Bass Player Wanted Adds

[Stylon Pilson]

[quote name='Shambo' post='660859' date='Nov 21 2009, 11:03 AM']I've just recieved a confusing group text from him, telling me that todays rehersal is cancelled because of illness in the family. I wasn't aware of any rehersal today having told him 2 days ago, politely but firmly, that I wasn't going to work with him any more. [/quote]

I'd advise taking another look at this. Either he's trying to save face, or he's not actually got the right end of the stick, and isn't aware that you have fully resigned, without reservations. If it's the latter, then you need to set him straight on it right now.

S.P.

[Shambo]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='661547' date='Nov 22 2009, 07:22 AM']I'd advise taking another look at this. Either he's trying to save face, or he's not actually got the right end of the stick, and isn't aware that you have fully resigned, without reservations. If it's the latter, then you need to set him straight on it right now.

S.P.[/quote]
Interesing really isn't it? How someone can take no to mean maybe? I didn't give him any reason whatsoever to think I'd be changing my mind, unless he's mistaken my politeness, (under the circumstances), as a sign I'm a bit of a pushover. The way I've put up with the earlier f*ck ups and agreed to just get on with it, maybe he does. Either way, if he does want to play again, it'll be, "thanks, but no thanks".

I suspect I got that text accidently on purpose, so I know he's under stress from this family illness, (which happened yesterday), and is looking for some sort of sympathy.

[xgsjx]

You should try & find just one or two musicians just to have a jam with (preferably either a drummer or a singer, or a drummer that sings) & have fun there.
Then find another musician (doesn't have to be a guitarist, could be keys or violin, etc) just to jam & see how things progress from there.
My acoustic (well almost) band, BigRoom, started this way. Me & the vocalist from my other band (Frigorifico) who also plays guitar & banjo started having a mess about with some ideas that wouldn't fit in our AOR band just for our own fun & then a few months later we got a mandolinist (who plays uke, tin whistle & spoons too) round for a jam & things developed from there.
Two & a half years down the line & BigRoom is now our main band & are expanding on it to include a violinist, percussionist and possibly a bouzouki player too.
The AOR band has kinda fell by the wayside a bit as quite often there was only 2-3 of us turning up at rehearsals

My point is, if you find someone to jam with you can then have fun without the hassles of a strange band & you can also tell that guitard that you have other musical commitments if he brings the reform back up.

Good luck either way.

[Musicman20]

I agree with this now.

Ive had 15-20 offers for joining bands. 2-3 were half decent, one of them sounded pro as hell.

What do THEY want me to do?

Go all out, learn a lot of material, and play along to it on videos...then send them through. A fair bit of messing about.

Guess what, I do all that, they keep asking me for more, they like it, and they still say 'we gotta rehearse first see what you are like'.

I carry on....FFWD to today...the band have split. Waste of time and now im basically annoyed as hell and bored of bands being like this.

Meh.

[Toasted]

You have to be straight. There's no way I would have agreed to record vids of me playing. I'm in a similar situation 'aww just come round to my house mate and we'll have a jam' - to which I said no thanks, pick 5 songs, send me mp3s and I'll learn them and come to your next band practice.

Remember you're auditioning them as much as they're auditioning you. Don't get messed around - they're noT doing you a favour letting you be in their band.

One positive note: glad to see you've got the bullshit detector well and truly tuned in - one decent band from 20 enquiries seems about right!!

[Musicman20]

[quote name='Toasted' post='664519' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:24 PM']You have to be straight. There's no way I would have agreed to record vids of me playing. I'm in a similar situation 'aww just come round to my house mate and we'll have a jam' - to which I said no thanks, pick 5 songs, send me mp3s and I'll learn them and come to your next band practice.

Remember you're auditioning them as much as they're auditioning you. Don't get messed around - they're noT doing you a favour letting you be in their band.

One positive note: glad to see you've got the bullshit detector well and truly tuned in - one decent band from 20 enquiries seems about right!![/quote]


+1...cheers.

From now on, I do it my way, or its not going to work. In addition, I make sure they realise a decent bassist who isnt just a guitarist fiddling with bass is a tough musician to find.

Ive been totally messed about...no more 'videos' of me playing along...from now on ill learn 2-3 tracks and try out...thats it. No more messing about.

