• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Band Member inviting other bass player

#42
For a Christmas show at my work, we formed an ad hoc band - 8 bassists and a drummer. Turned out to be a great time - everyone wanted to do whatever it took to make it work, and it did.

Just because there’s another bassist doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a train wreck, though ...yeah, there is always that possibility. Go in with a positive attitude, but keep your eyes open.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BassWaffle and chaak
#43
chaak said:
Hey all I have been part of a band the three original members ( myself included) are childhood best friends. We are an all original band that used to be fully instrumental but just a year ago added a singer who had some songs written (lyrics only). We have been extensively composing and working on these songs soon to be released as the first debut album under this new line up. We meet up twice weekly at the guitar player's house we have set up a really good soundproofed space that has become our studio as well.

Every now and then and when the drummer cannot make it to one of the two rehearsals the guitar player invites a drummer or a keyboards player to jam and stay fresh. This doesnt happen that often though cause we usually meet without the drummer to write songs and work on the passages . (the drummer myself and the guitar player compose everything including the vocal lines sometimes it is a collaborative effort, with sometimes either me or the guitarists writing entire songs) I digress. Out of the blue the guitarist calls me up to tell me that he has invited a friend of his over to our first meeting this week. His friend is a bass player and according to the guitarist 'he will be there to assist'.

Sounds weird and wrong on so many levels. I did ask assist with what and how but i got a simplistic answer that he can give his input into the song we are currently working on.

Mind you i am on great terms with my band mates they commend my professionalism and both my rhythmic and songwriting abilities and creating a very tight pocket with the drummer when needed and soloing and playing lead when needed. Only thing i dont do well is play with a plectrum.

I checked out this friend and he is into cover songs and played in cover bands and his thing happens to be metalcore/djent stuff.

I have classical training (classical piano for 10 years before switching to bass in 2000) and have been studying jazz.

I listen to a lot of metal bands as well as many different genres (Funk, inde rock, hip hop, electronica, jazz and its subgenres of course).

I felt offended that he didnt ask me before inviting him over and threatened that some guy will be there with his gear (maybe) or worse going to be using mine ( and i hate to give my stuff let alone my gear to anyone to play it) .

Any advice, did this ever happen to anyone ?
Click to expand...



Myself, being a #rick, would inform the guitarist that I'll be bringing another guitarist "just to assist" and maybe he'll see the error of his ways.

At the very least, he's insensitive, at worst....well it doesn't matter. It's bad form on his part.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nevada Pete and chaak
#44
Steve-D said:
I agree, but not JUST a guitar player. I'd go find a guitarist, a drummer, a keyboard player and singer. Take em all and tell him exactly the same thing he told you. They are all there to assist. Now get his reply to that situation. If it's still the same ******** he gave you this time take those other guys and start a new band. Just make sure you go to the trouble of actually copywriting the songs you have written.
Click to expand...
If someone is there to assist me would be lugging my gear, keeping my bass playing and looking after my needs.
Oh that's a roadie...….
 
  • Like
Reactions: pcake, saabfender and chaak
#45
Depends on the importance of “the hang” I guess. None of the bands I was in were much into the hang. They were all about the music first and the business second. Not to say that’s a good thing. It’s just the way the my bands were. And in retrospect I think some of them carried it a little too far at times.


Every band I was in however, had a hard fast rule about there being zero nonessential attendees present at band rehearsals. That meant no friends, SOs, and/or well wishers or hangers on.

Rehearsals were strictly for the band and band business.

Group composition sessions were a little looser. But There were very few times when we’d feel a need to invite somebody else in for those.
 
Last edited:
#47
well with
40Hz said:
Depends on the importance of “the hang” I guess. None of the bands I was in were much into the hang. They were all about the music first and the business second. Not to say that’s a good thing. It’s just the way the my bands were. And in retrospect I think some of them carried it a little too far at times.


Every band I was in however, had a hard fast rule about there being zero nonessential attendees present at band rehearsals. That meant no friends, SOs, and/or well wishers or hangers on.

Rehearsals were strictly for the band and band business.

