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Didn't get the job because I didn't...(VINDICATION CONTENT)

Ampeg is horrible.
I'm sorry...and you are?

davidspadereceptionist.jpg
 
Why turn them down? Well, first off they didn't seem like the motivated type so we probably would have practiced for another 10 months to a year ultimately resulting in people getting burnt out and quitting. Not to mention NOT being out and playing which is what I personally want (see: $$$ + fun).

Secondly, first impressions man...it's all about first impressions. You really want me to bite the bullet for a bunch of chumps who can't be polite for more than the 5 minutes it took me to set up? C'mon man, gimme a break!




Well, except for the fact that it's NOT a great gig. They don't seem to have it together and again, they don't seem like the motivated type. I know not everyone wants to be out playing bars and some do it just for the music and fun and what not, but I'd like to make a buck or two.

And I think a band environment allows us to be a little righteous. It's NOT a 9-5 and for the vast majority, it does NOT pay the bills. So that affords us the opportunity to be picky when it comes to being in a band. Now...if they were playing 4+ gigs a month and making good money, it would be a totally different story.
after re reading a lot of this it seems to me you may have gone into this thinking you are doing the "old guys" a favor by showing up.....when someone thinks you may have been a little hasty you post more bad stuff about them......not getting both sides makes it difficult if not impossible to determine but if it wasn't such a great gig ,why audition...i don't get why you are so miffed about a lousy gig you really did not seem to want anyhow......i've gone to lots of job interviews that i rejected/they rejected,but that's life.....
 
Thank you Jim Campbell!

To the OP: not once in your first post did you mention that this WAS NOT a paying gig or that this wasn't an active band. What you did says was:

"Why turn them down? Well, first off they didn't seem like the motivated type so we probably would have practiced for another 10 months to a year ultimately resulting in people getting burnt out and quitting. Not to mention NOT being out and playing which is what I personally want (see: $$$ + fun)."

I am curious about one thing: are you playing with another band currently. Seems to me the best revenge would be to say, "Sorry, I appreciate the offer, but I joined another cover band who doesn't have a problem with my gear, thinks I'm a perfect fit, AND they pay me! Good luck with your garage band"
 
First question- can they play?
Second, can they play well <together>?
Third- Do they have gigs and or reputation?
Fourth- are they well organized and have a plan for success / originals /recording / getting better work / exposure?
Fifth- Outside of their gaff, do you get along OK with them on a working level?

If you get this far with all yes answers, then think about ignoring their ignorance and playing with them. Remember, at one time, you were learning, too.
 
Why is everybody saying he should reconsider now?
The point is probably mute.
He already turned them down, I doubt they're going to just let him play with them now like nothing ever happened.
Plus, I'm sure the OP has a little more pride than to go crawling back to them now.
There are loads of other bands to join.
 
Alright, guess I wasn't that clear in my original post but most people seemed to get it. I had an unfavorable fishing trip the other night so I was a little cranky. 5 hours and not a single bite.

I have an original band that is pretty good in my own opinion but for numerous reasons, we're stalling to get out. It seems like 99.9% of original bands in the greater Cincinnati area don't make a dime though. So I am looking for a cover band to make a few extra bucks to help pay bills and have a little spending money. I want to make approximately $100/night or better. The band I am looking for is either A) playing out already or B) will be playing out in the very near future. They must be making decent money and they must NOT be a-holes. I clearly explained all that in my ad, except for the a-hole part because I did not want to sound like an a-hole myself! You typically find that last part out at the try-out anyways, as I did.

The band this whole thread is about does not have a website or myspace page, they aren't playing out and they aren't making a cent. They don't seem to have it together so that they will be out within a month or two either but who knows? I don't know if I'm too picky or if some of you just have really low standards, but in a nutshell, they wasted my time because I was very concise about what I wanted.

This whole thread wasn't even about all that in the first place, it was about me not getting the job because my gear didn't say "Ampeg" and "Fender". You hear similar stories every now and then but you never hear about a little harmless revenge, so I thought it was unique enough to share.
 
after re reading a lot of this it seems to me you may have gone into this thinking you are doing the "old guys" a favor by showing up.....when someone thinks you may have been a little hasty you post more bad stuff about them......not getting both sides makes it difficult if not impossible to determine but if it wasn't such a great gig ,why audition...i don't get why you are so miffed about a lousy gig you really did not seem to want anyhow......i've gone to lots of job interviews that i rejected/they rejected,but that's life.....

Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about anyone's age then. I just meant that age was a non-issue, not that I was doing anyone a favor or anything. Sorry for confusing you. Why did I audition? Because. That's why. I didn't have anything but a few emails to go off of and they talked like they were going to be gigging soon. But as we all know, talk is cheap.

I guess what I don't get here is why would you want to play with a couple of jerks when the pay doesn't even exist? Bottom line is, I'm not losing sleep because I didn't join that band.
 
Alright, guess I wasn't that clear in my original post but most people seemed to get it. I had an unfavorable fishing trip the other night so I was a little cranky. 5 hours and not a single bite.

I have an original band that is pretty good in my own opinion but for numerous reasons, we're stalling to get out. It seems like 99.9% of original bands in the greater Cincinnati area don't make a dime though. So I am looking for a cover band to make a few extra bucks to help pay bills and have a little spending money. I want to make approximately $100/night or better. The band I am looking for is either A) playing out already or B) will be playing out in the very near future. They must be making decent money and they must NOT be a-holes. I clearly explained all that in my ad, except for the a-hole part because I did not want to sound like an a-hole myself! You typically find that last part out at the try-out anyways, as I did.

