Well! It wasn't pretty. What we played was nothing like the sheet/video I was sent. I went with it, and it wasn't a train wreck, but as I said, it wasn't pretty.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
We get a lot of visitors to the cockpit of the Gulfstream, but nobody asks to sit in. 
I was on stage once, early at a jam that @Koog hosted. Got through my two songs ok. Fortunately, there were only 3 or 4 people in the bar.
It was fun. I understand why you guys like it.
I was on stage once, early at a jam that @Koog hosted. Got through my two songs ok. Fortunately, there were only 3 or 4 people in the bar.
It was fun. I understand why you guys like it.
I was on stage once, early at a jam that @Koog hosted. Got through my two songs ok. Fortunately, there were only 3 or 4 people in the bar.
It was fun. I understand why you guys like it.
It was early, as Tony said. Folks started coming in for the night a few songs into the host band's set and eventually the venue filled up.
Tony did a great job....I understand it was one of his first times on stage. He overcame those easy to get stage jitters and laid down a good beat, with good time, (Tony's weapon of choice is drums) to keep the rest of us honest and on time. I enjoyed layin' down the groove with him!
Koog
For a few years I ran a Karaoke band, so every song was an adventure. The surprising thing was how GOOD many of them were. We kept a few phone numbers, and some of them are now regulars on the local bar band circuit. One guy was autistic, and would never have coped with the stress of being in a band, but was a great singer - to him every song was being a real rock star, and he acted like he was playing a stadium! He was at every show, and we knew we could call him up, and he'd do a great job.
The other surprise was how BAD people could be - they'd pick a song, and we had lyrics printed... WHY would you pick a song if you have NO IDEA how it goes? I expected bad singers, but this wasn't just being out of tune - we'd start playing and they'd just start running through the words... no gaps between lines, or verse/chorus, no rhythm... just singing the words one after the other! No regrets though - it was all part of the show: they sucked but they knew it (I hope!) but it was all in fun, and their friends loved it.
More negative experience, different band, had a gig with another band opening. We wouldn't normally do that, but it was a charity event. Of course they over ran, and we ended up finishing our second set at about 1:30, when we were supposed to finish just after 12! Except our singer had used the extra time to get drunk, and decided it would be great to invite the opening band up to play the last song with us. Of course they didn't really know it, but sure... most of the audience left by 1 (no reflection on us honest - just a long night!). We get through it... and the singer wants to keep going and "jam"... I say "NO! we've played our 2 sets, plus encores, and its well over an hour after we should have finished, and its already sounding BAD"... Bass goes in its case, and I'm off to fetch the car. When I get back to load up the guitarist is trying to explain to the drunk singer why he can't just keep going without a bass player, and the bar owner is giving me evil stares (the longer we play the more people drink). 2 days later I get a text (after being in the band 10 years), saying I'm "not a good fit"...
It's all good in the end, as I took 1 month off, and the first band I auditioned for asked me to join - much better pay, more fun music, better people to work with. I avoided the venue for 3 years, but when I went back the owner ran up and gave me a hug, and said how much they missed me!
The other surprise was how BAD people could be - they'd pick a song, and we had lyrics printed... WHY would you pick a song if you have NO IDEA how it goes? I expected bad singers, but this wasn't just being out of tune - we'd start playing and they'd just start running through the words... no gaps between lines, or verse/chorus, no rhythm... just singing the words one after the other! No regrets though - it was all part of the show: they sucked but they knew it (I hope!) but it was all in fun, and their friends loved it.
More negative experience, different band, had a gig with another band opening. We wouldn't normally do that, but it was a charity event. Of course they over ran, and we ended up finishing our second set at about 1:30, when we were supposed to finish just after 12! Except our singer had used the extra time to get drunk, and decided it would be great to invite the opening band up to play the last song with us. Of course they didn't really know it, but sure... most of the audience left by 1 (no reflection on us honest - just a long night!). We get through it... and the singer wants to keep going and "jam"... I say "NO! we've played our 2 sets, plus encores, and its well over an hour after we should have finished, and its already sounding BAD"... Bass goes in its case, and I'm off to fetch the car. When I get back to load up the guitarist is trying to explain to the drunk singer why he can't just keep going without a bass player, and the bar owner is giving me evil stares (the longer we play the more people drink). 2 days later I get a text (after being in the band 10 years), saying I'm "not a good fit"...
It's all good in the end, as I took 1 month off, and the first band I auditioned for asked me to join - much better pay, more fun music, better people to work with. I avoided the venue for 3 years, but when I went back the owner ran up and gave me a hug, and said how much they missed me!
My BL has a bass player friend who always asks him if he can sit in on a few of our tunes that he knows. He's a nice guy and he has his own band that's not playing anywhere. I don't mind sharing the stage once in awhile but this gets to be habitual whenever he shows up to one of our gigs, I want to play those songs also, it's my show... go play in your own band .. and get off of my lawn. 
