What Do You Really Bring To The Table

[Len_derby]

2 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

As you know my band is in transition right now and we're not gigging as much. I have been asked to do some acoustic gigs and I've accepted them. The pay is actually better with better hours.

Daryl

That's a wise choice Blue. I find opportunities are much harder to find if you're not active and you're out of sight and mind.

My take is that 'something' is always better than 'nothing'.

[Nicko]

I only ever audition with an agreed set of songs, but research the band if possible to have a few more in my pocket so that if they want to hear more they can.  Aside from that I bring great timing which makes up for my lack of flashy technique.  That, coupled with my magnetic personality of course.

[ead]

13 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I expect and audition to be structured. Where the band will give you 3- 4 songs to audition.

If it's a " come jam with us" or they ask me to pick 4 songs from their set list, I'll decline the audition.

Blue

Understand the first reason but not the second, why does the self selection of songs not work for you?  Ii surely affords an opportunity to pick songs covering different styles and tempos to demonstrate ones general grooviness.

[chris_b]

16 hours ago, Bluewine said:

I expect and audition to be structured. Where the band will give you 3- 4 songs to audition.

If it's a " come jam with us" or they ask me to pick 4 songs from their set list, I'll decline the audition.

Blue

For me it would depend on the band and the musicians.

I've played with some great guys who were shambolic, disorganised and sometimes a pain, but the playing was so good I just went along and enjoyed the ride. I prefer to be more organised, but if good players just want to jam then I'm all for it.

 

Edit for sense!

Edited April 5, 2019 by chris_b

[fretmeister]

I bring..

 

Inappropriate use of disco octaves, and slap in Motown tunes.

[Crusoe]

15 hours ago, Huge Hands said:

I've lost gigs because I'm 6'3" overweight and ginger, and stuck out like a sore thumb against their backdrop of cool rock tight jeans and shades.  Shorta***es!  (I also refuse to wear stereotypical bass player hats).

We're supposed to wear a hat? I knew I was doing something wrong...

[Cuzzie]

You always wear a hat, bassists get the cast off groupies.....

[Japhet]

I've only ever auditioned for 1 band. Since then every gig I've got has been through word of mouth or people approaching me. I've had a couple of dep jobs turn into permanent work. Apart from the music I'd say a few plusses would be

Happy to buy a round.

Know how the PA works and how to get a decent sound.

Happy to put up with Prima Donna flouncyness from the 'stars' in the band.

Have a vehicle big enough to cart the majority of the cr@p around that nobody else can be bothered with.

These things will help you to get a position in plenty of bands.

[Stub Mandrel]

My first audition was a joke. They gave me a tape, I had a week so I went to see my brother and he helped me more or less learn the outline of all the songs.

Got there and they said that the tape was just a guide to the sort of music they were into. Two guitarists who didn't have any songs written but just vaguely jammed at random and seemed surprised that I didn't have  clue what they were doing.

Really dented my confidence, but in retrospect I realise they were the clueless ones, even if they could play a lot better than me.

Next band were the opposite, gave me a few straightforward songs, I turned up, I wasn't perfect but they enjoyed it and that was it.

Other two bands, one I just fell into as I already knew some of them. The other we met up in a pub and exchanged tapes of bands we used to be in. The audition was the guitarist teaching me the Bruce Foxton-style basslines to all his songs on his guitar. As I (to my surprise) was the first person he found who could play them, I was in.

<edit> Our sound was very close to the Beautiful South, one of the few successful bands to be based around male/female vocal duettes.

Edited April 5, 2019 by Stub Mandrel

[dannybuoy]

I bring...

More pedals than the guitarist.

[Norm]

Got asked to join a very busy heavy blues rock band (very flattering but bit too busy for me, absolutely every fri, sat & some sundays & some midweeks too) I'm not the most technical or musicianly player but the band leader told me that "I got it across the footlights, with energy, attitude & passion". I took that & was very pleased with that compliment. 

[dmccombe7]

5 minutes ago, Norm said:

Got asked to join a very busy heavy blues rock band (very flattering but bit too busy for me, absolutely every fri, sat & some sundays & some midweeks too) I'm not the most technical or musicianly player but the band leader told me that "I got it across the footlights, with energy, attitude & passion". I took that & was very pleased with that compliment. 

And that says it all. And that's from a hard working gigging band so well done. I'd be happy with that comment.

I'm with you on the number of gigs tho. I gave one up a few yrs ago because they were gigging every Fri, Sat and some Sun afternoons and i thought that was too much. 

I'm happy with one a week or even 2 a month to be honest.

