Pleasently surprised by CL drummer search.

[Mugre]

Have you considered having three drummers in your band?

I give you three drummers and Tony Levin in a new(er) version of the best song from what is arguably the first "prog" album.

TRIGGER WARNING! This product may contain drum solos. Readers with sensitivities should avoid using this product.

 

[bdplaid]

So, my perfect band is losing its drummer. No hard feelings. He has a full-time job and a semi-pro gig. This was a side project for him. He will be missed. He's a great guy and a monster drummer.

I don't do social media (only anti-social media, like TB ). So I was put in charge of doing the CL end of the search.

I did get a few interesting emails from guys who obviously weren't a good fit. But they weren't crazy or jerks… just not what we're looking for.

Here's where it gets weird.

I am having auditions with THREE well-educated, very experienced, seemingly NORMAL people. I have spoken to all of them on the phone. They all have social media pages (according to my band nates) that display seemingly normal tendencies. They all have fantastic gear. They all are excited about the format and the "casual" nature of the band. Two of them have toured professionally but have "semi-retired" from touring in their 40s. Two of them sing. All of them own either part of, or an entire, PA. One of them has an alternative spot we could rehearse if we wanted. They all say they are looking for exactly what we're doing.

(Our business model/mission statement is that we strive to be the best part-time bar band in our area. We want to NAIL every song we play. We want to KILL some complex vocal harmonies. And we DON'T want to look like our audience. But we only want to play a couple times a month with very little travel.)

But they all seem like a good hang. They are all super flexible on auditions times. They know a lot of the material already. When I told them to pick 8 or 10 from the list they wanted to play, all three of them sent me a short list of songs they DIDN'T know and said we could play anything else from the list. And we don't stick to the first 45 pages of the bar band hymnal.

Sure, I'm a little freaked out by this. I'll have a shotgun behind my rig during the auditions in case these guys are too good to be true and are actually ax rapists.

I'll update as the auditions take place. Our female singer is a little under the weather this week so it'll be next week.

But after reading all of the CL horror stories here at TB, I'm pleasantly surprised so far.

(By the way, social media has produced ZERO viable candidates. )

I found my last two good gigs on CL. One of them included a guy I've wanted to play with for 30 years. I'm leery of it too, but it's worked out for me, far better than FB or other social media.

 

[electracoyote]

CL is not the swamp most think it is, despite what the joke ads might suggest. Just stay on the path, keep your wits about you, don't get in the weeds, avoid obvious time-wasters, and you can often find centered, non-dysfunctional, proficient musicians just as desperate as you are for a healthy rewarding band experience. For decades I have found good people I could work with in equal numbers from CL, Bandmix, and word of mouth.

 

[Sixgunn]

I don't do social media (only anti-social media, like TB ).

Today's internet goes to you, sir!

 

[Inky13]

“Hey man, can you pick me up for the rehearsal? My mom needs the car today.”

 

[LT131]

You are making this up.

 

[RichardW]

It's still early. You might be getting catfished.

 

[tubedude]

Go with the one that sings, as vocal harmonies are a feature you requested.

 

[two fingers]

I give you three drummers and Tony Levin in a new(er) version of the best song from what is arguably the first "prog" album.

TRIGGER WARNING! This product may contain drum solos. Readers with sensitivities should avoid using this product.

Cool song. What's with the neckties and stuff??? I was expecting an intermission for tea and crumpets.

 

[Jimmy4string]

Good luck Two!
I am waiting to see how this plays out....

 

[DeltaDelta]

Well, I admit I've possibly counted my chickens before they hatch. Stay tuned. There may be violence yet!

So what will it be, buckshot or slugs?

 

[3Liter]

Not to harsh your buzz, but what looks like an hour from "major city" and you found three viable candidates for your "better pay us more than $100/man" group. I figured you we much closer to the major city (cities) or the coast. My knowledge of NC is 20+ years old though...

 

[two fingers]

So what will it be, buckshot or slugs?

Slugs are for when you have time to aim. Gotta go buckshot..... quick and dirty and can't hardly miss.

 

[two fingers]

Not to harsh your buzz, but what looks like an hour from "major city" and you found three viable candidates for your "better pay us more than $100/man" group. I figured you we much closer to the major city (cities) or the coast. My knowledge of NC is 20+ years old though...

Not a major city. Not even close. Near a medium-sized college town is where most of us live and a smaller town down the road is where the female singer lives. So we'll play her town every now and then.

 

[Ostie]

I give you three drummers and Tony Levin in a new(er) version of the best song from what is arguably the first "prog" album.

TRIGGER WARNING! This product may contain drum solos. Readers with sensitivities should avoid using this product.

Yes! The Grateful Dead had two drummers, why can't you?

