30 song live audition - Not much fun for me

[oldrocker]

Out of curiosity what were the tunes that were the trouble?

Both were song that I didn't get charts to.

One the songs I had heard before but never played. The original recording changes keys several times. Knowing that these guys like their own arrangements I had no Idea if they would do they key changes or keep the song in 1 key. I was back by the drums and could not see the guitar players fret board to try to follow along. This song had a big chance to be a train wreck so I felt it best to lay out. When I first met these guys they played as a trio without bass so I don't think it wasn't a huge thing that there was no bass on this song. And, honestly I didn't have time to learn all the possible permutations in the given time.

The other song I didn't know, I'd never heard of before and didn't have a chart or even the name of the original artist - The list just had the song title and 2 possible keys designated. This was the song in the 3rd set we skipped. When I asked the KB player who recorded the song he couldn't tell me. He said it was a song the guitar player brought i but he had no idea.

 

[bassbully]

Let it go it’s not worth a second more of thought. There are all kinds of wannabe bands and hacks out there and it sounds like they were professional hacks.
You did your best... move on. I refuse to stay in a band or play with others like you described. I’m confident in my playing but like you I’m no pro and at most of our levels ...who is?
From your description they were definitely not professional in anyway.

I recently went thru a few tryouts and one where a guy and I didn’t click at all. I’m sure he thinks I’m a terrible bass player. I basically bailed on him during the tryout since it was apparent we had nothing musical or personal in common. I could careless what he says about me.
I quit trying to please people unless they show me upfront who they are and what they are trying to accomplish. It’s music not rocket science and being an ass to you for trying showed their true colors.

 

[Ostie]

Since the band was doing 3 sets, dropping or switching a couple songs is no big deal. They should have worked with you on that. Now, if the band was playing one set, that would have been different.

 

[oldrocker]

...
That was a really bad statement to make, and if in their shoes, with three days to go before the gig, I probably wouldn't have responded to it either. The only warranted response would have sounded A-holish: "What do you mean 'the ones you think you know?' Your job is to learn them. You have three days – so do it." At the point you said that, they knew they had possibly made a mistake...but they also knew that the commitment was made. So, as the band, what do you do when the sub you hired says something like that? Nothing. Just let the guy figure it out if he wants to, and accept that the gig isn't going to be your best. You can't hold his hand any more, but you also can't replace him at that point.

How about posting the song list, and naming what the songs in question are? How about saying what the gig paid? Details like that matter in terms of passing final judgment on the situation.

Haha - I never signed up or agreed to learn 30 songs in 2 days. My statement was a level set to give them a chance to back me out if they were uncomfortable with my level of commitment. Actually though, I did end up learning more than 30 songs - 28 on the set list and 4 on the extras list.

The show I met them at they played as trio, no bass so the could have just as easily played this show with no bass as well. They really had no bass prospects for this show until I showed up, so they were going to play this show regardless.

My end was $60 bucks for the show. I believe they got way more than their $60 worth. Up front they told me what they usually get for a show so the pay was in line with my expectations.

 

[Pings Bass]

1. money? ok
2. hang? bunch of joyless whiners
3. music? not your sweet spot

It sounds like you got one (money) or one and a half (if you count the music) out of three.

(Edit: I see it was 60 bucks, so that's like 1/2 of #1, so you're really best case 1 out of 3 here. Cut your losses with these guys and never look back!)

I'm gonna need a full two out of three to continue any project, which seems to be a (very reasonable) TB consensus.

Side note: I've put in countless hours learning and practicing material for auditions and one-off shows that went nowhere. Every time I do it I get better, so I consider every one of those to be a learning experience.

 

[oldrocker]

@oldrocker , where In Florida are you?

I'm now in the Tampa bay area. It's very nice here.

 

[oldrocker]

...

Side note: I've put in countless hours learning and practicing material for auditions and one-off shows that went nowhere. Every time I do it I get better, so I consider every one of those to be a learning experience.

Oh yes, absolutely. That's one of the reasons I put in the effort to learn as many of the songs that I did.

 

[oldrocker]

...

That said, the whole thing could have been handled better from both sides. It's a learning experience.

Not sure what I could have done better. I set expectation up front and communicated clearly. I gave them an honest effort and delivered everything that I said i would deliver.

 

[LBS-bass]

Not sure what I could have done better. I gave them an honest effort and delivered every that I said i would deliver.

The only thing I would have done differently would have been not laying out on anything. Like I said, you watch hands and you play roots and you do your best.

