Just wow! (audition content)

[QORC]

Too much cockiness from just a cover band.

because original bands that nobody really wants to hear should be cocky?

Nobody should be cocky in the music biz. even if you're successful. It can come back to haunt you.

but know this - cover bands, good ones, usually make more money than original bands. but few are getting rich anywhere

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Here's a story. We lost one of our guitarists to the lure of a job with a steady income about a year ago. We decided at the time to soldier on without him, and while I had my doubts at first, eventually we learned how live without him and still do good work. A few weeks ago, our remaining guitarist went to an open mic and heard a guitar player he really liked. We brought him in for an audition, and I just did not see what the attraction was. To me he lacked aggressiveness, and his one try at a lead vocal seemed okay, but we want better than okay. I didn't say anything at all during or after his visit that night. The next day I voiced my reservations to our guitarist. He told me that our BL has known this guy for a long time, and basically told him the job was his to lose.

Apparently that lit a fire under him. The guitarist and I went to his house today to try him out on some of our set list, and he was like a different person. Eager to play, show us what he could do (a lot!). Lots of animated conversation. If it had just been me, I'm sure I would have thanked him politely and kept looking. Instead, I'm looking forward to having some fun with this guy.

Morals of the story:
1. I'm not always as astute about people as I think I am.
2. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is a really good idea.
3 Second chances can be quite worthwhile.

 

[HolmeBass]

I sincerely admire the geniality and compassion. Like you, I have participated in dozens of auditions, on both sides of the coin.

Giving you and this candidate in the OP the benefit of the doubt you seem to desire, here's something I've noticed about these types of audition candidates:

Once in awhile you do get someone show up like the dude in the OP, under-equipped with a Fender Mustang practice amp, and doesn't know any of the songs despite having three weeks to prepare. Simple stuff like "Can't Get Enough." And despite your frustration over the apparent waste of time, you decide out of the goodness of your heart to just let him play. Let's see what he can do on his own terms. And he blows you away with his musicianship. Wow! The dude can play!

But being able to play is only one part of what you really want to know about your audition candidates. It's hardly the only qualifier for a slot in a band. Just as, and perhaps even more, importantly: Is this person a team player? Will he be a good fit? Will he get on the same page with the rest and support the goals of the project? Will he prepare OUR playlist in a way that benefits OUR project? Will he be where he needs to be, when he needs to be there, doing what he needs to be doing, autonomously? Can he handle the responsibility?

Coming into an audition thinking you can just wing it and dazzle people with your musicianship and ignore the playlist and other important aspects speaks to a larger work ethic issue. My experience with these kinds of audition candidates is they tend to remain a bit rogue and detached from the goals of the project and how to best serve it. The best you can do after these kind of auditions is wonder, and that's what most of these posts are doing; wondering if this guy is any good for the project, when an audition is specifically designed to put that question to rest.

I think it would be pretty easy for a lot of us to go into an audition and pull off some impressive riffs from our personal pet playlists and prove you can play. It takes a little more effort and proving to convince the band you will be an asset to their project, and coming in completely unprepared for what the band really needs from you is a gigantic red flag and warning of bad things to come. To assume otherwise and give the benefit of the doubt to these auditioners is a risk not worth taking. IME, IMHO, of course.

This is an excellent point. But totally denying an offender any benefit of the doubt is not something I usually do.

Pick the shortest, easiest song on the audition sheet and within 5 minutes you’ll really know it’s ok to pass on Mr Spacey.

But you make a very strong point: even if he dazzles you with his playing, his cavalier approach to learning tunes is a red flag.

 

[electracoyote]

Here's a story. We lost one of our guitarists to the lure of a job with a steady income about a year ago. We decided at the time to soldier on without him, and while I had my doubts at first, eventually we learned how live without him and still do good work. A few weeks ago, our remaining guitarist went to an open mic and heard a guitar player he really liked. We brought him in for an audition, and I just did not see what the attraction was. To me he lacked aggressiveness, and his one try at a lead vocal seemed okay, but we want better than okay. I didn't say anything at all during or after his visit that night. The next day I voiced my reservations to our guitarist. He told me that our BL has known this guy for a long time, and basically told him the job was his to lose.

Apparently that lit a fire under him. The guitarist and I went to his house today to try him out on some of our set list, and he was like a different person. Eager to play, show us what he could do (a lot!). Lots of animated conversation. If it had just been me, I'm sure I would have thanked him politely and kept looking. Instead, I'm looking forward to having some fun with this guy.

Morals of the story:
1. I'm not always as astute about people as I think I am.
2. Sometimes keeping your mouth shut is a really good idea.
3 Second chances can be quite worthwhile.

