Oddest question asked in an audition...

[murph7489]

I was thinking about auditions and things you get asked at them by band members. This is something I was asked by the leader of a funk band that i joined in South Carolina a few years back..

It was a great band and I was absolutely thrilled to be a part of it, and I was the only white guy in the band (not that it matters) thus I got dubbed white chocolate by the band..lol Anyway at the audition the band leader asked me; "are you looking to steal all the girls in the audience from us"? I was frozen for a second wondering why he asked that, but quickly recovered and said...of course, I love black women..lolol...apparently it was a good answer because he laughed and said, you're in!...

Same audition he also asked me if I was the kind of guy that would just leave or take off unannounced..I said no..then he told me a story of a girl singer they had that disappeared for 7 months, no communication from her and no answers from calls or texts..he said she showed up out of the blue one day and asked, when is our next gig?...lolol...

 

[BassNugget]

this was in Japan... One guy asked me, "You're not a Ninja, are you? Last guy we had was a weirdo and he was a Ninja."

I was like, "Yeah, no, I don't even own a black t-shirt." He never knew that I actually WAS a Ninja....

 

[Winslow]

"Do you have any stage combat training?"

Wound up being fairly glad I didn't get that one.

 

[DirtDog]

No asked

“Mind if my probation officer comes with me to the audition?”

“When I get into a song, I get kind of violent...like axe murderer violent”

 

[Joe Nerve]

Your story just reminded me of a gym incident MANY years ago. Started talking to some guys who were putting a band together that sounded promising. They were interested in checking me out but then said, "Wait. Do you have a girlfriend?" I said yes, they laughed and said, "Forget it." Then started ignoring me. Wasn't a gay thing either, as they started rambling about girlfriend drama...

I was amused.

 

[Flamingo21]

I was amused

Which is the best thing you could ever have done.

 

[Samatza]

“Have you seen my guitar? I left it here somewhere, it’s red”

My response “I have a headache, I’m going home now”

 

[Iroquoisroadwarrior]

Probably not the oddest but I do remember asking alot people auditioning for bands I was in in the 80's "is that a wig???".......

 

[Bob_Ross]

"Are those bowling shoes?"

 

[MCS4]

I auditioned for a band that used seven-string guitars, so I showed up with one of my four-string basses set up for BEAD or AEAD tuning, with appropriately heavy strings, adjustments to truss and saddles to accommodate, etc. The B (or A) string sounded surprisingly great on that bass.

They asked me if I would be willing to buy a five-string bass because they "sound heavier."

 

[Flamingo21]

They asked me if I would be willing to buy a five-string bass because they "sound heavier"

A prime example of people listening with their eyes.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Once I was auditioned by a rock band. I brought my Steinberger 5 string I used to own. Everything went well and after the audition the singer told me I'm in, but then asked if have a "real bass". I brought my black P bass the next time, and everyone was happy.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Another happened before the audition (different band). The singer asked if I play w/ a pick, and how high/low I wear my bass. After the question, I cancelled the audition.

 

[el murdoque]

This was like a pre-audition situation, but I think it fits here:
I was walking down a street with the GF and her parents. Being new to the city, I did not know many people - so I was kind of surprised when a bike, passing us, suddenly stopped, breaking HARD. It was a long haired dude, a total stranger. He looked straight at me and said hi. I politely returned the greeting and stared at him with slightly raised eyebrows. He said his band needed a bass player and I kinda looked like one, so he wanted to ask if I played the bass and had time to join a band. Everything went silent. I was wearing casual clothing and nothing about my appearance suggested that I indeed played the bass and, having moved recently, was between bands.
I told him that I do play and am free, so he took my number and left. Never called, though.

 

[gln1955]

Your story just reminded me of a gym incident MANY years ago. Started talking to some guys who were putting a band together that sounded promising. They were interested in checking me out but then said, "Wait. Do you have a girlfriend?" I said yes, they laughed and said, "Forget it." Then started ignoring me. Wasn't a gay thing either, as they started rambling about girlfriend drama...

I was amused.

They probably were thinking "Bass player says he has a girlfriend. We don't need this liar in the band"

 

[getBAK]

Do you like Billy Ray Cyrus
I said "no"... didn't get that gig.

<edit> it was a contemporary country band, I probably should have said "he's ok", but than I would have been stuck playing that crap

 

[micguy]

They probably were thinking "Bass player says he has a girlfriend. We don't need this liar in the band"

"Bass player with a girlfriend" translates as "also sings lead".

 

[whero]

I was once asked if I was OK with playing topless. I was younger and in better shape back then so I said "sure, why not?" I played with those guys for about 18 months and at no time, during any gig or rehearsal, did any member of the band take their shirt off, or so much as even talk about it again.

 

[LBS-bass]

Not really odd questions, but two questions that I hate are "what's your favorite band?" And "what are your political views?" The first question puts me in a pigeonhole when I have a wide variety of musical interests, and the second question is just rude and indicates that they're probably going to waste rehearsal time talking trash about one or the other side, with a 50/50 chance it's my side. Oddly enough I don't think I've ever been asked much about my gear.

 

[JoshS]

Do you like Billy Ray Cyrus
I said "no"... didn't get that gig.

No, he hurts my achy-breaky ears.