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Red flags? Should I run?

#143
DoctorZee said:
Is it just me, or is this songwriter/BL showing me some red flags? Should I try to back out gracefully? This is a long story, but you might enjoy it.

BL is the female singer and songwriter. She has a guitarist and drummer and is just seeking a bassist to round out the group. Because we are all busy adults, she's realistic about time commitments (something I like!) and suggests a "virtual audition." I can record over two of the band's rehearsal tracks and send them back. Works for me.

So, I take a pass at the tracks and send them along. She is appreciative and complimentary but says she has a few "changes." She sends me a handful of sound clips: either her plunking out a bassline on the keyboard, or clips of her old bassist playing on the tune. ("I really like what he did here.") Mostly she's asking me to play less, which is not such a big deal.

But I asked her, "just so I'm clear, is this still part of the 'audition,' or are we collaborating on the songs now?" She says I should still come in later for an in-person audition, but she'd love it if I could re-record the samples. Okay, sure, I guess.

So, I do that. And because she didn't say it needed to be note for note, and honestly, I don't have the time for this crap, I don't learn all of her old bassist's parts precisely, but I cop the vibe of it. I send it back.

Now, I am asked to go back and study it again and resubmit. And she sends me some weirdly nitpicky notes. Like, if I played three quarter notes and two eighth notes, she sends me four straight quarter notes. I'm thinking: this is still an "audition?" Can we not just work this out in rehearsal? And she says---which I think is telling---"Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians have had trouble with this song."

Am I being a jerk, or is this BL going to be really difficult to work with?
Click to expand...

You might ask her at this point to send you the chart of what she wants played, and tell her the charge is???? Sound to me like she is using your parts, of which thanks to modern technology, to cobble together a bass part. I’d pass.
 
#144
I've seen thousands of books and videos about how to play instruments, but very few about how to be a good band leader. There seems to be a need, if not a willing market (a band leader joke, sort of). I wonder if a long, incisive thread could be started here on the subject, be published, and turn a profit?

Tom
 
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#145
I get wanting to meet in person regardless of how the recording you sent sounds. Even if I loved it, I'd want to meet the candidate and get a feel for if we'd all get along.

Asking for you to re-record it is definitely asking a bit much of you at this point in the process.
 
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#146
Bill Wyman has a story in his book wherein his band was recording a track and the lead singer complained he didn’t like the bass part. Bill believed his bass part was good and he asked the rhythm guitar player what he should do. The guitarist told him to just play the same thing, so Bill did, and the lead singer responded: “That’s better.”
 
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#147
tr4252 said:
I've seen thousands of books and videos about how to play instruments, but very few about how to be a good band leader. There seems to be a need, if not a willing market (a band leader joke, sort of). I wonder if a long, incisive thread could be started here on the subject, be published, and turn a profit?

Tom
Click to expand...

I actually wouldn’t be surprised at all if there were a market for that. A guy made money years ago writing a book on how to lead a World of Warcraft guild, the audience for a band leadership guide is probably smaller but I would hope more serious about the job.
 
#148
DoctorZee said:
Is it just me, or is this songwriter/BL showing me some red flags? Should I try to back out gracefully? This is a long story, but you might enjoy it.

BL is the female singer and songwriter. She has a guitarist and drummer and is just seeking a bassist to round out the group. Because we are all busy adults, she's realistic about time commitments (something I like!) and suggests a "virtual audition." I can record over two of the band's rehearsal tracks and send them back. Works for me.

So, I take a pass at the tracks and send them along. She is appreciative and complimentary but says she has a few "changes." She sends me a handful of sound clips: either her plunking out a bassline on the keyboard, or clips of her old bassist playing on the tune. ("I really like what he did here.") Mostly she's asking me to play less, which is not such a big deal.

But I asked her, "just so I'm clear, is this still part of the 'audition,' or are we collaborating on the songs now?" She says I should still come in later for an in-person audition, but she'd love it if I could re-record the samples. Okay, sure, I guess.

So, I do that. And because she didn't say it needed to be note for note, and honestly, I don't have the time for this crap, I don't learn all of her old bassist's parts precisely, but I cop the vibe of it. I send it back.

Now, I am asked to go back and study it again and resubmit. And she sends me some weirdly nitpicky notes. Like, if I played three quarter notes and two eighth notes, she sends me four straight quarter notes. I'm thinking: this is still an "audition?" Can we not just work this out in rehearsal? And she says---which I think is telling---"Don't feel bad, all the previous musicians have had trouble with this song."

Am I being a jerk, or is this BL going to be really difficult to work with?
Click to expand...

I always say (when I get invited to play bass for a specific band) that if they want the sound and lines of their previous player they should in fact invite him/her back in.

I am myself, not someone else.
 
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#156
If you are not able to be yourself and play the music with your own feel then they are just looking for a hired hand or machine. Not a band mate.

I joined an original band recently. I learned the parts from the demo but added just a touch of my own style. They loved it. They said I made improvements to the overall sound of the band. That's what you should seek out.
 
#160
tr4252 said:
I've seen thousands of books and videos about how to play instruments, but very few about how to be a good band leader. There seems to be a need, if not a willing market (a band leader joke, sort of). I wonder if a long, incisive thread could be started here on the subject, be published, and turn a profit?
Click to expand...
Read 'Band:Smart' by Martin Atkins.
And 'Tour:Smart' if you can find a copy (I got mine pre-owned via Amazon).
 

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