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Didnt get the gig...really bummed out...
- Thread starter bassman134
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I can't ever recall a band playing 90 songs at a gig. That's like roasting a turkey at 5 degrees for four days.
- Sep 9, 2007
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- Endorsing Artist: Eventide, GHS Strings, G&L Guitars, NS Design, Tsunami Cables
kawika5150 said:
As the OP said, the entire set list was fair game, since the bandleader called the song order from the stand. He said they played about 40 or so, but needed to have them all ready for if they were called.
fair enough, but have you personally played a brand new, say a 12 song set without making any mistakes? granted the bandleader may have a tick for being specific with the basslines (even if the key changed), but can you say you've even played a whole song perfectly? i know i can't say i've played anything "perfectly" even with hours of woodshedding. i come really, really close to what i think "perfect" may be, but the term "perfect" has a whole bunch of baggage.
but yes, 90 songs with no list isn't a fun night.
i'm just saying
Yes I know, I was just elaborating on someone else's contention and trying to see where the connection between the two tangents were.
I played a 4-hour gig once and only missed one note on the dinner music part of it in the first set. Never played a perfect 4-hour gig, though.
The band I was with at the time had about 120 songs on call. You never knew what it was gonna be. One of my bands now is like that, but it's all pretty familiar stuff. Even if we don't rehearse we do ok. The festival band has a set list with a few on the side for options. I hate it when we work our butts off on learning one and it stays on the list only about two weeks.
The band I was with at the time had about 120 songs on call. You never knew what it was gonna be. One of my bands now is like that, but it's all pretty familiar stuff. Even if we don't rehearse we do ok. The festival band has a set list with a few on the side for options. I hate it when we work our butts off on learning one and it stays on the list only about two weeks.
In a stunning turn of events, I just now got invited to play next week as a fill-in at the same place and to give it another go, I guess I made a good case.
Wish me luck boys I'm going back in...
Go forward with the blessings of the Bass Gods!
Believe what you want Blue.. I've got my 20 years of gigs and many more coming.. Next one is tomorrow evening. Oh, guess what.. you can check my site.. Oh, what's your site again?
Checked out your site;
Awesome music and awesome bass playing. But not my thing.
My band is awesome as the stuff on your site is.
We just have different tastes and I am not as shallow as you.
For example, you called my band terible and make fun of my apearance, while I can see and apreciate the talent and work from the music on your site.
- Oct 7, 2000
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Wow, I'm late to this game, but sorry bluewine. I am absolutely certain I could nail 90 songs in 6 weeks. I'm absolutely certain many others here can do it too. It would be a lot of work for anyone, but it's totally do-able.
First off Blue, you have no idea who I am and I actually never called your band terrible or anything for that matter.. I don't care for how you treat kids on this board and that's my main gripe with you.. Whatever you feel about me, my bands or my playing is not even a concern. How you treat others and how you give probably the worst advice on every subject while discouraging and belittling our youth is..
Maybe you should look into this thing called a blog.. You can make one for yourself and spout all your misguided theories to the world without having to worry about defending yourself from logic and reality..
Maybe you should look into this thing called a blog.. You can make one for yourself and spout all your misguided theories to the world without having to worry about defending yourself from logic and reality..
Hi Joe, your playing and your band is awesome.I checked out the video. You would smoke me on bass.
Your a young guy great look and cool band. I wish you success.
But on the 90 song thing, I can't treat you any diferently( and I wish I could cause you are tearing down walls) I have to say, no.
jive1
Commercial User
Let's add some fun to this, as well as be productive, if anyone is up for it.
Here is the link to the DJ Intelligence Top 200 requested songs of last year. If you can play all 200 of these, you can probably get a gig with just about any cover band.
Top 200 Most Requested Songs of the Past Year
I will send whoever can learn 100 of those songs the fastest a free pack of DR strings (4 or 5 string) of your choice between LoRiders, HiBeams, SunBeams, or FatBeams. You will need to prove it with a video or recording, it doesn't have to be high quality. And even if you don't win, you still increase your marketability.
Learning the song consists of following the chord changes and arrangement. It doesn't have to be note for note, but you must follow the changes. You also have to be able to do the signature bass stuff (i.e. the intro to Sweet Child of Mine), as well as play the stops and other rhythmic changes.
All these songs can be found on YouTube for reference.
So who's up for a challenge?
Here is the link to the DJ Intelligence Top 200 requested songs of last year. If you can play all 200 of these, you can probably get a gig with just about any cover band.
