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Didnt get the gig...really bummed out...

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Just so less experienced TBers have another take and more realistic take on this.

It is impossible to have 90 songs learned and gig/audition ready in 6 weeks.

No way, it is entirely possible. 6 weeks is 42 days. Thats only learning just over 2 songs a day. In my original band I was learning 4 songs a day to catch up to the band, of course we didnt have a 90 song setlist, but 2 songs a day isnt that much to take in.

V thats what I'm sayin!
 
Just so less experienced TBers have another take and more realistic take on this.

It is impossible to have 90 songs learned and gig/audition ready in 6 weeks.

Blue -
this just isn't true. You're assuming that one may have never played any of these songs before. If someone has played as long as you claim to have played, you should have 90 plus covers under your belt already and most club cover bands have some songs that cross over onto each others list at some point. There may be some you don't know, but learning rock and roll songs isn't that hard and with 6 weeks and 90 songs, it's only 2 a day.
 
Blue -
this just isn't true. You're assuming that one may have never played any of these songs before. If someone has played as long as you claim to have played, you should have 90 plus covers under your belt already and most club cover bands have some songs that cross over onto each others list at some point. There may be some you don't know, but learning rock and roll songs isn't that hard and with 6 weeks and 90 songs, it's only 2 a day.

I had to be prepared to play any one of 90 songs, I probably knew 1/3 cold, 1/3 played before but not recently, and 1/3 either only fiddled with, only heard and never played. Everything on the set list was I've heard 10,000 times on the radio. It's not like I was up an joining a country band or something (no offense country band guys...).

Just that fact I did mess up songs I should have known and have played before bothered me..
 
Just so less experienced TBers have another take and more realistic take on this.

It is impossible to have 90 songs learned and gig/audition ready in 6 weeks.

I learned 40 songs in a weekend for a country cover band. I was given a handful of cassette tapes, and charts the guitarist made (all using the Nashville numbering system). Until then, I had never intentionally listened to country music at all or used the Nashville system, so it was completely new to me. With exception of two-three that I fudged through, everything else was fairly solid.

It can be done.
 
No way, it is entirely possible. 6 weeks is 42 days. Thats only learning just over 2 songs a day. In my original band I was learning 4 songs a day to catch up to the band, of course we didnt have a 90 song setlist, but 2 songs a day isnt that much to take in.

V thats what I'm sayin!

Hi, No it's not.

By the time the gig would come you would not have 90 new songs committted to memory.

Sorry, I am maintaining my position.
 
I learned 40 songs in a weekend for a country cover band. I was given a handful of cassette tapes, and charts the guitarist made (all using the Nashville numbering system). Until then, I had never intentionally listened to country music at all or used the Nashville system, so it was completely new to me. With exception of two-three that I fudged through, everything else was fairly solid.

It can be done.

I stil say no, there is no way I can buy into this unless I went to the gig and could say;

Yeah he learned 40 new songs and played them with no mistakes at an audition live gig.
 
I had to be prepared to play any one of 90 songs, I probably knew 1/3 cold, 1/3 played before but not recently, and 1/3 either only fiddled with, only heard and never played. Everything on the set list was I've heard 10,000 times on the radio. It's not like I was up an joining a country band or something (no offense country band guys...).

Just that fact I did mess up songs I should have known and have played before bothered me..

All your bench marks mentioned above point the finger back at the band being unprofessional.

You did not have a fair chance and their demands were unresaonable.
 
Just so less experienced TBers have another take and more realistic take on this.

It is impossible to have 90 songs learned and gig/audition ready in 6 weeks.

I think it really depends on a mix of the the player's experience, skills, and familiarity with the genre being played.

I had a book of 35 jazz standards (playing just straight bass lines) for a society wedding reception gig down pat in just two rehearsals. The gig flat out rocked, well for a jazz gig, anyway. :cool:

...but the progressive fusion tunes we're working on, that I'm also tapping out guitar comping/lead stuff as well--well, that's going to take a lot more time. I'm probably getting stuff like that learned at about 1-2 tunes a week, and will only be really "comfortable" with it after a few months. I have a regular day job and kids so only get about 30-45 minutes of practice in a night, btw.

All this to say, I have a huge amount of respect to the OP for being such a good sport and being able to cover well, cover such a large rep., hang in there through the whole gig--and making a good effort at singing backup in spite of all the issues. That's really the mark of a pro, in my book--you make the absolute best of the situation, and you keep your head on and don't give up.