Great story, even if I do see some marked differences between this and the OP. My gut reaction is, you beat the odds. But I'm willing to bet your new guitar player presented better and made more of an effort than dude in the OP and at least sparked a little interest. Plus he had the added advantage of an inside track on a social level and got the resulting benefit of the doubt. When you're a perfect stranger (like the guitar player in the OP), you really need to be prepared to play and impress with songs from the band's playlist. Auditioner in the OP had none of those things going for him.

But if OP is still reading, maybe he can talk his band into giving the guy a second audition?

Congrats on your new band member and your good fortune. Second chances are kind of the exception in this business IME. Without friends in the band, not too many of us would want to take that chance and invest time motivating or rehab'ing a lackluster musician who we just met.

 

[MrLenny1]

There's a lot of them out there.
My buddy auditioned a 62 year old bass playa for his Motown band.
He struggled on chord charts and declined because the material was TOO hard. lol

 

[Renaissance]

I have little tolerance for people who show up unprepared. If it was a "thrown together let's jam and see where it goes" type thing, that's different. But an audition where you've been given the material and adequate time to prepare, I expect to be able to count the songs off and go. Second chance? HA! You were given a first chance.

If there were special circumstances that prevented you from being prepared you should have contacted me before the audition and we could have rescheduled. I will give you every opportunity to make a good first impression - the rest is on you!

Likewise we are prepared for the auditionee. None of this "let me see what we put on your list" BS.

 

[mrcbass]

So as a quick follow up, we had a couple more auditions this week. Neither of the guys was as prepared as I would have been (I just don't get going to an interview at 60% ready given several weeks to prepare), but neither gave us reason to send them home without playing. Both showed ability to get through the list (for the most part). Both were excellent soloists. The second displayed better "taste" in regards when to play (first guy just kept blasting through the bass breaks in Good Times Bad Times as an example) and second guy was also a better personality fit.

The guys in my band are so funny: Last month when this became a necessity, "we need to be very patient and find the right guy". Fast forward to three auditions later (well two playing auditions) and they were fawning all over him with discussions about what he will and won't need to do in the band (before we even really made the call). I'm fine with bringing him on board and I think he'll do a great job, but he wasn't "all that". But then again neither are we, so he's probably a very good fit - only time will tell at this point.

Part of the rush is this: we picked up a gig that we expect to be a catalyst for many more gigs so we're dancing around trying to prep for the gig with a sub all the while auditioning prospective LGs. Pretty draining and time consuming. It was just so amusing watching them start interacting with him like he was already in the group while he was packing up. I kind of wish we'd had a collective chat (couldn't because the rhythm guitar would let the auditioner pack up and go!), but BL had individual chats with each of us before we all left and made the call.

 

[3Liter]

I like that you said he wasn’t all that but admitted that you aren’t either.

Often I see posts here and elsewhere where I wonder if the poster is in The Rolling Stones or some famous band and he auditionees are bedroom hacks showing up.

I auditioned for a band that thought it was all that. I was nervous as hell. I listened back later to the recordings. (turned them down before it went any further either way) They were good players, sure, but not as good as they ma have thought.

Not the point of this thread but felt like Sharon. Glad you got it sorted out

 

[LBS-bass]

So as a quick follow up, we had a couple more auditions this week. Neither of the guys was as prepared as I would have been (I just don't get going to an interview at 60% ready given several weeks to prepare), but neither gave us reason to send them home without playing. Both showed ability to get through the list (for the most part). Both were excellent soloists. The second displayed better "taste" in regards when to play (first guy just kept blasting through the bass breaks in Good Times Bad Times as an example) and second guy was also a better personality fit.

The guys in my band are so funny: Last month when this became a necessity, "we need to be very patient and find the right guy". Fast forward to three auditions later (well two playing auditions) and they were fawning all over him with discussions about what he will and won't need to do in the band (before we even really made the call). I'm fine with bringing him on board and I think he'll do a great job, but he wasn't "all that". But then again neither are we, so he's probably a very good fit - only time will tell at this point.

Part of the rush is this: we picked up a gig that we expect to be a catalyst for many more gigs so we're dancing around trying to prep for the gig with a sub all the while auditioning prospective LGs. Pretty draining and time consuming. It was just so amusing watching them start interacting with him like he was already in the group while he was packing up. I kind of wish we'd had a collective chat (couldn't because the rhythm guitar would let the auditioner pack up and go!), but BL had individual chats with each of us before we all left and made the call.

Glad you found someone! Hope he is the perfect fit for you. I so get it about not wanting to make a premature decision but the other side of that is that you always have a sense when the right guy shows up. So it's hard to let that guy walk away!

