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Would you allow the old guy to do one song?

#41
I would always, always, always be cordial and welcoming to any past band member of any band I was in until circumstances dictated otherwise by that individuals behavior towards me.
 
#42
mellowinman said:
I was playing guitar with this Classic Rock band and there was a gig I couldn't do due to another booking with a different band. Anyway, I called in a guy who just moved to town that seemed cool and hooked him up with that gig. He was a much better guitar player than me, and in the back of my mind I was thinking he may be a better fit, and they may replace me. So, he does the gig and it all goes well. I get an e-mail from the BL that he wanted to stop by and talk to me.

Turns out the other guitarist was a Soviet Spy, and had slept with both of our wives, and three of our dogs. The BL and I hatched an elaborate plan to turn him into a bowl of Petunias, involving Sharks, Monster Trucks, and a lot of excessive flatulence. First, we had to have a weeklong date with these twelve nurses.

After leaving all twelve with a satisfied smile on their faces, we began loading in the explosives. The BL and I blew up six buildings, and a mailbox belonging to a Nazi that was on the run from Simon Weisenthal. Weisenthal ended up coming to a number of our shows, and because of him, we got a job catering Bar Mitzvahs in Nevada. And that was where I met Chris Squire, who taught me a little known secret for playing bass that involved hypnosis, and a lot of Picante sauce.

(continued on page 7)
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Get professional help - do it now - do NOT pass GO - do NOT collect $200 :p :D
 
#44
mellowinman said:
Good post, but kind of boring.

Why not embellish the story?

I was playing guitar with this Classic Rock band and there was a gig I couldn't do due to another booking with a different band. Anyway, I called in a guy who just moved to town that seemed cool and hooked him up with that gig. He was a much better guitar player than me, and in the back of my mind I was thinking he may be a better fit, and they may replace me. So, he does the gig and it all goes well. I get an e-mail from the BL that he wanted to stop by and talk to me.

Turns out the other guitarist was a Soviet Spy, and had slept with both of our wives, and three of our dogs. The BL and I hatched an elaborate plan to turn him into a bowl of Petunias, involving Sharks, Monster Trucks, and a lot of excessive flatulence. First, we had to have a weeklong date with these twelve nurses.

After leaving all twelve with a satisfied smile on their faces, we began loading in the explosives. The BL and I blew up six buildings, and a mailbox belonging to a Nazi that was on the run from Simon Weisenthal. Weisenthal ended up coming to a number of our shows, and because of him, we got a job catering Bar Mitzvahs in Nevada. And that was where I met Chris Squire, who taught me a little known secret for playing bass that involved hypnosis, and a lot of Picante sauce.

(continued on page 7)
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You sir may have a slight lean towards having individualistic thoughts, and potentially a slight warp in your sense of humor. I applaud you.
 
#45
The guys a bass player and in any non-competing social circumstance, you'd almost guaranteed be friends talking about GAS.

Why not catch him up before the gig for a beer and a bit of bass-nerd chatting?


Personal experience, I've played bass in one band, I replaced a guy with about 50years of experience (...and I had exactly 0 years on bass). He mentored me during a crossover period of about 8 weeks and as a result has helped me rediscover a love for playing music. I love playing gigs with him on the odd occasion he comes back to town, and will gladly give up my bass anytime he asks.
 
#48
Wow. I guess I'm insecure...I wouldn't want anyone else playing bass in my band, never mind on my rig. Nor would I want a different drummer to sit in with us for a set we've practiced as a unit. And to hopefully dissuade any argument, I'm well over 30 and have played many many shows in many many bands over the years, so before someone plays the "he just doesn't have enough experience to comment" card, there is no need. Please. An additional musician is fine, but to replace someone for one song seems weird to me, sort of disrespectful. I'm ok with being called wrong though, if that's how you feel. Maybe because you just joined it's ok, I guess. It's funny though, I'm definitely not someone who would typically be called insecure. So I don't know if that is the ONLY reason to not let him play.
To the OP, I'd be bummed too man. Don't let all the tough guys on TB make you feel bad for it. ;) No disrespect intended to anyone who doesn't agree. I really don't need to fight about it. Just wanted to let the OP know that not everyone agrees with the crowd. And that's ok too. Thanks.
 
#49
Darryl Jones let Bill Wyman sit in for a few songs in 2012 at a recent Stones gig. Not that he had much say in the matter.... lol

We did something like this years ago. By pure coincidence, a guy that played bass (badly) in my (horrible) band in high school walked into the bar we were playing. In high school at our talent show we played "Mary Jane's last dance" by Tom Petty, so I thought it'd be fun for a goof to invite him up to play that song with us. Our bassist had no problems with it, and even though the playing wasn't very good, I think people enjoyed it, and especially the story surrounding it.

Let the guy play. If the crowd enjoys it, then that's really all that matters is keeping them happy. They'll (hopefully) still be there when you get back onstage.
 
#50
Nashrakh said:
We let a singer sit in two years ago. He's a friend of the drummer and since the upcoming gig was in their hometown and all their friends would be there, we had no problems doing just one song with him. We agreed on U2s "With or Without You" as this was his favorite song.

He totally tanked in an awesomely hilarious way. Bum notes all over the place. He was so embarrassed that he never asked to sit in again.
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Very nice!

Although Bono can rarely do that song justice in a live setting either.
 
#52
The first week of December I received a call from a bass player that I played with for a few years, I hadn't heard from him in a while and he's a great guy.