Thanks for the advice.

[JayGarrett]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='664522' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:28 PM']+1...cheers.

From now on, I do it my way, or its not going to work. In addition, I make sure they realise a decent bassist who isnt just a guitarist fiddling with bass is a tough musician to find.

Ive been totally messed about...no more 'videos' of me playing along...from now on ill learn 2-3 tracks and try out...thats it. No more messing about.

Thanks for the advice.[/quote]

It still strikes me as almost slightly perverse that they wanted to see vids of you.............. I've been asked for some pics and recordings but never vid.

Fetish springs to mind

" In addition, I make sure they realise a decent bassist who isnt just a guitarist fiddling with bass is a tough musician to find." - very true and well said!

[NickH]

[quote]In addition, I make sure they realise a decent bassist who isnt just a guitarist fiddling with bass is a tough musician to find.[/quote]

We're not? Oh $#!7, I'm a keyboardist fiddling with a bass! Don't tell any of the bands I've been trying out for!

[OldGit]

[quote name='NickH' post='664589' date='Nov 25 2009, 12:46 AM']We're not? Oh $#!7, I'm a keyboardist fiddling with a bass! Don't tell any of the bands I've been trying out for![/quote]


Security!!!!

[JayGarrett]

[quote name='NickH' post='664589' date='Nov 25 2009, 12:46 AM']We're not? Oh $#!7, I'm a keyboardist fiddling with a bass! Don't tell any of the bands I've been trying out for![/quote]

~raises an eyebrow~

[WHUFC BASS]

[quote name='spacecowboy' post='651880' date='Nov 11 2009, 07:07 PM']singing stupid lyrics during practice, farting down the mic and just generally being a dick[/quote]

Ha ha! Sounds like our drummer....and our singer come to that. I f***ing love rehearsals. Its just one huge piss-take of each other in-between songs. Nothing is sacred, no holds barred. We're still productive but the piss-taking is merciless.

Edited November 25, 2009 by WHUFC BASS

[4-string-thing]

[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='664903' date='Nov 25 2009, 11:53 AM']Ha ha! Sounds like our drummer....and our singer come to that. I f***ing love rehearsals. Its just one huge piss-take of each other in-between songs. Nothing is sacred, no holds barred. We're still productive but the piss-taking is merciless.[/quote]

This sounds like my band, and to be honest it really pisses me off! The singer and guitarists spend more time insulting each other (and their wives, mothers etc) than we do rehearsing. At first it was mildly amusing, but you soon get fed up of hearing the c*** word shouted down a microphone. I'll be moving on soon, I think.

[maxrossell]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='664522' date='Nov 24 2009, 11:28 PM']I make sure they realise a decent bassist who isnt just a guitarist fiddling with bass is a tough musician to find.[/quote]

Bloody hell, you're not wrong there.

The things we don't put in our bass player wanted ads, but probably should:

- We're looking for a bass player, not a guitar player who reckons he can be a bass player because they're sort of similar instruments, so if you're gonna join and then three weeks later decide you don't like not playing guitar solos and bail, don't bother.

- Just because people who don't play bass say "any dimwit can pick up bass in five minutes", that doesn't make it true. We're not gonna hire you just because you own bass gear, we actually need you to know what to do with it.

- That being said, bass players are people who own bass gear. If you don't own bass gear, you're not a bass player. Don't say "I'm getting an amp for Christmas." - If that's the case, call us after Christmas. Oh, and call us snobs if you want, but an £85 chinese Precision knockoff with three strings, a crackly budget guitar lead and a 20w Stagg practice combo isn't bass gear.

- We'll send you some of our tracks. That's not for our enjoyment, it's actually because we would like you to learn them. Also it would be nice if you learned to play them as they were written, and not just invent yourself a noodly bass slap solo halfway through the second verse for no apparent reason. It's very nice that you've spent the past five years assiduously studying the techniques of Marcus Miller, but we're here to play songs, not to showcase your spectacular chops.

- We appreciate that you might already be in six other bands, but don't be surprised if we're not overwhelmed with gratitude should you consent to granting us a half-hour of your time every other week. If you aren't going to be at the practices, there's no point in you joining the band.