Amen... Just gave up on 2 guys that are big talkers, but could not play there instruments.
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Time waster flags
- Thread starter SBassman
- Start date
Amen... Just gave up on 2 guys that are big talkers, but could not play there instruments.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Band leaders who lack communication and leadership skills are huge time wasters. Never again!
Time waster flags:
1. Frequent incoming phone calls from band members. (Wow, five times in one week. I'm so lucky. Uh, shouldn't you be practicing material or something?)
2. Long incoming phone calls from band members. (I don't care about your brother's hemorrhoids. And, uh, shouldn't you be practicing material or something?)
3. Failing to learn (correctly) agreed-on material. Could indicate lack of talent, or lack of time to get the work done.
4. Noodling away at non-list material at rehearsals. Indicates lack of focus. Definitely shows lack of respect for others' time.
5. Taking more than a minute to dial in settings. Indicates non-familiarity with equipment.
6. Smartphone essentially glued to palm during pauses between songs. (It won't kill you if you don't read/send that txt.) Problem with attention span and/or commitment to the work.
7. Being late to rehearsals. This is a sign of disrespect, plain & simple.
8. Incompetence that doesn't manifest itself until later on. But I guess that really doesn't qualify as a flag, 'cause it surprises you.
9. Conversations during rehearsal that don't directly relate to what's being played. (I don't give a rat's rear end about how well your stupid favorite ball club is doing in the playoffs.) Again, problem with attention span and/or commitment to the work.
10. Instrument brought into rehearsal out of tune, and/or constantly needs re-tuning. (Good luck with that on stage, bud.) Lack of commitment, or failure to understand the instrument's needs/workings.
11. Playing instruments at rehearsals that won't be used on stage. Lack of clear, logical thinking.
12. Forgetting to bring something crucial to a rehearsal. Undisciplined thinking, poor preparation.
13. Doped up and bouncing off the walls. Could point to personality problems, definitely a sign of disrespect.
14. Doped down and only barely functional. Could point to personality problems, definitely a sign of disrespect.
15. Charts a mess at rehearsal, out of order. Lack of preparation.
16. No script for rehearsals. (What should we play next? I don't know, what do YOU think we should play next? I don't know, what do YOU think . . .)
17. Conducting business at rehearsals, rather than only rehearsing songs.
18. Postponing or dumping a song that was previously agreed upon. (Oh great, I spent three hours indoors on a nice sunny day learning that pathetic POS for nothing.) It will happen again. Failure to keep commitments. Sign of disrespect for others' time.
19. Not dumping a song that's clearly going nowhere. (How many times must we assault the composer before we realize we're committing battery?) It will happen again. Bad ear and/or bad judgment.
20. One or more of the other members has a "noisy" personal life. Either money problems or car problems or job problems or spouse problems or gf/bf problems or too many parenting responsibilities.
21. No designated secretary to keep and distribute (email) rehearsal notes, and no desire to have one. Lack of discipline. Avoiding responsibility for deliverables. It means you're in a "fun band." Good luck, bud. See below.
21a. When they describe the band to you, they say, "We want it to be fun." Yikes, man, that's the Gold Standard of time-wasting flags. Run like hell is my advice. Unless you like . . . wasting your time.
1. Frequent incoming phone calls from band members. (Wow, five times in one week. I'm so lucky. Uh, shouldn't you be practicing material or something?)
2. Long incoming phone calls from band members. (I don't care about your brother's hemorrhoids. And, uh, shouldn't you be practicing material or something?)
3. Failing to learn (correctly) agreed-on material. Could indicate lack of talent, or lack of time to get the work done.
4. Noodling away at non-list material at rehearsals. Indicates lack of focus. Definitely shows lack of respect for others' time.
5. Taking more than a minute to dial in settings. Indicates non-familiarity with equipment.
6. Smartphone essentially glued to palm during pauses between songs. (It won't kill you if you don't read/send that txt.) Problem with attention span and/or commitment to the work.
7. Being late to rehearsals. This is a sign of disrespect, plain & simple.
8. Incompetence that doesn't manifest itself until later on. But I guess that really doesn't qualify as a flag, 'cause it surprises you.
9. Conversations during rehearsal that don't directly relate to what's being played. (I don't give a rat's rear end about how well your stupid favorite ball club is doing in the playoffs.) Again, problem with attention span and/or commitment to the work.
10. Instrument brought into rehearsal out of tune, and/or constantly needs re-tuning. (Good luck with that on stage, bud.) Lack of commitment, or failure to understand the instrument's needs/workings.
