Shall I sweep the floor with my a*se whilst I play bass?

[bigd1]

Perhaps I have the wrong attitude, although I did think I understood the world of musicians.
We have a band who need a dep, they are not your normal 4 rock/pop band, there are 8 musicians playing. The songs are not a great challenge to a experienced Bass Guitarist, but the band wants to (as we all do) put on a great show. So to be safe they want any deps to do 4 rehearsals, money is not great but when is it ever.
What is the problem ?
Some of you seem to think if they are only offering £50 it's an insult ? You are worth far more than that.
Come on, get over yourselves, it's a gig, not very often you get to play with a group of 8. They NEED a bass player.
How many of you who think this is beneath you play in this band, and have you done ANY gigs in the last few months, for any money ??
Get out and play, I have never worried about how much I'm getting paid, I like playing music far to mush to worry about that.

[thisnameistaken]

TBH I would rather not gig than do that gig, but that's just me, I wouldn't enjoy doing the cliche party band cover repertoire. Also I played with a group of 10 for three years so 8 would be a bit of a step down anyway.

[JTUK]

[quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1350294243' post='1836798']
Perhaps I have the wrong attitude, although I did think I understood the world of musicians.
We have a band who need a dep, they are not your normal 4 rock/pop band, there are 8 musicians playing. The songs are not a great challenge to a experienced Bass Guitarist, but the band wants to (as we all do) put on a great show. So to be safe they want any deps to do 4 rehearsals, money is not great but when is it ever.
What is the problem ?
Some of you seem to think if they are only offering £50 it's an insult ? You are worth far more than that.
Come on, get over yourselves, it's a gig, not very often you get to play with a group of 8. They NEED a bass player.
How many of you who think this is beneath you play in this band, and have you done ANY gigs in the last few months, for any money ??
Get out and play, I have never worried about how much I'm getting paid, I like playing music far to mush to worry about that.
[/quote]

This is a wind-up post, isn't it..???

[xilddx]

[quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1350294243' post='1836798']
Perhaps I have the wrong attitude, although I did think I understood the world of musicians.
We have a band who need a dep, they are not your normal 4 rock/pop band, there are 8 musicians playing. The songs are not a great challenge to a experienced Bass Guitarist, but the band wants to (as we all do) put on a great show. So to be safe they want any deps to do 4 rehearsals, money is not great but when is it ever.
What is the problem ?
Some of you seem to think if they are only offering £50 it's an insult ? You are worth far more than that.
Come on, get over yourselves, it's a gig, not very often you get to play with a group of 8. They NEED a bass player.
How many of you who think this is beneath you play in this band, and have you done ANY gigs in the last few months, for any money ??
[b]Get out and play, I have never worried about how much I'm getting paid, I like playing music far to mush to worry about that.[/b]
[/quote]
Your last sentence is the key point. I play for nothing very often because I love the music, being paid is not really a consideration for me. However, one does not play normally play in a covers band for purely recreational purposes, it is usually a money earning concern, and to earn decent money you need to be GOOD. For a one off dep cover gig with four rehearsals for two sets and £50 in your pocket, I'm afraid you have to consider the fact that 4 rehearsals may very well be necessary for a band at that level of competence. You'd have to REALLY enjoy playing covers to do this gig I think. If you factor the time, cost and effort for this gig, it probably works out at about £1 per hour. That's fine if you're happy with that, I doubt there are many competent deps who would be.

[TimR]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' timestamp='1350298090' post='1836864']
TBH I would rather not gig than do that gig, but that's just me, I wouldn't enjoy doing the cliche party band cover repertoire. Also I played with a group of 10 for three years so 8 would be a bit of a step down anyway.
[/quote]

Yes, I think everyone's done 'The Commitments' thing. Any combinations of the play on words with souled and sold says Avoid Avoid Avoid to me.

Good luck to them, I've just looked at their pics, they could do with a bit of styling, I think I can see just from the pics that they won't be getting hundreds of pounds for gigs.