Do to past abuses, I have a few rules about jamming. Both asking and being asked.
If I'm asking, I need to already know the bassist on friendly terms. If I don't know him, and I want to jam, sometimes I'll schmooze up to him at break and strike up a conversation and see if we have anything in common. A lot of times he asks me if I want to play. Even then I ask what songs do you want me to play. It's a a courtesy thing. Also, No one has to kick me off. I'm gone after a couple of songs unless the bassist asks me to finish the set. Lol! I don't usually do this anymore due to fact that my wife (and it's usually our night) wants me to dance with her!
Now being asked. I really better know the person asking me and they better be the one asking me. ( see post no#1). It is a respect thing. Even then it's not a given. I have no qualms about saying no. Normally, I don't prefer sit-ins unless it's a good bud. The last person who got to jam on my rig was my son and that was mid 2019. Previously, I only had one guy who was a friend overstay his welcome. I just walked up at the end of the song and thanked him in loud voice to the crowd. He got the hint. No bigs. He apologized at the end of the set. Truly, about 95% of would be jammers aren't that good anyway. I lot of times the venue doesn't like sit ins anyway so I'm save the trouble. That and I don't play roadhouses anymore. The bulk of all requests came outta there.
If I'm asking, I need to already know the bassist on friendly terms. If I don't know him, and I want to jam, sometimes I'll schmooze up to him at break and strike up a conversation and see if we have anything in common. A lot of times he asks me if I want to play. Even then I ask what songs do you want me to play. It's a a courtesy thing. Also, No one has to kick me off. I'm gone after a couple of songs unless the bassist asks me to finish the set. Lol! I don't usually do this anymore due to fact that my wife (and it's usually our night) wants me to dance with her!
Now being asked. I really better know the person asking me and they better be the one asking me. ( see post no#1). It is a respect thing. Even then it's not a given. I have no qualms about saying no. Normally, I don't prefer sit-ins unless it's a good bud. The last person who got to jam on my rig was my son and that was mid 2019. Previously, I only had one guy who was a friend overstay his welcome. I just walked up at the end of the song and thanked him in loud voice to the crowd. He got the hint. No bigs. He apologized at the end of the set. Truly, about 95% of would be jammers aren't that good anyway. I lot of times the venue doesn't like sit ins anyway so I'm save the trouble. That and I don't play roadhouses anymore. The bulk of all requests came outta there.
Last edited:
Last night I was the sitter-in. I got a text from a friend I used to play with asking if I'd sit in on bass with her and two other players I've jammed with in the past at a rehearsal. They're good players so I was excited to do it.
It wasn't a performance, but we played through the first song and the drummer said I was the best bass player they'd ever had in there. That made me feel kind of happy. I played through everything, some were originals I'd played separately with either the friend who called me in or the other players I knew who were there. Some were covers I could play easily by ear. The whole thing was great and I was happy to be able to support them in their rehearsal.
Turns out their bassist travels a lot and misses a lot of rehearsals. They want me to come back on Sunday. They're a good band, so we'll see if this leads anywhere. Even if I just get to sit in with them now and then, it will be fun.
It wasn't a performance, but we played through the first song and the drummer said I was the best bass player they'd ever had in there. That made me feel kind of happy. I played through everything, some were originals I'd played separately with either the friend who called me in or the other players I knew who were there. Some were covers I could play easily by ear. The whole thing was great and I was happy to be able to support them in their rehearsal.
Turns out their bassist travels a lot and misses a lot of rehearsals. They want me to come back on Sunday. They're a good band, so we'll see if this leads anywhere. Even if I just get to sit in with them now and then, it will be fun.
It can go so many ways, 2 examples, both from many years ago at the Corner/Bakery at the Middle East club in Cambridge, MA:
- The Middle East had 3 rooms (big downstairs room, smaller upstairs room, tiny/free Corner, and you accessed the downstairs via the Corner). There was a big ska show downstairs, I had a keys/bass/drums trio playing in the Corner, we're jamming away on Herbie Hancock's Cantaloupe Island (aka Us3's Cantaloop). Dude comes walking out of the downstairs carrying a trumpet case, as he passes the bandstand, we make eye contact and give him the nod. Breaks out the horn, head/solo/head, NAILS IT, doesn't milk it, takes a bow, puts the horn away, tips his hat to us, out the door, gone.
- Another time we're jamming away and dude walks in off the street carrying some sort of case (the bandstand was in the front window, so you never knew who or what was gonna catch some rando's eye). He asks if he can sit in and pulls out a saw, maybe 18 inches long, "this is my alto, I left my tenor at home". We're bored, it's a long 3 set gig, we like to improvise, we consent after some bemused glances. We tell him to give us a note, he bows one, "Alright, it's in G everybody, 1 2 3 4" and off we go. It wasn't atrocious, but it went nowhere for a few minutes, and we wound it down and sent him on his way. Coulda been worse.