A friend of his is a guitarist in a classic rock/oldies band, the band's drummer had a nervous breakdown. (I'm not kidding.) He was in the hospital, they have an upcoming show and no backup. Would I be interested in subbing? Um... I'll talk to them.

I met the guitarist for coffee and heard the rest of the story. They had been a band for six years when their singer died a couple of years ago. It took them a little while to regroup. They found a new singer eight months ago, put four sets together and started booking gigs.

Now the drummer had a meltdown and they have a show coming up in eleven days with no drummer. I said that I'd do it.

I met the rest of the band the following day and we started practicing. We got together three times before the show and had it working okay. I had played almost all of these songs before, although I didn't know their arrangements and they didn't know mine.

The show went great. We had no train wrecks although we might have wobbled on the tracks a few times.

HellinBack12_zps965f16ae.gif


Afterward they asked me if I'd join permanently. I had fun, they are good guys, but I didn't want to step on this guy's gig. He got out of the hospital and decided that he doesn't want to be a drummer anymore, so I took the gig.

Now he is on medication, feeling better and rethinking his decision. This guy has been in a band for eight years and obviously friends with them. I feel a little uncomfortable despite the fact that the band doesn't want him back. They seem to prefer my playing so that is good. We have a couple of shows coming up and I expect him to show up.

I'll let him sit in if he and they want him to. I have plenty of gigs, no worries.

The amusing side note is that the bassist still wants to choke the crap out of him for putting them in that situation.

So, to the OP, let him play. My situation is a little different, but life is too short to worry about stuff like this.
 
#53
mellowinman said:
Good post, but kind of boring.

Why not embellish the story?

I was playing guitar with this Classic Rock band and there was a gig I couldn't do due to another booking with a different band. Anyway, I called in a guy who just moved to town that seemed cool and hooked him up with that gig. He was a much better guitar player than me, and in the back of my mind I was thinking he may be a better fit, and they may replace me. So, he does the gig and it all goes well. I get an e-mail from the BL that he wanted to stop by and talk to me.

Turns out the other guitarist was a Soviet Spy, and had slept with both of our wives, and three of our dogs. The BL and I hatched an elaborate plan to turn him into a bowl of Petunias, involving Sharks, Monster Trucks, and a lot of excessive flatulence. First, we had to have a weeklong date with these twelve nurses.

After leaving all twelve with a satisfied smile on their faces, we began loading in the explosives. The BL and I blew up six buildings, and a mailbox belonging to a Nazi that was on the run from Simon Weisenthal. Weisenthal ended up coming to a number of our shows, and because of him, we got a job catering Bar Mitzvahs in Nevada. And that was where I met Chris Squire, who taught me a little known secret for playing bass that involved hypnosis, and a lot of Picante sauce.

(continued on page 7)
Click to expand...

Are you high??
 
#55
GlennW said:
This is your one big chance, and you have to knock it out of the park.

It's ragequit time.
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Wouldn't it be fun to actually try that one, just for once?

I don't think I would have issues with it. My band has had a string of bassists quit on them (including myself twice in a row ... :scowl: ) and one of their ex-bass players (who used to be married to one of the ex-singers) is now dating our keyboard player, so he comes to see his girlfriend play on occasion.

He hasn't asked if he could sit in on a tune (I play a 5-string, which may help) but if he did, heck I would let him! Never heard him play, so he may be better than me. Or not. Don't care, it's my band. And if they were to fire me in favor of him, ah well: I play bass. I will find a new band :)
 
#56
I was on a cruise once in one of the lounges. Great cover band playing....this was the second night we had sat in that bar and watched these guys. After break they introduce a former band member who was to sit in on drums on one of his old favorite songs. He was drunk and obviously out of practice and horrible. The rest of the band didn't really care...they were just laughing. Then they guy stayed and played several more songs. How many I'm not sure because by that time we left along with 3/4ths of the rest of the crowd.

If the guy is competent maybe it's ok. I would do it early in the first set to get it over an done with or at the very end.
 
#57
It's OK if I ask someone to sit in to play my instrument and rig. If someone else in the band asks someone to sit in to play my equipment, I would not like it, and for someone to just assume it would be OK, I would find arrogant.
I would never tell someone that he could play on any of my band mates equipment.
Also, I came to play, not watch.
 
#58
The last few years I AM the old guy! LOL! We have a pretty tight blues community here. For better or worse, a lot of bands keep changing the lineups. Call it incestuous? Anyway it's pretty common to ask other musicians to sit in, included ex-members. We generally don't give it a second thought. It's all good. Party on Garth! I don't sweat the piddly stuff.
 
#59
Steve said:
I would always, always, always be cordial and welcoming to any past band member of any band I was in until circumstances dictated otherwise by that individuals behavior towards me.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much where I am. This exact scenario happened to me a while ago. I had seen the band's previous bass player several times at our local pub and when he found out I had replaced him he was a total ass to me every time I saw him. Then at one gig he wanted to sit in on a song. I said NO $%&*ing way. Had the guy actually been at least polite to me there would have been no problem but he wasn't. Oh well.
 
#60
I deal with this semi-regularly. Like another poster, I'm not 100% okey-dokey with it, but I relent. The old bass player comes to most of our shows, and his wife usually bugs his long-time buddy (the one guitarist) until he asks me if "Tony" can play one.

It's always one song and usually one I don't like playing anyway. Late in the night. I let him use my bass and rig, and it is nice to hear my rig out front, so sweet! But he's not that good ... so it boosts my ego. :p

I understand the "ummmmm" feeling but I would do it. Like others said, if they want to ditch you they will anyway. You have nothing to lose and "being the good guy" to gain...

:bassist:
 

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