[Doddy]

[quote name='bigd1' timestamp='1350294243' post='1836798']
Perhaps I have the wrong attitude, although I did think I understood the world of musicians.
We have a band who need a dep, they are not your normal 4 rock/pop band, there are 8 musicians playing. The songs are not a great challenge to a experienced Bass Guitarist, but the band wants to (as we all do) put on a great show. So to be safe they want any deps to do 4 rehearsals, money is not great but when is it ever.
What is the problem ?
Some of you seem to think if they are only offering £50 it's an insult ? You are worth far more than that.
Come on, get over yourselves, it's a gig, not very often you get to play with a group of 8. They NEED a bass player.
How many of you who think this is beneath you play in this band, and have you done ANY gigs in the last few months, for any money ??
Get out and play, I have never worried about how much I'm getting paid, I like playing music far to mush to worry about that.
[/quote]

Seriously....Yes I do find it kind of insulting. It's not that I think I'm worth more than that,it's that it's a one off dep for a party that requires
4 rehearsals which are usually about 3 hours each.(Out of interest,would the dep be expected to divvy up for the cost of the
room?) It's a lot of work and hassle for £50.
Like you say,they NEED a bass player.Therefor they should be prepared to pay properly for one.They might get a mate to do it
for one rehearsal and the gig for that price,but if you want someone they don't know to learn the songs,rehearse 4 times and
then do the gig (which is essentially a private function,so may involve an early set up/late pack down),then it's taking the piss,to
be honest.
If the band wants to make sure that the music will be played right,the simple answer is to get charts written out-the horns are
reading in their demo videos,so clearly someone can transcribe.

[Steve G]

[sup]Depends where you are in your abilities tbh. For you guys who have played for years, have a high compotence, probably played many gigs on a similiar set, I can see why you don't want to do 4 rehearsals[/sup]

[sup]For me, this would be a great oppurtunity I think, probably above my current ability tbh but if they were local and prepared to give me a shot, i'd do it. However, I suspect my skill level is insufficient for their requirements so my willingness would be moot. [/sup]

[Dom in Dorset]

The key factor for me is that [u]they need a bass player[/u]- beggars can't be choosers. They seem to want it all, someone who's really good and will turn up to four rehearsals. As I see it they may have to settle for either someone who wants the experience but may not be the great player they had in mind or an experienced player who will just breeze into the gig without rehearsing take the £50 and go.

[JTUK]

When you get called to dep, the idea is to be sold the gig, IMO... so you want to know it will be a blast, you want to know the band can hold up their end and you want the gig to be hassle free. If it was a case of getting in on a cheap gig with a good new team of players, then you'd think about it, maybe..but the giveaway is that it is a standard party set for £400 for a 8 piece...????
For that money you just want to turn up and play ..rehearsals are out.

Sorry, but the videos are no encouragement that this would not be a few hours HARD work. They may be better than that...but they may not.
£50 is pub gig work and there seems no indication how long these guys are booked for...
They might be the type who will play on and on...

They will be lucky to fill it and get away with the gig, IMO...but good luck to them.

[solo4652]

Here's the band's response to some comments on the original website: [url="http://nwb.co/blog/post/46993/souldout/dep-bassist-required"]http://nwb.co/blog/post/46993/souldout/dep-bassist-required[/url]

[paul_5]

Just had a listen to their EP samples. The brass need to play in tune, and the guitarist needs to play in time. I'm out.

[TimR]

[quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1350647046' post='1841683']
Here's the band's response to some comments on the original website: [url="http://nwb.co/blog/post/46993/souldout/dep-bassist-required"]http://nwb.co/blog/p...assist-required[/url]
[/quote]

This is another of the problems of doing your "own" arrangments or "making the song your own" - Did I say how much I hate that phrase?

Save yourselves the hassle and record all non standard tunes on an MP3 recorder and write out charts.

£400 is OK for a start up band - good luck to them, they have a lot to learn.

[JTUK]

Have they got anyone yet..??? doubt it.

[Doddy]

Just read the guys reply.....interesting.
I regularly get £150 for playing with an 8 piece band,so he's talking rubbish there. I also regularly learn
full sets,including 'starts and stops' in one rehearsal (sometimes none-a quick talk in the dressing room and
keeping my ears open can usually do the trick-not even that if there are charts).So,again,he's talking rubbish.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1350653724' post='1841838']
Just read the guys reply.....interesting.
I regularly get £150 for playing with an 8 piece band,so he's talking rubbish there. I also regularly learn
full sets,including 'starts and stops' in one rehearsal (sometimes none-a quick talk in the dressing room and
keeping my ears open can usually do the trick-not even that if there are charts).So,again,he's talking rubbish.
[/quote]

Yeah but you guys can play

[flyfisher]

I've only had one experience of playing with a dep - a drummer. He was a better player than the rest of us, could react instantly to cues, recorded his [b]single [/b]rehearsal with us on his mobile phone so he could 'revise' during his commutes to work. We rehearsed more for the gig than he did but he played a blinder and it was probably the best tightest gig we've played to date.

And this was an all-original set of songs that he'd never heard before!

So I can easily believe that a good dep wouldn't need more than one rehearsal, especially for a covers set.

I'm wondering if the stipulation of 4 rehearsals is more a reflection of the band's confidence in themselves than in a dep bassist.

