Hey y'all - came across this on our local CL and curious what the TB community would make of it...
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Is this a band you would join? - CL ad
- Thread starter hrodbert696
- Start date
To translate:
We are playing a subset of music with a relatively small market. We don't have a place to practice and we have never booked a single gig.
We are playing a subset of music with a relatively small market. We don't have a place to practice and we have never booked a single gig.
What Guy said, plus. . .
...we don't know our own songbook yet, we won't practice until October, our minimum gig fee means we probably won't ever book any initial gigs to find whatever audience still remains for bands in this niche, and we won't write originals until we (a new band in a genre that last drew crowds in the 1970s) somehow develop a following.
I probably wouldn't jump at it; but if you like playing prog-rock, it's probably not a bad starter-band.
...we don't know our own songbook yet, we won't practice until October, our minimum gig fee means we probably won't ever book any initial gigs to find whatever audience still remains for bands in this niche, and we won't write originals until we (a new band in a genre that last drew crowds in the 1970s) somehow develop a following.
I probably wouldn't jump at it; but if you like playing prog-rock, it's probably not a bad starter-band.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
In other words: we have nothing to offer, and this is why you should give us everything.
It's interesting to see what "this group is about professionalism" entails in the minds of people.
It's interesting to see what "this group is about professionalism" entails in the minds of people.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
+1. I don't know who they think is going to book a prog cover band. People hire cover bands to get girls to shake their butts... girls don't care for 7/4.
Dreamers. The way I read it, "we have nothing really going on" (no mention of gigs on the books, still working on material). No real world gig experience. Gig on two weekend nights AND practice on Sunday? Really? MUST play a five string because the guitarist has a seven string ... gee, that's "odd".
I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole, but hey, that's just me.
Think the ad copy was written by the lead singer or have they gotten a manager? Either way, it sounds like someone has a high opinion of themselves. Who knows, they might actually have something going there. Some of the most arrogant musicians I've known were also the most talented.
Pros and cons to that ad.
If they are determined to be an originals act, and they actually have a back catalog of good originals, then that explains why they are not focused on the dance floor party audience. They are more focused on themselves, which is pretty typical of a band that intends to transition to originals.
But the general spirit of the ad, like having nowhere to rehearse until October, and encouraging other musicians to jump ship on their current band and take a huge gamble on an unknown entity, strikes me as kind of amature hour stuff.
These guys sound very young and inexperienced. They have some of their priorities straight, like a minimum booking fee, etc., but if they're not packing dance floors, they won't command that fee, and the wording of the ad revealed a lack of experience.
If the originals were just killer, and I didn't mind playing freebies, I'd be tempted. Otherwise, this sounds like a huge waste of time and a lot of frustration in the making.
If they are determined to be an originals act, and they actually have a back catalog of good originals, then that explains why they are not focused on the dance floor party audience. They are more focused on themselves, which is pretty typical of a band that intends to transition to originals.
But the general spirit of the ad, like having nowhere to rehearse until October, and encouraging other musicians to jump ship on their current band and take a huge gamble on an unknown entity, strikes me as kind of amature hour stuff.
These guys sound very young and inexperienced. They have some of their priorities straight, like a minimum booking fee, etc., but if they're not packing dance floors, they won't command that fee, and the wording of the ad revealed a lack of experience.
If the originals were just killer, and I didn't mind playing freebies, I'd be tempted. Otherwise, this sounds like a huge waste of time and a lot of frustration in the making.
At least Id have a lot of free Friday and Saturday nights. More than I can say for my band that plays for free.
I responded recently to a CL ad that seemed "over the top." It had strict bullet-pointed must-haves, and I emailed them back describing myself and noting which of their points I satisfied and which I did not. They still called me and I met them, cool dudes who were just frustrated at scraping the bottom of the CL barrel so thats why their ad seemed over the top.
If everything he states as a fact is true, theres one huge reality gap... this band will not play a gig every Friday and Saturday for $500 minimum. Either it'll get gigs for less pay, or it'll have alot of open Fridays and Saturdays.
So the ad requires you to clear your schedule EVERY Fri and Sat night, and clear all of Sunday for rehearsals, while also spending 40 hrs a week at a full time job. If an awesome gig opportunity comes up on a weekday, too bad, they explicitly and angrily refuse to even consider weekday gigs.
Zero flexibility, illusions of grandeur, requiring way too much up front commitment, not allowed to pursue other musical projects... I'd pass, but thats just me. For a professional prog-rock bassist with no social life and tons of free time looking for a creative outlet, it may be the perfect ticket (and maybe thats exactly the candidate they're looking for, hence why I gave my anecdotal story first.)
If everything he states as a fact is true, theres one huge reality gap... this band will not play a gig every Friday and Saturday for $500 minimum. Either it'll get gigs for less pay, or it'll have alot of open Fridays and Saturdays.
So the ad requires you to clear your schedule EVERY Fri and Sat night, and clear all of Sunday for rehearsals, while also spending 40 hrs a week at a full time job. If an awesome gig opportunity comes up on a weekday, too bad, they explicitly and angrily refuse to even consider weekday gigs.
Zero flexibility, illusions of grandeur, requiring way too much up front commitment, not allowed to pursue other musical projects... I'd pass, but thats just me. For a professional prog-rock bassist with no social life and tons of free time looking for a creative outlet, it may be the perfect ticket (and maybe thats exactly the candidate they're looking for, hence why I gave my anecdotal story first.)
There is only ONE non-Pink Floyd tune from the golden age of prog rock that will go over well, at a typical coverband dance-oriented gig, and it's not even the full song (unless you open a set with Part 1). It's "All Good People."
Yeah, there's a reason I posted it in Bass Humor rather than Band Management - the idea of playing prog appeals to me, but when I read the ad through it seemed like an exercise in cluelessness.
If they think they're going to rack up $500 bookings playing Siberian Khatru rather than Hit Me With Your Best Shot they don't have business sense...
But I thought maybe they were at least stellar musicians - till the ad insisted that the bassist has to have at least five strings since the guitarist has seven....
If they think they're going to rack up $500 bookings playing Siberian Khatru rather than Hit Me With Your Best Shot they don't have business sense...
But I thought maybe they were at least stellar musicians - till the ad insisted that the bassist has to have at least five strings since the guitarist has seven....
