TimR

"There is a despute over the ownership of the bass." Two choices. 1. Return the bass for a full refund. 2. Tell the shop you have the bass and will hold on to it until the 'despute' is resolved and the police are free to contact you. If the police do contact you and collect the bass, don't expect a full refund without a lot of hassle. Your call.

I was in a band once where one of the singers did a mates rate for a wedding. Fast forward to a week before the gig and the lead singer and drummer 'can't make the gig', I can't remember why, it's not really important. Getting a lead singer and a drummer in to dep with a few days notice for a wedding is 'expensive'. Although probably not as expensive as getting sued for the cost of another band to take your place... We didn't do charity functions or mates rates weddings or functions again after that.

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1453298090' post='2958208'] I wouldn't have thought there was much you can do once the guy has been told how much you go out for in pubs - in his mind there isn't going to be much difference. Fault lies with the guitarist, so make him do it for free and then split the £200 one less way. [/quote] The guitarist should be offering to waive his cut anyway.

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1453295396' post='2958160'] Our opinions differ it seems. I feel that the bassline an integral part of how the song sounds whether you realise it or not. I try and keep to that. [/quote] It's your job as a bassplayer to make the bass line work with the rest of the band. I've played in bands where the drummer has trodden all over the bass line with his right foot. You can either have a massive argument and raise the temperature of your urine, or you can use it as an opportunity to play a better bass line.

He won't get a DJ for less than £400.

Setting up at mid-day? No chance. That's not a pub rate gig. Tell them you'll see them at 7pm with your gear.

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1453292036' post='2958097'] What if all band members did [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]something that approximates?[/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I agree that auditions are different to rehearsals though, but the approach to learning songs should be the same. Learn the songs, before you get in the audition/rehearsal room.[/font][/color] [/quote] You get a good sounding band? If you only have guitar, bass and drums, something has to be changed to most tunes. Practically every band will overdub a rhythm guitar during the main guitar solo. It would rule out all covers of any band with a second guitarist or keyboard player and anything with brass. I've never even heard a band play one of their own tunes live the same as it is on a record. It's a cover. That means Lyrics, melody, structure are the same. Everything else is just production. Unless the bass part is part of the melody, you can actually play whatever you like.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1453290627' post='2958076'] This guy gets it!! I'm not going to turn up to an audition with 'something that approximates'. I will have learned the material to the best of my ability and take it from there. If the band's versions turn out to be 'looser', then I'm immediately in the best position to cope with that. And I know you can't replicate the production values of a song live, that's obvious and I don't attempt it. But I do like to properly learn the notes that the bass player is playing, the correct arrangement, the feel, the groove and any other bits and pieces that make the song what it is. Missing chunks out because they're 'too hard' or doing it half-assed because 'the punters will be pissed anyway' is not an option as far as I'm concerned. [/quote] An audition is slightly different to a rehearsal. There's a difference between doing something half arsed and doing something exactly as per the original. It's music, not maths.

I know a drummer who is a London underground train driver. I wonder if it's an occupation that attracts a certain type of person.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1453283106' post='2957995'] The problem is finding other players who like to do the same. If you learn a song note-for-note and the rest of the band doesn't, your carefully-learnt bass line won't fit properly into the song. So inevitably you have to play it 'wrong' to make it work, which boils my piss and is the reason I generally don't like playing in covers bands. [/quote] Relax a bit over this. Learn something that approximates and turn up to the rehearsal with an open mind. Quite often you'll never replicate the original due to loads of limitations (mainly most pop is heavily over-produced). It's a cover not a facsimile.

The drummer will be listening. Or at least he should be. If he isn't: walk.

I think just the fact you're rehearsing 2-3 times a week will pretty much get you the type of person you're looking for. .

[quote name='Machines' timestamp='1453118202' post='2956426'] I had an audition recently where I was 2nd of 2 bassists to be auditioned. We'd agreed for me to get there for 8PM, I left 30 mins before that and as I drove off got a text asking to make it 30 mins later, doh ! I got there for 8 anyway and hung around, getting cold in the poorly heated studio corridor. When my time came, I got setup, but my hands were freezing, and I very quickly got cramp whilst holding down some octaves for a whole song (Beatles - Taxman). I made a fair few fluffs, but overall considering the amount of time (not much) i'd put into songs I didn't know, it went OK. The next day they called me up to say they went with the other guy, as he was older than me (60s vs 30s) and he knew the material better (I had no issue with this bit). They did however have a reservation he wouldn't be committed, and asked me if i'd learn the setlist anyway just in case he didn't stay with them (!!!!). I was a little surprised by this request, would anyone else learn an entire bands setlist just in case you were 2nd choice in a few weeks or months ? I politely declined. I had a call yesterday saying he'd not got back to them about joining, so can I join instead ? I pondered on it, and decided to go with it. They might have been a little cheeky with their request and I may have been the 'backup', but they are actually very good and their location/frequency of gigs suits my needs. No point in cutting off my nose to spite my face etc. [/quote] I suppose at least they were upfront with you. Which bodes well in the future. Personally, I would have waited until I'd had a few practices with the 'new guy' before telling the other guys I'd auditioned that they hadn't got the gig.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1453129641' post='2956628'] Probably not, but I'd learn an entire set list if I really wanted to be 1st choice and needed an advantage over the other contenders. [/quote] Quite. It'll be extremely unlikley that any band will be playing tunes that you've not at least heard before. You should be able to learn a set to a reasonable level within a week.

[quote name='CyberBass' timestamp='1453194240' post='2957183'] ... I've agreed with one band to rehearse next Monday they gave me set list and said pick some tracks and let us know which ones in advance. ... [/quote] That already sounds relaxed and promising. Chose the three you know best and learn them. Then pick another 6 easy ones and do a rough chart and go over any easy ones so that your could 'get away with playing them'. Then you can turn up and play the three tunes and if it's working stay form the rest of the rehearsal. They should be quite happy with that. You can always pick up the phone and asked them whether they stick exactly to the originals. Just don't ask too many questions. Have fun.

Is he allowed a music stand?

Better sound? Tone? No. Not 'always'. Some players conjure up a fantastic sound but I like what I sound like and don't want to sound like them. I want to sound like me. Technical ability, note choices and feel? Now that's a whole different ball game.

Sounds more like Big Time. But then a lot of the Steam numbers have that distinctive guitar sound.

That's the best thing about jams. The audience are there to see what happens. Whatever noise comes out they'll be interested. They're not really there to get drunk and jump up and down to Dakota. Although they will (It's an easy number, chart it out )

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1452712046' post='2952814'] yep...I know which would easier to wing... and it wouldn't be a bar set [/quote] It was just an example of what musicians can do with some talent, experience and application within a limited timespan. Drumming is slightly different but I've had a pro drummer stand in for a gig. I sent him a list in the morning and in the evening he played a three hour set. Bass wise, I've played pit from sight reading and gigs from charts while the guitarist gave me cues. It's not impossible to play a gig with only a few hours notice.

Two recent gigs spring to mind. First one; a very drunk guy puts his pint on top of my stack and leans very drunkenly on it. After the third time of telling him to stand somewhere else he finally get the message. No harm done, it was near the end of the evening. My last words to him were "If this gear falls on you it'll hurt quite a lot and the night will stop for everyone in the pub." I'm not one for violence and smiled while I talked. Second one: a very drunk woman celebrating her 50th kept coming up and twerking in front of me. Her friends finally came and got her when she'd backed right up against me and ruined my concentration. Gigs can be fun, if you have the right attitude. .

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1452867161' post='2954255'] Let's imagine that our biggest musical influences do happen to us, we first hear them, between the ages of 11 and 25. That really would not mean that our biggest musical influences were necessarily alive/recording/playing during that period of our lives. Because, maybe, one of Eric Clapton's biggest musical influences is Robert Johnson, but Johnson was dead seven years before Clapton was born. Nor would the 18-25 rule (even if it were correct) preclude other big musical influences at other stages of our lives. If you were born in 1975 or 1976 or 1977 or any other year, it remains eminently possible to become acquainted with Bowie's work (even after he is dead) and even have him turn into a big musical influence. This is happening to some people right now. Do you think [i]ALL[/i] Bowie's biggest musical influences happened before 1972 when he was 25? [/quote] I agree entirely. But it's most likely for you to be exposed while there was a large amount of publicity and media attention. The other way is to be introduced by someone who was a big fan and had some influence over you. It's not an exact science, we're all different but I'd suggest that's how it works with the majority of us for the majority of the music we like.

I wonder how big Motörhead were/are on the other side of the pond.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1452855101' post='2954069'] Agreed, probably true for most. I guess I never grew up. Probably the reason I can be so misunderstood along with being more obsessive than most guys. Music is still the most important and exciting thing in my life.I'm still calling up my buddies playing some new record or playing some new riff over the phone. When I'm getting ready for a gig on a Friday or Saturday night it's like I'm still 17. But I guess that's wrong too. Blue [/quote] I don't see why it's wrong. However, I think you demonstrate this really well with the Beatles. They're your biggest influence. According to you no other band since have got anywhere close. So regardless of what you listen to now, or whatever new band comes along, nothing can ever eclipse the Beatles. That's not wrong, it's how it is for you. It's not that we 'don't get it', it's that you were massively influenced at an important point in your life. We are all influenced by different things. Other people are influenced by other styles of music and other bands according to whoever was in the charts and how else they were exposed to music during that period of their life. Edit: I think I'm kind of echoing Bilbo but being more specific.

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1452786382' post='2953513'] I was born in 1975. I know exactly who David Bowie was (is? I don't know which to say and be respectful) and I know some of his songs. I meant that the majority of his music I don't know, like album tracks and those songs or performances that mean you feel you really know an artist. I haven't avoided his music, I don't dislike what I know of his songs. It's just that I have never dug deeper into his musical output for whatever reason. It might happen, maybe tonight I will listen and I will be hooked?! Who knows? I might have a go. [/quote] Ok. I've put a bit more thought into this. Maybe our biggest musicial influences happen between the ages of 11 and 25. The big Bowie moment for me was 1980 with the Scary Monsters album. I would have been 11, in 1984 he did live aid, by 86 he was pretty much done in the mainstream. If you were born in 1975 you would have missed all that. By the time 1980 came the Beatles had been surpassed by thousands of artists who were standing on their shoulders. Listening to the Beatles for me would be just an academic excercise. Just like it would be for a lot of other people for a lot of other artists, unless the music particularly grabbed them and they were introduced to them at those ages.