The band this whole thread is about does not have a website or myspace page, they aren't playing out and they aren't making a cent. They don't seem to have it together so that they will be out within a month or two either but who knows? I don't know if I'm too picky or if some of you just have really low standards, but in a nutshell, they wasted my time because I was very concise about what I wanted.

This whole thread wasn't even about all that in the first place, it was about me not getting the job because my gear didn't say "Ampeg" and "Fender". You hear similar stories every now and then but you never hear about a little harmless revenge, so I thought it was unique enough to share.

No need to explain yourself, to me at least. I completely understand exactly what you were upset with and I would probably get upset myself. There is a lot of ignorance and prejudice out there, especially when it comes to bassists, and it's much better to avoid it than to put up with it if you can. Why some people can't just give a guy the benefit of the doubt or judge him by his playing and tone, I don't know, but I do know that you're in a better place without that band. Imagine what else may have occurred if you were to continue with a closed minded group like that. It's better to just avoid it all together. Touche my fellow buckeye bassist, touche!
 
NKUSigEp, you had every right to express how you felt about the whole situation. I, on occasion, enjoy the "good comeback" when you feel like someone unjustifiably snubs you. Having the "rest of the story" certainly puts me on your side, especially since I now know that they responded to ad. So they really did act like a**holes, while wasting your time! A little context goes along way. Also, I apologize for giving you such a hard time.

Keep on gigging!
 
two things...

first, the gear doesn't make the tone, the musician does.

second, music =/= job. while i don't mind getting paid for a gig, i'm not doing it for money. i'm doing it 'cause i love to play. it's art and expression to me, not a 9-5 job i "need" to pay bills. just like instruments need to be in tune, so do the musicians. Understandably there'll be arguments sometimes, but right off the bat like this situation? eff that. i just quit a band because the chemistry wasn't right. Now they're getting playing gigs and i'm cool with that. i'd rather be happy, playing what i want than unhappy, being paid to play what i don't want. In my experience, being in a band is more like being in a marriage than being at a job. It's better to wait for a happy marriage than go get married as fast as possible.
 
Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about anyone's age then. I just meant that age was a non-issue, not that I was doing anyone a favor or anything. Sorry for confusing you. Why did I audition? Because. That's why. I didn't have anything but a few emails to go off of and they talked like they were going to be gigging soon. But as we all know, talk is cheap.

I guess what I don't get here is why would you want to play with a couple of jerks when the pay doesn't even exist? Bottom line is, I'm not losing sleep because I didn't join that band.
i dunno dude,the more you write the more i question your attitude........it's always easier to dump on someone that is not here to defend himself,and if you are not losing sleep ,why do you want vindication.....
 
you[/I] were sold on enough to sink a big chunk of money into, but come on people, why on earth would anyone get their panties in a wad because someone questioned their gear quality?
Life is too short!

You can also ask youself why did the band get their panties in a wad and tell him he didn't get the job just because they didn't know his gear was good quality?

As you said...life is too short. And that is why the OP turned the band down when they called him back. I'd likely have done the same. My time is too valuable to waste in a band that auditions my gear instead of my ability.
 
I feel that was stupid for them to judge you before you even played a song with them. If you came in with a BC Rich warlock and a 12-space spraypainted with skulls rack that had so many flashing lights it gives people seizures for all of your effects and 2,000w power amps..but could still coax a good sound out of your stuff, it shouldnt even matter. It's not like Spector and Aguilar stuff is aesthetically unpleasing either.

You made the right call on turning them down, like when a girl doesn't like you until she finds out how much money you make in a year...that's an indication of character IMHO which is not something to overlook...again, you made the right call.
 
Same BS occured to me recently at an audition, apparently you cant play vintage sounding funk on anything other than a 4 string fender jazz with the tone rolled all the way off.....

It would appear the Roscoe doesnt fit for these guys, and as a result, although my playing was 'great' neither did I......
 
To the OP:
I understand what you are feeling, and brand shouldn't make a difference but it does. There is nothing that can be done about it. At least not as a widespread thing. In your position, having another band, I would have quickly said no too.

When I auditioned for my current band, who by the way are great guys, came off as real jerks. The first thing i asked them when emailing was if they preferred pick or finger, as I am 95% finger, and they said that they don't want old school. :eyebrow:

Fast forward to audition, I brought my SWR 410 and Ashdown. When I start setting up, they ask me if I forgot something. What did I forget? "Dude where's your SVT. I was so excited when you said you had a bass head. I love playing on SVT's!"

Fast forward again, they provide me with an Ampeg 200T solid state (cheap sounding IMO). I start playing and see the guitarist messing with the settings trying to get a good sound. I stop playing, just in time to notice that he had turned up the gain to max, ultra-low to max, treble to max, and was just about to touch the master knob.

One last fast forward: They will never be able to comprehend why, when I had the money I didn't get an Ampeg rig over a GK, but at least they can all agree that it sounds great.
 
:cool:
Always sad to hear this kind of stuff.
You made the right decision.

I subbed, for a blues band once and showed up with two basses.
A 1966 P-bass.
And, a 6-string FBB Single Cutaway fretless. ( with flats)
The were looking for a upright tone for jump blues.
The 6-string nailed this tone.
After two songs they said, lose the 6-string, and play the Fender.
At the next break, I asked why they didn't like the tone of the 6-string.
Tone was kill'n.
But, it's the look of that bass?