Kudos to the OP for not being all "sour grapes" and such, and giving it another shot, as well. While the live audition scenario he outlined is a little suspect as some have pointed out, it's not all *that* out there, and as far as wrong performance times, I've been in the business long enough to know miscommunication *does* happen from time to time. Hopes and prayers the OP's second "audition" is under much better circumstances. :)
 
While the live audition scenario he outlined is a little suspect as some have pointed out, it's not all *that* out there, and as far as wrong performance times, I've been in the business long enough to know miscommunication *does* happen from time to time. Hopes and prayers the OP's second "audition" is under much better circumstances. :)

Good post. It seems like everyone is twisting this to support their point, me too.

All I am saying is nobody is walking on stage with a live band for the 1st time and know how to play 90 new songs flawlessly with no prior rehearsal with the band.
 
Hi, No it's not.

By the time the gig would come you would not have 90 new songs committted to memory.

Sorry, I am maintaining my position.

Hi, yes it is. I've done it.....more than once. Just because you aren't capable doesn't me it can't be done by those more talented.

Of course, I've never done it for a sub gig, and I still contend that such a request is unreasonable.
 
Maybe my memory is just a lot better than yours, blue, but I can easily learn 2 songs and have them comitted to memory by the end of a day. As I said, I was able to do 4 complicated songs that I had never heard before without a problem.

I can do that.

What I am saying is neither of us or anybody else in the forum is going to walk on stage and be ready to play 90 new songs without any rehearsal with the band without flaws.

I am not even goin to consider the vocal requreiments they threw at th OP.
 
I can do that.

What I am saying is neither of us or anybody else in the forum is going to walk on stage and be ready to play 90 new songs without any rehearsal with the band without flaws.

I am not even goin to consider the vocal requreiments they threw at th OP.

"without flaws."

Everyone will have a few flubs, but to say that it is "impossible" to learn that number of songs is simply incorrect.
 
Hi, yes it is. I've done it.....more than once. Just because you aren't capable doesn't me it can't be done by those more talented.

Of course, I've never done it for a sub gig, and I still contend that such a request is unreasonable.

Sorry, but I still say no and while I don't know you.I don't believe you.

My position on anyones abilty to learn and play 90 new songs live with no mistakes is very clear.
 
I can do that.

What I am saying is neither of us or anybody else in the forum is going to walk on stage and be ready to play 90 new songs without any rehearsal with the band without flaws.

I am not even goin to consider the vocal requreiments they threw at th OP.

Sure, there will be some hitches, as are illustrated in the OP. Band does Song A in a different key then was learned. Band adds extended solo to Song B. Band doubles up the chorus on Song C. Thats to be expected, IMO, if youre playing 35-90 new songs with a band that youve never rehearsed with. It seems the band that the OP is referencing is also aware of that, seeing as how theyve given him a second paying gig only a week later.
 
Blue -
this just isn't true. You're assuming that one may have never played any of these songs before. If someone has played as long as you claim to have played, you should have 90 plus covers under your belt already and most club cover bands have some songs that cross over onto each others list at some point. There may be some you don't know, but learning rock and roll songs isn't that hard and with 6 weeks and 90 songs, it's only 2 a day.

I have made it clear, 90 new songs, that does not include covers you already know.
 
I had to be prepared to play any one of 90 songs, I probably knew 1/3 cold, 1/3 played before but not recently, and 1/3 either only fiddled with, only heard and never played. Everything on the set list was I've heard 10,000 times on the radio. It's not like I was up an joining a country band or something (no offense country band guys...).

Just that fact I did mess up songs I should have known and have played before bothered me..

It's time to give this thread back to the OP. Blue has made it very clear that he is not capable of doing a fill in gig, and since he can't do it, it must be impossible for all of us other players who have done fill in gigs in a short time. So now we know where blue stands on the matter..........

Bassman134 - kudos for taking on the challenge. Now take those 90 songs and learn them cold. Don't stop working on them because the more songs you learn, the more prepared you will be the next time this comes up. Learning on the fly at a gig is great experience IMO. Learning to look for clues like the guitarist's or keyboardist's hands as you mentioned is great (it also pays to have a grasp of those instruments so you can make sense out of what you are seeing), knowing the "money chord" chart that was posted is a huge help too. Almost all pop/rock songs are gonna fall in there somewhere. It all just better prepares you to be a first call guy if they ever need someone in a pinch, which I have found can lead to some pretty good gigs.

Don't sweat it and chalk it up to a lesson learned and keep right on going.
 
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