uk_lefty Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 As above, be really up front about what you're expecting from the band... One gig a month? New mates to jam with? Regular wedding and function gigs paying £3500 a week? And ask them the same... I got my slot over a lad who was hands down a better player but he wanted weekly paid gigs, the band was bringing in about one gig a month, few paid. I wanted to play good music, have fun and maybe cover my costs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 On 16/09/2018 at 04:16, lowlandtrees said: Been years/decades since I auditioned and they appear pretty good technically and I feel a bit out of my depth. Is there a reason you'd want to be in a band that's out of your depth? Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Just in case they turn nasty, stuff a couple of snooker balls into a sock. Knot the end and - Hey! Presto! - you've got yourself a serviceable cosh. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 1 minute ago, skankdelvar said: Just in case they turn nasty, stuff a couple of snooker balls into a sock. Knot the end and - Hey! Presto! - you've got yourself a serviceable cosh. If its an 80's metal band you'll already have these in your trousers. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 12 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: As above, be really up front about what you're expecting from the band... One gig a month? New mates to jam with? Regular wedding and function gigs paying £3500 a week? And ask them the same... I got my slot over a lad who was hands down a better player but he wanted weekly paid gigs, the band was bringing in about one gig a month, few paid. I wanted to play good music, have fun and maybe cover my costs. In my area most publically advertised opportunities are " for fun" bands. Bands that are gigging a lot and making money don't advertise to the public. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Just now, Bluewine said: In my area most publically advertised opportunities are " for fun" bands. Bands that are gigging a lot and making money don't advertise to the public. Blue Agreed, but still think you need to ask just to be certain. Someone who says they want a player for seriois gigging band might have never played outside their own bedroom. And likewise, you need to be honest about what you want otherwise everyone is wasting each others time. Having said that, my band has grown to be a good earner, so things can develop. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 38 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said: As long as I haven't got the kids, Arsenal aren't at home, Eastenders isn't on that night and the wife doesn't want to do the weekly shop, I'm definitely there... apart from Tuesdays because I always play squash on Tuesdays, and definitely not at the weekend, which includes Fridays, because the weekend is for family stuff... Depressingly familiar. I'm always confused when people can't make it. What could they possibly be doing that's even close in importance to rehearsing, recording or gigging? My life revolves around those three things. The rest is waiting to do those three things. I suppose it's unreasonable to expect four or five other people to have the same attitude... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, uk_lefty said: Agreed, but still think you need to ask just to be certain. Someone who says they want a player for seriois gigging band might have never played outside their own bedroom. And likewise, you need to be honest about what you want otherwise everyone is wasting each others time. Having said that, my band has grown to be a good earner, so things can develop. Agreed, if a guy is looking for a busy gigging band with good pay , you don't audition for a "for fun only" band. Blue Edited September 17, 2018 by Bluewine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickD Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 Make sure your kit is in good order. If it's original stuff and from a recording, learn it exactly as is first, then listen lots and work out how you can make it better, whether that's with tiny changes, big changes, adding stuff or (more often than not) taking stuff away. Ask them for a couple of goes and do both. You'll get an idea of each others tastes that way Finally , be you. Whatever you hide to get the gig will come out sooner or later, same for them... Better not to get the gig than discover you're incompatible after 6 months of rehearsals. Also, remember that if it's not a working gig you're auditioning them as much as they are you. I hope everything clicks.🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 Thanks everyone. All great advice....get this......tried out my stuff today....duff main lead.....and hate the sound of my new set up. Bugger. Gotta get into town tomorrow and buy decent leads and work on my gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted September 17, 2018 Author Share Posted September 17, 2018 2 hours ago, Bluewine said: Is there a reason you'd want to be in a band that's out of your depth? Blue Well I say that I feel out of my depth but the recording that they sent is a polished studio production full of samples etc ....synth bass etc. I really like the music...sorta trip hop. Been trying to set up this sound with others for ages and bands don’t play this stuff up here anymore. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 23 hours ago, ahpook said: I'd advise against being on mushrooms again - or the bus journey home might be a bit OTT, again! There, sorted it for you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 1 hour ago, lowlandtrees said: Well I say that I feel out of my depth but the recording that they sent is a polished studio production full of samples etc ....synth bass etc. I really like the music...sorta trip hop. Been trying to set up this sound with others for ages and bands don’t play this stuff up here anymore. I've more often than not joined bands that were of a better standard than myself. The best and quickest way to improve IMO is by playing with people that are a step above you. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaypup Posted September 17, 2018 Share Posted September 17, 2018 4 hours ago, Bluewine said: Is there a reason you'd want to be in a band that's out of your depth? Blue To learn and stretch yourself? If there isn’t at least one musician in the band im in awe of i get bored quite quickly. Luckily, im mediocre so the bar is set fairly low! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 9 hours ago, lowlandtrees said: Thanks everyone. All great advice....get this......tried out my stuff today....duff main lead.....and hate the sound of my new set up. Bugger. Gotta get into town tomorrow and buy decent leads and work on my gear. how will changeing a lead improve your new setup? What's wrong with it? What is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 When i audition i'm not necessarily looking for better musicians but lookng for guys to impress me with how they play whether that be the fact they are confident, competent and don't make mistakes or they simply gel together as an existing band and provided you've done your bit you run thru the songs first take. That's a nice feeling. I'm usually impressed by a well organised band. A band that turns up for rehearsals / audition and can't remember what songs they asked me to learn and then suggest we do something else that they can remember is a disaster to me and i'd walk from that. I like a band to know exactly what their intentions are i.e. how often they gig, where they gig and who is running the band. I hate when a band needs to ask each other what the main structure of the song is and what comes next especially at an audition Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted September 18, 2018 Author Share Posted September 18, 2018 2 hours ago, bazzbass said: how will changeing a lead improve your new setup? What's wrong with it? What is it? Two different things. I was trying out my new gear and found two duff leads. Additionally my new set up just does not seem to ‘work’. Just got myself a Greenboy F112 and a tonebone. I thought that I would just plug and play but that is not gonna happen. Need to experiment or get an amp more suited to the Fearless. I don’t really have anywhere that I can turn up the volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 8 minutes ago, lowlandtrees said: Two different things. I was trying out my new gear and found two duff leads. Additionally my new set up just does not seem to ‘work’. Just got myself a Greenboy F112 and a tonebone. I thought that I would just plug and play but that is not gonna happen. Need to experiment or get an amp more suited to the Fearless. I don’t really have anywhere that I can turn up the volume. Just make sure you know how everything works before you get to the audition. If you turn up and clearly don't know your way around your gear, then that will be a huge red flag against you. S.P. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Steve Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Personally I'm another one who likes to play with musicians that are better than me, or at the very least will push me, and be technically demanding. Depends on the circumstances - sometimes the band doesn't demand that level of technical complexity, and that can still be great fun, but the aim is always to get out and play gigs, and you need a level of competence to do that (well, possibly not...I have examples of musicians who play regularly and an an offence to your ears) But I'm done with keeping the rhythm guitarist because he's a great bloke and always buys his round if he can't actually play the guitar very well. I now have a very simple test - if i can play the guitar better than you, by definition you are not a good enough guitarist to be in a band with me. I am bang average at the guitar... ...that said, the most fun i ever had in a band, and the one that got the most gigs and earned the most money was one where I played guitar and the bass players (we had a couple over the time i was in the band) were a triumph of enthusiasm over talent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 1 minute ago, Monkey Steve said: ...I'm another one who likes to play with musicians that are better than me... Me too, but where are they?? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 12 minutes ago, discreet said: Me too, but where are they?? Playing in bands with people who are even better than they are, of course! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 22 hours ago, lowlandtrees said: Well I say that I feel out of my depth but the recording that they sent is a polished studio production full of samples etc ....synth bass etc. I really like the music...sorta trip hop. Been trying to set up this sound with others for ages and bands don’t play this stuff up here anymore. Cool, I hope your considered and they are what your looking for in a band Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, discreet said: Me too, but where are they?? everywhere sorry couldn't resist that one Edited September 18, 2018 by dmccombe7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluewine Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 I never look for great Musicians, I'm a band guy so I look for good people, good entertainers, likeable people.Many talented Musicians are introverted and not really good candidates for a band. Take a look at this short clip. Jerry and Chet are both introverts, it's how they got so good. They make what is very difficult seem effortless and easy. While introverted they also became entertainers and likeable. I'm not sure what my point is. Blue 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Don't forget to ask them if they intend to do any gigs without you, as a duo or trio.....😪 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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