Ideally, the band is going to do what they can to help you through it, by calling changes or making sure you can see what they're playing. That's doesn't always happen. But there are a myriad of ways to cheat your way through a song you don't know. Lay out on beat one, come in on beat two after you hear what the change is. Stuff like that.

Someone above said they need a "great player" to do this kind of show and I don't agree with that. What they need is someone who knows the tricks that you need to know in order to do this kind of show on short notice. And that's something you just learn as you go along.

 

[Bassngtr]

IMO you did great. You sound like a good conscientious player and band mate. They on the other hand sound like a nightmare. Bullet dodged. I disagree with replies that you should have been able to nail everything given the scenario. But I am not a full time musician. If I were a BL I'd be more than happy with your demeanor and contribution. Shake the dust from your bass, move on, and don't worry about those losers.

 

[2F/2F]

Haha - I never signed up or agreed to learn 30 songs in 2 days. My statement was a level set to give them a chance to back me out if they were uncomfortable with my level of commitment. Actually though, I did end up learning more than 30 songs - 28 on the set list and 4 on the extras list.

The show I met them at they played as trio, no bass so the could have just as easily played this show with no bass as well. They really had no bass prospects for this show until I showed up, so they were going to play this show regardless.

My end was $60 bucks for the show. I believe they got way more than their $60 worth. Up front they told me what they usually get for a show so the pay was in line with my expectations.

60 bucks. Well, there ya go. Well below my lowest guess of $100, which I jokingly threw out as a ridiculously low number, only to make a point. I actually thought we were talking about what was probably a $300 gig here.

For that money, I wouldn't have even done a single set without a backline amp...and I certainly wouldn't have even picked up my bass before the gig. At most, I would have put together a digital playlist and listened to it while doing other things in the days before the gig. And I only would have done that as a favor. 60 bucks to play three sets, plus learn the songs, and I am assuming you hauled your amp. That means that you actually paid them to play, not the other way around.

What was the song list?

 

[Session1969]

Hey, you went for it! Keep it up!

 

[Killing Floor]

So life is finite. You're fortunate these guys are so willing to help you decide how you want to spend it.

 

[Benjamin Earl]

Unfortunately, this crap happens more than you think. You learned a valuable lesson, and we all are benefiting from your experience. Thanks! Band try outs are like first dates. Meet for a cup of coffee or a drink, not a 3 course meal. Make sure you can get out of there in a hurry. I prefer to try out on commonly known tunes. I would only agree learn a few tunes, because I've learned this lesson a few times.

 

[QweziRider]

You stand up there and you watch people's hands and you pay roots if you have to, but you play on every song.

That said, the whole thing could have been handled better from both sides. It's a learning experience.

Two points that sum it all perfectly, to me.

 

[bolophonic]

That sounds awful. Just terrible. There are a million dudes on TB who live for gigs like that. They never play a note without getting paid for it and I always get the impression that it’s about as fun as working the night shift at the chicken gutting factory.

 

[QweziRider]

You missed this part of the OP -

Nope. Didn't miss a thing. Read it all, a few times, in fact. You and I just interpret the outcome differently. To me, laying out is never acceptable - especially when you say it was only a couple songs. If it was me in that situation, I'd have to look back at my short time of wood shedding and see where I could have grabbed another 20 minutes of the day to hammer out the last two. I'd look at it as "what could I have done different given the lemons that were handed to me?"

Like @LBS-bass said, with relatively formulaic music, a player can at least watch the hands of other players for the changes and stick to roots if necessary. Between that and listening as the song went on, it won't be perfect, but you could surprise yourself and be quite passable. I can't tell you how many times a band leader has thrown out something I've never played before and he tells me across the stage "Awwww, that's alright, follow me and you'll be fine."

Like I said, not getting on you at all. It's a learning experience for both sides. I see my similar messes as "o.k., what should I have done differently?" Whether it's preparation, being adventurous and not laying out, or not taking the gig in the first place for all the red flags.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Maybe that's why they needed a new bass player... Just sayin'.

 

[gln1955]

They don't sound like the kind of people I'd like to play with. Take what you learned from this and move on. Nothing lost.

 

[Basslice]

I've had the opposite happen to me a few times. Band, "We need a bass player next weeK". Me: "Sure, I'm in". Band: Do you know XYZ?". Me: "Yea, sure". Although the truth is I know the genre, not necc all the songs they do. Maybe get a list of songs. maybe not.

Show up for gig and rough it out, but do it with spirit. When in doubt, play something that sounds right. Being in the right key and in the right rhythm helps.

Later: Band: "That was ok, a few rough spots but a good gig". Me: "Yeah, sorry I f'ed up a couple time". Band: "ok. no one noticed, want to gig next week?"