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What would you do in this situation...?

#21
Take the money and play. Do the best you can for every song you record (regardless of your opinion of the music) and you will get a good reputation and people will start asking for you for their recordings.

If you start doing much of this, consider joining the musicians union. They get paid by the hour with a 3-hour minimum (3-hour session) and they get a royalty cut at the end of the year, which can add up quite nicely if you do much in the way of session work. The way that "royalty" works is that the record companies pay the Musician's union "X" amount of money for every release. At the end of the year you get a cut of that money depending upon how many union sessions you played.
 
#22
Making any money as a musician is way rarer than these forums would lead you to believe. Grit your teeth, give it your best, and be/act professional. Never burn bridges, rather make connections. I've played plenty of gigs with people I didn't quite gel with (hated), doing music I would never listen to again. So what. Never turn down a gig, because the phone will stop ringing at some point. It's music. It's experience. It's opportunity. Oh, and take the money too. A bad day in the studio beats the best day at work.
 
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#24
I'd personally be fine with an hourly rate doing studio work for music I don't like. It beats the hell out of a four hour gig doing the same, except with the four hour gig there's more lifting and fake smiling. The idea, or fear of "phoning it in" should really be a non issue, so long as you approach it professionally. Regardless of the style of music you're performing, perform to your best ability on the job. Period.
 
#26
ThePresident777 said:
I have the suspicion that they will drive you crazy in the studio. Do you think they'll let you play in peace or will they micro manage you?
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I thought about that too. Specially since I rejected the offer to join them. Like... an ego issue. But anyway, i can't be really serious about this thoughts since i don't even know them yet.
 
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#27
andres3195 said:
Hello talkbass people! I've been asked to join a band, but I rejected the offer because I find their music awful. Seriously, AWFUL. The thing is after I rejected it they asked me to help them (play the bass lines) in the album they are going to record soon, and pay me as a session bass player.
What would you do?
P/S: It's actually the first time I think of music as something that generates cash lol. Always played for the sake of just creating music. Never recorded an album either.
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If you'd enjoy getting paid to do the work based on the amount being offered, or truly need the money, do it. If not, pass the opportunity along to someone will or does.

Your time is easily the most valuable commodity you possess.

As a working session player in LA for the last decade plus, I would never work on anything I thought was AWFUL unless the pay was absurd enough; anything else is simply a waste of your time.
 
#28
Rip Van Dan said:
Take the money and play. Do the best you can for every song you record (regardless of your opinion of the music) and you will get a good reputation and people will start asking for you for their recordings.

If you start doing much of this, consider joining the musicians union. They get paid by the hour with a 3-hour minimum (3-hour session) and they get a royalty cut at the end of the year, which can add up quite nicely if you do much in the way of session work. The way that "royalty" works is that the record companies pay the Musician's union "X" amount of money for every release. At the end of the year you get a cut of that money depending upon how many union sessions you played.
Click to expand...

Joining the union only matters if you actually do a lot of work through the union; the vast majority of work isn't through the union.
 
#31
It never hurts to do session work or even fill in gigs. The more people you play with, the better your playing will be and you will develop a reputation for being a reliable bass player who can play different styles. I have a friend who has played with many well known musicians including John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, Todd Rungren and many others. I once asked how he was getting so many quality gigs. He said, "play with as many people as possible, show up on time, show up prepared and don't be a dick. Realize that your job is make the artist or band that hired you sound good".
 
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#33
Seriously?

Session work is session work. If you think you can handle the job, there's no shame in getting hired to play. No matter how bad the music.

Do you consider yourself a professional? If so, what's your question?
 
#35
Take the recording gig, but tell them YOUR artistic name is Blammo Klusterfox and you want to be credited as such. That way, you can get the $ and the experience of doing a recording project, where you can let loose without regard to worrying about perfection , but never be embarrassed later by a connection to a lame CD with your name attached to it.
 
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#36
Kmonk said:
It never hurts to do session work or even fill in gigs. The more people you play with, the better your playing will be and you will develop a reputation for being a reliable bass player who can play different styles. I have a friend who has played with many well known musicians including John Entwistle, Jack Bruce, Todd Rungren and many others. I once asked how he was getting so many quality gigs. He said, "play with as many people as possible, show up on time, show up prepared and don't be a dick. Realize that your job is make the artist or band that hired you sound good".
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I get your point but I can't see how playing with an awful band could take me to play with great musicians. I mean... they are really bad.
 
#37
Plutonium244 said:
Take the recording gig, but tell them YOUR artistic name is Blammo Klusterfox and you want to be credited as such. That way, you can get the $ and the experience of doing a recording project, where you can let loose without regard to worrying about perfection , but never be embarrassed later by a connection to a lame CD with your name attached to it.
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LMAO. That's another option!
 
#38
andres3195 said:
I get your point but I can't see how playing with an awful band could take me to play with great musicians. I mean... they are really bad.
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Bean Theory.

Don't ask "How does this one gig translate directly into other gigs?" Rather, think of the process of gaining professional stature as a funnel, that you are placing beans into at the top. Eventually, if you put enough beans in the top of the funnel-- any beans, any kind-- then you'll start to get beans back out the bottom. You won't know specifically which bean it was that pushed a bean out the bottom but you WILL know that the payback is from the patient way you kept filling the top with beans.
 

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