Anyone ever seen a condescending advert for a bassist?

[Greggo]

I randomly remembered today an advert for a bassist that was on a noticeboard in uni back in 2000. It made me laugh thinking about it today.

It said something along the lines of "bassist required to complete four piece. Essential that is not too flash as this could take away from the guitars. Root notes only please."

I can appreciate that as a band leader you may have an artistic "vision" but I remember thinking how do they know what will take away from guitars and why stifle creativity unnecessarily.

Anyone else seen anything like this?!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Greggo

[chrismuzz]

The guitar players must have been pretty sh*te to be worried about being upstaged by one of us lot

[Dingus]

I have seen plenty of similar adverts looking for bass players over the years, and it doesn't surprise me one bit, or even strike me as particularly condescending. At least they are being open and pretty specific about what they do and don't want. Lots of musicians ( including other bass players) have an aversion to fancy bass players .

As exactly the kind of fancy bass player they have in mind that they want to avoid, I am equally keen to avoid them. I have no desire to play music with anybody who thinks that The Velvet Underground were some kind of high- watermark in popular music or that Nick Cave is a singer. Unless of course it turns out to be David Bowie, but, realistically, he is unlikely to be placing an ad on the uni noticeboard, even after the crap he's been turning out for the last thirty years. He probably wouldn't want another sex symbol in the band either, so that's me scuppered before I've even tuned up my bass at the audition.

Some people think I am condescending, but they are just idiots and I feel sorry for them, to be honest with you. .

Edited April 18, 2014 by Dingus

[JapanAxe]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1397840826' post='2427889']
I have no desire to play music with anybody who thinks that The Velvet Underground were some kind of high- watermark in popular music or that Nick Cave is a singer.
[/quote]

[CPBass]

I'm just thinking of Cliff Williams of AC/DC. He gets his moves in very tastefully and makes the best use of root notes. The band wouldnt work any other way.

I do agree they could have used a more positive slant but they are guitarists afterall, members of the diva section.

[Dingus]

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1397841311' post='2427900']

[/quote]

It's true. They are both rubbish.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Greggo' timestamp='1397838883' post='2427864']
Anyone else seen anything like this?!
[/quote]

Not as frequently as I would like. On one occasion I advertised a drummer vacancy for a severely rootsy project. One of the requirements was a willingness to bring no more than a snare and a hi-hat.

Far from welcoming the opportunity to reduce their work load and gear hump, a surprising number of drummers messaged me to stress the size of their 'Big Kits', to express their mild indignation at 'being told what to do' but nevertheless indicating an interest 'should I change my mind'.

Instant disqualification on the grounds of stupidity and thus meriting no reply.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Buzzardist' timestamp='1397841323' post='2427902']
I'm just thinking of Cliff Williams of AC/DC. He gets his moves in very tastefully and makes the best use of root notes. The band wouldnt work any other way.

I do agree they could have used a more positive slant but they are guitarists afterall, members of the diva section.
[/quote]

Yep, the wording of the ad may be a bit dubious, but if the vision of the song-writer is it`s a guitar-band, a Cliff-alike wouldn`t be a bad option. I dread to think how a Flea/Jaco/JJ style bass would destroy AC/DC. Sometimes a clear vision isn`t a bad thing - explaining it without offence isn`t either, though.

[HowieBass]

I'm now trying to think of totally unsuitable bassist with band combinations.... er Mark King with Count Basie supporting Frank Sinatra...

[KingBollock]

Reading between the lines, it looks to me like they were beginners starting their first band and didn't want someone too far above their skill level.

[icastle]

Frankly, if a bassist is halfway good then they'll know what will work and stay away from things that wont.

If what comes out the other end is rubbish then you've chosen a crap bass player.

[Bikenbass]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1397844781' post='2427951']
I'm now trying to think of totally unsuitable bassist with band combinations.... er Mark King with Count Basie supporting Frank Sinatra...
[/quote]

Me with any band.

[ahpook]

[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1397845042' post='2427955']
Reading between the lines, it looks to me like they were beginners starting their first band and didn't want someone too far above their skill level.
[/quote]

Indeed, or they think the last bass player overplayed and they want something simpler.

They're being honest about what they want - don't want to stick to root notes ? Don't apply. Great - nobody's time is being wasted.

Edited April 18, 2014 by ahpook

[lojo]

They may have gone through a few bassists who overplay on top of playing badly

[Philip_]

no point in worrying about these things.

bass is an instrument that you can fall in love with so much that what other people think becomes completely irrelevent.

Edited April 18, 2014 by Philip_

[chriswareham]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1397844781' post='2427951']
I'm now trying to think of totally unsuitable bassist with band combinations.... er Mark King with Count Basie supporting Frank Sinatra...
[/quote] Pino Palladino with Nine Inch Nails

[JTUK]

If it doesn't work on all sides... it doesn't work.
Move on.

[Mikey R]

Its not just bass players - at uni, one of my drummer friends quit her indie folky band, and was replaced by a drummer hooked on drum and bass. It didnt really work out for them.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1397840826' post='2427889']
Unless of course it turns out to be David Bowie, but, realistically, he is unlikely to be placing an ad on the uni noticeboard, even after the crap he's been turning out for the last thirty years.
[/quote]

How very dare you!

Edited April 19, 2014 by steve-bbb

[EssentialTension]

I was once in a band that advertised for a guitarist - 'no time wasters, no pedalboards'

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1397842436' post='2427920']
Not as frequently as I would like. On one occasion I advertised a drummer vacancy for a severely rootsy project. One of the requirements was a willingness to bring no more than a snare and a hi-hat.
[/quote]

I think this one is fair game, as the right drummer for that sort of project wouldn't be put off by that suggestion. And drummers who can work that way are worth their weight in gold! It's much the same as a bluegrass band asking for someone willing to play un-amped double bass.

[drTStingray]

I have to say I find these sort of adverts a turn off (drummage one excluded).
They seem to be becoming more frequent but the issues always been around in my experience.

Does anyone think James Taylor or his management team went looking for a 'root note' bass player when they got Lee Sklar (also famous for playing on the Spectrum album by Billy Cobham? Or Leonard Cohens when they got Roscoe Beck? Elvis's bass player, noted for playing Jamerson type grooves, got asked to play with the Doors and did so on one famous album.

The fact is bass players are, first off, musicians and as such are expected to adapt their style to fit the music they play - if they are a very accomplished player, this could add significantly to the music.

The sort of adverts referred to overlook all of this and stereotype players as chop junkies with no musical ability. Now this may be the case with inexperienced musicians, but there again, in my experience, people specifying requirements in such terms have either had problems with previous players without musical empathy or experience are of that nature themselves. And it's unlikely if you join such a band you'll ever be able to use your musical ability let alone chops, if the band has such strong preconceptions and lack of knowledge/understanding of working in collective musical situations. The 'must play a P bass' with an Ampeg stack is a similar pile of nonsense. This presumes the bass will play like Pino or whoever on its own without human (or musical) input.

I'm afraid I've put up with such idiocy myself in the past and would steer well clear these days. You sometimes find the self appointed band leader is the least accomplished musician in the band and often in that position for psychiatric (perhaps a bit extreme - maybe psychological!!) reasons. I once got told by one such character he didn't like my blue bass and he would rather I didn't use it. Next gig his wife turned up and told me how fabulous my blue bass looked. Yes you guessed it, next gig He told me he had realised he was wrong and he now really likes the blue bass :-D as I say, I avoid these situations like the plague these days!!

Edited April 19, 2014 by drTStingray

[Dingus]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1397890593' post='2428202']
How very dare you!
[/quote]

The Emperor has got no clothes on ! Bowie hasn't made a decent album since Lets Dance, but he does still turn out the odd decent track that makes you realize what we we all missing out on . Should try harder , and could do [i]so much[/i] better.

[Guest]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1397919434' post='2428650']
The Emperor has got no clothes on ! Bowie hasn't made a decent album since Lets Dance, but he does still turn out the odd decent track that makes you realize what we we all missing out on . Should try harder , and could do [i]so much[/i] better.
[/quote]

Come on, I haven't liked anything since Tonight but The Next Day is an absolute quality album!

[risingson]

I can understand why adverts like this are considered condescending towards bass players, but I think it's even more simple than that. It betrays the advertiser as a total amateur who probably can't be trusted to make real musical decisions or have any kind of musical mind of his own.