 

[7615]

So, my perfect band is losing its drummer. No hard feelings. He has a full-time job and a semi-pro gig. This was a side project for him. He will be missed. He's a great guy and a monster drummer.

I don't do social media (only anti-social media, like TB ). So I was put in charge of doing the CL end of the search.

I did get a few interesting emails from guys who obviously weren't a good fit. But they weren't crazy or jerks… just not what we're looking for.

Here's where it gets weird.

I am having auditions with THREE well-educated, very experienced, seemingly NORMAL people. I have spoken to all of them on the phone. They all have social media pages (according to my band nates) that display seemingly normal tendencies. They all have fantastic gear. They all are excited about the format and the "casual" nature of the band. Two of them have toured professionally but have "semi-retired" from touring in their 40s. Two of them sing. All of them own either part of, or an entire, PA. One of them has an alternative spot we could rehearse if we wanted. They all say they are looking for exactly what we're doing.

(Our business model/mission statement is that we strive to be the best part-time bar band in our area. We want to NAIL every song we play. We want to KILL some complex vocal harmonies. And we DON'T want to look like our audience. But we only want to play a couple times a month with very little travel.)

But they all seem like a good hang. They are all super flexible on auditions times. They know a lot of the material already. When I told them to pick 8 or 10 from the list they wanted to play, all three of them sent me a short list of songs they DIDN'T know and said we could play anything else from the list. And we don't stick to the first 45 pages of the bar band hymnal.

Sure, I'm a little freaked out by this. I'll have a shotgun behind my rig during the auditions in case these guys are too good to be true and are actually ax rapists.

I'll update as the auditions take place. Our female singer is a little under the weather this week so it'll be next week.

But after reading all of the CL horror stories here at TB, I'm pleasantly surprised so far.

(By the way, social media has produced ZERO viable candidates. )

Ax murderers I believe is the proper profession.

 

[3Liter]

Not a major city. Not even close. Near a medium-sized college town is where most of us live and a smaller town down the road is where the female singer lives. So we'll play her town every now and then.

I know. The major city I'm thinking of is the capital and I'm surprised you're able to pull in the kinda $ you expect far from it. But maybe that's how it works in a college town, there's a more captive audience and bars willing to pay top $ to entertain them. Heck, that's how Hootie started...bar band in a college town, no?

 

[Mugre]

Cool song. What's with the neckties and stuff??? I was expecting an intermission for tea and crumpets.

I'm surprised you're not hip to KC and Robert Fripp. Maybe progressive is not your genre?.

An almost 50 year career in about 9 iterations not including the side projects like the guitar quintet and the league of craft guitarists. The list of musicians who have been in and out of the band by themselves create a full Who's Who of prog and rock musicians.

Just in case you're not pulling our legs here another video of a one his more "pop" songs from the 80's when he decided to take on the "new wave" by creating a rock "Gamelan" with heavy polyrhythm and using heavy chorus to infer micro tonality. Note how it keeps slipping in and out of being in 6 and 7 or superimposing the both meters while it still sort of grooves but that's the genius of a band with Bill Bruford AND Tony Levin.

 

[two fingers]

I know. The major city I'm thinking of is the capital and I'm surprised you're able to pull in the kinda $ you expect far from it. But maybe that's how it works in a college town, there's a more captive audience and bars willing to pay top $ to entertain them. Heck, that's how Hootie started...bar band in a college town, no?

Yep. They actually used to play this area before they hit it big. So did Dave Matthews and Black Crows.

My ex mother-in-law used to work at Mayflower Moving in Havelock, NC (MCAS Cherry Point). She said Darius and his brother used to drive for them out of Beaufort SC. Both being military towns with constant transfers to and from, she used to see Darius and/or his brother pretty often.

That being said, we all have long standing relationships with local bar owners. They know what we'll put on stage and how many people we'll bring out. So we're able to talk a little trash to get paid. None of us need the money. It's the principle. I'm not giving it away simply because I love doing it.

 

[two fingers]

I'm surprised you're not hip to KC and Robert Fripp. Maybe progressive is not your genre?.

An almost 50 year career in about 9 iterations not including the side projects like the guitar quintet and the league of craft guitarists. The list of musicians who have been in and out of the band by themselves create a full Who's Who of prog and rock musicians.

Just in case you're not pulling our legs here another video of a one his more "pop" songs from the 80's when he decided to take on the "new wave" by creating a rock "Gamelan" with heavy polyrhythm and using heavy chorus to infer micro tonality. Note how it keeps slipping in and out of being in 6 and 7 or superimposing the both meters while it still sort of grooves but that's the genius of a band with Bill Bruford AND Tony Levin.

I'm hip to KC and several of the players.... including Levin, of course. I'm still curious as to why they're in suits playing prog rock on (what appears to be) a somewhat snooty stage.