Audition rant!

[refbassist]

since i'm in 2 bands and the last gig i played was 6 months ago i started looking for active band.

i replied to an ad and the guy replied back quickly asking me to send him some of my work and play one of their songs and upload it to youtube where they can see my fingers (Weird at least not the kinda auditions i know of..) the reason for that that they don't want to waste their or my time which's something i respected and made me do what he wanted.
disappeared for a couple of weeks then emailed me back asking if i can play with a pick since it takes a virtuoso to keep timing while recording (sounded noobish and I had a good laugh about that but i need a gig and they seem to be busy somehow).

Then i rerecorded the same song using a pick then came the reply immediately that it sounds good and next week they will meet me and 2 other guys and the last thing to prove is how cool you are. Fair enough.

That was about 3 months ago i never heard from them again i checked their website and there was a blog that they are recording guitar and drums, still no bassist.

Yesterday i was browsing the ads on the same site and i found they posted an ad looking for a bassist AGAIN, i got pissed as i believe i deserve i reply as i did what they wanted me to do whatever that reply is i don't care but showing some respect.

That's it, Rant Out!

[bolophonic]

Personally, I would not have pursued it once they asked me to play with a pick. You probably dodged a bullet with this one, so don't sweat it too much.

[PastorofMuppets]

it was uncool for them to not at least tell you to Eff off.
these guys sound like losers anyways. Maybe not, but the way you tell the story gives me that impression

Maybe you're better off?

[thesandman]

do yourself a favor, forget them and move on.

[refbassist]

Thanks guys, as i said i need a gig so i had to dodge bullets since they are signed and touring alot i thought it might be something that would keep me busy, I'm just bummed about the impoliteness otherwise i moved once they disappeared.

[chump stain]

Have you tried emailing them? You should try to contact them if you still want the gig.

If they don't respond, move on.

[refbassist]

Originally Posted by chump stain

Have you tried emailing them? You should try to contact them if you still want the gig.

If they don't respond, move on.

I sent a very short email that i saw the new ad and asking what happened to the will call you in a week!

one more thing to add here so you may understand why i'm pissed, i have been responding to ads like this and all are super duper joker wannabe thingy

[Extrinsic]

check your spam box. i've had bad experiences

[countrybass007]

Sounds like you won by not getting a call back. A big part of playing in a band is the people you play with, and these guys sound like pompous asses.

[BassChuck]

If you contact them you'll just keep getting more of the same.

[bluewine]

I am hoping you made up this story.

If not, only audition for working bands that invite you to audition at one of their rehearsals.

Also didn't you question the whole virtuoso thing. I can asure you nobody in that band is one.

[armywalaby]

It always irks me when they can't give you a reply, even if it is no. I write it off as them being too timid to throw away their huggies and **** with the big boys with a bunch of toilets in the same room with no walls between them, military style!

Naw, but really, I just tell everyone I know whenever I have a bad experience. I don't seek out people to sing my 'I got screwed over' song, but I do mention it if it is right in the conversation "Oh you know so-and-so? he didn't strike me as a bold dude cuz he couldn't even write me back to say no thanks" This happens with some frequency with me, as most of the musicians in my area are at least ten years older than me.

[A Strohman]

Originally Posted by refbassist

...the guy replied back quickly asking me to send him some of my work and play one of their songs and upload it to youtube where they can see my fingers (Weird at least not the kinda auditions i know of..) the reason for that that they don't want to waste their or my time....

The problem I have with that is while maybe it helps not waste *their* time....it certainly wastes yours....as the rest of your story proved. Somebody wants a sound sample of my playing (or a video sample) to determine if I have chops, thats cool, I'll send them something. That should be good enough to get me in the door (or not) for an actual audition since I also need to audition *them*. To be asked to make a specific video....and then be asked to re-do it....nope....I'm walking away from that.

[middlebit]

For some reason or other it just didn't happen. Sounds like they don't have it together, and maybe (consider the possibility) they didn't all dig your work and didn't have the guts to tell you. Maybe one guy replied to you and someone else in the band didn't agree with him that you were good enough,...whatever. A lot of people are just incompetent communicators.

That's the good news - beware if they contact you further down the road and go something like "yeah, lost your e-mail address, are you still interested??" That really means they've now burnt all their bridges and are desperate for anyone (I've been there, done that). If you hear from them again...tell them where to go - in explicit terms too!

You're walking away with a valuable experience here. Next time, don't let anyone waste your time like this with a pre-audition (I mean, really?!) that you have to upload and whatnot!

I've been through my share of poorly executed auditions and by now (I'm 32) I don't allow any BS like that. I audition once, that's it.

[aztomr]

Originally Posted by refbassist

Thanks guys, as i said i need a gig so i had to dodge bullets since they are signed and touring alot i thought it might be something that would keep me busy, I'm just bummed about the impoliteness otherwise i moved once they disappeared.

They are signed and touring, yet haven't had a bass player in months? Need a pick for "virtuoso" playing? I'm willing to bet good money these guys are full of sh*t. They sound like a bunch of young guys wasting their time dreaming of the "big time" when they should be rehearsing.

[refbassist]

i knew that i'm not supposed to do it while i was doing it and that makes me angry with myself, during the past 2 years (since i moved up here) i met nothing but jokers and this was the best case believe it or not

[jmattbassplaya]

I had a similar thing happen to me once before. A guy on my local CL was looking to get an 80's pop/rock cover band together together that was right up my alley. I emailed the guy and we got to talking and things sounded great. We liked the same groups and songs, and we even created a small 6-8 song tryout setlist to jam on for fun for our first rehearsal.

Fast forward a few weeks and I hadn't heard back from the guy. I sent him a few emails asking him what was up and if we were still on but I never got a reply. I then got a CL about a month after we got to talking and I saw about two more posts from the guy looking to start the same band, and he was still looking for a bassist I took it that the guy was crazy and I decided to not contact him further.

[thumpbass1]

Get used to the flakes who inhabit the wonderful world of music. You'll get to meet all kinds of folks who can drive you crazy if you let them. I think everyone here has experienced similar situations, I know I have. You just shake your head, try to find some humor in the situation, and move on.

[Dead Boy]

check your spam
if they never replied to your "what happened to a call in a week email" id say move on. if they cant keep on tabs of auditions, imagine how bad their tour organizational skills are.

sounds like u dodged one, just keep looking. (: