synthaside Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Hey folks , My Ashford (middlesex) based covers band are looking for a new female vocalist due to our current one suffering from a very welcome but rapidly debilitating case of pregnancy . Cue lots of grief with me messaging people on various services like join my band , gum-tree etc. So many people just don't respond ... they read the message responding to their advert. In my opinion pretty much bang on for what they are asking for and just ignore it , Join my band has a nice (this user has read your message feature ) so you know they are actively choosing not to not respond ... I'm starting to think its Me , scaring people off. Generalised response to hide details of the users I've messaged . [size=1]Hi, We’re Vinyl Frontier a covers band who are losing our female vocalist to her upcoming pregnancy. While we're all very supportive of her and don't want to replace her we understand that she’s looking to step back, and as she should with a little one on the way. This means we are looking to find someone to front the band and sing twin vocals with our rather zany singing drummer, we’ve recorded a demo / sampler which is currently being mastered and if you’re interested it I can send it over to you when the mastering is finished. We're all working professionals aged from 30 to one very childish 40 year old. 3 of us are from Chertsey and the other 2 from the Kingston area. We practice once a week on a Thursday evening at a studios in Ashford. Ultimately were looking to enjoy ourselves doing this , It’s not going to be a major source of income or career for any of us we all work full time soy the aim is to gig around at least once a month on average. Music/ song wise, we will try to tackle anything people suggest usually by group consensus . Three of us have also been in originals bands and are quite capable writers So would not be against doing originals. At the moment we were focusing on floor-fillers for a few weddings, things like uptown funk, Love shack, a bit of Blondie, foo fighters, Bryan Adams /Mel C and the killers, but we've previously done a bit of everything from RATM through to punked up Jungle book tracks for a Disney themed Christmas party. If your interested in sending over your gig recordings as mentioned , either email me at * email removed * or drop me a message on here for a chat.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Are going to do any classic rock is the typical response to my jazz gig adverts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Two things I can see from reading your ad: 1. It's not a permanent position in the band 2. "zany singing drummer" that would make me think twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburstjazz1967 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 No financial future and weekly practices will put off the people who are looking for something like a fairly regular function band gig imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1456486729' post='2989480'] Hey folks , My Ashford (middlesex) based covers band are looking for a new female vocalist due to our current one suffering from a very welcome but rapidly debilitating case of pregnancy . Cue lots of grief with me messaging people on various services like join my band , gum-tree etc. So many people just don't respond ... they read the message responding to their advert. In my opinion pretty much bang on for what they are asking for and just ignore it , Join my band has a nice (this user has read your message feature ) so you know they are actively choosing not to not respond ... I'm starting to think its Me , scaring people off. Generalised response to hide details of the users I've messaged . [size=1]Hi, We’re Vinyl Frontier a covers band who are losing our female vocalist to her upcoming pregnancy. While we're all very supportive of her and don't want to replace her we understand that she’s looking to step back, and as she should with a little one on the way. This means we are looking to find someone to front the band and sing twin vocals with our rather zany singing drummer, we’ve recorded a demo / sampler which is currently being mastered and if you’re interested it I can send it over to you when the mastering is finished. We're all working professionals aged from 30 to one very childish 40 year old. 3 of us are from Chertsey and the other 2 from the Kingston area. We practice once a week on a Thursday evening at a studios in Ashford. Ultimately were looking to enjoy ourselves doing this , It’s not going to be a major source of income or career for any of us we all work full time soy the aim is to gig around at least once a month on average. Music/ song wise, we will try to tackle anything people suggest usually by group consensus . Three of us have also been in originals bands and are quite capable writers So would not be against doing originals. At the moment we were focusing on floor-fillers for a few weddings, things like uptown funk, Love shack, a bit of Blondie, foo fighters, Bryan Adams /Mel C and the killers, but we've previously done a bit of everything from RATM through to punked up Jungle book tracks for a Disney themed Christmas party. If your interested in sending over your gig recordings as mentioned , either email me at * email removed * or drop me a message on here for a chat.[/size] [/quote] You'll find someone eventually. The one thing that I find common in the type of ad your posting. It sounds like a band that rehearses more than they gig. Once a month might not even cut for a good weekend warrior. However, playing only once a month seems to be popular with a lot of artists these days. I'm not sure I would mention your ties to the originals arena. I guess that will attract some people but also turn some people away. As soon as I see originals mentioned in an ad,I run. Give it a little more time, you'll have a replacement sooner than you think. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthaside Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) Hmm thanks big red , I didn't consider that, it is most certainly a permanent position in the band i have serious doubts that the lady in question will be able to do anything for the next 3 years , she works a very demanding job on top of the fact that shes going to want to do the mum thing to the best of her ability. Problem is we aren't looking to be doing 10 gigs a month we love doing this but rehearsals and 2-3 gigs a month in high season really is all we can stomach and as such don't really want to attract the people who are looking to do this as a their only source of income. I'll re-work it, our drummer funnily enough used to be our front-man he's on of those insanely talented people you want to hate but cant, when we lost the drummer he just stepped in so he's never stopped doing the male lead stuff. @ blue .....yes we're the definition of weekend warriors .. we said at least once a month because of low seasons , obviously there are some bands who can get 10 gigs in Jan but we struggle , to both want to and to find them in the post xmas lull The origionals stuff was because that response was slightly tailored to a person who said she'd like to try doing some origionals. Edited February 26, 2016 by synthaside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah, the two things which struck me were it's not clear if you're looking for a replacement or a temporary dep. And dial down the "hey we're a bit zany and kooky". I guess that they're intended to show that you both take the music seriously and look to enjoy it. However in an ad they com across as a bit naff. I'd have said... [size="1"]"This means we are looking to find someone to front the band and sing occasional male/female twin vocal songs/duets, we’ve..." "[size="1"]We're all working professionals aged from 30 to 40."[/size][/size] Having "childish" members will be an immediate turn off for any applicant. This will read as "[i]One member of the band is an utter dick. Probably the drummer. And you'll need to sing with him.[/i]" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 My notes:[list=1] [*]Things like grammar, punctuation, capitalisation etc. Every single mistake, no matter how small, seems sloppy. [*]Make it clear up front whether it's a permanent replacement or temporary. You also witter on a bit much in the opening paragraph - "and as she should with a little one on the way." is totally unnecessary. [*]"zany singing drummer" - remove "zany" [*]"very childish 40 year old" - I know that this seems endearing, but for many people a 40 year old who behaves like a kid is a huge red flag [*]Rather than say "it's not going to be a major source of income", just say how many gigs you do, and clarify that you have no plans to increase or decrease that number. They'll be able to do the sums. [*]"would not be against doing originals" - try to express this in a way that sounds a bit more self-confident. [/list] S.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthaside Posted February 26, 2016 Author Share Posted February 26, 2016 ^ this is why I write code ^ Not marketing material , thanks guys this is a big help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1456489099' post='2989518'] ^ this is why I write code ^ Not marketing material , thanks guys this is a big help. [/quote] Once you've got your wording down, if you want me to proofread it I'd be more than happy to help. S.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 There's too much info and chatter in the ad. Chop it down, and save the chatter and finer details for when you have a natter on the phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='synthaside' timestamp='1456488390' post='2989499'] Hmm thanks big red , I didn't consider that, it is most certainly a permanent position in the band i have serious doubts that the lady in question will be able to do anything for the next 3 years , she works a very demanding job on top of the fact that shes going to want to do the mum thing to the best of her ability. @ blue .....yes we're the definition of weekend warriors .. we said at least once a month because of low seasons , obviously there are some bands who can get 10 gigs in Jan but we struggle , to both want to and to find them in the post xmas lull The origionals stuff was because that response was slightly tailored to a person who said she'd like to try doing some origionals.[/quote] Nothing really wrong with mentioning originals I guess. A lot of people like the idea of doing some originals. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1456488836' post='2989512'] My notes:[list=1] [*]Things like grammar, punctuation, capitalisation etc. Every single mistake, no matter how small, seems sloppy. [*]Make it clear up front whether it's a permanent replacement or temporary. You also witter on a bit much in the opening paragraph - "and as she should with a little one on the way." is totally unnecessary. [*]"zany singing drummer" - remove "zany" [*]"very childish 40 year old" - I know that this seems endearing, but for many people a 40 year old who behaves like a kid is a huge red flag [*]Rather than say "it's not going to be a major source of income", just say how many gigs you do, and clarify that you have no plans to increase or decrease that number. They'll be able to do the sums. [*]"would not be against doing originals" - try to express this in a way that sounds a bit more self-confident. [/list] S.P. [/quote] I rareley straight up agree with anyone. However, I agree with all 6 of your suggestions. Blue Edited February 26, 2016 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Yeah What this lot said. But also don't be offended by people not replying and certainly don't call them timewasters. Just because you send a message to someone does not make them honour-bound to reply. Having been someone on the receiving end of this (while doing electronica stuff) there was a point about 10 years back where, frankly, if I was responding to every request for a compilation track or remix and the resulting responses to responses I would never have got any actual work done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='Stylon Pilson' timestamp='1456488836' post='2989512'] My notes:[list=1] [*]Things like grammar, punctuation, capitalisation etc. Every single mistake, no matter how small, seems sloppy. [*]Make it clear up front whether it's a permanent replacement or temporary. You also witter on a bit much in the opening paragraph - "and as she should with a little one on the way." is totally unnecessary. [*]"zany singing drummer" - remove "zany" [*]"very childish 40 year old" - I know that this seems endearing, but for many people a 40 year old who behaves like a kid is a huge red flag [*]Rather than say "it's not going to be a major source of income", just say how many gigs you do, and clarify that you have no plans to increase or decrease that number. They'll be able to do the sums. [*]"would not be against doing originals" - try to express this in a way that sounds a bit more self-confident. [/list] S.P. [/quote] I was going to write a similar list but was beaten to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) As said, 'zany' and 'childish' have got to go. Even if it isn't a pro band, there's no reason why you shouldn't have a pro attitude. In my experience most people have some kind of mental illness anyway, and musicians more so than most. So you don't need to attract nutters, they will find you. People who describe themselves as 'zany' and 'kooky' inevitably are not - in fact they're usually very straight people who think that calling themselves 'a bit mad' will make them more interesting. It does not. My 2p. Keep to the facts. The more you give away at this stage the fewer applications you will get. Edited February 26, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1456491658' post='2989562'] People who describe themselves as 'zany' and 'kooky' inevitably are not - in fact they're usually very straight people who think that calling themselves 'a bit mad' will make them more interesting. It does not... [/quote] This is true... similarly anyone who has "My Way" at their funeral invariably spent 40 years working for the tax office, had zero interests or hobbies and spent their evenings / weekends watching BBC approved light entertainment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1456491988' post='2989570'] This is true... similarly anyone who has "My Way" at their funeral invariably spent 40 years working for the tax office, had zero interests or hobbies and spent their evenings / weekends watching BBC approved light entertainment... [/quote] I want the birdie song playing, what does that say about me? Mind you I also want the coffin to have a spring in it that gets set off part-way through the funeral so it looks like I've sprung back from the dead for a minute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1456492318' post='2989575'] I want the birdie song playing, what does that say about me? Mind you I also want the coffin to have a spring in it that gets set off part-way through the funeral so it looks like I've sprung back from the dead for a minute. [/quote] I don't want a funeral... I want to be fly tipped in a hedge down the side of the M6... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1456491988' post='2989570'] This is true... similarly anyone who has "My Way" at their funeral invariably spent 40 years working for the tax office, had zero interests or hobbies and spent their evenings / weekends watching BBC approved light entertainment... [/quote] It goes on and on, really... 'Bubbly' = won't STFU. 'Curvy' = fat. 'Voluptuous' = fat. 'Rubenesque' = fat. 'Mature' = old. 'Web designer' = unemployed. 'Actor' = unemployed. 'Pro musician' = unemployed. 'Free spirit' = unemployable. And so on and so forth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I really agree with Stylon Pilson. Particularly about the "childish", "zany" drummer. As a 30-something professional this just screams "avoid, avoid, avoid". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefbaker Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1456492437' post='2989577'] I don't want a funeral... I want to be fly tipped in a hedge down the side of the M6... [/quote] Toll or non-toll? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) And beware of any candidates who are wearing a hat. They are doing so to focus attention away from some defect or other. They could even be bald, which is a no-no, obviously. Bushy beards are the same. There is no good reason for [i]anyone [/i]to have a bushy beard. Avoid. If they are wearing a hat, have a bushy beard and turn out to be bald, dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Edited February 26, 2016 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 (edited) [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1456492676' post='2989583'] Toll or non-toll? [/quote] oh the non-toll bit... I don't want to be elitist about it Edited February 26, 2016 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 [quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1456492676' post='2989583'] Toll or non-toll? [/quote] Never send to know for whom the M6 tolls; it tolls for thee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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