OP, you'll probably do better than you fear, but you'll do your best if you communicate with the BL: tell him what you want him to know and let him know what you have to have to make things work. good luck!
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New Year's Eve Gig
- Thread starter duruk
- Start date
OP, you'll probably do better than you fear, but you'll do your best if you communicate with the BL: tell him what you want him to know and let him know what you have to have to make things work. good luck!
Me too, probably. In the OP's situation though, he didn't pass, he took the gig. Now he's considering backing out. That's different.
I joined a band that played French music before I left California in 1977. Even though I didn't understand and of the French lyrics, we had a lot of great gigs. They played 1/2 French and half old country music.
The French speaking members played sax, drums, rhythm guitar and vocals. Two of us who didn't know a word of French played lead guitar and bass.
Turns out that the French stuff was all very basic bass-wise. The difference is that we rehearsed once a week for the first two months...
The French speaking members played sax, drums, rhythm guitar and vocals. Two of us who didn't know a word of French played lead guitar and bass.
Turns out that the French stuff was all very basic bass-wise. The difference is that we rehearsed once a week for the first two months...
Getting to check out something completely outside your wheelhouse sounds good to me.
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If you want to be extremely gracious about it, I'd approach it something like, "Hey, on DATE X i gave my rate and also said i needed proper charts by DATE Y because i'm not familiar enough with this style of music. I don't have a repertoire of songs memorized and can't improvise. This was agreed to. It's now been NUMBER OF DAYS since i needed those charts and i still don't have them. We even spoke about it again and you didn't get me the charts. If i don't have them by DATE Z there won't be enough time for all my other previous obligations and to learn the songs. My rate is my rate, and i'm afraid you're going to be paying me a fair amount of money to show up to the gig unprepared and unable to play the songs you hired me to play. DATE Z is a hard cutoff. I'm not trying to be a jerk and leave you without a bassist, but without the charts by that date, you'll essentially be better off without a bassist."
And then follow through with graciously bowing out of the gig if they don't give you the charts by DATE Z. By that point, you're not the jerk. You've given them ample opportunity to provide what was agreed upon. And you can legit make DATE Z = tomorrow @ noon, or some incredibly short timeframe. You've waited long enough.
If you don't want to be any more gracious than you've already been, or if you feel like you're walking into a disaster that won't look good for anyone regardless of the paycheck, you can skip the whole script above and just tell them you've asked multiple times for the charts, the dates they were supposed to provide them by have come and gone multiple times, and now you don't have enough time to learn the songs and you have to bow out. Even if they gave you the charts you have too many other obligations between now and NYE to learn new songs in an unknown genre.
And then follow through with graciously bowing out of the gig if they don't give you the charts by DATE Z. By that point, you're not the jerk. You've given them ample opportunity to provide what was agreed upon. And you can legit make DATE Z = tomorrow @ noon, or some incredibly short timeframe. You've waited long enough.
If you don't want to be any more gracious than you've already been, or if you feel like you're walking into a disaster that won't look good for anyone regardless of the paycheck, you can skip the whole script above and just tell them you've asked multiple times for the charts, the dates they were supposed to provide them by have come and gone multiple times, and now you don't have enough time to learn the songs and you have to bow out. Even if they gave you the charts you have too many other obligations between now and NYE to learn new songs in an unknown genre.
Especially if it's Greek AND Turkish. Those two groups don't gel.
It's like playing Bob's Country Bunker. They need to play both kinds of music....Greek and Turkish.
OP: It was conveyed to you that they agreed to your terms. Obviously they have not abided by the agreed terms, so I'd feel zero obligation to do this gig. Book something else if it comes up, and remind them your agreement was to do the gig IF XY and Z could happen.
Since it didn't happen, you've assumed they don't want you. End of story.
Since it didn't happen, you've assumed they don't want you. End of story.
Ah yes the Good Ol Bouzouki Brothers Boys!
You're kinda screwed. Charts usually only show chords and not rhythms. Sure, some can play by ear, but you need to have some basic knowledge of the song. I would sightread through the gig, but very few settings are going to have notation for you to read at the gig. And since you're not getting charts this late in the game, my guess is that there aren't charts for a lot of the songs and the band leader was going to write those. I hope greek music doesn't use Greek letters for charts. No idea, but if the lyrics are in Greek, it would be a concern. I guess I V VI IV is out. Good luck!
My guess is that the music must be easy and repetitive enough that they aren’t worried since no one felt the need to get you charts ahead of time.
Sounds like a fun adventure, and it beats playing Sweet Home Alabama and Don’ Stop Believing.
Sounds like a fun adventure, and it beats playing Sweet Home Alabama and Don’ Stop Believing.
Just roll with with and enjoy. You'll have a great story to share regardless of how it turns out! At the end of the day 99% of the people at a New Years Eve bash don't care about the band, let alone the bass player.
I would, however, confirm the money up front. If it turns out to be less than what the drummer said then you have a legitimate out. Otherwise...
OPA!!
I would, however, confirm the money up front. If it turns out to be less than what the drummer said then you have a legitimate out. Otherwise...
OPA!!
I've been a blue-collar gigger for 50+ years, and if I heard the words Greek/Turkish from a known "bad" drummer, I would have said no thanks immediately. I've shared gigs with bands who play this music. That music is often in odd meters. Accurate chord and time signatures are a must for someone not familiar with the repertoire. Imagine a rockabilly player who doesn't read music or own a bow taking a "Messiah" gig on Xmas Eve and you have an idea of how this gig is going to go.
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This. I would contact the band leader and be totally honest about where you stand. For all you know the drummer has misrepresented the situation to the band leader (the drummer himself might not even be aware of what he’s gotten himself into repertoire/style-wise). Once the band leader has all the information let him decide, but I’d also make it clear that you have no intention of spending the night in a state of panic and that you need a song list and charts for you to do your job properly. If odd time signatures are, indeed, the order of the day then that would be my primary concern (having to count all night wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun). But, again, I would discuss the situation with the band leader. Good luck!Given what you have posted, including your hope to establish an inroad for future gigs in this vein, I would call the BL and lay everything out straight up. Everything, especially including your lack of experience with this genre of music. Put the decision on them: proceed with you, knowing everything you have told them, or "thanks" we'll find someone else.
If they decide to continue with you, show up with a big smile, a cooperative "get it done" attitude and do the best you can. You lose nothing but you get paid for the night and potentially create the inroad you're looking for. Your attitude will accomplish a lot of that for you
Oh, and practice your ass off in that genre between now and Dec 31.
If you are truly unfamiliar with the compound rhythm and pulse of Greek folk music, plus the drummer is a hack, don't do it. There is no way it will not be a complete trainwreck.
