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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Band Rehearsal Gone Wrong
Band Rehearsal Gone Wrong
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superchucker77
280 posts
Jun 26, 2010
1:57 PM
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Recently, I was hired by a singer to play a gig. I recorded on the singers last album, and played on a local T.V. show with him and a band so I said yes.
A few weeks before the gig rehearsal, he gave me two CD's of music to listen to in preparation for the gig. So I took time out a got ready for the rehearsal having practiced over EVERY track (over 25 of them).
So I was told to arrive at rehearsal at 6pm at the bar and grill that the gig will be held at. Thursday, I showed up for rehearsal ON TIME and no one was there. The restaraunt was empty except for the owner, who let me in.
A few minutes later, the singer showed up but not the rest of the band. So we waited. 15 minutes later the Bassist shows up. It was an hour before all of the musicians assembeled.
We are now over an hour over schedule. Once all the other musicians and other singers had assembeled, we started going over the song list. However there is a big problem. NONE of the other musicians have listened to all of the CD tracks. So for every song they have to listen to the CD first to get the arrangement straight.
I was the ONLY one fully prepared yet I was treated like I was out of place. For most of the rehearsal I kept my volume fairly low, just enough to mix with the band. So when it was time to solo and I turned up my volume a bit, I got weird looks from the drummer (who was waaaaaay too loud) and the guitar player (who kept messing up the chord changes).
It seems like a big joke that "musicians" who are over twice my age and have been playing music for many more years than I would be so ill prepared and un-professional.
The gig is tonight, I will post on how it goes.
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Brandon O. Bailey
Official Website of Superchucker
Last Edited by on Jun 26, 2010 1:59 PM
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tookatooka
1483 posts
Jun 26, 2010
2:03 PM
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Thats an apalling story Brandon. It's just not fair on you and they should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
I think this is why you should concentrate on your solo career with the looping pedals etc. That way you don't have to depend on anyone else.
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Kingley
1289 posts
Jun 26, 2010
2:16 PM
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Welcome to my world Brandon. I get stuff like this happening to me all the time! It's really frustrating to say the least.
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Paul "Kingley" Routledge
My YouTube Page
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Buddha
2139 posts
Jun 26, 2010
2:18 PM
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what the hell kind of musician are you Brandon? A real pro doesn't need a rehearsal.
You're at fault for being an amateur. Act like a musician next time, bring a 30 pack of coors and a 1/2oz of weed and oh yeah show up late. Rehearsals are like ice fishing. It's not about the fish. It's about the drinking, farting and getting stoned. Shame on you for thinking you're better than them by showing up on time.
Want to be a star? Act like a star and EXPLODE on to the scene. You can't do that if you show up early.
Ever see BB King? He doesn't show up on stage until the 2nd to last song of the first set. That's a Star.
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"All is bliss"
Last Edited by on Jun 26, 2010 3:18 PM
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Greg Heumann
588 posts
Jun 26, 2010
2:38 PM
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I'm afraid to say what you experienced was more typical than not. I was a working professional in small and large companies and I applaud your work ethic - can't go wrong like that. But in the music biz get ready to encounter this over and over. again and again, time after time, rehearsal after rehearsal, gig after gig..... do I repeat myself? Am I redundant? Do I say the same thing over and over? Let me reiterate...... get used to it. You don't have to excuse it, and you don't have to lower yourself to it.
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/Greg
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Hobostubs Ashlock
844 posts
Jun 26, 2010
2:54 PM
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i agree with Buddha,sounds like you got your end covered with studying the Cd,I would just go with the flow drink a couple beers smoke a little if you partake of those and let them catch up.
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KingoBad
293 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:06 PM
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Well Brandon that sucks, but good for you!!! That kind of ethic will take you far, whatever you do. No one likes a jackass in a team effort that is unprepared. Perhaps it will get better as you wade through the slackers to get to more professionally acting players. Then again, maybe not.
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superchucker77
281 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:06 PM
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Overall I'm very glad that I was the one who showed up on time and well prepared. I believe that it shows that I have a level of professionalism and concern for the music that they do not. I'm not angry about it, just logically perturbed.
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Brandon O. Bailey
Official Website of Superchucker
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Joe_L
408 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:17 PM
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No matter what you do in life, you'll need to learn patience and to accept people for being the way they are. If you don't like that sort of behavior, don't work with them again.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in all walks of life that are slackers. It's a good idea to just get used to being around those kind of people.
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nacoran
2278 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:21 PM
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I've had worse. At a three man rehearsal one player was drunk, and the other, very large man, was having problems keeping his pants up while playing the bass. The drunk player thought it would be fun to start spitting beer. This annoyed the bass player, who turned his back to him, which in turn, annoyed the drunk player who now was getting a full view of the bass players buns. It ended when the drunken guitar player spit beer down the bassists butt crack. They both retell the story like the other guy was the bad guy.
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Nate
Facebook
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strawwoodclaw
71 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:24 PM
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lol that's good advice from Buddah.
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Hobostubs Ashlock
846 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:25 PM
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lol nacoran you sure your not from wagoner,I think i know them:-)
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superchucker77
282 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:37 PM
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@buddha
Turns out I really did not need to be at the rehearsal. I knew the songs better than everyone else. Had I known that it would have been such a wast of time, I would not have attended.
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Brandon O. Bailey
Official Website of Superchucker
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eharp
681 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:43 PM
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you got your stuff down. what's the big deal?
if it is sad/bad for anybody, it's the singer who organized (or didnt) the gig.
the band may surprise you on their skills during the gig. stressing/sweating it sure aint gonna get you anything.
good luck on the upcoming train wreck. i mean gig!!
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waltertore
705 posts
Jun 26, 2010
3:47 PM
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Brandon: What happened to you happened to me at your age. You scare those guys. It is that simple. They fear losing their little piece of turf they call home. It hurt to go through all that stuff. I was there for the music and nothing else. Unfortunately you may encounter this a whole lot more before you earn enough clout to call the shots. It is a dysfunctional, addiction ladden, ego driven scene that society calls being a musician. It is almost a fact that if you stay in this business past your 40th birthday (full time) you will be a mental wreck. You will be able to play real good, but life will be a mess. I have seen this more times than I can remember and the rare bird is the one that stays healthy, deals with their issues, and grows past adolescence.
Also if you don't do the drink or drugs, cigarettes, or whatever bad for your health substances that the scene is into, you will be viewed as an oddball. Be healthy, run, eat right, be honest, fair, compasionate, and forgiving, and you will often get steamrolled in this business. This is a big reason I have gone to being a one man band. I am done dealing with musicians for all these reasons. I played a gig this afternoon and this trumpet player came up to me. He was my age and has played with all the big name enertainers - cab calloway band, count bassie, etc. He was a classic dysfunctional musician. I found myself going into auto pilot as he told me all about his life, which was mostly a big mess - playing gigs he didn't like, broke, and lost. I am glad I have gone to the 1 man band because living 24/7 with guys like you described will make you nuts eventually too. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,000 of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Jun 26, 2010 3:55 PM
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KCBLUES
24 posts
Jun 26, 2010
5:06 PM
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@brandon -
I guess that is "one to grow on"... sorry to hear but not surprised...
ON a more positive note, I played with a band in London las summer for a handful of gigs and flew in for a THURSDAY night gig - NO PRACTICE! During sound check we played one of my arranged originals and they nailed it! IN fact, they had learned all of my material (including about 14 originals)...
Unfortunately I have not always had as much luck stateside... Just seems that Europeans (at least in the blues) take tings a little more seriously....
Kurt
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Greg Heumann
592 posts
Jun 26, 2010
6:46 PM
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@Joe re" Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in all walks of life that are slackers" - ain't that the truth. No matter what you do - you'll find the majority of people are indeed slackers. It is what gave me confidence all though my life. If you're bright and you're willing to learn and apply yourself you can be successful at what you choose to do.
@Walter re:" Be healthy, run, eat right, be honest, fair, compasionate, and forgiving, and you will often get steamrolled in this business." - You DID say "often" not "always" - but I want to reiterate it doesn't have to be that way. I choose to be honest, fair, compassionate and forgiving (OK, I don't eat right) - and if I can't work with someone who violates those principles - I just don't work with them. There are enough wonderful people in the world, including musicians.
