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Would join a band that you thought wasn't very good?


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Lately I've gotten several offers to audition for bands. These "offers" only occur when playing Guitaraoke and I don't ever take them seriously considering them to be "drunk talk". To date, I haven't received a single call for audition from anyone whom I've given my number too and I'm not surprised either. But, suppose someone actually does call? I've wondered what I would do if I went to the audition and they weren't, IMO, very good but offered me the gig. Would I join? Would you?

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Maybe offer to just sit in for a "one time" callaboration in a home studio and see how you feel after that. Offers for "let's get together and jam" can be a goldmine or a failure. I've opted out of "let's jam" and the guys went on to do well, and opted into clusterfairies. "Let's Jam" means no committment, like a one night stand with a girl, just have fun and see what happens from there.

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A old fart back home told me once "If you ain't gigging, you ain't {censored}."

 

That said, I am assuming they are a certain level of competence that would allow them to at least get through a gig. If they are just the normal suckie songwriter guys who practice 4 times a week and never gig - to hell with it.

 

But I don't know what guitaraoke is. Are you saying you'd be playing to backing tracks instead of a band?

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I figure I have a totaly of roughly 8 nights a month (2 nights a week) to spend on music (practice, gigs, whatever....).

 

I'd rather sit home than play with a band that doesn't meet my "minimum requirements". My "minimum requirements" are a blend of rudimentary musicianship skills - and some very specific "behavior" rules (i.e., no drunks or dopers, no "oh, I didn't know we had a rehearsal tonight time wasters, etc.).

 

That said - I seek to reach my target workload with the best options available at the time (that meet my minimum requirements).

 

That means that at times I've found myself playing with some damn good bands and some that are not so good.

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I just got throught with th deal like that. It wasnt really what i would call a bad experience. I went in with zero expectations. I am a re entry guy whose played the couch for years. I hooked up with some old geezers like myself. Three singers later, a couple of drummers, a couple guys who sang and blew harp. Your basic revolveing door basement 12 bar clusterfuk. I learned a few songs, met a few people and didnt really torch up any bridges. I met some good guys who can play. I felt the need for a break. We had three guitars, a harp , a keyboard a bass player. Too big for a geezer blues band.

 

The plus side. The last drummer it turns out is a whiz on programming drums. I am tired of loading gear in and, and out. I wanna play around with some recording. I am looking forward to working with the drummer on programing drum tracks. Its a skillset that i am a total noob. I am lookin forward to seeing what this guy can gety out of the BOSSCD900 percussion section. If he is really great at it ,,, I would be into some lessons.

 

 

the way I look at not so good bands is ,, you may end up playing in one. Its less lonley... and the odds of meeting someone out of the FUBAR band that does have some things are good. Learn what you can learn,, and leave the rest on the cutting room floor. My blues piano licks are gunned up better than they were. The fact that we sounded like 60 pounds of crap in a 20 pound bag isnt really key. I am glad I did it , and I am glad i am not going to do it again. Its more of a sunday blues jam that prolly never will be a workin band.

 

I wanna start a country band that sucks..... yahoo

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Not crazy about the choices. Bands are "organic". every time you change a member the band can go from good to bad or bad to good and all the points in between. I would just to have the fun of playing. Sometimes your the teacher...Sometimes the student.

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I voted for the last option but it really depends on personalities, basically it's got to be fun first and foremost.

 

 

yup and i can't imagine being out in public with a {censored} band being much fun at all...

 

this new band i'm joining are pretty good but have some strange habits (see the not playing in sharp or flat keys thread) singer using cheat sheets at practices all the time etc... so i've decided when i start playing out with them there'll be a few gigs under the belt before i start shopping them out to bars i frequent. it would suck to have people i know think i sucked.

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I wouldn't join one but I've formed plenty of 'em.
:wave:

 

:lol::cry:

Yeah that's the way I've been feeling lately. It can be a little disappointing occasionally working with complete greenhorns (two of whom are older than me).

It's not just the musicianship. One guy cannot get his calendar organized and has no apparent concept of what it means to commit to a gig schedule. None of them understand how to work with a PA or troubleshoot on the fly. They often don't have cables or other things they need. Stage volume is always out of control. For some unknown reason we cannot hold the Db chord at the middle section of Gimme Shelter, I always get that sinking feeling when it approaches knowing that no matter how many times we practice this three chord song it will apparently never sink into the gray matter.

 

I was about to chuck it last saturday when I had to stop setting up my rig to help the guy (who strolled in fashionably late after all the hauling had been done) with his microphone/monitor problem. It was 15 minutes to show time and I had yet to tune a guitar or sound check the new wireless mic I was using for the first time (I'm singing 90% of the lead here).

 

Sorry, I realize I'm getting off on a bit of a vent. Changes are in the works because I won't continue while all the fun I used to have is being sucked out the window.

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Not crazy about the choices. Bands are "organic". every time you change a member the band can go from good to bad or bad to good and all the points in between. I would just to have the fun of playing. Sometimes your the teacher...Sometimes the student.

 

 

 

I gotta give this post 10 stars. This last project i watched eb and flow as the different members flowed though. We were turning over drummers and singers. Now i am regrouping in the new and improved home music room/ DIY low level studio. With some better gear its alot more fun than DI with headphones

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I was walking up clement st in the 80's and saw a bill for a band I'd heard of. I poked my head in the door, listened for 30 seconds and decided they sucked. Months later, I saw they were looking for a guitarist. I took the gig because they were gigging the best clubs all over the bay area. It wasn't much fun, and I don't remember how much money, but every gig was paid. I missed a sound check and they fired me. I was pretty surprised. Looking back, it was a complete waste of time. I'd only do it again if it was with friends or a huge payday.

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I wouldn't risk taking a year to get a band to stage-readiness. Original bands take longer, but you're usually only trying to put together an hour's worth of material that's original vs. 3-4 hours with a cover band. YMMV.

 

Two of my original projects only lasted about 8 months from start to finish. Each band played maybe 10-15 shows. I couldn't imagine being patient enough to gamble whether my year long basement project would make it to the stage before it broke up.

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I might join a band whose music I don't like that much. Every now and then I find that I enjoy playing some kinds of music that I may not enjoy listening to as much. Also, there are lots and lots of just okay bands out there that are actually getting gigs and working. There is a possibility I might join one of those. It is hard to turn down a gig when there is some scrilla to be made. I like the Benjamins. What I might not join though is a band that is not very good that just shows no possibility of ever playing a gig. I've been playing too long to spend my time playing in a basement or garage without actually going out and playing somewhere and getting paid for it, not unless it is just alot of fun.

 

Every now and then I get together with friends who aren't really good but who are enthusiastic. Hanging out with me gives them experience. And I don't mind sharing my knowledge with somebody who appreciates it.

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I recently joined a band that wasn't quite my style anymore. I'm long past wanting to play metal/hardcore types of things. But, it had been a year since I had played with a band and I had been having a hard time finding people to play music with in my area since moving here. However, it has been an experience that has had me playing a lot more.

 

Leading in to meeting another band locally. I don't think if I wasn't in the band I wasn't digging so much, that I would have been ready at the moment to play with the new band which I like a lot.

 

Granted, I won't be in the first band much longer. But knowing that it wouldn't even have progressed to shows (they can never commit to a practice time and I'm one of 2 members who has a car) I don't feel bad about it.

 

It just depends on what you're looking for.

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