Red Flags For Bass Players Looking for Work

[bluewine]

Some of the ads are so clear that there's no reason to read between the lines to spot a red flag. As a guy looking for work, some of them are just like DUH!, of course I'm not going to answer them. It doesn't take much wisdom to determine when guys say they just want to have some fun and not concerned with gigging, that they probably aren't going to play out that much. It's right in the ad.

And most guys whose main concern is getting paid isn't going to be interested in an original start-up band anyway.

Some of them aren't that bad of red flag to me.

Some people are only looking to gig twice a month. And if those gigs are steady and they are cool with it, why can't I just play with other bands so I can gig more than twice a month. Nowadays, even bands that want to play alot only get to play twice a month. Lots of guys play in multiple bands to keep the gig schedule filled and the money coming in, including top players.

They made it clear what they want to play. No reason why they can't get work with that material. Musicians have different tastes, no big deal.

Why not? If I had players that can do 3 part harmonies, I'd make way more money and get more gigs as a Eagles, Beatles or Beach Boys tribute as an original act. I'd probably check it out.

Not enough info to tell much. But, it sounds like they have the instrumentation to pull off lots of arrangements. Might be worth getting more info on.

Considering you're a 58 year old dude playing in a pop-rock band called 2morrow Evr After, it's ironic you red flag so many folks. A 58 year old looking to play pop-rock with youngsters can easily be seen as a red flag, and a dreamer that will not go anywhere. But someone gave you a shot, yet you dismiss others so readily......

In reality, it's hard to tell much about a band or artist from one line.

The music business involves taking risks, and requires optimism. Some people think they are being savy or realistic by being pessimistic. But actually, they are short sighted because in reality good things can happen, like an old bass player finding a good gig.

Yeah, I guess I am older, but not old. This business is just as much fun and exciting to me as it was when I was 18

 

[BassyBill]

We are a band of dedicated and driven musicians creating an Eagles Tribute Group

One of the few guys I know who gets enough regular, well paid gigs to make a very nice living is in an Eagles tribute band.

 

[Tampabass]

I'm surprised by how much attention some folks pay to musician classified ads, so many of which by definition are a total waste of time.

IMO, word-of-mouth and friend-of-friend connections is a far more productive way to find bandmates.

 

[BassyBill]

My favorite was a local ad that began: Working group w/contacts looking for experienced drummer and bassist...

Ok... So you're working but you don't have your core in place already? Interesting.

Unfortunately, the most serious red flags don't show up till you actually get to meet/audition with the alleged band.

My five biggest (all of which happened to me) "Thanks guys, I'm outta here!" flags are:

1. Some (or all) of the group are drinking - or are already drunk/stoned - when you arrive.

2. You see girlfriend/boyfriend/groupie types draped all over the practice area.

3. You can hear a baby or small child crying in an adjoining room.

4. When you first knock on the door, it opens a crack, and you find yourself being stared at suspiciously for several long moments by a single eyeball before a semi-nervous (or hostile) voice demands to know: "Whaddya want?"

Add extra points if they also look out the door - and quickly scan both ways - after they let you in! (Or if the person who admits you is, for some strange reason, holding a baseball bat - or is otherwise armed.)

5. Three cop cars with flashing lights are parked in front of the address when you arrive.

There are many others. But those are my biggies. )

LOL! Definitely a few things to watch out for there!

About the drinking thing - my old pal Paul Raven made a fortune playing bass for Killing Joke, and they were absolutely smashed the entire time he was with them. They made a point of it and said it was part of the creative process.

He's dead now. Rock and roll.

 

[rtslinger]

Yeah, I guess I am older, but not old. This business is just as much fun and exciting to me as it was when I was 18

You hit the nail on the head Blue I too looked at the ads and guess what I said to h*ll with it I put together my own band like I did when I wanted a band back then. I could not be happier I surrounded myself with veteran players of my age group ( you know Jersey man players coming out of the woodwork!) and we rock like we are 18 year olds 4 or 5 times a month. So what I am saying is if you want it build it yourself!

 

[Jim Campbell]

What does your "Bassist looking for work" ad look like?

I'm just asking because I might be looking myself here shortly. Is it worth it to put together a My Space or Facebook with Bio, photos, sound clips ect?

I would be looking to step into a band that has it together. Hell, they might not even know they need a new bassist yet.

The right job is a needle in a haystack, the right band is like trying to find the eye of the needle in the haystack without getting stuck first.

^^^Holdsg said it!^^^

I'm long past getting my jobs from the union hall, I get them from guys I've already worked with.

Getting a call from or calling someone I know would seem to be the most likely senario.

a band that has done all the work,and has paying gigs on the horizon once they find a bass player can afford to be picky... some dudes think they should be able to walk right in to the chair,for an equal piece of the pie....if it was me i'd want to make sure the new guy brings more to the table.....is the guy going to start trying to turn the band into something else......is his presence going to drive a wedge between existing players,you know,the ones that have done all the ground work...... is he going to be constantly hitting on women in the crowd,or worse,ones in the band,so that they get creeped out and quit.....i find it telling when someone assumes that he is so valuable that he gets to just walk right in,and pay no dues......guys too good for start up project guys may not be good for established acts either.....a lot depends on their work ethic and attitude.....

good bass players may be hard to find,but that does not assume that they are indispensable to the point that anyone should ignore the character,simply because someone has some chops.....

 

[Coop Soup]

This business is just as much fun and exciting to me as it was when I was 18

Well except when you ticked off at your friends that didn't come out to see your band.

 

[jaywa]

a band that has done all the work,and has paying gigs on the horizon once they find a bass player can afford to be picky... some dudes think they should be able to walk right in to the chair,for an equal piece of the pie....if it was me i'd want to make sure the new guy brings more to the table.....is the guy going to start trying to turn the band into something else......is his presence going to drive a wedge between existing players,you know,the ones that have done all the ground work...... is he going to be constantly hitting on women in the crowd,or worse,ones in the band,so that they get creeped out and quit.....i find it telling when someone assumes that he is so valuable that he gets to just walk right in,and pay no dues......guys too good for start up project guys may not be good for established acts either.....a lot depends on their work ethic and attitude.....

Jim, these are great points and especially timely for me as I am going to be the "new guy" joining an established, working band next week. A friend of mine who's already in the band got me in but I'm not taking anything for granted. We have two rehearsals next week to get me up to speed and my intent is to blow them away with my level of preparation and professionalism. Then it's back-to-back gigs for two nights in mid-April and I will really be using those gigs as a chance to feel out the whole "live" culture of the band and try not to change things up too much from what they've got going except for what they hired me to do, which is improve the bottom end and tighten up the rhythm section. Once I've found my place in that band musically and chemistry wise, then I'll start getting a little more adventurous but off the bat I'll be playing it straight down the middle.

 

[Rockmusician]

This is just a list of wording in ads that any seasoned bass player looking for work (the kind that pays) should look at carefully.

These offers will be good for some guys but not guys leaving a paying opportunnity looking to join a working band;

We have an all original start-up rock band with a jam spot in Washington. Not really looking to tour, make it, or anything like that, just to have fun & play out in the area

This is great for guys only interested in fun.

We're about 3/4 done writing our basic set.

Not where I would want to join a band.

Newly formed CLASSIC ROCK project seeking a DEDICATED Bassist with Vocal ability. Practice once a week and looking to gig twice a month.

Looking to gig twice a month?

Forming trio hard rock band. all originals some covers from 60s,70s,80s, or 90s.None of todays crap.

Todays crap, there is some really cool music being made by all sorts of bands?

We are a band of dedicated and driven musicians creating an Eagles Tribute Group

I think anyone with the resources or chops to do Eagles material live would not be starting a tribute band.

This project is gonna be cool/fun. We have a guitarist, female vocalist, drummer, two additional members which will provide horns,keys,

Really?

Looking for a bass player that is serious about getting together and playing out. We are a band that has posted in the past and gotten terrible results

Probably for good reason.

I'm a 38 year old guitar player putting together a powerful,talented 4 piece Metal/Hard rock band

Comments

I realize I am a little harsh and pesimistic.

Nothing wrong with any of these. Isn't the idea of playing music to have fun?

Two times per month is fine for someone who is working full time.

The today's crap comment is something that can be taken a lot of different ways. There are a few bands making decent music but most of it is crap.