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/Greg
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waltertore
706 posts
Jun 26, 2010
6:53 PM
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Good for you Greg! I am all for supporting good people. The more this happens the bigger the positive network gets. Have you always been this way? I think most musicians start out just wanting to fit in and go through what Brandon experienced and after enough of those experiences, if they are not of that make up, decide to leave them alone. I know it has taken me lots of years to get to the point of dealing with music on my terms instead of trying to sneak my terms in the back door while nodding my head and walking in their front door. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,000 of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Jun 26, 2010 6:57 PM
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bigd
172 posts
Jun 26, 2010
7:21 PM
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In the end you will last and they will not and this is not age related. I've been lucky and responsible enough to get lots of gigs lately and those that have been memorable have had sane communication contexts, e.g., promises kept, clear communications, eye contact on stage, payment at the end of the gig, etc. For me when experiences like you described occur and I feel disrespected I have to be careful because I feel volatile. Far worse would be how I would feel about myself if I treated an imminent musical experience disrespectfully. Someone with the talents you clearly have fortified with the strength to approach the next invitation with the same professionalism can only shine in the end. Some will see this observation as romantic or it might read patronizing but it has been my experience. p.s. Other than showing up for musical commitments my ambivalence about other life choices I have made definitely qualifies me as a slacker. d
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Myspace: dennis moriarty
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Elwood
464 posts
Jun 27, 2010
2:26 AM
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Good lord that's frustrating. Now, to give you an idea of what it's like to be in a band situation in Cape Town, imagine the global average of slackerdom. Now increased by a factor of 1.5.
I don't know why people would torture themselves with a five- or six-piece outfit where half the guys can't learn the chords or show up on time or remember what was covered in the last rehearsal. By far my most satisfying experiences, at the lowest rungs of giggage, have been with a barebones three-piece. And the drummer was playing a cajon.
Of course, if you can find six consummate professionals, I'm sure they lock together like an Aztec Armageddon device - I've just never had the pleasure of experiencing it first-hand.
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Diggsblues
378 posts
Jun 27, 2010
4:34 AM
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I think you'll get more gigs and have a good reputation. The singer is the band leader in the end
it's his problem. They don't seem to have a pro attitude.
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How you doin'
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LIP RIPPER
244 posts
Jun 27, 2010
5:28 AM
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Brandon, the scenario you've just described is why I quit playing and listening to music for a long time. I mean I wouldn't even turn on the radio. I'm not sure opened my mind back up to it but that is what caused me to pick up the Harp. I thought with this instrument I wouldn't need other musicians to have fun playing music. Turns out that I as wrong. I really enjoy making music with others, back one another up, playing off what ever is being thrown down. I just have to accept that most musicians are lazy and don't have a strong work ethic. You my friend, have the right motivation. Wouldn't it be nice if more of the world did? It's probably your parents fault you're this way. ;<}
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Jim Rumbaugh
248 posts
Jun 27, 2010
5:59 AM
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hmmmm.... Maybe that's why DJs have been able to take away so much of the live music business over the last 30 years.
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intermediate level (+) player per the Adam Gussow Scale, Started playing 2001
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captainbliss
230 posts
Jun 27, 2010
6:23 AM
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@superchucker77:
Please, please, please...
Don't let 'em drag you down and don't let your frustration, irritation and disappointment have a toxic effect on your own professionalism and standards.
@waltertore:
/supporting good people. The more this happens the bigger the positive network gets/
YES!
And...
I think BEING a good person (like superchucker77's discipline) makes the postive network bigger, too...
xxx
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MySpace | Facebook | Calendar | YouTube | London Harmonica Group | My Main Gig
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waltertore
708 posts
Jun 27, 2010
6:34 AM
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this is basically a snapshot of life. Each of us has our own idea of what is a good/bad work ethic, morals, expectations, etc. The good news about living another day on this earth is that if we are doing it right, we define the boundries that work for us. This, at least for me, has been a lifetime learning thing. I am alot better today than I was 5 years ago with creating my own universe and I plan on being alot better in 5 years than today.
For years all I was concerned with was filling the calendar with gigs. If I had less than 20, it was not acceptable. Unfortunately, most of them were not very condusive to interactive music. So, after about 20 years of that I have been learning to make sure the gig fits me. Some of you probably have learned this alot quicker than me, but I was so driven to play, my rational side never could get a word in :-)
Creating ones own universe is the way to go. Surrounding yourself with friends, service people, community you live in, job, etc, that fit your codes will make life a much more pleasant journey than just taking what comes. I learned more about that yesterday at a gig I played. It was a benefit for collie rescue. I have been involved with them for years and they asked if I would play. I immediately said yes, wanting to support the cause, but once I got there and started to play, I realized I made a mistake. It was about dogs, not music. So, I learned again. that is the cool part of life. If we take these "screwups" as gifts of guidence, life is usually always ok. Instead of getting pissed off at myself for taking such a gig, I actually had some fun letting my music mesh to the 60+ dogs that were running, playing, walking, by me. Very cool moments happened with those dogs and me, but not enough to do it again. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
2,000 of my songs
continuous streaming - 200 most current songs
my videos
Last Edited by on Jun 27, 2010 6:40 AM
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captainbliss
235 posts
Jun 27, 2010
6:49 AM
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@waltertore:
A little off-topic, but I wonder whether you've read this book:
The Art of Possiblity
If not, I suspect you might enjoy it...