Group composition sessions were a little looser. But There were very few times when we’d feel a need to invite somebody else in for those.
Click to expand...
us its allowed everybody at some point invites a friend over or a girlfriend or SOs after having run it by the band. so im taking it that way this guy is coming to hang out and im cool with it he just so happens to be a bass player. what i dint like is the guitarists approach and his disrespect.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo
#48
It seems rude to me that he invited another bass player without discussing it with you, but beyond that it doesn’t sound like a big deal given that you regularly get together with other musicians who aren’t in the band. I’d play it cool, don’t be a dick about it if the guy wants to play a little on your gear, and see where it goes. Maybe have a chill conversation afterwards about running this sort of thing by you in the future. You will very, very rarely regret not being an a-hole in situations like this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo and chaak
#49
ThumbBum said:
Dude, pull some Melvins type shiz and play with two bass players at once. It may sound pretty thunderous. Either way, just play over him it requires it. Have fun and go with the flow.
Click to expand...

Man, I would be SO into that if I could find the right other bass player. I tried it once, years ago, and it onl failed because the other guy turned out to be a massive jerk and not as good a bassist as he initially appeared to be.
 
#50
i guess i'm just not a nice person :(

there's not a nice way to deal with this to me. i'm a virtually drama-free band member, but bringing another person to "assist" in the band's work, and - surprise - it's another bass player? first off, i'd want to know if the drummer and vocalist was aware of this. if so, i'd REALLY want to know why i wasn't asked about it in advance. honestly i've never heard of it happening. it's very weird and sort of off.

i'd want to know specifically what this other musician would be there to contribute, and i wouldn't let it go at a simplistic, non-specific reply because that's just the kind of hairpin i am. is the guitar player unhappy with the music as a whole so he feels that a cover/djent person would be able to improve things? does everyone else feel the same? is he just showing off to a buddy or trying to replace me?

if the other band members feels the band's music or you or your playing is a problem, they should have said something. if they don't, then why bring in the other bass player at all? either way, bringing in some guy - and for an unspecified reason - would not be something i'd be happy about. play my gear? that would be something to ask me before inviting the other bass player.

in my world, rehearsals are for the band. any changes or issues should be discussed in advance by all the band members. but hey, what do i know?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo, delta7fred, chaak and 6 others
#52
Not big on borrowing trouble, but my read is that it’s one of 2 things; you aren’t doing something that your band needs you to do, or there’s a perception that you aren’t doing something that your band needs you to do. Either way, unless inviting a “helper” is just one members disengenuous boondoggle, my antenna would be up.
 
#54
TreySonagras said:
The visiting bass player may have no idea how you feel and may be just an innocent visitor. Maybe he's there to give input on songwriting/arranging and would never want to step on your toes as a bass player. It's probably all cool.
Click to expand...

it could be all cool, but i wouldn't go as far as "probably". the visiting bass player may mean well, although i would think he's aware how weird this is, but the guitar player mean well?

Wfrance3 said:
Not big on borrowing trouble, but my read is that it’s one of 2 things; you aren’t doing something that your band needs you to do, or there’s a perception that you aren’t doing something that your band needs you to do. Either way, unless inviting a “helper” is just one members disengenuous boondoggle, my antenna would be up.
Click to expand...

it may not be the band that needs/wants something different. maybe i missed a post - did we establish that the rest of the band knew about the guitar player bringing this other guy to the rehearsal? if not, it could just be the guitar player, and what he want may not be what the rest of the band wants.

Bodeanly said:
If you were as good of friends as you claim, this thread would likely not exist. Tell him how you feel. The only thing worse than knowing is not knowing. All I know is that, if history has proven anything, no guitarist would sit quietly if I told em I was bringing another guitarist to practice to “assist.”
Click to expand...

↑ this - every word of this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo, Wfrance3 and Bodeanly
#56
They should've asked you before inviting someone to play. You said that 'we' invite a drummer to sit in when your guy can't make it. Well you can make it and they invited someone without asking you. That's not the same thing. And this is an all originals band? I'd be looking for a new group. Trust your gut.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mr_Moo and Nevada Pete
#59
I think you're right being somewhat suspicious of the motives here - especially in light of not being in the decision loop on this, but also with the vagueness of the answers you've received so far.

But how do you make your point without coming across as paranoid? Hmmm, this is a perfect scenario for the passive-aggressive approach!

Start with: "Will the guy coming to 'assist' be expecting to play bass?" "Yes? Well, he'll need to bring his own rig then". Make them own it. And then maybe don't show up.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back