I am the band leader of an extremely busy 9 piece band. While our turnover rate is virtually non-existent, we do need to hold auditions from time to time. The fact that they wanted to audition the other bass player tells me that they were most likely not convinced that you were 'the one' on the spot. But there are other possibilities as well; maybe someone in the band has a relationship with the other auditioning bass player. If the other candidate is indeed friends with someone associated with the band, a necessity to reschedule would simply go without saying. Either way, as a band leader, I would have viewed your approach as a red flag. It is incredibly important for band members to be flexible, and to be selfless team players with some ability to compromise from time to time. When I am evaluating talent, the candidates nature , personality, and level of professionalism are weighed equally with musical abilty. There are a lot of great players out there to choose from so personality is key. If someone told me they were a pro player, I would deduce that they are A)insecure about their playing, or B) think they are better than everyone else. In your post, you take a 'well they are just a 'startup' attitude and 'I don't really care' sort of approach in my view. I would bet they have picked up on this...another red flag. Every successful band was just a startup at one point and btw, it is at the startup point that such an attitude can be most harmful. In order to get a cover band off the ground, the players must be even more dedicated during the start up phase because you will have to play less desirable venues for less money in order to get tighter as a band and begin to build a reputation. During our first year, the members of my 9 piece band did whatever it took to gain exposure and experience, often playing for $500 or less. Now, we command fees in the $4000 to $6000 range and are very well payed by the 'it' clubs of the moment. Chances are, the members of the band you auditioned for are looking for the level of dedication required to be successful and the maturity to understand that startups are an 'investment' at first. If I had auditioned you, I would have appreciated your ultimatum in the sense that it provides a valuable insight into how you might face adversity. In the meantime, I would continue my search for a player that told me they would be relly excited to be a part of the project and ready to put in a lot of hard work should they earn a position in the project. Best wishes.
