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First try out for a band! And BOMBED ;)

fuzzy beard

fuzzy beard

Mar 8, 2011
2,747
31
Aurora, Indiana
#1
Well I have to say i half gave up on ever finding a folk/roots/country type project. So when a band responded to my CL ad said they were looking for a bass player i said what the hell. And i gave it a shot.

They were a real cool couple looking to do a 60's 70's rock band.(white rabbit, helter skelter, sqeeze box) So i was real up front with them about my short comings as a bass player. And they said we would give it a shot!

So i bombed. Couldnt keep up. Could notice chord changes. Just flat out bad! Songs were fun and she has a great voice. And them didnt seem shocked at how bad i did.

So here is where i gits tough for me. They gave me 8 songs to work on. And they were up front that they had 3 other bass players to try out. But they have had a hard time even getting bass player to show up. Although they live close to me. We all are about 45 minutes from the city. So musicians are few and far between. So i have a chance at being the only bass player able to commit LOL.

Pro's

Fun people!
Fun songs!
Willing to work with me!

Con's

They smoke alot!!!
Not really the music i was hoping to play!
Cant get a solid answer on how much they want to gig. I have heard once or twice a month. And then i have heard more. I am not looking to gig alot!

So what do you guys think! ;)
 
#2
Let them know what YOU want. Tell them how much (or little) you want to gig, as long as the smoking doesn't effect you or the music just let them have it. Also see if the music grows on you, if not then move on. Don't settle for a band because it never turns out well.
 
#3
I'm sure you'll get the swing of the music with some practice. If playing their repertoire is torture for you, don't do it - life is too short to waste on music you hate. But I do believe that it's always good to stretch yourself and try different styles of music. If they're willing to work with you, then playing is better than not playing, right? As for the smoking, don't be self-righteous about it, but you might politely mention that you're not a smoker and it would really be helpful if they would keep it minimal while they're indoors with you. If they're decent folks they ought to be accommodating about that.
 
#5
PS 8 songs seems like a lot for an audition unless they're super easy. When I've been in groups auditioning people, we've usually given them 3 or 4 (and let them know the rest of the list in case they're overachievers).

And as far as how much to gig - just make it clear how much YOU want to from the get go. If they start booking excessively, you can then say, "no, I told you in the beginning I'd only have time for X gigs per month..."
 
#6
One popular method I've seen on TB is to rate your situation on the following:

People
Music
Money

Chose two for it to be worthwhile.

Putting the OP in that context:

People: Fun people! Willing to work with me! They smoke alot!!!
Music: Fun songs! Not really the music i was hoping to play!
Money: Cant get a solid answer on how much they want to gig. I have heard once or twice a month. And then i have heard more. I am not looking to gig alot!

Also, is eight songs a lot for you to learn?

In the future, if and when you audition, get 3 or 4 songs (charts, sound files, song names) to learn prior to the audition so you can give a better performance.

They're auditioning process of having bass players audition w/o knowing their tunes is suspect.

The deal killer for me is the smoking. I'm allergic so I couldn't do it. Also, all your clothes will stink along with your gear in addition to hacking up your lungs with second hand smoke.

One idea I have for you is to learn the eight songs perfectly and perform them flawlessly at the next audition. Then, when they ask you to join the band, state your terms, e.g., no smoking during rehearsal, max 2-3 gigs a month, etc.

When the don't agree with your terms, thank them for the opportunity and wish them well.

IME/IMO, the benefit for you is that you'll have nailed an audition and upped your game for the next one.

Good luck.
 
#9
hrodbert696 said:
PS 8 songs seems like a lot for an audition unless they're super easy. When I've been in groups auditioning people, we've usually given them 3 or 4 (and let them know the rest of the list in case they're overachievers).

And as far as how much to gig - just make it clear how much YOU want to from the get go. If they start booking excessively, you can then say, "no, I told you in the beginning I'd only have time for X gigs per month..."
Click to expand...

Ring of fire
White rabbit
get back by the beatles
Helter skelter
Squeeze box
My kinda lover
Take me to the river
And rollin in the deep by Adele???That one cought me of gaurd!LOL
 
#10
Stumbo said:
One popular method I've seen on TB is to rate your situation on the following:

People
Music
Money

Chose two for it to be worthwhile.

Putting the OP in that context:

People: Fun people! Willing to work with me! They smoke alot!!!
Music: Fun songs! Not really the music i was hoping to play!
Money: Cant get a solid answer on how much they want to gig. I have heard once or twice a month. And then i have heard more. I am not looking to gig alot!

Also, is eight songs a lot for you to learn?

In the future, if and when you audition, get 3 or 4 songs (charts, sound files, song names) to learn prior to the audition so you can give a better performance.

They're auditioning process of having bass players audition w/o knowing their tunes is suspect.

The deal killer for me is the smoking. I'm allergic so I couldn't do it. Also, all your clothes will stink along with your gear in addition to hacking up your lungs with second hand smoke.

One idea I have for you is to learn the eight songs perfectly and perform them flawlessly at the next audition. Then, when they ask you to join the band, state your terms, e.g., no smoking during rehearsal, max 2-3 gigs a month, etc.

When the don't agree with your terms, thank them for the opportunity and wish them well.

IME/IMO, the benefit for you is that you'll have nailed an audition and upped your game for the next one.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

When we got back out side is when i noticed how bad the smoking had got in them room! WOW

As for the audition process. We were meeting to see how much i knew. How we clicked personality wise. Then we tried 8 of there easier songs. And that is what they sent me home with!
 
#12
Have you played with a band before? If you want to get some experience and some visibility, play with them for a while and see how it goes. If you can commit (to yourself) to trying it for say 6 months, both you and they would get something out of it. At the end of that period, you can re-evaluate.
 
#14
smeet said:
Have you played with a band before? If you want to get some experience and some visibility, play with them for a while and see how it goes. If you can commit (to yourself) to trying it for say 6 months, both you and they would get something out of it. At the end of that period, you can re-evaluate.
Click to expand...

First time ever playing with a band! I have had a real hard time finding people to play with do to the style of music i like! And i have never played anything as upbeat as we where playing!
 
#17
If you don't have a lot of experience playing in a band, you should go for it for the learning opportunity it could be. Nothing will build your chops better than HAVING to quickly learn songs that are not your favorites BECAUSE you will be performing them in a group to an audience greater than your wife and your cat.

Do it if only to gain experience. If you find you really don't like it, you can quit a few months.
 
#19
fuzzy beard said:
First time ever playing with a band! I have had a real hard time finding people to play with do to the style of music i like! And i have never played anything as upbeat as we where playing!
Click to expand...

Then absolutely do it! Your ear and technique will improve tremendously. Remember, the more out of your element you feel, the more you're learning!
 
#20
I agree ^^^ with the above posts. Look,smoking just goes hand in hand with gigging. I mean,how many songs in the history of music have a line somewhere about"playing smokey bars"? It's just part of the ride. IMHO,the type of music they're wanting to play is just perfect for a bass player getting into the bar/club scene. Just do it,already. Do it!!!


Oh,did they see your new minivan? Drive it to the next practice. You'll get the gig for sure then.:D
 

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