Well that was awkward...

fish slapper · #1 06-26-2011, 10:56 AM

So, I respond to a CL ad looking for a bassist. The ad lists the genre' as "Zen Jazz." They sent me some samples and its pretty much an ambient new age kind of jam but likable so I decide to proceed.

I meet first with the guitarist who is a late comer with little baggage and too much time on his hands who "composes" the "songs." The quote marks should be telling as they are usually just a couple of funky chords thrown together and a hook sometimes when he feels like it.

At this first meeting, he at least has the courtesy to tell me what key his little dribbles are in so I can try to follow along. We have some mutual love for the sound we are making together and I agree to meet with the band.

This time, there is not even shouting out of the key. It's just launching in so I spent the first couple bars of every "tune" staring at his fingerboard and trying to figure out what to do. Again, I thought there was mutual love at but I was definitely getting a tude from the drummer. There was also some drama about timing of a gig so that could have been the source of negativity. But the guitarist is inviting me to play at the next gig.

Then this morning I wake up to an email saying, "the guys in the band had a chat, and we're going to audition some other bassists before we decide on a guy." ***? Now, I can understand the whole "we're not into you" thing but honestly, I thought there was at least some good musical vibes going other than me trying to figure out what key they were in much less the chord structure or if there was one....

zephyr_words · #2 06-26-2011, 11:34 AM

That doesn't seem that awkward to me. Honestly, you seem either
a. not that into the project with the way you put quotes around important things like "composes" or "songs."
b. a little jaded that they want to see what other fish are in the sea.

onlyclave · #3 06-26-2011, 11:43 AM

Dude, it's like a date that didn't work out. She doesn't like you. Don't email, don't text, don't call. Just walk away.

It's not like there aren't hundreds of other people to pay with. Get over it and move on.

Stinsok · #4 06-26-2011, 11:48 AM

Probably a blessing! Get with a band that will actually make some money!

fish slapper · #5 06-26-2011, 12:12 PM

Ha!

Thanks for the perspective, guys.

The quotes are my resentment showing and probably does indicate that I really wasn't into it as much as I thought I was.

And yes, band auditions are like dating isn't it. I guess I'm most frustrated by the mixed signals. It was like have an awkward but successful first date, a great mixed second date that ended in the promise of nookie next time, then the brush off. I definitely have the "She's not that into you" feeling.

elgecko · #6 06-26-2011, 12:18 PM

Auditions aren't always about musical ability.

southgabass · #7 06-27-2011, 03:51 PM

I had an experience like this a year or 2 ago... the guy followed me around a local guitar shop... and asked if I'd like to go jam and see how things went... I thought "yeah my band is on vacation (literally were taking a month off), this may give me an extra income".... fastforward a wk later... I ride 3 hours to their "practice" area... set up and the leader/keys and guitarist were there... they wrote these songs and told me absolutely nothing... key time sig... nothing (and they had key changes and meter changes every 30-45 seconds)... in the end they were happy and enjoyed it... I didn't get a call back and am very happy... just wasn't my thing (and I like EVERYTHING lol)...since then my band has picked back up and taken over the area again... so count it as a blessing in "disguise"....

jaywa · #8 06-27-2011, 03:57 PM

That band doesn't have it together and is going nowhere. They clearly are quite lazy, very undisciplined and are passing it all off as "art".

You would have been wasting your time.

Also if you had an indication you and the drummer weren't going to get along that's a huge red flag. Agreed with others that you're better off it turned out this way, and you should move on to other opportunities.

bassteban · #9 06-27-2011, 04:01 PM

^what Jaywa said- they're flakesters^

okcrum · #10 06-27-2011, 04:31 PM

Sedona is chock full of bands like this.

That said, some of the players are real players, not the flako type.