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When is a band right or wrong?

#61
Eric Ryan said:
1. They all better be at least as good as I am, better than me is preferable.
2. No drama, mama. Life has enough of its own. I don't need any more.
3. Practice needs to be taken seriously. It's where you eliminate all your mistakes before the gig.
4. Money is nice, but I'm not trying to make a living doing this.
5. Have fun!
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Nailed it. The only thing I would add, for me, is:
6. If the other members are getting wasted every practice (either drugs or alcohol), I'm out.
 
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#63
mrcbass said:
4. Except for me, are they ready to gig? I'm not in for 6 months (or more) of garage time. I get ready quickly and finding that I have little patience for others to catch up with me. I get it that other parts are typically harder than mine, but I have a limit.
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So Anyway, I wouldn't audition/rehearse with anyone UNTIL they had a gig booked. That gives you a date that you have to be prepared.
I'm with you, I can get ready a lot quicker than most other band members. I won't spend rehearsal time with someone who's not prepared.
 
#65
Sometimes you cannot know until you're in it. Over the years, one thing that's easy to recognize is a dependency on the same 40 songs and an inability to grow the repertoire. First of all, an abiding interest in music of all kinds, old and new, is something I truly appreciate in performers. And even if you're playing covers, it's important to get away from the same old ones you hear every time out.

I've always said that the worst situation for a cover band is for a stranger in the house to be able to come up on stage and play your set without a rehearsal. I've been that stranger often enough, and IMO it speaks very poorly of a band's collective imagination and work ethic.
 
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#67
Things that are alittle off the wall but has always turned out to be true for me.

Never hire a player who will have a two hour (or more) drive to where you hold your rehearsals.
Never join a band where you'll have a two hour (or more) drive to where they hold their rehearsals.
(Between the miles and the drive time, rehearsals will become short, few, and far between if they even happen at all.)

Never hire a player whose already in a gigging band.
If your already in a gigging band, don't join a second gigging band.
(Being in two or more working/gigging bands never works out, sooner or later one of those bands will get left hanging in some way.)
 
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#68
CPplaysBASS said:
2) Set list has to filled with well known radio hits. For me, a band thinking deep cuts or b-sides are going to be of interest to someone booking bands ... as stated in point one, it's a competitive market. You're not getting hired playing obscure covers.
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I totally get this but at the same time I hate to see bands default to the same tired songs every other band plays.

MegaSwing said:
Sometimes you cannot know until you're in it. Over the years, one thing that's easy to recognize is a dependency on the same 40 songs and an inability to grow the repertoire. First of all, an abiding interest in music of all kinds, old and new, is something I truly appreciate in performers. And even if you're playing covers, it's important to get away from the same old ones you hear every time out.

I've always said that the worst situation for a cover band is for a stranger in the house to be able to come up on stage and play your set without a rehearsal. I've been that stranger often enough, and IMO it speaks very poorly of a band's collective imagination and work ethic.
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This is what I'm talking about!
 
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#69
Bass Viking said:
I totally get this but at the same time I hate to see bands default to the same tired songs every other band plays.



This is what I'm talking about!
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I hear you! There are a lot of radio hits over the years though. My band is just over 12 months old and we are gig-ready with 65 songs when we typically only need about 40 on a given night, and always adding more. From T. Rex - Bang A Gong to Billy Idol - Rebel Yell to Harry Styles - As It Was. All danceable hits, and because my band can't help but sound like ourselves, the songs flow nicely regardless of the era. We have maybe 5 songs that every other band does, but they never fail so we do 'em with smiles on out faces (e.g., 500 Miles, Let's Dance, Sweet Caroline, etc). We also do them really well :)
 
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#70
kyral210 said:
When do you know if a new band is right or not to join? Do you have any rules you live by?
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I really depends (As with everything in music.)
Depending on when in my career/life you asked, you'd get different answers. For me, right now, i have to 100% enjoy the music, and get along with the other musicians. I don't have to become besties with the band, but i do have to get along with them to the extent that we have to work together making and performing music. But, i absolutely need to love the music.

I spent a lot of my life "saying yes to everything," because that's what you need to do to get gigs. Well, at some point in my 30s i realized i'd been playing music since i was 11 and had only been in 1 band where i actually enjoyed the music. I never really got people to come to shows; sometimes i actively told my friends not to come because i didn't enjoy the music, didn't believe in the music, and didn't really want to be seen playing the music. But "A gig is a gig," right? Kept telling myself it was the professional thing to do, and that it was necessary if i wanted to get more gigs as a professional musician.

