Should I join this band?

[guy n. cognito]

I'm leaning towards telling the BL how I'm excited about the opportunity and am willing to play but don't like the music, and letting him determine if that's a problem for them.

Do it! Let us know how it goes....

 

[Joe Nerve]

I agree there's not much point in telling the BL you don't like the music but you want to be in the band anyway. Either you want to be in the band or you don't.

I've posted it many times before, but this is a good moment for my Summer of 69 story. I always HATED that song, long before I played bass, would switch the radio dial when it came on. A few years ago I joined a classic rock band. We didn't play it every gig, but when there was a certain type of dancing crowd we would pull it out and people always loved it and sang along. I dutifully learned it and put up with playing it because I had to.

Then, after a year or year and a half with this group, we were playing this big backyard BBQ party, the BL hits those A chords and sings "I got my first real 6-string..." and everyone jumps up cheering and singing along, I come in with the bass, and all of a sudden it occurs to me... I'm ENJOYING myself. It was FUN.

I still don't particularly like the song, wouldn't put it on to listen to in the car. But what I realized is that I like entertaining people. I love the energy off a crowd of people getting into the music and having fun. It doesn't have to be MY personal favorite music. I enjoy the connection to people and the joy it gives them.

We often repeat the mantra that being in a band is about the sacred trinity of music, money, and hang. But I would add a fourth - it's also about the crowd, to me. If I'm making people happy, I'm happy.

Apologies for the derail, but I just aquired my own Summer of 69 story, and thought I'd share .

I played at the wedding of the previous bass player in my new band this weekend. He, of course, got up to play a handful of tunes. Summer of 69 was on that list, a song that's not in my repertoire, but that he knows and they often did. He finishes playing about 6 or 7 songs, I get up, drummer starts doing a steady beat to a tune I never heard or played with them. We play to tracks, and once things get going, that it - they're on. As in your story, I hear those words, "I got my first real six string..." and I start shaking my head NO!!!!! Too late. I learned Summer of 69 on the spot, with the help of 2 guitarists projecting the chords very clearly. In most situations that wouldn't have been a big deal to me, at a wedding though - it's a little different. I feel like bad notes are amplified 10 fold. Anyhow, it was just a mess for the first few chords. Thankfully, it's not the toughest song ever written.

Getting back to the OP... if someone thinks Luke Bryan is pretty simple stuff I really don't think they have what it takes to be a part of a happening country band. True, it's not Jaco, but to lock in, play with the right heart and feel, and really make that music work the way it should - isn't easy. Sure, my wife (who isn't a musician) could play the roots to those songs and fake her way through them if she wanted. It's not going to sound anything though like if someone who knows what they're doing is playing it.

I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. No tolerance this morning for musicians who want to half ass things and do them just to do them. Get offa my lawn!!!!!

Apoligies to the OP - it's me today, not you .

 

[bfields]

I'm leaning towards telling the BL how I'm excited about the opportunity and am willing to play but don't like the music, and letting him determine if that's a problem for them.

Agreed with everyone that you want to tread *very* carefully there. Among other problems, they might have trouble separating "the music" from "the band", so they may hear that as "I don't like your band", even that's not at all what you meant. No sense burning bridges unnecessarily. If you've got to say something like this, you need to practice some extreme tact. The closest I'd personally come get would be admitting some ignorance. "I've never really followed that genre", or whatever.

Also, if you take the gig it'll basically be your job to be enthusiastic about the music. If you can't at least do a credible job of pretending, then nobody's going to have fun.

In your shoes, I might take it--but that's only because I know my tastes change. And that's something I find very rewarding. When there's some genre that I don't like, but that a lot of people do, and that I know objectively has stuff going for it--I know that's an opportunity for me to learn something.

That's just talking about the music itself. There's lyrics and all sorts of cultural baggage and even politics that can come along with music, and I can see that being harder if it really feels contrary to your values. But I'd think that would depend more on the particular people than on the genre.

 

[PauFerro]

I can give the perspective of a BL. I wouldn't want you if your only motive was money and maybe perfroming, you didn't like the music, and there were going to be conflicts with the originals band you are in. I want people who love the music, for whom pay is important but not the top priority, and have no other projects they consider consistently more important. They can have other projects, but they balance them all given the needs of each band,

So, for the sake of the BL, say No to this one and find a situation where you like the music. I have a feeling it won't work out based on what you told me, anyway. You won't be motivated to practice, and you probably wont' enjoy performing after the initial rush wears off.

Find a new situation where you at least like the music. This situation would be so desireable to you musically and performance-wise that you feel you can tell the originals band that you have made a commitment to a professional band -- and that the originals band may have to take a back seat to that at different times.

 

[fishdreams]

OP: everyone has doubts. However, if you step into that situation with misgivings (whether you voice them or not) you are also robbing yourself of the chance to discover something about yourself that you didn't know yet. Those discoveries are the best ones.

 

[dan1952]

Hey! You've been on the same circuit as me! LOL! The only one you missed was what we called in Seattle the Rock and Egg Roll circuit. For some odd reason we played many Chinese restauraunts wherever they sold hard liquor in the big dark room in the back. Lots of Eddie Rabbit, Englebert, Atlanta Rhythm Section--radio schlep. We didn't make much but one of our perks was barbecue pork and a combo dinner!

Hahaha! I actually played the Chinese restaurant circuit, too! At the last one, the owner came to the band on Saturday night and said (imagine heavy Chinese accent), "Better take equipment out tonight, might be a fire or something!" Yup, you guessed it..."someone" torched the place that night!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Hahaha! I actually played the Chinese restaurant circuit, too! At the last one, the owner came to the band on Saturday night and said (imagine heavy Chinese accent), "Better take equipment out tonight, might be a fire or something!" Yup, you guessed it..."someone" torched the place that night!

 

[gln1955]

I'm leaning towards telling the BL how I'm excited about the opportunity and am willing to play but don't like the music, and letting him determine if that's a problem for them.

Tell them that and I'll bet your Saturdays will be free for your other project.