xxx
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MySpace | Facebook | Calendar | YouTube | London Harmonica Group | My Main Gig
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superchucker77
283 posts
Jun 27, 2010
7:46 AM
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Well, the gig last night was in some ways worst than the rehearsal.
First off, the band leader told me that the gig started at 8pm, and he even made flyers and facebook posts saying as such, so naturally I got there well before 8pm. When I arrived, I found that yet again the doors were locked to the restaurant, and I had to be let in by the owners. I was the FIRST musician there yet again. So while myself and my family patiently waited as 8pm approached wondering whats going on, the drummer shows up and sets up, but still no info on whats going on.
A few minutes later, a local harmonica student came in to meet me and see my play. I learned from him that he was told by the people at the door that the gig would start at 9pm. Apparently, the gig time was changed and I was not informed.
Finally, the gig started at 9:15 but rather than starting the show with the band and singing, some VERY bad comedian was hired to start the show (yet another thing that I was not informed of).
When the first singer finally did begin to sing, he used karaoke tracks rather than us, the band, the he had rehearsed with two nights earlier.
After that the gig went pretty smoothly. However, interestingly enough the audience seemed to be pretty bored except for when I started playing harmonica. In fact, during the final band introductions, I got the most applause and compliments.
This for me was mainly an experience builder. I still love the idea of working with bands and other musicians, but I likely will not work with this group again. A big reason why I love playing my solo shows is because I do not have to be concerned with the wrong doing of other people. I can rely on myself, which I think is very important.
In the end, it was apparent that this band needed me a LOT more than I needed them.
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Brandon O. Bailey
Official Website of Superchucker
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Greg Heumann
593 posts
Jun 27, 2010
11:20 AM
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Don't give up on playing with others. When they're not JERKS like this particular group it can be really special - the whole is more than the sum of the parts.
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/Greg
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oldwailer
1299 posts
Jun 27, 2010
11:23 AM
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This is kind of sadly amusing to me, Brandon--I was working as a musician (guitar and vocal) back in the 70's--with a band that called itself "The Panama Redgrass Dixieland Bluesband." (This was early in the 70's when really corny names for bands were popular).
We had a couple of local club owners really interested in having us play for pay--but we only knew 3 songs. I started showing up on time for rehearsals armed with tons of sheets to learn new stuff from. Everybody thought I was an asshole.
Everybody else showed up late with lots of illegal substances and proceeded to get loaded. Nothing ever got learned--but we sure could play "Stormy Monday" for a long-assed time!
I finally went off on my own to play single--this was at the nearing end of the folk revival, so there were still jobs for single acoustic guys in coffee houses and pizza joint and VFW's.
I still love to jam with other musicians, but, even after all those years--more years than you have lived, I still would be very cautious about working with others.
Unfortunately, many musicians are flakes--and I include myself in that evaluation. . .
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barbequebob
981 posts
Jun 27, 2010
11:28 AM
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Brandon, coming from a pro's perspective, you came prepared, which is something I don't often see with a lot of musicians plus you are punctual, and that's something often quite the OPPOSITE of a LOT of musicians that I've dealt with over the years.
From a bandleader's perspective, you may not have liked to have been told the gig the gig time was an hour later, but in my experience, telling musicians to be there an hour earlier is often a strategy out of sheer necessity because musicians have (and unfortunately too stereotypically true at times) of being freaking late for EVERYTHING and so telling them to be there an hour earlier and also telling them if they're even a minute late, the club owner will dock the pay is what I've had to deal with doing and trust me, having even one guy late by as little as a single minute has caused that to happen and so just dealing with personnel issues can be a royal headache the average person often really doesn't understand well.
Some bandleaders are notoriously disorganized, but in this case, it is also quite possible that the owner never told him about having a comedian or any other type of opening act would be happening, and this I"ve gone thru as well and some clubs may hire you as an opening act and not tell you of another opening act besides yourself.
So, in part, welcome to dealing with the business side of music and you just got a tiny taste of things I've had to deal with.