11. Playing instruments at rehearsals that won't be used on stage. Lack of clear, logical thinking.
12. Forgetting to bring something crucial to a rehearsal. Undisciplined thinking, poor preparation.
13. Doped up and bouncing off the walls. Could point to personality problems, definitely a sign of disrespect.
14. Doped down and only barely functional. Could point to personality problems, definitely a sign of disrespect.
15. Charts a mess at rehearsal, out of order. Lack of preparation.
16. No script for rehearsals. (What should we play next? I don't know, what do YOU think we should play next? I don't know, what do YOU think . . .)
17. Conducting business at rehearsals, rather than only rehearsing songs.
18. Postponing or dumping a song that was previously agreed upon. (Oh great, I spent three hours indoors on a nice sunny day learning that pathetic POS for nothing.) It will happen again. Failure to keep commitments. Sign of disrespect for others' time.
19. Not dumping a song that's clearly going nowhere. (How many times must we assault the composer before we realize we're committing battery?) It will happen again. Bad ear and/or bad judgment.
20. One or more of the other members has a "noisy" personal life. Either money problems or car problems or job problems or spouse problems or gf/bf problems or too many parenting responsibilities.
21. No designated secretary to keep and distribute (email) rehearsal notes, and no desire to have one. Lack of discipline. Avoiding responsibility for deliverables. It means you're in a "fun band." Good luck, bud. See below.
21a. When they describe the band to you, they say, "We want it to be fun." Yikes, man, that's the Gold Standard of time-wasting flags. Run like hell is my advice. Unless you like . . . wasting your time.
Unfortunately, I have been briefly exposed to some of the CL dregs. However, as far as I'm concerned the question shouldn't have to be asked in an ad, since if you somehow BS'd your way into an audition and don't have your own instrument or transportation, you've just had your first and final visit with the band.
I always get the impression that a band that has to ask that question has some pretty low standards to begin with.
Yes, it's like there is a template!
I also like "lookin' to play out in a month" as if it's easy to start a band and be playin' out in a month.
I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. A band that alleges to be working and has no web presence: Perhaps they're feeding you a line of crap. But a band that is gig-ready except the final piece...sometimes, it's better to hold off on marketing materials until you truly ARE ready to gig. I've seen bands that have had a web presence and such who still didn't have all of the pieces together, some even for years.Maybe others view it differently, but it always came off as lame and high schoolish to me. That's a bigger flag for me than a band who is ready to gig but hasn't created a Facebook as of yet.
I agree.
For the past 2 years this singer and 2 guitar players ( I will not call them a band) have been running a ad here looking for a drummer and bassist. They have the most professional web site and facebook page I have seen. All the photos are professionally done. But they are ready to gig and have dates lined up. All they need is a drummer and bassist. Some time it changes so they just need one or the other and then both again.....
Yeah, that whole "I just want to have fun" thing has always annoyed me, because it's usually said by someone who is failing to play something right.
Do you know what's FUN?
Coming across like a well-rehearsed, professional, ass-kicking ROCK AND ROLL BAND, and impressing and entertaining all the people that matter with a good, solid performance.
THAT'S WHAT'S FUN!!!
Do you know what's FUN?
Coming across like a well-rehearsed, professional, ass-kicking ROCK AND ROLL BAND, and impressing and entertaining all the people that matter with a good, solid performance.
THAT'S WHAT'S FUN!!!
Yeah, when I see the We want to have fun, it means we want to hang out, BS, drink and jam a little
A lot of Bands are people who get together and drink beer. Or something similar. As long as everyone's on the same page it works.
But I have to say this. It seems like there money in them thar bars again. I recently got the axe from the corp world and want to play again. Just about everyone says you can make a 100 bucks a night pretty easy. This may not be back in the day of the 18 yo drinking age when Louie Louie and Gloria would get a gig that pays but it's much better than the mid 80 to late 90s when a band would car pool simpley because they wouldn't be able to pay for gas if they didn't.
But I have to say this. It seems like there money in them thar bars again. I recently got the axe from the corp world and want to play again. Just about everyone says you can make a 100 bucks a night pretty easy. This may not be back in the day of the 18 yo drinking age when Louie Louie and Gloria would get a gig that pays but it's much better than the mid 80 to late 90s when a band would car pool simpley because they wouldn't be able to pay for gas if they didn't.
6. Smartphone essentially glued to palm during pauses between songs. (It won't kill you if you don't read/send that txt.) Problem with attention span and/or commitment to the work.
Words cannot express how much I detest people giving their cellphone higher priority than the job at hand. Whether that's a meeting, reherasal, gig, whatever. When I joined my current band they had a chick singer (no longer with us) who used to text, on stage, during the songs. She played keyboards and would be Facebooking on her cell phone when she didn't have a part to play. Un-effing-believable. I don't even usually have my cellphone turned on during rehearsals and when I'm on a live gig it doesn't even come on stage with me.
Coming across like a well-rehearsed, professional, ass-kicking ROCK AND ROLL BAND, and impressing and entertaining all the people that matter with a good, solid performance.
