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Age Issue rears it's ugly head after audition.

#81
Rocker949 said:
I think it's really insulting to assume that a 64 year old would mostly be interested in playing Buddy Holly stuff, especially since even someone 64 would still have been a youngster when Holly died in 1959. I might add that I'm not using the word "insulting" lightly; it's exactly that. The guitarist either needs to get over ageism or find a way to get good enough not to be intimidated by other musicians, whether they're older or not.
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Very well put. Plus the lead guitarist was 44, right? I can understand (sort of) if he was a teen, but at 44 he should have "grown up" by now and started thinking like an adult. :rollno:

Oh, and a big +1 to everyone who suggested a second band with the new bassist and singer. It may work out or it may not, but it makes sense if the OP and the guitarist/bassist want to play out.
 
#83
You lost out. PERIOD.

I'm 46, our lead guit / singer is 55-ish and our rhythm player is 17. The last -- and best drummer - we auditioned was 64-ish as well. Actually, we didn't audition him. He filled in on a gig. Walked in, set up, played, did a great job on everything we played from country to classis rock to blues.

Just my $0.02



dcr
 
#84
eSmith said:
Turns out he's 64 but I swear you would never guess he's that old. He's got a hip look for a blues band and would look fine in our lineup.
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Since the guy doesn't look his age, seems to me that there's more going on than just knowing a number(64).

I'd pin the guitar player down at the next band meeting and get him to explain his comments/conclusions in a way they make sense with your band's goals/talents/expectations.

If there's no good reason or reasoning behind his comments or he refuses to account for his comments/decisions, then I guess it's time for you to figure out exactly what you want out of the deal, let your band mates know and go from there.

IME, focusing on an irrelevant fact or set of facts to push one's agenda is SOP for many people in life in general. Unfortunately, when there's blow back based on the comment/conclusion, often one is made out to be the "bad guy" to keep the focus off of the original set of facts and derail the current line of questioning.
 
#85
This is a sad, painful thread.

To read about quality like that walking in the door, and then for them to get blown off like nothing....

With the OP stating he was locking in on drums with the bassist, and the vocalist being good...talk about stepping over dollars to pick up pennies, because the lead guitarist has some ill-defined issues about this.

Call them again. Then post here to tell us it all worked out, either that you got them in, or that you joined up with them.

Please.
 
#86
jbednarski said:
John Paul Jones 65 years old

Dave Grohl 42 years old

Josh Homme 38 years old

Doesn't seem to be a problem here.
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OK, I'm not on the other side of this argument but I have to say, JPJ is a rock n roll LEGEND. I'd bet dollars to dimes they wouldn't have some random 65 year old off the street that no one had ever heard of in the band. Just sayin'
 
#89
echoSE7EN said:
Maybe it's okay to not want a 64-year old in your band. a home (meaning...chores, yard work, etc etc etc).

Maybe a 64-year old was just too much of a difference for your lead player. Nothing wrong with that. .
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I would say it's never cool to rule out a 64 year old to play in a blues or jazz band because of age.

I'm 58, those that know me know that I would never play in a blues or jazz band ( just not my thing).

I am lucky that my band mates were not as shallow as your lead guitarist.
 
#92
Cosmic Closet said:
This is a sad, painful thread.

To read about quality like that walking in the door, and then for them to get blown off like nothing....

With the OP stating he was locking in on drums with the bassist, and the vocalist being good...talk about stepping over dollars to pick up pennies, because the lead guitarist has some ill-defined issues about this.

Call them again. Then post here to tell us it all worked out, either that you got them in, or that you joined up with them.

Please.
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I have been pushed off to the side by bands I have auditioned for because of my age.

It's cool, all of those bands had something in common.

No class!
 
#93
I wish more musicians would realize that age should never be an issue. Doesn't anybody understand that older musicians are usually more experienced and easier to get along with?

I was in a band had an 18 year old drummer, 50 year old guitar player, 35 year old keyboard player and I was 42 at the time.
 
#94
dcr said:
You lost out. PERIOD.

I'm 46, our lead guit / singer is 55-ish and our rhythm player is 17. The last -- and best drummer - we auditioned was 64-ish as well. Actually, we didn't audition him. He filled in on a gig. Walked in, set up, played, did a great job on everything we played from country to classis rock to blues.

Just my $0.02



dcr
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Nice! i agree, you guys just lost out based on what we know.

You have to tell us more, what's up with this lead guitarist?
 
#95
ChrisB2 said:
Have you considered that maybe he wasn't comfortable with the lady's stage presence?

To some people, "image" is a much larger issue with female fronts than with males. I can see where maybe he didn't feel she brought the right total package, but was embarrassed to admit it and found another reason to disqualify the pair. Maybe...
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C'mon Chris, it's a blues band, blues is one of the few genres where age doesn't matter. It's not a Glam Rock Band.
 
#97
It is possible that your lead player is a bag of gas whose opinion needs to be minimized. Hey, some bandmates have zero instincts about personnel and even music. I play with a guy like that all the time. Fortunately, he is not malicious, just clueless, and he plays well so he can stay.

Seems like your man was outvoted and still won.
 
#99
ChrisB2 said:
True, but I wasn't talking about the bass player's age, rather the female front's "image." Could be a factor, I don't know...

Off topic hijack: Is that your new Gibson T-bird in the pic? How do you like it?
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I love my new 91 Gibson Thunderbird. I can't put the thing down.It has a thin jazz bass type neck, thru body very light.

BTW, It's a completely different animal than the Epi Bird I traded up to it with.
 

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