[Rant] Angry Craiglister Call

[MCF]

Best auditions ever-

Lisa!

 

[Ric5]

Last night I responded to a Craigslist ad that said:
looking for bass.
contact for details.

So I text saying I play bass, guitar, sing well, and have pro gear. He calls me immediately. I answer, and he right from the start sounds like a barking dog:

THIS IS ________.

Hi, ________.

A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

Im 34, just moved to...

I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR MUSIC. I PLAY SAX. WE HAVE A GUITAR PLAYER WHO SINGS. A KEYS PLAYER WHO SINGS. BASS PLAYER DOESN'T SING.

(I thought he meant they already have a bass player who doesn't sing by the way he said it)

Oh, are you looking for a fill-in bass player when your usual guy can't make it?

NO! A BASS PLAYER WHO PLAYS WITH THE GROUP! I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AS A MUSICIAN. THAT'S IT!

Well I just picked up some brand new bass gear and I'm a very serio... (if he had only waited another 10 seconds he would've realized he was talking to a very experienced player who can site read sheet music and have over 20 years of gig playing with all sorts of style of bands and ensembles. But instead, he interrupts again.)

I DON'T CARE! ARE YOU INEXPERIENCED, IS THAT IT?! IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?!

Uh, you sound like a dick so I don't want to play with you.

OH REA....

Click.

Then he immediately texts me:

Amateur

Anyway, I got a good kick out of this one and thought I'd share. Anyone else deal with angry (?) craigslist musicians? First time for everything I guess...

Dude ... you do not want to be in his band ... NEVER

 

[mark roberts]

Last night I responded to a Craigslist ad that said:
looking for bass.
contact for details.

So I text saying I play bass, guitar, sing well, and have pro gear. He calls me immediately. I answer, and he right from the start sounds like a barking dog:

THIS IS ________.

Hi, ________.

A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?

Im 34, just moved to...

I DON'T CARE! I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR MUSIC. I PLAY SAX. WE HAVE A GUITAR PLAYER WHO SINGS. A KEYS PLAYER WHO SINGS. BASS PLAYER DOESN'T SING.

(I thought he meant they already have a bass player who doesn't sing by the way he said it)

Oh, are you looking for a fill-in bass player when your usual guy can't make it?

NO! A BASS PLAYER WHO PLAYS WITH THE GROUP! I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AS A MUSICIAN. THAT'S IT!

Well I just picked up some brand new bass gear and I'm a very serio... (if he had only waited another 10 seconds he would've realized he was talking to a very experienced player who can site read sheet music and have over 20 years of gig playing with all sorts of style of bands and ensembles. But instead, he interrupts again.)

I DON'T CARE! ARE YOU INEXPERIENCED, IS THAT IT?! IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?!

Uh, you sound like a dick so I don't want to play with you.

OH REA....

Click.

Then he immediately texts me:

Amateur

Anyway, I got a good kick out of this one and thought I'd share. Anyone else deal with angry (?) craigslist musicians? First time for everything I guess...

Didn’t read all the replies...so if this is redundant...sorry. He texted you. That gives you an opportunity to respond...especially “with class”.

Your text can identify yourself, by name (he/she already has your “number”). You succinctly identify your performance qualifications, experience and abilities. You further indicate, in a questioning manner, that the reply you received may or may not (the latter four words important) have been interpreted as adroit, disrespectful and possibly indicative of relationship issues. The latter statement because...you don’t want anything to do with a person that represents him/herself in that manner (goes unsaid in your reply)...you have to leave them hanging...it is not your or my responsibility to attempt change for that exchange.

If you receive an apologetic reply, be wary. If not. Delete all and forget.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Man , people is WHACK nowadays

 

[EdO.]

Agreed, there are a lot of flakes and delusional wannabe's on CL but there ARE a few serious solid musicians too, you just have to learn how to read the ad's and to judge who's on the other end. As I come from a more rural area south of the city not all of us are connected to the established area musician cliques so it's still (unfortunately) one of the better options to make connections for some of us.

I got my current gig (two years on now and gigging a fair amount despite with plenty of gigs coming in for the coming year) with a really good KC area band via CL, and a guitar player I used to play with years ago got a similar gig with another well established KC band (who we do dual bills with occasionally) same way. So it IS doable you just gotta learn how to read and decipher the ad writer and how to read them if you do converse in person. The crazies and wannabe's make themselves obvious pretty quickly, just gotta learn to read them.

 

[Playbyear]

The OP contacted someone crazy, but it makes for fun stories.

I’ve responded to and jammed with some crazies, but also met and played with some good people.( it happens)

 

[wheelsup247]

“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.”
- George Bernard Shaw

 

[Eilif]

Glad you were able to dodge Captain Saxaphone.

I've had nothing but good luck with CL. Found my last 3 groups there. All low-drama outfits with good people that were exactly what I was looking for at the time.

 

[LBS-bass]

Just to clarify, the best band I joined in this town happened through Craigslist. So did dozens of other "projects" that weren't worth doing for a variety of obvious reasons. Good stuff can happen but IMO it's been rare. YMMV.

 

[swarfrat]

A few days later I get a call from the same number, it's a pushy woman, She asked me if this was Joe's Auto Repair?
It was obvious she was the CL posters' better half/ball & chain and was checking on the unknown phone number on his cel...
Had to laugh over that one!

You should've had some fun with that one. Jake from State Farm

 

[Mike JV]

Jeez, last time someone talked to me like that was when I was married!

 

[rogerbmiller]

Craigslist is a freak beacon. I have never had a good experience. Used it only a couple of times and then never used it again. That was over a decade ago.

 

[swarfrat]

My music gear dealings on CL have been overwhelming ordinary and positive. We make fun of musicians but... when I tried to sell a washer on CL, that was downright scary. Worst of it was I had no way to transport, so they had to come to my house.

 

[sludgetail]

It's awesome being able to spot guys like that a mile away as you get older... some people are nuts man, you did the right thing and handled it in the classiest way possible.

I have had some wild calls from CL. Two that stand out:

1. A guy who wanted to dress in wraith-like wardrobe - black sheets and jet black mesh faces with red eyes, with the entire band playing only E-strings for EVERY string (this was honestly a requirement, and one heckuva a nut job - no pun intended - for my luthier lol).

2. The one that really stands out is this guy named Doug who would respond to ads on CL stating he was a very well-known and well-credited drummer, who is in charge of putting together festivals, and also setting up all the acts for the various stages/spots at the NAMM Show locally here. This guy was kind of like your phone call, where he hits you with a wall of "can you do this _____" and asks a bunch of questions but talks over the responses before moving to the next question and repeating.... I was so blown away by this guy that I google'd him, and it turned out he's been doing this for years on CL -- here's a link if you're interested to an old blog that mentions the guy (not mine):

'Round The Block Balladeer: Its So Hard To Tell Them Apart

Anyhow brother, cheers, bullet dodged and stay safe, play hard!

 

[devnulljp]

I'd have bailed based on the ALL CAPS anyway. Consider this a bullet dodged

 

[Zoffy]

Wow. I'd rather play music with cool dudes that are okay musicians than really good musicians that are jerks (and I've played with both). There is just no need for all the added drama that some people bring...

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

I replied to an ad in the local Craigslist for a Les Paul Special last weekend, one of those Robitussin Red ones that came with P-90's instead of 'buckers. Anyway, it had a sloppy looking headstock repair, and had been sitting there for weeks, and according to the map, it was very close to where I work. So I replied... exchanged phone numbers and arranged to meet up. Guy turned out to be super-cool. We worked out a fair cash deal; less than the listed price, but still okay for me without being a lowball, then we sat and played a few tunes. Parted ways friends. Last Summer I met an awesome drummer who happened to be selling a power amp. We exchanged biz-cards, might play sometime if that ever happens again.

If there was a parenthetical point to this post, there's a world full of jerk-weasels, and a lot of them get funneled into Craigslist, but sometimes you meet a fellow traveler.

Craigslist Rescue Les Paul Special... ^ (at my desk)

 

[QORC]

there are so many d's, douchebags and flakes out there. It pretty much goes with the territory

 

[1958Bassman]

Craigslist is a freak beacon. I have never had a good experience. Used it only a couple of times and then never used it again. That was over a decade ago.

Um, I'm going to have to ask you to stop using 'freak beacon'- it's the name of my band.

 

[lokikallas]

We had a “drummer” show up. Didn’t know any of the songs we were auditioning. Couldn’t improvise on them, couldn’t even start a beat and let us jam along. I told him off for wasting our time and he called me an a-hole. Now I only jam after seeing videos of some sort proving you can at least play.