Count Bassy Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I have just recently joined a band (two rehearsals in). They are nice people, seem pretty good at what they do, and seem to like what I do. They/we are still someway (months) from being ready to play out as the singer is also new. The problem? They are an originals Metal band, and I am not really into metal. I am much more into blues, classic rock, and old style R and B, so if we were playing up the local pub I probably wouldn't bother to go and see us. However it is a band to play in, which I've not had since pre lockdown. What do I do? What would you do? I worry that If an opportunity to join a bluesy band came up then I would be very tempted to jump ship,thus letting this band down. Especially if the bluesy band had a vacancy for piano/saxophone, which Mrs Bassy plays. BUt then there arn't that many opportunities around. Is it a bird in the hand thing? What would you do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Go for it, you might end up surprising yourself. I say this as I’ve done similar. I joined a band that I’d seen a couple of times when they played with my old band. We were street punk, they were psychobilly so although I quite liked them not my favoured genre. But when I got the CD through to learn the songs for the audition I found I really enjoyed playing them so put my all into learning them as really wanted the position. Fortunately I got it and I’m really happy in this band even though I don’t really listen to the genre that much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len_derby Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Personally, my view is any band is better than no band. If I wasn’t in a band, ideally playing gigs, I probably wouldn’t bother picking up a bass. However, in your situation I’d try to make it clear where my real preferences lay and, if something better came up honour the commitments with the existing band until they found a replacement. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I'd play in the metal band as it develops to just get out playing/ rehearsing. It will never hurt to learn something new. If a bluesier band comes along, great, check it out and have a decision to make. Right now it's not a choice. Plus, if from playing metal you've learned some ways to match guitar riffs and some ways to create heavy breakdowns that could lend itself to the bluesier stuff (I'm thinking Black Stone Cherry kind of thing) then you've got a new string to your bow that can benefit the band. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Depends how good the bass player is 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Honestly, yes, because in general I wouldn't bother going to see many bands! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 You're not into what the band do, and you would jump ship if the opportunity came? Unless the band know and don't care, you should let them find someone more committed. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 24 minutes ago, MacDaddy said: You're not into what the band do, and you would jump ship if the opportunity came? Unless the band know and don't care, you should let them find someone more committed. Yep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 Well, I would give them a heads up that if some blues band came up it would be more your thing, but if you are there then there are obviously fewer metal original bass players (and I would assume that there would be a fraction of metal original bands to blues bands) so that if someone else came along to replace you they could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I was asked to play in a country band and even though I really wasn't into country, the female singer was exceptional which made all the difference, so I decided to join. I'm still with them and enjoying it, 6 years later, even though I still don't listen to country unless it's to learn a new song. But then I'm also in a blues band and I never listen to blues. I was, until recently, in a heavy rock band and.......well you guessed it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I would never go and see any band with me in it 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 3 minutes ago, SteveXFR said: I would never go and see any band with me in it If you get a really long guitar lead you could, kind of.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolo Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I would hate to go out and see a band that didn't like what they were doing. That would ruin my evening and destroy all faith in the band. Don't be a poser, have a chat with the lads. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I would and indeed do. As has been been said above - better to be in a band than not, and if something more up your street comes along then go for it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 12, 2023 Share Posted July 12, 2023 I joined a band playing stuff I wouldn’t normally go and see, just to get out there again (I moved house during the lockdown to the other end of the country). So glad that I gave it go, great bunch of guys, a rake of gigs and I don’t mind the genre as much as I thought I did. Plus, learning a whole raft of new songs is always good for your chops. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 I am in two that if I didn't know were actually pretty decent I probably wouldn't pay the money to go see. Neither gigs very often and dates are set well out in front so it's all good with me telling both which is #1 priority. I guess it depends how many gigs this metal outfit is planning on doing. An awful lot of bands have people in them who are in more than one band. Seems original outfits are a bit funny about that, ya gots to be 100% available for when the "big opportunity" happens, yada yada, get a life people! So perhaps a word is in order before you get too far into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Playing music I don't like or believe in sounds like a chore, to be honest, and not something which interests me at all. Playing originals is likely to cost you money and it's that passion for the music which keeps you going in the times where you're tired, have played to three disinterest punters and have another long drive home in the dark ahead of you. There won't be too much cash in hand to shut up the voice inside you. That you've asked the question suggests the voice is quite loud already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Music that you like to listen to and music that you like to play can sometimes be two completely different things. There are literally 2 songs that my band plays that I would listen to in the car or the house but I enjoy playing all of the others. I'll never forget learning the live version of Crazy by Beyonce, the one where it goes into Crazy by Gnarls Barklay in the middle - it was excrutiating listening to it. Sounded like a bag of cats being tossed off a bridge. Yet I really enjoy playing it. As long as you enjoy the playing element then that's the most important thing regardless of whether or not you'd listen to it yourself. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elfrasho Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 The most I've done in the music scene is when I joined a hip hop band. Wasn't into hiphop and I almost certainly wouldn't have went to see them. But we saw a bit of the the world, played some huge gigs, supported some massive acts and recorded some highly liked music in the scene. If you think it will be fun then go for it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 I've found that I have a greater tolerance for songs I'm not keen on listening to, if I'm actually playing them. On the other hand having to learn and play some songs has completely killed any chance of listening enjoyment that I might have previously had for them. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nilorius Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 (edited) Listen to what they play together with You. If You like and enjoy it - do it, if You feel uncomfortable about the genre - leave. At Your place i would left after the first rehearsal. Edited July 13, 2023 by nilorius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelDean Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 I've been in a couple of bands that I wasn't very keen on. I was too polite to say that I didn't want to join and it wasn't said that they didn't want me. So I kept turning up. In hindsight, I should have bailed on those long before I did. I've also been in a few bands of varying genres that I hadn't really explored before, but I found myself really enjoying both the band and the related music. Have you tried starting a band you would enjoy more and could play in with your wife? Or, is it worth getting some recommendations from the rest of the band on what other metal you might like? See if you can get into it a bit. It's a pretty wide genre. Some stoner rock touches a bit on doom metal. Could be a gateway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Yes go for it (I would anyway as I'm not in a band right now). If they're good people to be in a band with then that's most of the hassle of being in a band already taken out of the equation, plus, as it's not your genre pe se then you'll be learning something new to put in your pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 I've "been in" a few bands I didn't particularly like certainly, on numerous occasions I've filled in for a while on gigs as they didn't have a bass player or whatever. Trouble is they sometimes assume you'll do it indefinitely and don't try too hard to look for a permanent solution. Nothing wrong with playing around with bands like that though if it appeals, it's all good practice and experience, should you need it, I suppose, and it might even put you in a position where you meet a bunch who you do actually "click with" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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