blue Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 I'll be posting this type of an exercise on a monthly basis. In this case let's critique the message, how the ad is actually written as well as the type of guy that would be a fit. BASS PLAYER WANTED We are a Milwaukee based original rock band that is looking for a bass player. We need someone that is somewhat levelheaded. We play original and cover material that ranges from smooth and mellow to heavy and driving. We all write and have equal voice. No attitudes, egos and weirdness. We have some fun shows on the books. Let me know if that appeals to you, I will provide further information" Comments and thoughts. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 21, 2017 Author Share Posted June 21, 2017 (edited) I won't comment on how the ad was written and presented yet. However, I will comment on who I feel would be a good match. This is what I would consider an entry level opportunity. This is a match for a young guy looking for his first band. Chances of winning the opportunity are high as local level originals bands tend not to be picky. Blue Edited June 21, 2017 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 I don't know, would a young guy looking for his first band not be a little intimidated by writing and having equal voice, rather than just go with the flow a bit at first and find his feet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 No, the no attitudes, egos and weirdness indicates they have been in other bands before and are trying to avoid the same mistake, so I reckon older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted June 21, 2017 Share Posted June 21, 2017 I'd want to have some idea of what sort of player they were looking for. As it is I'd pass it by because I have no idea if they want a root-note plodder or someone who wants to use the bass to add dynamics, colour & energy, and might like to b*gger about up the dusty end occasionally. Also, much as it shouldn't be important - some vague idea of age range would be helpful. If they're all 19, then a 50-year old strolling up might be a bit awkward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 [quote name='Kev' timestamp='1498074811' post='3322413'] I don't know, would a young guy looking for his first band not be a little intimidated by writing and having equal voice, rather than just go with the flow a bit at first and find his feet? [/quote] Kev, Depends on how you define writing and having a voice IMO. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) Ok, my spin on how the ad was written. It really doesn't tell us much. No reference to a web site or YouTube clps. I am going to assume this is a band where the mean age is around 25, I could be wrong. The ad tells me they have had problems with imature members in the past. Is that all they were able to recruit, guys without a level head? "We have some fun gigs coming up."Fun gigs"? All gigs should be fun, what kind of gigs are we talking. They might have some cool festival gigs booked, who knows? Would I be alone if I say the "fun gigs" are private house party gigs hosted by friends? Nothing wrong with that type of gig but I'd want to know specifically what kind of gigs they're talking about. Blue Edited June 22, 2017 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiophonic Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 When i read 'fun gigs', I immediately thought 'Puppet Show + Spinal Tap'. If it were bar or club gigs they would say 'paying gigs'. I'm guessing it's a second iteration of a band that floundered in the rehearsal room because of someone with an ego problem / unrealistic expectations of what a local level originals band can expect to achieve in terms of audience. They've all been playing a few years, some of them have probably gigged and the original line-up was mostly based on friends. They dumped the ego problem and want to move it up a notch. Wouldn't surprise me if they've replaced another member in addition to the bass player. The first gigging band I was in was like this band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) clearly it's not for somebody looking for a regular income. I'd also question whether they have a very strong band leader based on the share of writing comment, and I think that is probably what will influence who replies more than anything else - somebody who doesn't want to be a hired hand but wants to have a creative role in a band playing originals and a say in the band. In isolation that would appeal to me. The "levelheaded" bit makes me think older - no self respecting 19 year old is going to want somebody in their band who expressly isn't a complete rock n roll animal. My guess is a bad experience with the last bass player which suggests a bit of experience and I'd pitch the ages at mid 20's to mid 30's. It may be that this is the experience of band members rather than the band itself - I can't tell whether the band has been around for a while (albeit that they have some bookings) or if they're fairly new and just getting started. The mix of covers and originals would put me off completely - it's not impossible to mix the two but IMHO it rarely works very well - the covers crowd and originals crowd are very different beasts (says the man who went to see the Cancer Bats playing a set of Black Sabbath songs last night...maybe they're the exception that proves the rule) and if it's more than a set of originals with the odd cover thrown in then I wouldn't be interested at all. This also makes me think that they're not older than mid 30's as I would expect them to have learned this by then...although I do know bands older than that who keep trying to break away from the covers circuit by adding a few originals...I've yet to see it work. The vagueness of the music wouldn't hook me either. It may be just that it's badly expressed - for instance if they said "bringing a whole load of different influences and styles together to make original music" then I would be far more intrigued...but I'd still want a basic idea - this could be metal, funk, or Coldplay. I think this is the biggest weakness, that by not giving any clue as to the basic genre it's ruling out everybody who wants to specifically play rock/metal/funk/soul/etc. Coldplay fans may still be interested... I'm not concerned about having no links - I agree that it would be far more helpful if it did, but some people just aren't good at that sort of thing, and it may simply be that the band is fairly new. I'm also a lot less critical of the "fun shows" bit. It could mean anything (and thus means nothing) so before writing it off as friend's parties I'd want more details. I think that's how i see the ad overall, an invitation to ask for more information. It wouldn't appeal to me personally, and I think it needs to be a lot more specific about the musical direction Edited June 22, 2017 by Monkey Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 I wouldn't reply to a add without knowing who the band is. A facebook/webpage/etc. link is crucial in the add. I would want to know what they play, their average age, some past experience, how much and where they're playing currently. That can all be obtained by a brief strawl through a facebook page. The main "colour" of the add tells me that they're guys with some experience and don't do music for a living, they just want to enjoy themselfes doing what they like. The bass player for this band should be someone with a day job that wants to play bass as a [u]serious[/u] hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1498072276' post='3322387'] I'll be posting this type of an exercise on a monthly basis Blue [/quote] Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 If we get the right answer do we get points, and do points mean prizes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 How the hell can you be "somewhat" level headed. That word in the sentence would put me off completely. Other than that there is nothing to encourage a response. If these guys are writing original music why can't they come up with an ad that sells the band. Worst ad you posted for a while Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 [quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1498151413' post='3322842'] .Worst ad you posted for a while Blue [/quote] Wow, you mean this isnt the first of this type of thread? What a pathetic thing to do. It used to be a friendly, helpful place here until a few years ago, and now we have threads like this where everyone wants to bitch and slag other people for no reason other than sport., Its pretty obvious Americans think and talk in a different way to those in the UK (otherwise we would nt have this thread ;-) and picking out every other word and analysing it gets us where? No wonder the old crew dont post on here anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Oh God, not another of Blue's critiquing threads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 [quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1498147669' post='3322812'] Why? [/quote] They seem to generate interest and provide interesting comments and insight from bass chat members. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Seems a bit mean spirited to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 Someone who lives in Milwaukee would be a great fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 [url="http://milwaukeerocks.com/classifieds.asp?xid=70885"]http://milwaukeerocks.com/classifieds.asp?xid=70885[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) [quote name='ped' timestamp='1498160116' post='3322915'] Seems a bit mean spirited to me. [/quote] The advert or the thread? Edited June 22, 2017 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) [quote name='Nicko' timestamp='1498151413' post='3322842'] How the hell can you be "somewhat" level headed. That word in the sentence would put me off completely. Other than that there is nothing to encourage a response. If these guys are writing original music why can't they come up with an ad that sells the band. Worst ad you posted for a while Blue [/quote] The ad doesn't tell much about what type of opportunity they're offering. I plan on posting examples of all sorts of ads from bad to very good. The other thing you have to understand is how poor the originals band scene is in Milwaukee. Blue Edited June 22, 2017 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 [quote name='dave_bass5' timestamp='1498153070' post='3322853'] Wow, you mean this isnt the first of this type of thread? What a pathetic thing to do. It used to be a friendly, helpful place here until a few years ago, and now we have threads like this where everyone wants to bitch and slag other people for no reason other than sport., Its pretty obvious Americans think and talk in a different way to those in the UK (otherwise we would nt have this thread ;-) and picking out every other word and analysing it gets us where? No wonder the old crew dont post on here anymore. [/quote] Are ads for bass players in the UK presented differently? The purpose of the thread is not to instigate negativity. It's purpose is to invite and share intelligent fair commentary on how we look at and interpret ads. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted June 22, 2017 Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) I find these threads useful and informative. Not entirely sure why this thread in particular seems to have set a few people off. Perhaps they might profit from a quick re-read of the thread. The comments about the ad are - as is often the case - fairly respectful and exhibit a speculative curiosity. No 'bitching' or 'slagging' afaics. Anyway: * They're an originals band that supplement the self-penned stuff with some covers. I'd be asking about those covers. * "We all write" doesn't necessarily mean the bass player has to write but I'd ask about that too. * Not specifying an age suggests they're somewhere in the 25-50 bracket * 'No attitudes, egos or weirdness' could be a description of the current band members [u]or[/u] a warning that weird attitudinal egotists are [i]persona non grata[/i]. That's me f*cked, then Edited June 22, 2017 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted June 22, 2017 Author Share Posted June 22, 2017 (edited) There might be a disconnect with guys that never have to audition or rely on the want ads for opportunities. Guys that are networked and get their opportunities through word of mouth. You know, the guys that get calls. I've never been one of those guys. In most cases I've had to rely on ads which really puts you at a disadvantage from the start. I have to hustle all my opportunities. I'm almost sure I'm not the only bass player in this position. I've made mistakes and didn't always know how to read between the lines of ads or spot red flags. And it goes both ways. There was a time when I might not have been able to spot opportunities that would have been good for me. There must be some newbies on bass chat where this type of discussion is useful, right? Blue Edited June 22, 2017 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iacopo San Posted June 23, 2017 Share Posted June 23, 2017 Are you replying to an ad and ready to jump into a situation/band with their ideas and contexts, whatever they are, or are you looking for your exact type of band? If it's the latter, you should probably post your own ad instead of looking for existing ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.