Last edited:
I helped run a karaoke gig for several years in college, so I completely understand this. It was painful at times, but other times somebody would completely nail the song, which made us smile.
Speaking of karaoke, and friend of mine and I would sometimes do the 5-minute version of "Rapper's Delight" at a local bar. A local band, whose lead singer was a friend of ours, found out and asked us to do that song with them. We obliged, and for a year or so would perform that song with them. One gig the lead singer came up and said, "Sorry, we can't fit your song in tonight." We told her it was no problem; it's your gig. One time she even asked me to play guitar on it since her guitarist didn't know how to play it.
I've sat in on bass with other local bands, but they've always asked me first, and we pre-planned the songs I would play so I could work them up beforehand. Of the few times I've had people ask to sit in, if we didn't know the person, the answer was always "No".
Taken from a Blues band that I sub for.
So I asked my BL "why do we tune to Eb?"
BL - "That's because not many people can play harmonica in Eb".
So I asked my BL "why do we tune to Eb?"
BL - "That's because not many people can play harmonica in Eb".
Makes sense! The first band that I joined, hosted a jam at a sports bar. For the most part, everyone who came up were really good but there was one guy with a harp that showed up. We let him sit in for a couple of songs then he wouldn't leave. Finally, a group of younger players came up and played a song that he didn't know. Also, they wouldn't give him a solo so he got mad and left!
I have remember seeing one blues band playing Eb, which scared away one or two harp players, when they tried to sit-in.
I was hosting a blues jam a while back. I would take my P5 and a Squier PJ4 for the "jam bass", in case someone wants to play but has no instrument with them for whatever reason, as the jam is upfront advertised as providing backline only. Buddy comes up to me after a set, would like to play and says can I borrow a bass? No problem I say and get out the Squier. He looks at it and says no, I want to use the P5. I say no way, that's not the jam bass, it's for me to use. Buddy gets in my grille and says I shouldn't bring a bass to a jam I'm hosting if I don't want anyone else to play it. 
I just about laughed in his face. I said look, it's the PJ or nothing. He turned out to be a pretty good bass player and to his credit, didn't do anything to escalate the situation. Not sure I got his logic at all. Must have been the beers.
I just about laughed in his face. I said look, it's the PJ or nothing. He turned out to be a pretty good bass player and to his credit, didn't do anything to escalate the situation. Not sure I got his logic at all. Must have been the beers.
In my last band we had a girl that wanted to sit in and sing "listen to the music" Doobies..we did it, and she absolutely slayed it..I was shocked at how well she sang that song. I loved it..so that worked out well.. Ive never let anyone play my bass and most people around can't play a 5ver so I'm good..I did however let one guy use my rig with his bass...he had it turned up loud as hell...Not more than it could handle though, after a few songs he came up to me and holy jesus, that amp is LOUD..lol..
One time I was asked to sit in for a couple songs in a three piece..the bass player also played acoustic guitar and was the singer and switched to that while I played..He hands me a ric and we start. The set list was mostly jam band stuff (dead, allmans etc) So I played a couple of songs and went to hand the bass back and the singer to let them continue, he said ummm no, you're going to play an entire set...So I did and he handed me 40 bucks afterwards I told him that was unnecessary and to keep the money for the band..but he insisted, and said you were awesome we sounded great, so I took it..One thing tho, I didn't like the ric much and his rig either so that it a bit harder to play but all was well that ended well..
One time I was asked to sit in for a couple songs in a three piece..the bass player also played acoustic guitar and was the singer and switched to that while I played..He hands me a ric and we start. The set list was mostly jam band stuff (dead, allmans etc) So I played a couple of songs and went to hand the bass back and the singer to let them continue, he said ummm no, you're going to play an entire set...So I did and he handed me 40 bucks afterwards I told him that was unnecessary and to keep the money for the band..but he insisted, and said you were awesome we sounded great, so I took it..One thing tho, I didn't like the ric much and his rig either so that it a bit harder to play but all was well that ended well..
This is a fantastic credit to you that a sit in turned into a paid gig. Well done!
Late reply, but I feel like as long as it's not a high profile gig, letting a PEDAL Steel player sit in for a country act is almost always a good bet. It's got a relatively high cost of entry (around $1300 minimum for a basic gig worthy starter steel) so there's at least some financial skin in the game.
Plus it's hard to learn and has a lengthy setup time so you have to have a ridiculous amount of chutzpah to ask to setup and sit in on PSG if you're not qualified. A steel player who can drop in for a couple tunes and sound good probably has the skills and theory to sit in all set
Lastly, the sound of even basic sliding PSG is so loved by country fans that even just a couple tunes with some subtle steel chiming in the background is welcome.
Now if an unknown quantity shows up with a LAP steel under his arm and asks to sit in I'm immediately cautious.
Last edited:
