Weird Audition

[oldbass]

Me and a drummer I was working with turned up to audition for a "name blues guitarist". This guy walks in with his mate then sets up his "two" combos and pedals etc in one corner with me and the drummer on the opp wall. It was like 12 noon at Dodge City ...ridiculous. Needles to say we didn't get the call, in fact Im pretty sure he said something at the end like ...."you two aren't really blues players are you"..maybe not, but I thought we were near enough.

[Low End Bee]

A drummer I know was in a reasonably well known band in the late 70s. Let's call him Mr X He spotted an advert in Melody Maker. "Drummer wanted for new band. Influences X.Y Z and the band Mr X is in. Looking for someone who plays in the style of Mr X"
He hadn't shaved for a bit, wore a hat and dark glasses and went for an audition. He was his amiable self, didn't get recognised and drummed in his style as well as he could. He was told he wasn't really what they were looking for.
It's nearly always about fit and not technique. They might just not have liked his trilby?
As to the OP. Very rude not to get back to someone as soon as possible though.

[RockfordStone]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1490343276' post='3264374']
In that case you just ask the person to wait while you chat. When you're negotiating contracts at work that's perfectly acceptable to have private chats before sealing any deals.
[/quote]
its also perfectly acceptable to leave a few days between the meeting and signing a deal.

when i've auditioned people, i tend to leave it a day or so, so the group can chat about the person with clear heads, and also to allow the auditionee to use that same time to decide if we are what they are looking for.

i've been on both sides of "knowing at the audition" result, and it hasn't always worked out. there is nothing worse than saying "yeah i am in" and the waking up the next morning thinking... actually no i'm not and having to let the other party down.

but if your way works for you, that's fine

Edited March 27, 2017 by RockfordStone

[TimR]

I just don't see a musician joining your band as the same as getting married or getting a tattoo.

You're going to be trialling them for a period anyway. If it doesn't work out over the next few weeks for either of you then you start auditioning again.

[blue]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1490605208' post='3266240']
I'd be immediately wary of a band that charged you room hire for auditioning or that didn't make a decision if you were in the band or not after a couple of jams.
[/quote]

That's a new one for me.

We've all heard "pay to play". But "pay to audition"?

No thanks.

Blue

[blue]

I say, guys be careful who you audition for.

Don't waste your time with bands you know are probably not a fit.

And don't audition for any band if you don't know what your looking for. Unless your 17 years old.

If your looking for consistent gigging and money, seek out established bands with a giant book of active business. IMO stay away from "start ups"

Blue

Edited March 28, 2017 by blue

[radiophonic]

[quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1490625560' post='3266570']
A drummer I know was in a reasonably well known band in the late 70s. Let's call him Mr X He spotted an advert in Melody Maker. "Drummer wanted for new band. Influences X.Y Z and the band Mr X is in. Looking for someone who plays in the style of Mr X"
He hadn't shaved for a bit, wore a hat and dark glasses and went for an audition. He was his amiable self, didn't get recognised and drummed in his style as well as he could. He was told he wasn't really what they were looking for.
It's nearly always about fit and not technique. They might just not have liked his trilby?
As to the OP. Very rude not to get back to someone as soon as possible though.
[/quote]

Suede famously mentioned a love of The Smiths in their original 'drummer wanted' ad. Mike Joyce showed up!

[radiophonic]

When I 'auditioned' for my current band, I was still in another band but fairly sick of the situation. I'd planned to ease myself out of one situation and into another via a period of learning songs and working up to a gig. No chance. The audition consisted of them establishing that I was the right age, had kids and therefore had realistic expectations of practice and gigging schedules and was enthusiastic about the material. I don't think I really played - although they played some stuff to me. I taped 3 songs on my phone and agreed to have them learned in 3 days and played a gig with them that week. That was it. 15 gigs in two and a half months later and I knew the set. They seemed to take the attitude that since I owned a bass, had played in a bunch of bands and was old, then I could obviously play well enough, the rest was down to personality and mutual expectation. I am a good fit musically, but that was a total coincidence.

[dlloyd]

The only serious audition I've had in recent years consisted of playing a gig with the band.

I went to a number of originals auditions back in the day where the band was weirdly reminiscent of "Wild Stallyns" from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. A couple of mates who thought they'd be rock stars if only they could add a magical bass player and drummer... cue advert asking for players with "pro attitude/equipment" only for the guitarists to turn up with Squier Affinity strats and Marshall MG15 amps. At that point, it's really not worth unloading the equipment...

[uk_lefty]

I was going to audition for an originals band a few years back. Great songs online, pro recorded with nice basslines. I learned their songs and we never actually set a firm date to audition. I chased them up and heard nothing. A few months later I got asked, hey do you want to audition? So I said yes, learned more of their songs and nothing... Then another few months later, hey do you want to audition? No thank you, I learned your songs for the last two that didn't ever get booked.

My current band were great for auditioning. I sat and waited while another player packed up then went in, set up, had a meet n greet then launched in to some well known covers. I had "researched" them and seen on their Facebook there was anew cover they wanted to do so learned the basics of that song and suggested we play it. I wasn't sure how it was going so I relaxed in to it and put my own flavour to a few songs and they loved it. They told me that night I had the gig. They were honest too, the bassist before me was a note-for-note replica of the original songs and a properly trained musician, maybe lacking a bit of feel, but I gather a superior player technically, though he wanted more regular and higher paying gigs than they could offer. Also he was a teenager who was being driven around by his dad. I played "worse" but fit better musically and socially. A year on and I'm loving it, the gigs are fun and the guys are all good friends.

[Japhet]

I've never done an audition. A drummer mate of mine once asked me to come to an audition with him as the bass player in band he was trying out for wasn't available. I did it as a favour. A few days later my mate phoned me to say he didn't get the gig but they wanted me to join. I played with them for 5 years.