 

[mrcbass]

Glad you found someone! Hope he is the perfect fit for you. I so get it about not wanting to make a premature decision but the other side of that is that you always have a sense when the right guy shows up. So it's hard to let that guy walk away!

Yeah, he'll probably do just fine. Like I said he didn't blow me away, but was good enough to fit. Just seems like letting a day go by wouldn't have hurt - comes off as pretty desperate IMO to be drooling over the guy at the audition and then send him the "you're in if you still want it" message first thing the next morning - especially after the "we're going to be pretty picky" attitude a month ago.

 

[LBS-bass]

Yeah, he'll probably do just fine. Like I said he didn't blow me away, but was good enough to fit. Just seems like letting a day go by wouldn't have hurt - comes off as pretty desperate IMO to be drooling over the guy at the audition and then send him the "you're in if you still want it" message first thing the next morning - especially after the "we're going to be pretty picky" attitude a month ago.

I think people are picky until they're tired of auditioning

 

[Wfrance3]

I would have, at least, let him "fake it" through the first one. Maybe he's one of those dudes that pretends to suck right before he melts off your face.

OP; Agreed. You could be right, but on the other hand, maybe he was auditioning you. At 60+ YO, he may have had all the pretentious carp he needed, and was testing whether or not you guys would be congenial enough to accommodate the "old guy"... You may find out if you see some band in your neck of the woods and that guy you let go is just handling it....

A really bad movie, but potentially an accurate reference:


One day I intend to be that guy. Anyone know where I can score a 15w Gorilla bass amp?...

 

[aborgman]

gear that would not have even been heard (we don't play that loud, but the little Mustang 15 wasn't going to compete with just the drum kit let alone the rhythm guitar and bass).

If a 15W guitar amp won't keep up playing classic rock... you DO play that loud.

I play with a drummer who can pound (former marching band/DCI guy), I play a 1200W amp into a Fearful 15/6... and our old rhythm guitar player kept up JUST fine with a 15 watt Vox.

 

[oldrocker]

So as a quick follow up, we had a couple more auditions this week. Neither of the guys was as prepared as I would have been (I just don't get going to an interview at 60% ready given several weeks to prepare), but neither gave us reason to send them home without playing. Both showed ability to get through the list (for the most part). Both were excellent soloists. The second displayed better "taste" in regards when to play (first guy just kept blasting through the bass breaks in Good Times Bad Times as an example) and second guy was also a better personality fit.

The guys in my band are so funny: Last month when this became a necessity, "we need to be very patient and find the right guy". Fast forward to three auditions later (well two playing auditions) and they were fawning all over him with discussions about what he will and won't need to do in the band (before we even really made the call). I'm fine with bringing him on board and I think he'll do a great job, but he wasn't "all that". But then again neither are we, so he's probably a very good fit - only time will tell at this point.

Part of the rush is this: we picked up a gig that we expect to be a catalyst for many more gigs so we're dancing around trying to prep for the gig with a sub all the while auditioning prospective LGs. Pretty draining and time consuming. It was just so amusing watching them start interacting with him like he was already in the group while he was packing up. I kind of wish we'd had a collective chat (couldn't because the rhythm guitar would let the auditioner pack up and go!), but BL had individual chats with each of us before we all left and made the call.

Sorry, this would be a hard NO for me. This is not an obscure song or a subtle part. To me the bass break is key to recreating this song. There are so few opportunities like this for the bass that a guitar player should not be stepping over it. Plenty of other parts in this song for the guitar player to show his stuff.

 

[mrcbass]

Sorry, this would be a hard NO for me. This is not an obscure song or a subtle part. To me the bass break is key to recreating this song. There are so few opportunities like this for the bass that a guitar player should not be stepping over it. Plenty of other parts in this song for the guitar player to show his stuff.

... and this was just an obvious example of inability to let a song breathe. He didn't make the cut....

 

[Bass Viking]

Sorry, this would be a hard NO for me. This is not an obscure song or a subtle part. To me the bass break is key to recreating this song. There are so few opportunities like this for the bass that a guitar player should not be stepping over it. Plenty of other parts in this song for the guitar player to show his stuff.

Agreed. This kind of behaviour speaks volumes about the guy.

I swear, if they're not talking over the bass solo they're playing over it!

 

[Bass Viking]

(first guy just kept blasting through the bass breaks in Good Times Bad Times as an example)

I wonder how he would interpret My Generation?

 

[two fingers]

The single finest musician I ever played with switched to a C tuned guitar for a few Bad Co. songs we did back then. Dunno if that means anything. That guy could melt crayons a hundred yards away with his playing.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Hands up if you get to play the bass break in B.E.G.

 

[mrcbass]

Hands up if you get to play the bass break in B.E.G.

(in the one band I was in that played it)