What's expected of a dep

[bonzodog]

Sorry if this has been covered before but looking for some fresh advice.
My 3 piece is going well but guitarist has announced our 2 gigs a month quota is too much and only wants one gig a month. It's understandable as he has a stressful job and works a lot of shifts.
I on the other hand would rather do more gigs but don't want to leave this band as we are good and its great fun.

Therefore I am thinking about offering myself out as dep bass player and backing vox for other rock covers bands but never depped before so looking for advice and what I need as a minimum ability wise.
I can't read music (yet) but am a fairly competent player. Our band play all the jam and most who songs and I picked all those up easily enough. Is it just a case of learning as many popular songs as possible? I assume in an ideal world you are given notice of what songs to play. Is there enough work out there for a dep playing in pubs and clubs?

Any tips would be great
Thanks

[discreet]

Get a dep guitarist in for when yours can't make it. Much easier.

[bassfunk]

I do a bit of Dep work, and get a lot of Deps in to cover my bands.

Normally you'll be sent a setlist in advance. Learn all of the 'standards' and be prepared to transpose them if needed. BVs is normally a bonus.

The function/wedding band circuit use deps a lot. You're more likely to get gigs in that area then pub gigs I should imagine?

[Raslee]

We usually provide our deps with a recording of a recent gig too, just a rough Zoom H2 recording or similar...nothing fancy. Then they would know any fancy changes etc the band does...which my functions band do far too many

[John_P]

I do a few dep gigs - 4 gigs with 3 bands this month. What they provide and expect can vary - usually a set list before the gig, sometimes with notes about keys and changes from the record. Sometimes I'll get a rehearsal but increasingly I'm less fussed about that. I try to make up a cheat sheet with minimal notes e.g. 2 sides of A4 per set, so I can have it on the floor like a set list.
I make a point of getting there before the band, helping with carrying and setting up PA and lights but holding back from interfering with how things are done. Use a very simple rig that I can set up fast, won't fail and then don't twiddle. I'm sure I get offered gigs because I'll be on time and act professionally rather than because of my playing.

Getting gigs is about networking and when bands on the local circuit know you do deps, you get offered more. I'd agree it might be easier to find a stand in guitarist for your band but it can be a lot of fun diving in at the deep end.

[mrtcat]

I love depping. Just make sure you know all the standards in the genre you do and practice transposing keys on the hoof. I find that ear training really helps when they launch into a song having forgotten to mention they do it in a different key. Be really positive and help out with load in and out. I always make a point of speaking to band leader well in advance and making easy to read charts. I write my charts with a sharpie to make them easier to read.

[gjones]

Go and play at jams. That way you'll network with players in other bands. Get up and play to show you are competent. And make it known that you're happy to dep. Once you've introduced yourself and made some new Facebook friends the dep gigs will start coming in.

Oh and say yes to EVERYTHING you're offered!!!

[acidbass]

I used to dep a lot when I was between bands - in one month I played with 8 different acts. All good advice given so far. A good sense of humour is a must too - especially when long car/van journeys are involved!

[JapanAxe]

A band that is engaging you as a dep will [i]hope[/i] that the performance will still be ok for the gig they are playing. I always aim to exceed this, i.e. at least achieve a standard where they can't hear the join, or preferably make them wish I was their regular player!

[Truckstop]

You won't need to be able to read, I don't and I get quite a lot of work. I doubt you'd find much work in pub rock bands but I suppose the advice i'd give would be the same.

Find some pub rock bands on the Internet and print out their set lists. No need to learn the songs exactly, but get familiar with them and learn the words. Makes it easier to learn the structure that way! You'll notice that most bands probably share about 50-60% of their material with a few odd ones thrown in. Same with wedding and function bands.

Put together a book or folder with all the songs you've researched. Print lyrics, chord charts, personal notes etc. and flick through it now and again making sure they don't slip from your memory.

Don't ever agree to busk a song on the night. If you've never heard of the song and they spring it on you, just don't do it. It won't make anyone look good.