Top 200 Most Requested Songs of the Past Year
I will send whoever can learn 100 of those songs the fastest a free pack of DR strings (4 or 5 string) of your choice between LoRiders, HiBeams, SunBeams, or FatBeams. You will need to prove it with a video or recording, it doesn't have to be high quality. And even if you don't win, you still increase your marketability.
Learning the song consists of following the chord changes and arrangement. It doesn't have to be note for note, but you must follow the changes. You also have to be able to do the signature bass stuff (i.e. the intro to Sweet Child of Mine), as well as play the stops and other rhythmic changes.
All these songs can be found on YouTube for reference.
So who's up for a challenge?
Not wanting to enter in an argument that seems to have got silly to me, but wanting to add relevant info for the sake of other readers. Basically stating explicitly and drawing together points scattered through the thread.
This band is not art, it's business. Players are doing it for the money, the objective is to earn the pay in the minimum time. Rehearsal is a cost (either because the players are giving up unpaid time plus or someone is paying them, plus cost of rehearsal room). Plus they may hate the music.
A lot of opportunities come because a band has a hole, and they phone around and someone says "call this guy". You get a gig, if it works you get more. Maybe the OP did better than he thought first time round, maybe he turned it around with his phone call, or maybe the other band was stuck. Doesn't matter, he got the opportunity, he knows he can do better and he will make the most of it.
To succeed in this you need the ability to fake it and wing it. Some players are better than this than others, and people have all sorts of different ways of handling it (good ear, encyclopaedic knowledge of songs, large collection of fake books and charts, etc). They know how to look confident and cover their mistakes. If you are young and want to make a living in music, you should think about how to develop this skill.
So my benchmark for "hard" is a phone call "We need you at the pub and onstage in 90 minutes. We'll call the songs. No charts, no advanced vetting of the song list, just keep up". Done it, not great at it but I know players who can kill it. They usually have great memory, perfect pitch, an outstanding ear for chords, ability to read other players, and an uncanny feel for where music is going. They make above-average money because they have above-average skills.
By comparison, 90 songs in six weeks @ 15 minutes per song to do a cheat sheet is less than 23 hours work. Over six weeks that's less than four hours a week, not a lot. Many simple pop songs you should be able to listen to the song and write the cheat sheet out as you go, like taking dictation. Put the songs in a playlist on your iPod and you should be able to rehearse them all multiple times if needed as well.
To be honest, if you can't do that and you want to make a living long-term, you have work to do. Not being able to learn quickly enough is a skill deficit, the same as not being able to play fast enough, or project an image on stage.
YMMV but that's my experience.
This band is not art, it's business. Players are doing it for the money, the objective is to earn the pay in the minimum time. Rehearsal is a cost (either because the players are giving up unpaid time plus or someone is paying them, plus cost of rehearsal room). Plus they may hate the music.
A lot of opportunities come because a band has a hole, and they phone around and someone says "call this guy". You get a gig, if it works you get more. Maybe the OP did better than he thought first time round, maybe he turned it around with his phone call, or maybe the other band was stuck. Doesn't matter, he got the opportunity, he knows he can do better and he will make the most of it.
To succeed in this you need the ability to fake it and wing it. Some players are better than this than others, and people have all sorts of different ways of handling it (good ear, encyclopaedic knowledge of songs, large collection of fake books and charts, etc). They know how to look confident and cover their mistakes. If you are young and want to make a living in music, you should think about how to develop this skill.
So my benchmark for "hard" is a phone call "We need you at the pub and onstage in 90 minutes. We'll call the songs. No charts, no advanced vetting of the song list, just keep up". Done it, not great at it but I know players who can kill it. They usually have great memory, perfect pitch, an outstanding ear for chords, ability to read other players, and an uncanny feel for where music is going. They make above-average money because they have above-average skills.
By comparison, 90 songs in six weeks @ 15 minutes per song to do a cheat sheet is less than 23 hours work. Over six weeks that's less than four hours a week, not a lot. Many simple pop songs you should be able to listen to the song and write the cheat sheet out as you go, like taking dictation. Put the songs in a playlist on your iPod and you should be able to rehearse them all multiple times if needed as well.
To be honest, if you can't do that and you want to make a living long-term, you have work to do. Not being able to learn quickly enough is a skill deficit, the same as not being able to play fast enough, or project an image on stage.
YMMV but that's my experience.
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