But when i think of all that time kinda wasted on playing music i didn't like was time taken away from playing music i really wanted to play. So now, i'm only gonna be in a band if i 100% love the music. I'm not wasting any more of my life playing music i don't believe in or music that isn't exactly what i want to play. (I think i've upset a few of my friends when they knew i was looking for a project but said no to playing bass for them. Oh well.)
 
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#71
I can usually tell within 10 minutes of talking and 10 minutes of playing if it's going to be a good fit. In the past, I've been in bands/groups where the music was great, but I didn't really gel with the people. They weren't 'bad' people, just different personalities. I don't do that anymore. The last few groups I've been with have been people that I really get a long with. And I've quit a few projects because I didn't want to deal with personality clashes. I'm pretty good at leaving a lot of stuff at the door, but some people aren't. I don't gig full time anymore. So, I'm mostly looking for 'passion' projects...stuff I've always wanted to play, but never really got the chance. I started a salsa group, I was in a community orchestra for a few years, I did a few gigs with various other projects that weren't the most marketable, but the music was good and the people were good. Musically, I'd want everyone to be better than me, or on my same level. If rehearsal starts at 6, that means be there at 5:15-5:30, set up and ready to go by 5:45. I am currently playing with my worship team at church. It is my only current playing situation and I am very happy with the people and the music.
 
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#73
FatherTrucker said:
Hang/Music/Money. In most cases at least 2 of those better fit the bill.
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Smooth_bass88 said:
In order to play music live with someone, 2 of the 3 following criteria must be met:

1. Good music
2. Good money
3. Good hang

If you live by this rule, you will be happy :)
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I've read some reeeeally long threads, and they all basically broke down to this simple formula. It's a rule of thumb for a reason.

I think I'm seeing on additional thing that needs to be in place for a band to succeed...

Everyone has to be at least a bit hungry to be in a band.

Some here talk like they just don't need it at all (which is fine), and at the slightest disappointment would not join, or as I see it by extension, would bail at the slightest offense.

If someone had even one beer before rehearsal you'd bail?

If one certain song were played, you'd bail?

God bless you if you're at that level, or that fussy for whatever reason, best just stay home and not ruin it for the others. :rollno:


Jay2U said:
A band is definitely right when the bassist is the band manager, as well as the sound guy. :smug:
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Being the bass player and PA guy, I'm starting to think I'd rather someone else do it,

too much extra work, not to mention, unappreciated. :)
 
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#74
Eric Ryan said:
1. They all better be at least as good as I am, better than me is preferable.
2. No drama, mama. Life has enough of its own. I don't need any more.
3. Practice needs to be taken seriously. It's where you eliminate all your mistakes before the gig.
4. Money is nice, but I'm not trying to make a living doing this.
5. Have fun!
Click to expand...
Well-said. Point 1 is always non-negotiable for me, can't deal with amateurs at this stage of my life.
 
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#76
It's gonna vary per individual bassist I think
The "right" band for 25 year old me, fresh out of college and looking to make a stab at the rock star lottery
is not the Right band for 54 year old me, with a career and family, looking for low time commitment and musical fun.

I think it is important for a band to be more or less on the same page for a variety of criteria:
- musical goals & approach: what music are we trying to make, and what are we willing to commit to to make it?
- biz goals & approach: What types of gigs are we pursuing and and what are we willing to commit to to pursue it?
- Who has veto power?
- will we tour?
- are we covers/originals/whatnot?

etc

It can be useful to ask yourself what is my "page"? and identify the goals and commitments you are fixed or fluid about. Most bands fail because they do not explicitly spell this stuff out. Knowing where you sit on criteria like the above lets you pick battels more wisely, and exit fast when you know it wont work for you.
 
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#77
The music must be engaging, people must do their homework and be prepared (and respectful of each others' time), rehearsals must serve a purpose and be efficient, and the goals for the band must be relatively universal. I did the thing where I saw my bandmates more than I saw my wife for quite a few years, and it works till it doesn't. A healthy discussion about goals, schedules, and expectations is key upfront, often before a note is played. Also, who is the de-facto 'band leader' who will handle the bulk of scheduling, booking, etc. One person generally has to be the 'benevolent dictator' to give some semblance of leadership, so no one is doing twice the work, or stepping on toes.
 

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