Don't worry about 'getting the tone'. All you're required to do is turn up on time with minimum fuss, play the songs and get paid. If they want you to have a particular sound or look they'll tell you beforehand.

Buy a pair of dark grey and a pair of black suit trousers. Buy a white and a black shirt with French cuffs. Buy a pair of black shoes and keep them polished. If a band used colour coordinated ties and/or cummerbunds, they should let you borrow for the night. Always assume they wear shirt and shoes. Avoid jeans unless they say they don't mind you wearing them.

Ask them where they want backing vocals, don't just jump in when you feel like. Most bands are well rehearsed and expect certain things to happen at certain times. You could throw them off and get some stinky looks!

Never turn down work if you can help it. Do not double book. Do not take a higher paying job for one you've already got in the diary unless you can get it covered. If you dick people about, your name will be mud very quickly indeed!

You shouldn't need a website and professionally recorded media unless you want to be a pro and work constantly. Most of your work will come from word of mouth and recommendations from other people, ergo people will hire you on the strength of other people's opinions which means they won't need to hear you beforehand.

If you're just starting out see if you can attend some rehearsals prior to a gig. It's a good confidence builder because you need to know that you can play the songs. Now I don't bother unless I get paid. Most bands play the same songs in the same way, and the last time I had to look up a song and learn it was about 8 months ago.

Gear wise, just make sure you have back-ups in place. People don't care what you have as long as it works. You don't need thousands of pounds worth of stuff. I use my Yamaha BB424x and a Fender Rumble(V3) 100 combo. Before the Fender I used two SWR Workingmans 10 combos that cost me £120 each.

Good luck!

[Bilbo]

Expectations vary. I have had guys send me two cds with 32 tunes to learn by rote for one gig (I didn't) and I have done deps where I turn up knowing nothing and busk the whole gig. I have seen charts where every note is written out (the most relaxed gigs, in my experience) and where charts are written on fag papers in crayon. It is often about relationships; you are booked as a dep because someone respects your ability and gets along with you. Sometimes it is ok to crash and burn on the occasional tune as long as everyone can laugh about it and keep some perspective. It is rare to be depping on the last night of an internation tour; it's mostly one off functions in places where the audience are only half listening. You don't need to 'know' all of the tunes; it is often enough just to recognise them (this is getting harder for me as I never listen to the radio and there is next to no music on TV so I don't know the 'hits' past about 1990) and then approximating stuff. Most 60s through 80s stuff is already in there but more recent stuff is a tougher call for me personally. You may find it the other way around.

[bonzodog]

Thanks for the replies so far everyone. Some great tips.

I already have the smart black or white clothing as thats what we wear in our Mod band, and back line wise I use a LH500 and 2 x TC BC212 and also have a spare amp as cover. Think I will spend this weekend writing out all of the 'standard' covers you hear most bands playing and get learning.
I think the wedding/function band depping is the way to go.

[JTUK]

Deps and deps... some are little more than jams and the expectation isn't that great..others can be a royal roasting.

If the band is organised they'll give you a set list with keys and maybe even a pad... this raises the ante a bit.
If they leave you to do all that...then you have to reconcile if it is worth the money.
For a pub gig it probably isn't but you can use it to build a repetoire.

Basically the band need to have confidence that you'll cover it, but you also need to reconcvile what their definition is
of covering it.

The idea or goal is to not have anyone but the keenest of ears notice you are depping but plenty of deps get the call
out of desperation and don't really have to ears or knowledge to cover the most standards of songs.

If a band gave you 30 plus songs..and they really shouldn't iof they are only doing 20.., you should really tell them which songs are good to go...
and you can drop the more difficult ones. If you want to impress, make sure you nail the 'Squeeze' or Nik Kershaw type songs as these
have many many changes that you need a great ear to get in the track/on the hoof.
I got Muscles from a shell the other day..and the buggers didn't play it after all...
So..get a set list which means they intend to play them, and you can also discreetly put your notes or charts in order.

If they don't this...the gig is basicailly a jam or busk.

For £50 how much are you going to knock yourself out...? and forget about a rehearsal