When you are a member of someone else's band, you have to deal with things far differently than if you were a bandleader, and as a bandleader, you have to be on top of everythingm, but there is always gonna be stuff you're gonna get hit with out of left field and you have to be prepared to deal with anything.
Seeing that you took the time to prepare for their material, from the way you've put it, I doubt that this guy had any regular members and just took who was available at the moment and these guys may have not known a whole lot to begin with, and taking the time, as a sideman, to learn as many different grooves, styles, etc., just plain being prepared so that if something possibly goes awry, you're prepared and don't have the "deer in the headlights" look on your face makes you a FAR better pro and someone whose only experience may be in open jams and suddenly rehearses and finds weird stuff happening is often going to be totally unprepared to deal with that.
Some of the old guys I once worked with sometimes would do things to throw you a curve just to make sure you were paying attention 24/7 because you'd be surprised how many kinda mail it in and not pay attention and often find themselves caught with their pants down.
You may want to think about taking some time as a sideman using that experience as a sort of apprenticeship and keep a very keen watch on everything and how the bandleader handles the business side of things and it's something a lot of musicians don't spend enough time learning, which says it ain't just about playing, it's also about the business side as well.
Pain in the butt, but it was also a valuable learning tool. Some people can't/won't deal with the business side of things and learning the business side is VERY important and as one old school pro once said to me, "there's a lot of sharks in the ocean." After a few years as a bandleader, believe, I knew EXACTLY what he was talking about. The business side is a TOUGH business but if you want to advance, you DO need to learn that aspect of things and start asking questions about it with pros who have been there, especially as a bandleader and even the dumbest sounding of questions are often very important ones to ask.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Jun 27, 2010 11:30 AM
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walterharp
374 posts
Jun 27, 2010
3:01 PM
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finding a band to play with, or even sit in with, is like dating... lots of duds till you find a good one, but once you do, then it can all be worth it.
Most cant make music as well by themselves (in dating or bands), so gotta keep trying
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The Gloth
414 posts
Jun 28, 2010
7:03 AM
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@Superchucker : The way I see it, these rehearsal and gig didn't go so bad.
See the positive : all the musos came to the rehearsal, and they worked on the songs.
The show was not canceled, the guys were there and played ok. You got a decent sound and was able to play as you like. You got sheers and applause, and I assume that you were paid too, so nothing much to complain, ain't it ?
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http://www.buddybrent.be
Last Edited by on Jun 28, 2010 7:04 AM
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blueswannabe
54 posts
Jun 28, 2010
8:09 AM
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@superchucker: I don't agree with some of the advice that your getting. Succesful professional athletes, lawyers, doctors, professors prepare and show up early. Why shouldn't musicians have the same work ethic. Because they drink and get stoned? That's ridiculous! Get a group of musicians that have a similar work ethic as you. I'm sure that you can find them. Mike
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Buddha
2141 posts
Jun 28, 2010
8:48 AM
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@blueswannabe
I already explained to Brandon what I really think and now he fully understands why I only play with world class musicians if I can help it.
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"All is bliss"
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jaymcc28
293 posts
Jun 28, 2010
8:55 AM
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I suffer from a.d.d. Because of this I am pretty anal about starting times, preparedness, etc. I agree with those on here that say that you shouldn't put up with that kind of crap.
I'm not a musician but I married one and have plenty of friends that are and based on this sampling it's pretty obvious to me that you ran into something that, if not the norm, is a fairly regular occurence in the music biz.
In the business world, if I set a meeting for 1:00 p.m. and take the time to hand out material to be reviewed and/or prepared you had better show up on time and prepared. Period. I'll can your ass.
When I am coaching sports my teams run on "C.S.T." which stands for "Coaches Standard Time". That means that my watch is the only one that matters so you had better show up early just in case my watch was fast.
Frankly, I live by the edict that "Showing up on time is showing up late". the responsibility falls on the leader, in this case the band leader, to set the expectations and kick asses if they are not met. Based on reading BBQ Bobs postings over time I'm betting that he'd not put up with that type of behavior and would break skulls. Based on how you prepared and acted for this gig that's probably the type of band leader you'd thrive under. Find them, they're out there.
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"Take out your false teeth, momma, I want to suck on your gums."-P. Wolf
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barbequebob
982 posts
Jun 28, 2010
10:33 AM
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From a pro's perspective, you HAVE to be fussy about things and if you're the bandleader, it's YOUR ass on the line and just like a manager in a day job, because you're in charge of YOUR band, the other people don't get hit with the crap, YOU DO!!! Even having a guy 1 minute late can cause you to not get hired by the club again.
