Not a gig report, an audition report.....

[oldrocker]

Once Me & an old guitarist friend got together to start up a band, we agreed to play mostly 90's Heavy rock.
2 weeks go by & he found a drummer! Shes a female drummer, A really good drummer,he added. ... as I pull in to the rehearsal studio, I see the guitarist outside looking nervous, okay, Did you get those songs down? yeah, I think so. hes making me nervous cause he usually pretty calm guy. he hurriedly helps me unload my gear, then I meet the "new" drummer... she's very cute, wearing a mini skirt, I think cool. we talk a little she seems shy but it s a audition we're both a little awkward. I start to set up & notice the guitar player is taliking a bit more than he usually does, Nerves? He kind of talked up this drummer, as kind of a studio rat. okay, whatever. her set is on the floor in the middle of the room( not on the riser) I set up to her right a little behind her , hes on her left. we settle in and hes raring to go & tears into wake Up. were off & running! I struggle to hear her bass drum b/c guitar is turned up so loud! I settle in by her ride cyymbal, looking down at her right foot(bass Pedal) so I watch her bass beater. I tried moving in front of her bass drum but quickly lost it & had to move back. we jammed through our small set list and it sounded awesome! we go through it a couple of times it was still a little bit awkward as we were still trying to see if we "fit". we didnt have a singer & that seemed to be a major concern. during a break we joked around and seemed to be getting along. she mentioned she was married to me twice. I let it go, cause I didnt feel like I was being flirty with her, & backed off. Driving home after that rehearsal, I wondered did she think I was Staring at her legs or skirt? I guess should have explained I was "looking at her bass foot, cause I couldnt hear her bass drum, but that seemed kinda critical at that moment. I consciously try to hold back any critizisms until we get more rehearsals in. It just kinda struck me as strange she had to tell me she was married twice. I thought the guitarist was being more flirty with her. we jammed 1 more time before it kind of died out b/c No singer. we were all pretty busy & didnt have time to pursue side bands. Sad cause we sounded really good. I hoping it wasnt because of me.
...

She was married to you twice?? What, like in another life?? Just kidding

Rarely can I hear the bass drum. Only if I'm standing directly in front of it. So I typically key off the high hats, snare or visual cues.

 

[LBS-bass]

She was married to you twice?? What, like in another life?? Just kidding

Rarely can I hear the bass drum. Only if I'm standing directly in front of it. So I typically key off the high hats, snare or visual cues.

This is why I love playing with an e-kit drummer on a silent stage. I can hear everything!

The guy in the post you are quoting had an experience with a band that didn't give him a list of songs to learn, and they were unhappy that he didn't know them. Amateur hour for sure, and a bullet dodged. "Please do read my mind, I'm ever so happy to share zero information with you that might actually be useful in this situation" doesn't convey good management skills.

 

[Bass Viking]

Any time my bands were auditioning we’d first have a brief phone chat to find out what their goals and expectations were - and to let them know what ours were. If it seemed like a good enough match to proceed to an audition we’d then give the person a list of ten or so song selections and tell them to have three or four (their pick) ready to audition with.

I would go even further and ask the person for a video of them playing. Virtually everyone has a cellphone and access to YouTube so this request is not out of line. The band should also provide a video/recording. Saves time for everyone!

 

[Bermuda Ron]

For a bar band or other regularly performing group, I can see being asked to learn a handful of tunes (meaning half a dozen or so), and I wouldn't have a problem with that. 20? No, I'm not spending that much time on something that's not a sure thing unless it's a really high-profile gig, and as many have already said, that small handful of tunes will tell you whether the person can play, and whether they're a good fit musically and personally.

The whole "auditioning" thing was one reason I never really left the theater orchestra world for playing out. If you were going to try to get a gig at a new theater, yeah, you'd have to audition if they didn't already have a regular bassist, but that generally consisted of being asked to sight-read a page or two from a random place in the score.
Gremlin, do MDs ever do "call backs" (second or third auditions) in that side of the business?

 

[CGremlin]

Gremlin, do MDs ever do "call backs" (second or third auditions) in that side of the business?

They might in some places, but in 20+ years of doing pit work, I never had to do anything more than the initial audition. They're mostly looking to see if you can sight-read well (since there likely will not be much if any rehearsal time before opening night) and if you can play, and that's usually obvious very quickly.

However, I've never played for the really big shows (Broadway, high-profile touring companies, etc.), so they may well be more demanding of who they interview/hire.