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NO YOU CAN'T SIT IN!
- Thread starter bassfrenzie
- Start date
My usual response?
"Nope. I play Alembics. If I wanted an instrument whose fate I didn't care about I'd buy something far less expensive."
Not knocking those who happily play less expensive marques, nor am I being a snob (I own everything from my high end Alembics to $200 Peaveys which I love and happily play). Mind you, I just can't in good conscience put a $5K instrument out there for some drunk #(#hole to mangle. But that's just me.
Alan
"Nope. I play Alembics. If I wanted an instrument whose fate I didn't care about I'd buy something far less expensive."
Not knocking those who happily play less expensive marques, nor am I being a snob (I own everything from my high end Alembics to $200 Peaveys which I love and happily play). Mind you, I just can't in good conscience put a $5K instrument out there for some drunk #(#hole to mangle. But that's just me.
Alan
A little story.
One of my wedding bands let people sit in with them. Its been mostly guitarists or drummers though. not if they are drunk and only if they can play but it makes the gusts happy to see their mates up with the band etc.
Only one guy has asked to play my bass and it was the wedding photographer (and close friedn of the couple so i really couldn't say no). It was late in the evening (oooerr, another Eric reference) and i didn't mind because one, i could go and get a drink from the bar but also as im in to photography i asked if i can have a go on his mega expensive Camera. He didnt mind at all and suggested i take some shots around the room while he was playing.
He could play well enough but was struggling a bit. when he handed me back the bass he said he had only realised it was a 5 string once he had started playing and realised the strings were in the wrong place.
I got an email from him a week or so later thanking me for letting him sit in and also to say that two of the shots i had taken we used in the wedding album.
One of my wedding bands let people sit in with them. Its been mostly guitarists or drummers though. not if they are drunk and only if they can play but it makes the gusts happy to see their mates up with the band etc.
Only one guy has asked to play my bass and it was the wedding photographer (and close friedn of the couple so i really couldn't say no). It was late in the evening (oooerr, another Eric reference) and i didn't mind because one, i could go and get a drink from the bar but also as im in to photography i asked if i can have a go on his mega expensive Camera. He didnt mind at all and suggested i take some shots around the room while he was playing.
He could play well enough but was struggling a bit. when he handed me back the bass he said he had only realised it was a 5 string once he had started playing and realised the strings were in the wrong place.
I got an email from him a week or so later thanking me for letting him sit in and also to say that two of the shots i had taken we used in the wedding album.
never had to deal with it, but i imagine i'd just hand 'em one of my basses.
OMG! your band touring India anytime??
This "sit-in"crap is getting to be a real pet peeve of mine and it's happening more everywhere & not just at bars! I've been getting it at privates,country clubs and even concert/show situations! I don't know if it's because of karoke,guitar hero,American Idol or what but DAMN is it getting to be more common.I'm with txbasschik on this,It's just rude! It usually doesn't happen unless your band is good/popular or going over really well.Then everybody wants in on the act! Country clubs can really be a pain! The doctor/lawyer/orthodonist /yuppie who bought an expensive instrument at Guitar Depot then thinks he/she is ENTITLED to play.Just 1 or 2 tunes would be one thing but they get hard to get rid of once they get a couple of drinks in them & a pair of their friends egging them on.These people almost always suck out loud & it brings down your whole presentation because,outside of their buddies,it brings the whole room down.I do a Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith night once a month in a local bar with some really popular area musicians.It's become really popular & it's the bar's biggest night.Lately it's become a magnet for every music wanna be in the region! While we let some people that we know(& who are good!) play,we are also getting hackers who don't know what they are doing & are pretty goddamn aggressive about "jammin'with the band".The last bass"sit-in"on that gig not only was bad,he blamed me for not showing him how to play a certain part right.Then he expected free beer(one of the band's perks)because he played & considered himself "in the band"!I didn't mean for this to be a rant & I certainly don't consider myself to be the greatest bassist in the world & I'm sure there are better players in the audience,but I am a solid old school player/singer & really hate my important gigs turned into an open mike night! I don't do it to other bands & I don't like having it done to me.
Around here we have specific Open Mic and/or "jam with the house band" type things so that the ying yangs can get it out of their system and not impose themselves as much on real gigs. It really does help alleviate the whole mess somewhat.
We have open mike nights too all over the area.I t seems the butinskis wanna strut their stuff(or lack of it!) in front of a crowd.
I'm surprised someone lets anyone they don't know jump on on stage on a non-jam/non-open mic event. That's just plain rude if someone tries to do that. Just say no.
That sounds easy enough but some folks don't take no for an answer! At the privates/Country clubs it's usually an important client/member who WILL take it to the management! Then the party planner/club manager says"look he's an important person so just make him happy.It'll only be for one song".Then you can't get them off! At the bars if I say no they will ask the bar manager/owner ,who they may or may not know ,if they can play.On the houseband bar nights they usually know the lead singer or the guitarist who are both too nice to say no although I think thats gonna change.I 'm on my way to a gig tonight at a place where the bar owner insists on singing with the band all night.He's horrible,drives people out of his own bar,then blames the band!I'm actually not taking any more gigs there!
You could always pick a very complicated song and see if that person could follow along.... Anyway, seems there are all kinds of odd habits nowadays, like jumping up on stage and play with a performing band. Sigh.
I have an acquaintance singer who's asked if I'd like to come up and play a song or two and I declined. First, because it's not my gig. Second, because I do not know his bass player. Third, because it's not fair to spring it on his bass player and band at (or right before) show time.
At those kinds of events, allowing sit-ins is an additional service, with an upcharge of at least $100 and a maximum number of sit-ins specified. And if your contract doesn't already make the client responsible for any damage caused by guests, it should.
I like your idea Derrico1.I know that some of the famous/national acts that do privates(& most of them do)have clauses in their contracts that bans anyone from sitting in or singing with the band.They may do a meet & greet with the clients/execs,etc.but no sitting in.My bands not important enough to rate a meet & greet although we are well known locally.Most of the sitinners don't just jump in.They want you to feature them in a segment of your set usually wanting to play a tune you do really well.They probably have seen or heard you before & figure "Hey,I can do that as good as he can!".When they can't,& 9 times outta 10 they can't,they sometimes get angry & accuse the band of sabotaging them.The people who jump on stage & grab mics (or worse yet grab the spare drumsticks & start slammin'cymbals,toms,etc.)are usually just a bit loaded.We have had to carry rather expensive liability insurance(most country clubs,convention centers,catering halls,etc.in our area won't book you without it)to cover folks jumping on stage & tripping over monitors,amps,mics,drum kits & hurting themselves.Don't get me wrong we are a fun band & we want the audience to have fun too but there always seems to be a few people who don't mind ruining it for every body.I don't wanna seem like a big cry baby,I really enjoy 90% of my gigs,but I've just noticed more & more of this stuff over the last few years.I tend to wonder if I'm just getting older or people are becoming more rude.
Clearly it is time to pick up a lefty, fretless ERB as a primary instrument.
People rarely ask to play my Zon, mostly because the number of strings intimidates. Then again, i don't play to drunks.
People rarely ask to play my Zon, mostly because the number of strings intimidates. Then again, i don't play to drunks.
People are becoming more rude. They act as if they are *entitled* to get up with the band. I blame karaoke, an arrogant focus on self, and the fact that people do not seem to have had any training in manners as they grew up.
Cherie
I played a blues gig at some dive downtown one night, and in between sets, we were out back having a smoke break, and some guy and his girlfriend came over and said he was the drummer from Kansas. I didnt know what the drummer from kansas looked like, or his name, but I remember him having chops, so when he asked to sit in, I said sure, why not.
Turns out he was a drummer 'from' Kansas. He got heckled.
Turns out he was a drummer 'from' Kansas. He got heckled.
One technique that works if you have an unwanted guest: play standard tunes in nonstandard keys. Blues in A flat or D flat usually gets rid of the harmonica owners, and any song you know well can easily be transposed up or down a half step.
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