Nothing wrong with a tribute band. The good ones make a lot more money than most cover or original bands.

Nothing wrong with a 38 year old trying to put together a talented band. Would you want him to say that he is trying to put a crappy band together?

 

[singlemalt]

I agree with all of that. A band that has their stuff together needs and deserves a good fit, they should be picky. I see a band like that keeping track of candidates even after they make a choice, things don't always work out. Once they tap a choice, the guy has a good bit of work to do fit into his new place.

I was asking what a bassist looking for work would do to separate themselves from the usual time wasting ad placements. I know the best slots aren't going to ever be in the ads, but the band looking might glance at listings. Then they will most likely call someone they know and make an offer or ask for a reference. What kind of ad would be good enough to make them check a bassist out?

I took a swing through the Portland, OR craigslist today. A little research field trip. I narrowed the search with the work "bassist". On the bands seeking side, there was one band with: a website, (photos, songs, gigs on the books) and a clear description of what they want. The rest, pretty much the usual, some ads better than others. Not that I would rule them out just on their ad, but the guys with the most complete picture stood out by a long ways. I listened to their five songs. I can go see them at their next gig and see if its something I like or not. No talking, just listening. It would save a whole lot of time.

On the bassist seeking side, one guy had thought to post a picture of himself playing bass, and a photo of his gear. That alone set him apart from the crowd. If I'm a band looking for a guy I don't want to waste time either. Best thing would be to see him play with another band or play with him myself. The thing is how to do that without wasting a lot of time.

My band leaders wanted a drummer who would be a one band guy, and learn the material, not just be a hired gun for the evening. I figured I better get busy and bring somebody I could deal with.

I found him at a party when we got thrown up on stage to play with some people we'd never met. I'd never met this drummer either. So, off we go in the first number (which neither of us knew, of course) and I see the drummer watching my right hand and listening. Score! This was months before I needed a drummer, but I had his number in my phone when I did.

If it's not an inside connection, I think a bassist looking should present a pretty complete picture of what he brings and what he's looking for. Putting together a My Space with pictures, sound clips, gigs and a bio, would separate me from the guy who tapped an ad between bong hits.

Everybody has had to relocate at some point, how do you hit the ground running and get yourself hooked up?

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

LOL! Definitely a few things to watch out for there!

About the drinking thing - my old pal Paul Raven made a fortune playing bass for Killing Joke, and they were absolutely smashed the entire time he was with them. They made a point of it and said it was part of the creative process.

He's dead now. Rock and roll.

Small world--Killing Joke's Ha! was the first "mint" record I ever sought out.

And then, of course, the bastards reissued it.

 

[jaywa]

In the case of the band I'm joining next week, my friend (who's currently playing bass for them even though he's really a guitarist) called me last fall already trying to recruit me and at that point the band I was in at the time was busy enough that I turned him down. Well, that band I was in ran out of gas at the beginning of this year so I talked to my friend to see if his band was still interested. Meanwhile my name had come up in conversation at the local music store (where I spend a lot of time and as much of my money as I can afford), and a guy who works there told my friend "you need to get him". So I had that going for me (which was nice).

At the same time, I had been maintaining my Myspace page all along with a current bio, pictures, dates of the gigs I was playing with various bands, and a complete gear list. So when I showed up at my friend's band's gig a couple months ago, the bandleader recognized me right away and I would up playing about 8 songs with them on that gig, totally unrehearsed. And then conversations went from there and we finally made it official a couple weeks ago.

To me anyway that is *so* much more preferable to blindly answering a bunch of CL or music store ads.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

I'll tell you one I've run into three times in the past two years:

Bass player wanted: Funk dance band wants bassist with chops to jump into gigging band... etc

You ask for the audition set list... and there are two funk songs out of ten tunes.

Turns out they need a *good* bassist for those few real funk songs, but they mostly play old top 40 that any knucklehead can play in his sleep... So take the gig and be 80% bored...


The last band I auditioned for ran a similar ad to this, so I was highly skeptical - but it turns out they are 100% funk / R&B so I'm pretty happy now - just about every tune is a bit challenging. No Skynard *or* Tom Petty! Woo hoo!