[lowdown]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1350654598' post='1841848']
I'm wondering if the stipulation of 4 rehearsals is more a reflection of the band's confidence in themselves than in a dep bassist.
[/quote]

This for me.
Any regular depping Bassist would know those tunes, and more than likely not need one rehearsal.
The problem then is the 50 squids - if it's booked a few weeks in advance, the chances are another much better paying gig would come in
and they are back to square one and in a panic - so i kinda see their point, get someone not so good who will rehearse and not run away
if a better paying gig comes along.

On another note, a bands promo website should really be selling them - a polished product....not sh*tty rehearsal videos.


Garry

Edited October 19, 2012 by lowdown

[dave_bass5]

I still think their main problem is the use of the word "dep". That to me conjures up a professional player who does this for money, and of course wouldn't for £50. I think if they had used the word stand in, or temp bass player the might not have alienated so many people and this thread would probably be a lot shorter.

I used to dep for £150 per gig myself and was the only one that seemed to learn the songs properly,

I think the guys reply was pretty spot on, but i know people on here like to pick things apart, word by word because they are better than those who are still trying to make a go of it.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1350653724' post='1841838']
Just read the guys reply.....interesting.
I regularly get £150 for playing with an 8 piece band,so he's talking rubbish there. I also regularly learn
full sets,including 'starts and stops' in one rehearsal (sometimes none-a quick talk in the dressing room and
keeping my ears open can usually do the trick-not even that if there are charts).So,again,he's talking rubbish.
[/quote]

Can quite well believe this but without wanting to say too much..it is the band themsleves that need the time put in.



It is all about who you can get plugged into re fees. Nobody wants to spend £2k on spec..they need to know..or at least I would if I was the booker.

The thing about the current climate is that the consensus around here from the better bands is that the £1400 plus function/wedding fee has dropped off a tad. Getting to that mark is ok.... but it seems a mystical barrier over and above and that has come about in the last few years, IMO and you'll travel for it more often.

[JTUK]

[quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1350655601' post='1841869']
I still think their main problem is the use of the word "dep". That to me conjures up a professional player who does this for money, and of course wouldn't for £50. I think if they had used the word stand in, or temp bass player the might not have alienated so many people and this thread would probably be a lot shorter.

I used to dep for £150 per gig myself and was the only one that seemed to learn the songs properly,

I think the guys reply was pretty spot on, but i know people on here like to pick things apart, word by word because they are better than those who are still trying to make a go of it.
[/quote]

Dave, I haven't got a problem with the term... it is more about the money and the time...PLUS the band.

I wouldn't take it if offered ..unless it was a mate and a favour..and even then, I'd not be keen...so I wouldn't be commenting or taking any notice in that regard,
but as it is a thread on here, I'll contribute... but it matters not one jot, AFAIAC, who will or will not take it for whatever reasons, otherwise.

It is like the 'playing for free' thread..it is all chewing the fat, to me.

[dave_bass5]

I take your point John but not everyone is gigging regularly and up to a high standard in playing. A lot of people just learning would kill to play for free, its a gig after all and thats what we all enjoy doing, but very hard to come by when you dont have any contacts/band etc.

I wouldn't expect anyone on here to take it but i have seen some "bass players" videos that show just having a bass and being able to fret a few notes does make you a good bass player, far from it. Imagine if someone like that turned up to a rehearsal a couple of weeks before a booked gig.

Im pretty sure that band are covering their backs. The reply said at least two so they aren't insisting on 4, just seem to be saying it could take 4.

Im not saying its a great gig, just that they dont deserve to be the subject of criticism just because they might not be up to some peoples standard. Not aimed at anyone directly but there is a lot of talk but no walk on BC these days. Having seen members bands footage i dotn think this band is any worse.

These sort of threads never used to be so common a few years ago. shame.

Thats my thoughts anyway. Take it or leave it but do some really have to be so critical and mock the band?

[Les]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1350655552' post='1841868']
The problem then is the 50 squids - if it's booked a few weeks in advance, the chances are another much better paying gig would come in
and they are back to square one and in a panic - so i kinda see their point, get someone not so good who will rehearse and not run away
if a better paying gig comes along..
[/quote]

Sadly, you're probably right, and I'm sure it happens, but it kinda stinks to take a job then give backword cos' you've got a better payer.

[TimR]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1350655984' post='1841874']
Can quite well believe this but without wanting to say too much..it is the band themsleves that need the time put in.



...
[/quote]

I think I know where you're going here. They're basing it on their own ability to learn. Their "versions" of the tunes will have been messed with and over-complicated to try to be clever. In reality they would have been better concentrating on nailing the originals as close as possible first.

As I say, they have a lot to learn.