Would you take this gig?

[TomB]

Would they be willing to rehearse once? Then you’d know for sure and could politely decline if need be.

 

[QweziRider]

...and am considering this as a huge learning experience among friends.

That. Go for it.

 

[Humbled]

No set list, no dice. Especially if you're not big on improv, this is just setting you up to fail. Not that I haven't done it myself, but at least I knew the drummer pretty well.

I agree. I'm one who believes in sticking my neck out and accepting gigs I'm afraid I'm not up to just for the forced-growth. It's worked for me for a long time. Probably he riskiest was accepting an invitation to play a pre-game set for a Minor-League baseball game. The regular bassist was on vacation or something. No rehearsal was possible. But... I had the twelve-song set list two weeks ahead of time, I'd heard the band once before, and I'd played with the drummer many times. He and I had a better than average intuition for what the other was about to do just by ear and eye. Besides, it was kinda a blues-ish set. Only about 10,000 people in the stands... What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Samatza]

For all you know you'll be the best player there, just take it and see how it goes. Given that they just wing it does it really matter? Just pick a dozen tunes you know between all of you and have some fun.

 

[Spidey2112]

Nope.

 

[Rabidhamster]

If you don't need drums, you don't need a bass player either.

But @Samatza makes a good point. For all we know these are Bosses old drinking buddies from college, not real pros.

Still I vote no way.

 

[trevcda]

Op here: Thanks everyone. Set list or forget it.

I feel the same way about this situation as I would, say a high school reunion. I'm there for the event. I may get up and play a tune or two with the band, but I'm mostly there to be there for my girlfriend or because it's my event.

The first time I played with the Trop-Rock Buffett-y band I used to play keys with, the BL said when I was hired "nothing to it. I call the tunes on the fly". I was expecting lots of standard "Margaritaville" and Cheeseburger" Buffett stuff The very first tune of the gig was "One Particular Harbor", followed a tune or two later by "Tampico Trauma." It would have been nice to know those were staples on the songlist. I did land the gig, though and we were together for five years.

I play in a band that can do a fair amount of Buffett and I love it when a would be player assumes that it's all a bunch of easy schmuck. We do the two you mentioned and many others. So many of his songs are so much more the I/IV/V that everybody seems to think they are. And it always catches people off guard.

 

[rufus.K]

Do The Gig.

 

[Cliff Colton]

Any band scenario with the word ‘wife’ in it gets an automatic ‘no’ vote from me.

What are you going to say when the boss wants to party with your gear? Maybe there’s a reason why there’s no drummer this year.

 

[crazyBassClown]

[
Just out of curiosity, how would you prepare for a gig:

• with no drummer
• with no set list
• with musicians you don't know
• without knowing the unfamiliar musicians' material
• when you're not comfortable or experienced improvising, and
• it's at your wife's boss's party?

That's the beauty of the gig. You Don't Prepare.

 

[dbase]

Do the gig load up on free food and send us pictures

 

[JRA]

Do it. You've got nothing to lose. It'll be fun.

That's the beauty of the gig. You Don't Prepare.

Do The Gig.

Do the gig load up on free food and send us pictures

If you don't need drums, you don't need a bass player either.

if you don't have drums = need a bass player even more!!!

OP: i think you were headed in the right direction in your opening post: take the gig, stretch, and have some fun! trust me on this : it's an opportunity that was given to you...you were meant to take it.*





* or not.

 

[JimmyM]

Just do it.

 

[fhm555]

Unless you’re worried it will hurt your wife professionally, why not? I’ve done plenty of jobs with zero info beforehand beyond time and place and the BL who hired me. If the singer is gonna call chords or Nashville numbers just cram the fret board and gopher it. At the very least it will show you were you are in your development.

 

[Dean N]

This is Talkbass.

1. Buy new gear.
2. Do the gig.
3. Post gig report.
4. With pics of food. And ladies.

 

[40Hz]

Op here: Thanks everyone. Set list or forget it.

Smart. Very smart.

 

[HolmeBass]

This is exactly the scenario. We will be going anyway.

Well, I’d lean towards playing at least one set. Who knows, maybe it will be fun?

 

[JKB1957]

Pass. Go to the party with your wife and enjoy yourself.

 

[Meaculpa]

Do it. You've got nothing to lose. It'll be fun.

This

 

[Tony In Philly]

If you're good at looking at the guitarist's left hand and figuring out what root note to play, then you're halfway there.