Too many varied and diverse influences??

[TheGreek]

Found an add on Gumtree for a "talented and versatile bass player". Author of the ad states:

 

"I am currently living in London, with a set of new songs and I am looking up to setting something fresh and unique here. Influences of the material range from Velvet underground, The Jam, The Smiths, Talking Heads, Jazz/Latin, Nick Cave, Ian Dury, soul, electronic, punk, tropical, Dylan, Lou reed, and Orbison, some of the music also taps into social commentary."

 

I like the sound of some of this but less so some of the other. Feels far too diverse and unfocussed.

 

Comments?

[Dad3353]

18 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Found an add on Gumtree for a "talented and versatile bass player". Author of the ad states:

 

"I am currently living in London, with a set of new songs and I am looking up to setting something fresh and unique here. Influences of the material range from Velvet underground, The Jam, The Smiths, Talking Heads, Jazz/Latin, Nick Cave, Ian Dury, soul, electronic, punk, tropical, Dylan, Lou reed, and Orbison, some of the music also taps into social commentary."

 

I like the sound of some of this but less so some of the other. Feels far too diverse and unfocussed.

 

Comments?

 

One can never tell. If I had to list my influences, it'd be much more eclectic still than that ^^^^. The 'influences' are one thing, the end result of what the chap has written would be more probative, I'd say. No harm in taking a look, and step away if it's rubbish. A shame he didn't mention Prokofiev, or I might have given it a go. 

[BigRedX]

I've got a load of wide-ranging and some very eclectic influences, but if I was looking to join or form a band I'd narrow those down to suit the sort of music I wanted to play.

 

Edit: And if I wasn't sure about the music I wanted to play, I'd probably run multiple ads each for a particular genre.

Edited July 28, 2023 by BigRedX

[JoeEvans]

I'd ask, do you sing as well as play the bass? Is there any video of you doing both at the same time, live, with a band? How many songs have you got ready to go? Are there demo recordings of any of them?

It could be great but there are a lot of fantasists out there (probably all of us, at one time or another...) and you have to dig a bit to see if a project is ready to go or not...

[Waddo Soqable]

You've got to say something tho, and suppose he maybe wants to draw from a widish gene pool of possible collaborators. 

Are you thinking of giving his project a try then? 

[ahpook]

If I liked a couple of the bands mentioned, I'd get in touch.

 

It's an advert, not a manifesto.

[Mykesbass]

I have this problem I have no idea what I want to play next. My next advert could be very difficult.

[Doctor J]

For me, if you're the one setting up a band, you need to have the vision and know what you're aiming for. This just smacks of desperation, trying to appeal to everyone. It's the ad of someone who doesn't know what it is they want to play. I'd avoid, personally. There'll be a long march ahead before you arrive at a cohesive set with a stable lineup. Too much time will be wasted finding the true direction.

[TheGreek]

I sent the author a message asking him to get in touch. 

I commented on the diversity of his inspiration and to clarify what type of music he was aiming for. 

I'm not clear how old he is or if he has just listed some of his favourite bands.

 

I'll keep you posted. 

[Mickeyboro]

Beware ‘genre-blending’ 😩

[Franticsmurf]

 If those are accurate representations of the material, it will be an interesting album. 😄

 

My influences are probably as varied (though different) but if I was looking for musicians to work with, I'd try either and focus it down to the specifics that the music resembles ('Early Peter Gabriel meets Animal Kwackers'), or a more general 'rock', 'classical', 'EDM' label. I would keep the wider influences for the next conversation, with examples of the material.

 

 

[NancyJohnson]

We have it rammed down our throats daily that diversity is supposed to be a good thing.

 

Personally, I'm of the belief that it's a good thing to have a broad musical spread, it certainly helps when trying to convey feel and and ideas, but that's probably too eclectic in these days of swipe-left/right mentalities.  Played in a punky band quite a few years back where the guitarist's only point of musical reference was an album called Foot In Mouth Disease by a Canadian band called Gob.  That was it.  You made reference to populist punky bands of the time (Blink/Alkaline Trio/etc) and he'd look at you like a quizzical dog when someone says walkies.

[odysseus]

Nothing wrong with having diverse influences IMO. However, it depends what the guy and the other members want out of the band.

If it's about creating something unusual then maybe he's all about bringing in a range of musicians, seeing who is good at what, and taking it from there. You might get something really interesting and creative out of it, but it would probably not have mass appeal and not many gigs, much less catapult the band onto the front page of Rolling Stone magazine.

If it's about getting a load of gigs and creating something bog standard to appeal to the great unwashed shambling herd, then maybe he'll end up with a revolving door of dissatisfied musos, because he should have put his cards on the table in the first place.  

Further investigation would be good to try and get a bit closer to finding out what the plan is. Could be great. Could be terrible. Don't know unless you ask, I guess.
 

[Leonard Smalls]

All of the bands I've been in (bar one, which was hard rock from the outset) have been a "let's see what happens" sort of thing...

One band had a jazz-funk drummer, punk mohican singer, blues keyboardist, heavy metal guitarist and me (into anything groovy and out-there); we produced a sort of James Chance and the Contortions meet Butthole Surfers noise...

Current band has a hardcore punk singer, classic old-skool punk bass player, me as other bass player-come-widdle-fest-merchant, a guitarist into psychedelia and Hendrix and 70s rock inspired drummer. As a result we don't really sound like any of the other bands on the punk circuit; we have 6 minute songs based on an Ornette Coleman riff, 1 minute 50second punk bangers with slap bass solo, slow chuggy grunge numbers with a tango based chorus, phrygian jazzy middle 8 and double speed rockabilly ending...

So I reckon that if you decide in advance exactly what you'll sound like, that's what you're likely to do but you're less likely to produce anything off-the-wall and ever so slightly crazed...

[neepheid]

19 hours ago, TheGreek said:

far too diverse and unfocussed

 

Sounds like my originals band...

[Downunderwonder]

18 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said:

You've got to say something tho, and suppose he maybe wants to draw from a widish gene pool of possible collaborators.

Either that or he's dead set up himself and his influences. Only one way to find out.

 

[Dan Dare]

20 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I like the sound of some of this but less so some of the other. Feels far too diverse and unfocussed.

 

Seems from your final comment it may not be for you. Some would find it an interesting prospect, but if you are someone who likes everything nailed down beforehand and has strict ideas of what is and isn't for you, probably not.

[Waddo Soqable]

I'd say give him a go, have a meet up and see how you get on.. what's to lose? 

[ahpook]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

So I reckon that if you decide in advance exactly what you'll sound like, that's what you're likely to do but you're less likely to produce anything off-the-wall and ever so slightly crazed...

 

Indeed. No great music was ever made without cross-pollination.

 

[Baloney Balderdash]

No such thing, having widely diverse influence can only be an advantage, and my influences are probably even more diverse.

 

Though probably not the best way to write a "seeking musicians for starting a band" add.

 

Good thing he is a musician then and not in the advertising/marketing business. 

 

Edited July 29, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash