I normally post about my audition adventures, but last night my band scheduled an audition for a new lead guitar player.
The guy (older 60s+?) showed up for an audition for a working classic/hard rock/outlaw country band with the tiniest of amps - maybe 10-15 watts, no pedals or other signal chain just guitar->cable->tiny amp. OK, this ought to be interesting.
After we remind him that we're tuned to Eb and he tunes up, he glances at the rhythm guitar's pad - "Oh is that the set list?"
The BL drummer and I lock eyes with a "here we go" expression. We told him, yeah but the audition is about the 10 songs we gave you to prepare. I had the list up on my TV screen and he looked it over:
"Yeah, I heard of most of those. Hmm, don't really know that first one, but I'll fake it."
"Would you like to start off with something you know to ease into things? How about 'Can't Get Enough'?" (Doesn't get much more straight forward than that.)
"Oh, I wish I'd known. I didn't bring my guitar with C tuning for that song."
We were just trying to keep from laughing at this point as we explained that we just play the song in normal tuning. (I'd never heard of them having an alternate tuning, but maybe they do - not the point.) After a few minutes of this nonsense, the BL stood up and thanked him for coming - telling him he clearly wasn't ready for us and we helped him pack his little rig out.
It's not like it was a last minute schedule - the dude had over three weeks to prepare against tracks in our tuning.
Didn't even play a single note with him. I guess I'm a little more polite - I would have tried to muddle through a few songs with him even though it was clear it would be a train wreck at best. In retrospect, I want to hear him get through Good Times Bad Times.
But the BL was having none of it and often has little filter. I'm a bit surprised he didn't go with a "GTF out of here!" kind of verbiage when he stood up to excuse him.
One for the books.....
The guy (older 60s+?) showed up for an audition for a working classic/hard rock/outlaw country band with the tiniest of amps - maybe 10-15 watts, no pedals or other signal chain just guitar->cable->tiny amp. OK, this ought to be interesting.
After we remind him that we're tuned to Eb and he tunes up, he glances at the rhythm guitar's pad - "Oh is that the set list?"
The BL drummer and I lock eyes with a "here we go" expression. We told him, yeah but the audition is about the 10 songs we gave you to prepare. I had the list up on my TV screen and he looked it over:
"Yeah, I heard of most of those. Hmm, don't really know that first one, but I'll fake it."
"Would you like to start off with something you know to ease into things? How about 'Can't Get Enough'?" (Doesn't get much more straight forward than that.)
"Oh, I wish I'd known. I didn't bring my guitar with C tuning for that song."
We were just trying to keep from laughing at this point as we explained that we just play the song in normal tuning. (I'd never heard of them having an alternate tuning, but maybe they do - not the point.) After a few minutes of this nonsense, the BL stood up and thanked him for coming - telling him he clearly wasn't ready for us and we helped him pack his little rig out.
It's not like it was a last minute schedule - the dude had over three weeks to prepare against tracks in our tuning.
Didn't even play a single note with him. I guess I'm a little more polite - I would have tried to muddle through a few songs with him even though it was clear it would be a train wreck at best. In retrospect, I want to hear him get through Good Times Bad Times.
But the BL was having none of it and often has little filter. I'm a bit surprised he didn't go with a "GTF out of here!" kind of verbiage when he stood up to excuse him.One for the books.....