Dave

[uk_lefty]

My last audition was almost three years ago, still in the band now and enjoying it. What I brought:

Knew almost all the songs on their list for the audition,

Was warming up in reception playing scales,

Had both Fender jazz and Fender P,

A firm handshake,

Similar aims to the rest of the guys,

Backing vocals not great but better than the guitarist,

Honesty - in terms of commitment, what I want out of the band, how much of a part of my life I'm prepared to let it be.

[Bluewine]

8 hours ago, ead said:

Understand the first reason but not the second, why does the self selection of songs not work for you?  Ii surely affords an opportunity to pick songs covering different styles and tempos to demonstrate ones general grooviness.

As long as you confirm the songs you pick are songs they know and still perform .

This is what you don't want. You get to the audition and you get;

 

" Oh, we don't play that one anymore"

Blue

Edited April 5, 2019 by Bluewine

[Bluewine]

4 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

You always wear a hat, bassists get the cast off groupies.....

When your 66 like me, you won't have to worry about groupies anymore. They're not interested.

Blue

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, chris_b said:

For me it would depend on the band and the musicians.

I've played with some great guys who were shambolic, disorganised and sometimes a pain, but the playing was so good I just went along and enjoyed the ride. I prefer to be more organised, but if good players just want to jam then I'm all for it.

 

Edit for sense!

For me it's all about bookings. No matter how good you are if you don't have consistent bookings it's not for me.

Blue

[dmccombe7]

4 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

When your 66 like me, you won't have to worry about groupies anymore. They're not interested.

Blue

Aye but you don't look anywhere near 66. So get in there fella. 

Dave

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

And that says it all. And that's from a hard working gigging band so well done. I'd be happy with that comment.

I'm with you on the number of gigs tho. I gave one up a few yrs ago because they were gigging every Fri, Sat and some Sun afternoons and i thought that was too much. 

I'm happy with one a week or even 2 a month to be honest.

Dave

Even at 66 years old, I like gigging 3 nights a week.

Blue

[Cuzzie]

2 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

Even at 66 years old, I like gigging 3 nights a week.

Blue

I suppose they can’t be bothered to queue 

[dmccombe7]

2 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

Even at 66 years old, I like gigging 3 nights a week.

Blue

Different reasons Blue but best not open up that can of worms again 

Dave

 

[Bluewine]

13 hours ago, Len_derby said:

That's a wise choice Blue. I find opportunities are much harder to find if you're not active and you're out of sight and mind.

My take is that 'something' is always better than 'nothing'.

Agreed

And in my neck of the woods it's easier to book an acoustic act.

Blue Shield

[Bluewine]

13 hours ago, Len_derby said:

That's a wise choice Blue. I find opportunities are much harder to find if you're not active and you're out of sight and mind.

My take is that 'something' is always better than 'nothing'.

Acoustic gig last night.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

5 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Different reasons Blue but best not open up that can of worms again 

Dave

 

They'll come a time when I can't do it. 

If it can happen to Mick it can happen to me.

 

Prayers for a fast recovery Mick.

Blue

[Royal Dave]

I've never actually had to audition for a band, they've all been formed with mates, or I've been asked to join through friends/contacts. We have recently had to audition for a guitarist though, the first time we haven't got someone in that we already knew. The most useful thing we did was meet up with the candidates before we formally auditioned them - I don't know if this is usual, but our thinking was that we really wanted someone we could get on with first and foremost (the previous guy was a great player, but unfortunately a complete pain in the derrière).

Worked out really well - first guy we just didn't gel with and the second didn't turn up at the prearranged pub (his local!). The third was absolutely perfect. We all got on well, chatted about our musical backgrounds, had a laugh and sorted out six songs to try out with. He turned up for the audition 3 weeks later having learned about 20 and we gigged after 4 more rehearsals. All working out really well so far.

[Bluewine]

2 hours ago, Royal Dave said:

I've never actually had to audition for a band, they've all been formed with mates, or I've been asked to join through friends/contacts. We have recently had to audition for a guitarist though, the first time we haven't got someone in that we already knew. The most useful thing we did was meet up with the candidates before we formally auditioned them - I don't know if this is usual, but our thinking was that we really wanted someone we could get on with first and foremost (the previous guy was a great player, but unfortunately a complete pain in the derrière).

Worked out really well - first guy we just didn't gel with and the second didn't turn up at the prearranged pub (his local!). The third was absolutely perfect. We all got on well, chatted about our musical backgrounds, had a laugh and sorted out six songs to try out with. He turned up for the audition 3 weeks later having learned about 20 and we gigged after 4 more rehearsals. All working out really well so far.

That's a great story with a happy ending.

If you don't check these guys out you never know what might happen. I've seen it where a band will bring someone on and find they can't even respond to a text message regarding a gig schedule. Or find out after the fact the guy has transportation issues or has a traditional job that interferes with the band.

All stuff the band should have known before bringing someone in.

 

Blue