This stuff may be fine in an open jams where there's no real pressure for anything, but once you get into the pro arena, it's TOTALLY different and if something goews wrong, it's not gonna be the bandmember's fault, it's gonna be YOUR fault, just like in a freaking day job once you get into bandleader status.
Any bandleader that's willing to put up with that has no business being one and if you gotta give these guys the message, there are times when polite or little hints just doesn't work and you gotta get in their face like flies on s**t and read them the riot act ASAP!! Many of the old time bandleaders I've seen wouldn't think twice about leaving you out on freaking deserted highway with all your gig in the middle of the night, and trust me, I've WITNESSED this actually happening.
I have to agree with Buddha that you play with world class musicians, real pros, not just the usual suspects who sound good in an open jam who think they're s**t's ice cream because a real pro won't be doing that crap and they know they will get fired quick and word among pros gets around real fast about dumb crap like that.
As a pro, or even a bandleader, you absolutely CANNOT TOLERATE ANY OF THIS FOR A NEW YORK MINUTE at all, and when word gets around that you won't, they will know what the deal is, what is expected of them and what you are willing or unwilling to tolerate, and some musicians are more like flaky little freaking kids that need a big swift boot in the rear end.
Again, as a pro, I'm not here to freaking baby sit people and no pro is gonna put up with that.
I've been handed so many phone numbers over the years soliciting their services, 75% of which I've trashed because they either clearly don't fit in to what I do, don't understand anything about the genre I play, or if I know the crap they're putting down is something I refuse to tolerate and so many of these people seem to think they're irreplaceable that they can get away with it, but trust me, they're not.
To some, this may sound cold and ruthless, but it is the truth about the business end.
Even to do some pick up gigs, I once had to deal with a guy who hired this awful drummer and he himself was no great shakes, but this was a two nighter and would get paid after the 2nd night and I told this guitarist straight up that if you hire a drummer like that again, don't freaking call me. How bad was this drummer?? When I tell you I'd rather work with a drum machine or a metronome, that says a lot.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
Last Edited by on Jun 28, 2010 1:11 PM
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blogward
135 posts
Jun 28, 2010
10:55 AM
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keep getting there early - just don't COME IN early.
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Mojokane
47 posts
Jun 28, 2010
12:36 PM
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interesting reading..
I have two words to throw in the forum
...WORK ETHIC....
When you're a guest, it's a tough call.
Ask yourself, is it worth puttin up with?
Small scene where I live.
The musical chairs of players in different bands is common. And decent paying gigs are not making a come back, yet.
And when it's show time, sometimes your best choice is taken.
I am acquaintances with most players I find I call on. And I am friends with some, too.
It is understood, show up on time! or you'll be an outcast very quickly. Unless you are some kind of wonderful!
And even then, you'd better have a good reason for being flakey. Hmmmm. what's a good reason?...there just ain't!
Disabled? Leave early!..and who hired you anyway? oh...I did.
Stoopid? take a stoopid pill, and don't do it again.
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earlounge
116 posts
Jun 28, 2010
1:35 PM
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Thanks for sharing your experience Brandon. What you have described is what I would call a "start up" band. Unfortunately it is very typical unless you are playing with a bunch of Pros. To avoid these noobs, you need to find others that have the same professionalism or find a band that is already established. The best clue is how often they gig. If the band is gigging 4 or more times a month then they will already know the songs and you will just be an addition/replacement.
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Benjamin Earl
NOONE3NOONE - My Youtube
Benjamin Earl - My Bio
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superchucker77
284 posts
Jun 28, 2010
1:49 PM
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Unfortunatly, I was not told what musicians I would be working with ahead of time by the band leader. The guys who were in the CD session were GOOD. And by good I mean professional. Several of whom I had worked with in the past.
This group was just put together. The leader probably just hired the cheapest guys that he knew. In my short yet comprehensive experience playing with bands, this was definitely the worst group. The guitarist was obviously a drunk when he came in and was missing chord changes as much as ever. And I can honestly say that it was one of the more unpleasant gigs for me.
Another part of my reason for taking the job was that it was a jazz/R&B gig which I could build some experience on. In that respect, the gig was a great success since in the process of preparing for the gig, I was able to learn some great new material.
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Brandon O. Bailey
Official Website of Superchucker
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