 

[bluewine]

My big red flag is gear. Or, more precisely, that is all the band leader (guitard) talks about during the first phone conversation. He has this bitchin' gear that is super awesome. I have discovered that an over emphasis on gear = less than stellar talent.

Good observation

 

[bluewine]

I'll tell you one I've run into three times in the past two years:

Bass player wanted: Funk dance band wants bassist with chops to jump into gigging band... etc

You ask for the audition set list... and there are two funk songs out of ten tunes.

Turns out they need a *good* bassist for those few real funk songs, but they mostly play old top 40 that any knucklehead can play in his sleep... So take the gig and be 80% bored...


The last band I auditioned for ran a similar ad to this, so I was highly skeptical - but it turns out they are 100% funk / R&B so I'm pretty happy now - just about every tune is a bit challenging. No Skynard *or* Tom Petty! Woo hoo!

It's really too bad, do you guys have any idea how many truely smokin local, regional and national funk bands we had back in the 70s.

We have nothing in the city for funk, maybe 1 or 2 bands at the most.

It's funny what a lot of people call funk bands today would have never cut it in the 70s.

Search funk bands on YouTube, if you hear anything good let me know.I am thinking your gonna hear a lot of crap.

 

[bluewine]

In the case of the band I'm joining next week, my friend (who's currently playing bass for them even though he's really a guitarist) called me last fall already trying to recruit me and at that point the band I was in at the time was busy enough that I turned him down. Well, that band I was in ran out of gas at the beginning of this year so I talked to my friend to see if his band was still interested. Meanwhile my name had come up in conversation at the local music store (where I spend a lot of time and as much of my money as I can afford), and a guy who works there told my friend "you need to get him". So I had that going for me (which was nice).

At the same time, I had been maintaining my Myspace page all along with a current bio, pictures, dates of the gigs I was playing with various bands, and a complete gear list. So when I showed up at my friend's band's gig a couple months ago, the bandleader recognized me right away and I would up playing about 8 songs with them on that gig, totally unrehearsed. And then conversations went from there and we finally made it official a couple weeks ago.

To me anyway that is *so* much more preferable to blindly answering a bunch of CL or music store ads.

I guess how I got into my curent band is not traditional blind audition.

I had auditioned 2 times for them back in September and lost to another bass player. I told them if anything goes wrong give me a call and I will be ready. (nice way of handling rejection for those of you who think I'm a creep)

Anway something did go wrong and I got a call from the lead singer in December asking me to audition again.I had to lug my full rig to 2 more auditions, but I got the job.

 

[bluewine]

Nothing wrong with any of these. Isn't the idea of playing music to have fun?

Two times per month is fine for someone who is working full time.

The today's crap comment is something that can be taken a lot of different ways. There are a few bands making decent music but most of it is crap.


Nothing wrong with a tribute band. The good ones make a lot more money than most cover or original bands.

Nothing wrong with a 38 year old trying to put together a talented band. Would you want him to say that he is trying to put a crappy band together?

I disagree, 1st of all is "sucking" is not fun.It is about fun, but a good band has to work hard, get good at all the important bench marks then you can have fun.

Gigging 2 xs a month is not good enough for someone trying to make a living.

On todays music, your just wrong end of discussion.

The 38 year old is a start up , guys looking for work want to get off the ground running, they are not looking for a start up that won't ever see it's first gig.


I think you might have missed this part of my thread;

This is just a list of wording in ads that any seasoned bass player looking for work (the kind that pays) should look at carefully.

These offers will be good for some guys but not guys leaving a paying opportunnity looking to join a working band;

 

[okcrum]

...
It's like complaining about aliens taking our jobs, when in fact they are taking our crappy jobs.

You may want to rethink this, unless you consider software/hardware engineering and IT systems admin to be "crappy jobs".

 

[bluewine]

Well except when you ticked off at your friends that didn't come out to see your band.

I get ticked and un-ticked, I'm human.

 

[bluewine]

I'm surprised by how much attention some folks pay to musician classified ads, so many of which by definition are a total waste of time.

IMO, word-of-mouth and friend-of-friend connections is a far more productive way to find bandmates.

Everybody is different:

Different levels and types of experience

New in town

For some those ads are the only resource they have, word of mouth might not be an option.