Tonight, I had an audition with a local band. I found these guys on Craigslist. From the ad,I could tell that I knew all the material, and they said they were all in their 40's like me, and were seasoned musicians. So I called the drummer up on the phone and talked to him for like an hour. He seemed pretty knowledgeable and sounded like a good guy. He said they had been playing around for the last couple of years a couple of times a month, and had lost their bass player when he moved out of town for work. So it sounded like it was at least worth an audition. So they sent me the song list, mostly classic rock. They had alot of stuff on their I had never heard anyone do, Journey, Styx, Van Halen. So I was like wow they must have a great singer and a great guitar player. So I was excited, and quickly brushed up on all the material. I already knew 90% of the set list, so I spent about 6 or 7 hours learning everything else to the T.
So I show up tonight, They have a nice PA, the Drummer has a killer set of Sonor drums. Im thinking to myself, yea this might be good. The guitar player had a little Marshall 2x12 combo, and the singer played acoustic and keyboards. He also had some nice gear as well. Then they all arrived and we talked for a few mins, questioning me on what I know on the set list. They were impressed that I said I know the whole set and we can just run thru the whole list from the top.
So the first song starts, and im like concentrating as hard as I can not to just stop and roll on the floor laughing my ass off. The singer sounded like someone tied his balls in a knot with surgical tubing. The guitar player had the thinnest crappiest 3rd grade guitar sound Ive ever heard, oh and the drummer? Geeze, I could put my 11 year old son behind the drums (and he has never played the drums except in the music store while I look at bass amps) and he would have been 100 times better than this guy. So I think about my next move while were limping our way thru the song. I decide, what the hell, I havnt played with a band in a year or so, and I do have this new little combo amp that ive never used with a band before. SO I decide I will just limp my way thru the night and make the best of it and show them how a REAL musician handles an awkward moment.
The whole time, song after song, was so excruciatingly painful to listen to that it was all i could do to keep from dieing laughing. I have never, in my entire 30 years of being a musician, heard 3 guys that butchered music the way these guys did. Im serious, If they practiced every day for the rest of their life, they still wouldn't have as much musical ability as I had after the first 20 minutes I had learning how to play bass when I was 14.
So, sometimes an audition just doesn't go as you expect it. I so wanted to tell them, that my first band in Junior High school kicked their ass so far in the ground that they should sell all their equipment and take up some other hobby, but being a professional, I just politely told them "Thank you" and I have another band im auditioning for tomorrow, and I will let them know in a day or two if I want to play with them again.
Hopefully the audition tomorrow goes MUCH better than this one.
So I show up tonight, They have a nice PA, the Drummer has a killer set of Sonor drums. Im thinking to myself, yea this might be good. The guitar player had a little Marshall 2x12 combo, and the singer played acoustic and keyboards. He also had some nice gear as well. Then they all arrived and we talked for a few mins, questioning me on what I know on the set list. They were impressed that I said I know the whole set and we can just run thru the whole list from the top.
So the first song starts, and im like concentrating as hard as I can not to just stop and roll on the floor laughing my ass off. The singer sounded like someone tied his balls in a knot with surgical tubing. The guitar player had the thinnest crappiest 3rd grade guitar sound Ive ever heard, oh and the drummer? Geeze, I could put my 11 year old son behind the drums (and he has never played the drums except in the music store while I look at bass amps) and he would have been 100 times better than this guy. So I think about my next move while were limping our way thru the song. I decide, what the hell, I havnt played with a band in a year or so, and I do have this new little combo amp that ive never used with a band before. SO I decide I will just limp my way thru the night and make the best of it and show them how a REAL musician handles an awkward moment.
The whole time, song after song, was so excruciatingly painful to listen to that it was all i could do to keep from dieing laughing. I have never, in my entire 30 years of being a musician, heard 3 guys that butchered music the way these guys did. Im serious, If they practiced every day for the rest of their life, they still wouldn't have as much musical ability as I had after the first 20 minutes I had learning how to play bass when I was 14.
So, sometimes an audition just doesn't go as you expect it. I so wanted to tell them, that my first band in Junior High school kicked their ass so far in the ground that they should sell all their equipment and take up some other hobby, but being a professional, I just politely told them "Thank you" and I have another band im auditioning for tomorrow, and I will let them know in a day or two if I want to play with them again.
Hopefully the audition tomorrow goes MUCH better than this one.
