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Strictly amateur hour...

#21
two fingers said:
1) I don't even have to know where you are to know that they did NOT get "dozens" of responses. Period.
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I'm with you on all the rest. And while dozens is probably a big exaggeration, I wouldn't be surprised if there were many responses. Easily more than 10. I don't know what it is about the Greater Philadelphia metro area, but we are awash in bass players. I think there's more bass players than any other instrument. I have been to open blues jams where 6 bass players and zero guitarists showed up. It's quite amazing.
 
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#23
Killing Floor said:
I think you misinterpreted the situation.

You came in with all these preconceived notions about pro bassist this and gig that and rehearsal and set list and whatever. All they want is to find someone that nobody will come looking for when they can kidnap and eat them.
You do your thing and let them do their thing.
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Pretty much the weekend warrior SOP...I’m in the club. Full time weekday jobs, honey-do’s & home repairs Saturday, rehearsal 1-2 Sundays per month. Not working the pro circuit but getting low-dough gigs none the less.

Riis
 
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#25
Nah... good to see the writing on the wall now. There is a lot of this type of stuff out there, just need to weed through them to find something else that is worth it. Sometimes you go through a couple, sometimes you go through 20+...
 
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#32
4SG said:
Kill all your Friday nights to rehash a basic set and play out once in a while?
View attachment 4617133
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I was in that band when I first decided to get back into music. Figured I would ease into music with something that wouldn't be so hard to brush up, so I started working as a second singer in a cover band. I was supposed to share leads with the other singer, who was admittedly very good, but the reality was that my actual role was more as a harmonist, which I accepted, since I'm good at that, and not many people are.

But...

This band practiced every Friday night for a YEAR trying to put three sets of music together to the BLs liking. Every. Friday. Night. In all that time we played ONE show that no one told me about until the week before we were supposed to play it.

Eventually I begged off rehearsal one Friday because I had a bad headache (I get migraines) and the BL tried to guilt me over it, so I told him he could take his band and stick it where the sun don't shine. I actually offered to stick around until they found someone else, but once the bad blood was out there he didn't really want to accept that offer, which was fine by me. The band folded not long after.

That band was pretty good, but it was cringey when they'd have a problem with a chord change or a slash chord or something and, as a singer, I wanted to tell them what the proper chords were but I didn't feel like I had a right to intervene.

After I left that group I realized I had to get my instrumental chops back together because I wasn't going to be walked over as if I'm some sort of diva singer and that's all I have to offer. So, all in all, they did me a favor. I'm still in touch with the drummer from that group and I'm sure he's watched as I've moved through various bands as a bassist through the years. I sometimes wonder what he thought then versus what he thinks now.

Doesn't matter much.
 
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#33
levis76 said:
I find hobbyists to have some of the highest demands, and I suppose that’s because they can. It’s only their hobby after all.
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All the real working bands I have ever been did not have time for rehearsals because they played multiple nights per week. Gigs are all the rehearsal you need in that situation.

I have been in touring bands that supported recording artists that did rehearse quite a bit. But those bands did not work that much outside of their tours, and everyone needed to do other work to support their music habit.
 
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#34
levis76 said:
3 hours every Friday evening is demanding for some, sounded like it was to the OP.
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I think that's a bit much, too. Not so much for the spousal team as they only have to walk from the kitchen to the garage. If they're using the so-called rehearsal time to learn their material...often the case...I'm outta there.

Riis
 
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#36
lfmn16 said:
Different people have different goals, skill levels and expectations. I’m not sure why we have to disparage them for it.
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I don't think we do. But I do think that if we don't hold up counter examples of professionalism, it's easy for people to think that's all there is.

This board is dominated by people who do hobby-level work, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not out of the question that people who aspire to more might also want to have a voice now and then, and not have that shut down by comments like this.
 

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