08-04-2011, 03:50 PM

Awesome Russel L.... that would be my story I always told lol.... I bet it was a "Heartbreaker" that she didn't stay with you guys... lol

southgabass · #13 08-04-2011, 03:52 PM

That was pretty brutal on the opening..... not quite how I remember it sounding for some reason.... I could be wrong though....

Oraflora · #14 08-04-2011, 03:53 PM

It almost always seems like the guy who gets up to "jam" with you is there because he doesn't have a gig of his own that night......or month, or year.

If I go see a band, the last thing I need to do is get up and play with them.....I do that enough.

Get your own gig!

N.F.A. · #15 08-04-2011, 03:55 PM

I like the bass tone of the OP. Sounded good.

guroove · #16 08-04-2011, 04:01 PM

I kinda dug it. It had a cool "Primus-y" vibe to it.

icecycle66 · #17 08-04-2011, 04:07 PM

Indeed, nice tone. How do you get it?

WJGreer · #18 08-04-2011, 04:09 PM

That sounded like some weird Primus dig before the guy realized he was in the wrong key.

smeet · #19 08-04-2011, 04:36 PM

I liked it. I might convince my band to cover this tune with major 7ths like that.

jgroh · #20 08-04-2011, 04:41 PM

I hate when people try to sit in. We have had people want to sing or play the drums and my other band members usually let them. I however, do not. A guy I never met before came up and asked me if he could sit in one night. I had no intention of letting him do it as I am extremely anal retentive about my gear. I said, what songs do you know from our setlist, knowing he didnt know what we were going to play. He said, I dont know...I said, oh well sorry, gotta go now...