Who's playing bass on it?

[JimmyM]

Not a typical thread with that title. Not asking who played on what song. This is serious gigging stuff.

"Who's playing bass on it?" was my signature statement of utter disdain when someone suggested doing a cover song I hated. Never said it when playing any original tunes, but used to say it plenty when a suggested cover was what I deemed a piece of crap. Passive aggressive to the breaking point, but it was fun to say, especially if someone was really excited about doing a song I hated. Watching them deflate was fun!

I'd only rate it about 65% effective. Worked a lot in the older days, but when I was making decent money on gigs, it worked a lot less. I got used to it but I sure have had to play some crap because of it. I got paid but it wasn't easy to play "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes" only because the drummer had a girlfriend who told him she loved it.

In the past couple years, the bands I was working with actually did cool songs for their genres, and it's been a year since I did my last gig. So for the past 2 1/4 years, I have nobody to ask "Who's playing bass on it?"

I miss being able to say it but I miss the reasons why I had to say it way less. And I have other jokes. And that's what she said.

She really did say that. I promise!

 

[Camaro69]

 

[thewildest]

Jimmy, another testament of your gentlemanship, good manners and professionalism.

I am still stuck with old "which one of you thought we should be playing this crap?"

Of course, career limiting but therapeutic none the less.

 

[two fingers]

Mu favorite is when someone brings up a song that has three guitars, steel/slide, banjo, synthetic, and favorite part harmonies. (We have one guitar, piano, bass, and three vocalists.)

I ask "Which one of you is playing steel, and which one is playing banjo?".

It's not as clever as yours, Jimmy. But it usually gets the job done.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Not a typical thread with that title. Not asking who played on what song. This is serious gigging stuff.

"Who's playing bass on it?" was my signature statement of utter disdain when someone suggested doing a cover song I hated. Never said it when playing any original tunes, but used to say it plenty when a suggested cover was what I deemed a piece of crap. Passive aggressive to the breaking point, but it was fun to say, especially if someone was really excited about doing a song I hated. Watching them deflate was fun!

I'd only rate it about 65% effective. Worked a lot in the older days, but when I was making decent money on gigs, it worked a lot less. I got used to it but I sure have had to play some crap because of it. I got paid but it wasn't easy to play "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes" only because the drummer had a girlfriend who told him she loved it.

In the past couple years, the bands I was working with actually did cool songs for their genres, and it's been a year since I did my last gig. So for the past 2 1/4 years, I have nobody to ask "Who's playing bass on it?"

I miss being able to say it but I miss the reasons why I had to say it way less. And I have other jokes. And that's what she said.

She really did say that. I promise!

Subtle, but in an "in your face" sort of way.

These days with gigs so scarce I'm gonna have to say "I'll play the bass part", even on 'Wagonwheel'.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[2saddleslab]

Stephen Stills.

 

[Richland123]

One of my favorites is "Who picked this song?"

 

[Michedelic]

"Oh hell no" is my usual go-to assessment/reaction.

 

[OldManMusic]

My go to line is "Oh I know that one but the guitar player never learned it"

 

[ryco]

I always used "we don't play that song, but here is a song that contains many of the same notes."

 

[foolforthecity]

Hi,



Subtle, but in an "in your face" sort of way.

These days with gigs so scarce I'm gonna have to say "I'll play the bass part", even on 'Wagonwheel'.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I'm still being forced at gunpoint to play Mustang Sally these days

 

[Zoffy]

My band was once trying to learn a song that had a difficult, finger-stretching bass part that I was learning for the first time. The drummer kept telling me, "It's easy, it's easy.. just put this finger here, then this finger here" (he did not even know what frets/strings were what notes). At first, I was being polite, but he kept at it, telling me how "easy" the song was to play on bass. Finally, I put the bass down and told him, "Fine, you play it then and I'll play the drums on this one." He thought I was kidding. I wasn't.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm pretty easy going, if someone in he band brings up a song, they like it a lot. I'll play it. Now if they're dominating all selections, that's a different case.

 

[DaveDeVille]

"Oh hell no"
is my usual go-to assessment/reaction.

... hmmm , simple , direct and to the point of the matter ... i like it !!

 

[Rib 13]

That story reminded me of a similar response I'd say when somebody would make an artist request ( "Play Drop D Dirge Thing by Nickelback") and id respond "We don't know that one but here's a song they wanted to do" and play whatever....

No, I don't know why your post reminded me of that.....

 

[juancaminos]

I am the new guy in a well established band so I don't have a lot of clout. It's tough coming from being a BL and pretty much blessing or dismissing songs. So the BL adds Gimme Three Steps on the new to me set list. I hate that song or I'm sick of it, can't really decide. I was a Skynyrd freak in the olden days but I would rather play almost anything but three steps. So I asked the band leader if we could drop it and he said "no it's a song that everyone likes and it's very dance-able". Really? So is Mustang Sally, Brown Eyed Girl and a ton of other over played songs that you said we would never play. OTOH his set list if full of obscure songs that no one knows and are not dance worthy. But...it's not my band and I want to play. So I played it Saturday night and it didn't kill me. No one danced to it either.

 

[SLPimp]

"Better find a sub."

One of the things that got me kicked out of a band was refusing to do a 4 hour cover gig (I joined on the promise of doing originals) that paid $40 per player. I politely said, "You'll need to find a sub."

 

[Pings Bass]

I've never been too picky on the job. I've always been more likely to ask "what's it pay" than "who's playing bass"

And yeah, that got me playing the likes of Achy Breaky Heart, Kenny G and Cold Play.

The drummer kept telling me, "It's easy, it's easy.. just put this finger here, then this finger here" (he did not even know what frets/strings were what notes).

When I was playing sax in a Latin band, the leader would get all pissy if somebody couldn't play their parts. "Just play the notes! They're right there on the page!" This was the same guy who wouldn't let the horn books out of his sight. I had to beg him to let me take the lead alto book down to Kinko's to copy some of the harder parts so I could practice at home. But he always paid up, so I kept showing up.

 

[Clark W]

These days with gigs so scarce I'm gonna have to say "I'll play the bass part", even on 'Wagonwheel'.

No, I draw the line on Wagon Wheel. I will not do it, I will not let my band do it. Everytime I go listen to another band I have to suffer through it with them.

Two weeks ago I was watching one of my fav local bands play a 7 to 11 gig, it was about 10 and no one had asked for Wagon Wheel. I normally sit in with them at some point and I thought I might actually have to pay someone to go up and ask the band to play it before I sat in on one with them. No need, a little blonde went up and asked them about 10:30. Then afterwards I got up and sat in on bass for a song. But that was cutting it close.

And Zombie, if I never hear it again it won't be soon enough. As a house bassist for an open mic back in 2018 / 2019, I had to play it every week, sometimes twice a night so we could let two different female singers sing it. Never, ever, again.

 

[audreycashin]

I'm still being forced at gunpoint to play Mustang Sally these days

We're not a blues band, but played a fundraiser for the local blues society.....my band decided to close with Mustang..... I tried not to make eye contact with anyone I knew....