• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

What's with all the live auditions?

Bullitt5135

Bullitt5135

Nov 16, 2010
2,058
4,162
SE Michigan
#1
Sitting here in my car waiting to go into a bar for a mini-audition with my band. Apparently, club owners around here don't care to look at your website/YouTube to check you out. So I get to invest roughly 4+ hours, a bunch of gas, and getting to bed after 1am on a week night in hopes of landing a full gig for $300-ish down the road. I know its not about the money, but this kind of blows. We'll he lucky if they give us time for 6 songs. Oh well... Such is life for the weekend warrior, I suppose.

How do you TBers view these auditions? Necessary evil?
 
#2
Yes, necessary evil. We were tying to get in this one place...a really busy hotspot...and it was about 50 minutes away from where I live. We traveled down there (everyone but the singer lived far away from this place) and they canceled on us twice once we got there! The second time they felt bad and booked us without hearing us live. Stinks but, sometimes you have to do it.
 
#4
Same here! Play for free and they expect it. I used to play with someone who did that and now I have to explain to the bar owners that I don't. We are on YouTube and they can watch it and see us playing and people dancing.

I will still entertain ideas of playing for a benefit if it is something we believe in and are certain any proceeds are honestly being used for that purpose. Musicians have always given freely of their talent for good purposes.
 
#8
James Judson said:
No live auditions (that's my rule). Once you have played for free they treat you like your worth nothing.

Better alternative:

1. Heres a demo tape recorded live at "_________".
2. Heres a website with some samples
3. Come to our next gig at "__________".

If I was coerced into a live audition, I would stop in the middle of it and say "you want more you'll have to hire us".

Necessary evil???? Not for my band.
Click to expand...

+1

There are other ways a club owner/manager can see a bands live performance and gauge if you'd be a good fit for their club. That whole necessary evil mentality, is what's helping to kill off musicians getting paid decent wages in many/most clubs. There is no excuse for it. You wouldn't ask a carpenter to build something for you free of charge, or most any other profession. Musicians should be no different.
 
#9
In the day and age of internet and YouTube?

If I was a slimey club owner, that's EXACTLY what I'd do for as long as bands would allow me! Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
 
#10
Yes you gotta do it. But don't let the evil club owner take advantage of you. No more than 1 set, then off you go.
Take limited gear, but dress well and look good, play great,get out fast.
I remember one audition the club owner asked us to play out the rest of the night after our one set. I said no problem just pay us for the last 3 sets of the night. One set auditions are of course free. He said NO! We said later! Packed up and left.
He had a full house and an empty dance floor. We estimated he could have pulled in over $5000 in bar sales with a full dance floor till closing.
We were only asking $600 to rock the house. By the time we left
place was half empty!! Go figure.
 
#12
Bullitt5135 said:
Sitting here in my car waiting to go into a bar for a mini-audition with my band. Apparently, club owners around here don't care to look at your website/YouTube to check you out. So I get to invest roughly 4+ hours, a bunch of gas, and getting to bed after 1am on a week night in hopes of landing a full gig for $300-ish down the road. I know its not about the money, but this kind of blows. We'll he lucky if they give us time for 6 songs. Oh well... Such is life for the weekend warrior, I suppose.

How do you TBers view these auditions? Necessary evil?
Click to expand...

places that do that don't usually hire the bands ... it is a way to get 3 or 4 bands in on a week night for free.
 
#13
This could actualy be a fun thread. Sort of a sentence completion thing...

"I called a insert occupation here and asked if he would insert service to be provided for free. I said if his work insert criteria for successful try-out then I would be sure to hire him to insert nature of resulting paid work. He told me to insert my offer into a bodily orifice."

Note that the last sentence is already completed for you.
 
#14
Around here, it's about draw. Your set is your audition. If you're drawing, you're golden, regardless. "Auditions" for the bigger clubs are slow night early spots where they can assess how much they made from your crowd. You get a 35-40 minute set and each band provides its own back line. Quick set up and tear down. We did a gig like this at a premier club last fall. It was good, actually. Sound man was great, as was the club's system. Gas money thrown in plus a couple drink tix for each band member. Could be worse... We'll be able to capitalize on it later in the year. Regardless of the opportunity, you have to weigh the effort vs. long term gain with any action you take. Some things are worth the effort. Some are not. Know your market.
 
#18
MonkeyBass said:
Just a way for clubs to get free entertainment. I won't do it anymore and neither should anyone else.
Click to expand...

+1

Did it once many years ago. Never did it again - nor ever will again. :rollno:

It's just another form of exploitation - and a huge hassle for very uncertain rewards. Once you've demonstrated your willingness to dance on the club owner's strings like that, it can be very difficult to ever reclaim your sense of dignity and self-empowerment. :eyebrow:

MM
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back