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Would you take this gig?

I agree with everyone who has said DO IT.

You will gain so much experience etc. etc.

HOWEVER....

That's when you gig a club or other scene, no pressure, you know what you're getting into.
I cannot see a winner in this as (not just this but virtually every situation in life) everyone is your friend and very supportive until something goes wrong.

When you've stumbled a few times or just sat out a song guess who the scape goat will be. More importantly when the gang huddle round the water cooler on Monday and discuss how you screwed the band at THEIR social, your wife has to face the sniggers etc. etc.

DO NOT DO IT
 
I'm a really serious player, a quick study on picking up songs, good ear, lots of experience, etc. I personally would not take the "gig", but I'd be happy to sit in and jam. Every time I'm in a situation where I hear a band jamming I think, oh, I could play that great, know it great, no issues. then I sit in and they choose song after song I have never heard at all, and guessing how a song goes is just not possible LoL.

You can make great music in jam mode - but it's not playing songs that people know, and it's not playing anything that a singer can sing over unless they are just improvisers also or songwriters.

Is this a songwriting jam challenge? I doubt it LoL, so I woudl say - hey, I'll sit in, have fun, but we won't be playing actual songs and I likely won't play much. Lower the expectations, then if you get the songs well, rock out and impress them.
 
My wife’s boss is having his annual party and the regular band’s bassist can’t make it (a trio with no drums (I think)). Through a serious of obscure events they have asked me to sit in. There is no set list and though say they’ll try to find common ground the singer generally decides why to play on the fly.

Now I am in the mediocre bassist club and am certainly no gigging pro with 300 covers under my belt. That being said I can play and know quite a few. My weakness is improv and “jamming” though. I have only played a few live gigs and am considering this as a huge learning experience among friends. Reminds me of an open mic I did once where I played 3 songs I didn’t know. Oh yeah, I have never played with these dudes before and only am vaguely aware of the material they play. They said I can just play as much or as little as I want. Train wreck or possible Gold Star memories? Lol!

Do it! Any experience is good experience..

Just like you, I'm mediocre at best right now..
A couple of years back, got a call from a guitarist I had played with just a few times saying their bassist walked out and would I play.. HECK YEAH!
After that call, the head of the band called to confirm, and said he'd send the set list to start learning... he texted me 30 songs and also said, .. "by the way, we have a show Friday"... It was Wednesday ...
Yep, flubbed few times, but still got paid, AND .. got to do more gigs with them..

Point is.. take the gig
 
Op here: Thanks everyone. Set list or forget it.
I like how the OP has said he got it and thanked everybody yet, it has carried on 5 pages passed that! :D
We just love to see our own comments :D

He hears his own voice! :D
His_Master%27s_Voice.jpg
 
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I like how the OP has said he got it and thanked everybody yet, it has carried on 5 pages passed that! :D
We just love to see our own comments :D

He hears his own voice! :D
His_Master%27s_Voice.jpg
Admittedly I didn't read past the first few posts. Because it only started yesterday, and I figured he was probably still thinking about it. I think I'm going to stop commenting here at all because you just can't win unless you're willing to spend your entire day here.
 
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