THAT'S WHAT'S FUN!!!
I could not agree with this more, and I've had this exact conversation with various bandmates over the years. Playing bad cover tunes poorly is not fun and is a waste of my time as well as whoever hired me/us.
Words cannot express how much I detest people giving their cellphone higher priority than the job at hand. Whether that's a meeting, reherasal, gig, whatever. When I joined my current band they had a chick singer (no longer with us) who used to text, on stage, during the songs. She played keyboards and would be Facebooking on her cell phone when she didn't have a part to play. Un-effing-believable. I don't even usually have my cellphone turned on during rehearsals and when I'm on a live gig it doesn't even come on stage with me.
Coming across like a well-rehearsed, professional, ass-kicking ROCK AND ROLL BAND, and impressing and entertaining all the people that matter with a good, solid performance.
THAT'S WHAT'S FUN!!!
I could not agree with this more, and I've had this exact conversation with various bandmates over the years. Playing bad cover tunes poorly is not fun and is a waste of my time as well as whoever hired me/us.
I agree with most of these. Some are outrageously anal, but for the most part, not bad. I will say that, taking all of these in total as red flags would mean that there will be very few opportunities to play.....ever.
The current band I'm in has had a youtube account, a facebook and myspace page from the second day we were 'formed'. All by the over exuberant drummer in a two hour window and without the knowledge of the rest of the band until he proudly announced that were were 'all set up' online. Even after almost two months, I still don't have the confidence to put my face with the project.
A project that is currently languishing in the time / space continuum has a reverbnation account that looks really good and I was sucked into it by the BL until the first practice when I realized that he had spent very waking moment polishing the site but had zero ability to pull anything off with other musicians. He still had to read his own lyrics from a binder of notes.
It's easy to make yourself look like a polished, well established band online. You have to read carefully between the lines to find the time wasters.
I hear ya. I can only have fun and maintain interest IF I have confidence that we'll give a solid performance. Some bands have "gigs" (usually freebies!) lined up before they have enough music together to do even one solid set. They then tack on a dozen "easy ones", that inevitably turn into train wrecks on stage.
jive1
Commercial User
It's a good list. But unless your band is a full-time job that earns enough that you don't need a day job, it's unrealistic to have that list be adhered to always. If your band is the number 1 priority, maybe. But for many it's not, and it shouldn't. If you've been in a band for a long time, you're gonna have to give a little.
Life happens. Sometimes people are late due to legitimate issues. Sometimes people are unprepared because of other priorities in their lives at the time. The issue is when those behaviors become persistent. Heck even my day job will give a little if family matters come up, why shouldn't a band?
butchblack
Life is short. Do good. Find and do what you love.
As a Weekend warrior I agree, to a point. At some point something is going to come up in everybody's life, that's understandable. It's also different from the person who is never prepared, or always late, or misses rehearsals often on short notice, etc. Their intentions may be good but if their life is in that much chaos all of the time they may be more trouble then they are worth. It doesn't make them a bad person it just makes it hard to deal with them on a business level, which is what a working band is.
jive1
Commercial User
Sure guys who just want to have fun can waste the time of the guy who wants to gig and make money. But, it can also go the other way around. If you have a bunch of guys whose main goal is just to get together and jam, and there's a guy who wants to spend time on promotion, booking, learning dance tunes, etc. the "pro" is wasting the time of the "amateurs" by trying to get involved in stuff that's not in line with their goals, which is just to cut loose and have fun. I quit a band like that because I realized, I was wasting their time as well as mine.
Many times, time wasting is a result of a misalignment of goals and priorities. That's why it's always best to put your cards on the table.
Many times, time wasting is a result of a misalignment of goals and priorities. That's why it's always best to put your cards on the table.
jive1
Commercial User
That's definitely true. There are guys who have personal matters who don't have time/energy for a band whether they realize it or not. What I was saying is that, as long as the behavior isn't persistent, we need to flex a little. Life happens, and it happens to some more than others. But it's really up to the individual and bandmates to determine whether or not it's in the way.
jive1
Commercial User
I agree with alot of what you said, but the extreme in the other end isn't productive either. The band that practices unceasingly, waiting to have everything together before they will do anything related to getting a gig.
IME, I do all the promo stuff like website, photos, demo, etc. in the beginning. That's gets the flakes or fence sitters identified immediately, and even if they flake out you have at least something to show for your efforts like a band photo, demo, etc. which will make it easier to book gigs and find replacements.
What's worse for me is to put in the time to put an act together, and then by the time you want to put in the effort to put the materials together, they flake. That could be months wasted with nothing to show for it. IME, the effort required to get gigs is when the rubber meets the road, and when you will see people start to flake out. I'd rather get that out of the way in the beginning.
And if you can get a band together like I did, a website with no band can still get you a gig.
