Members SpeedKing Posted October 17, 2006 Members Share Posted October 17, 2006 to make a long story short, i had a band where i went to uni, but due to an infinite amount of reasons and circumstances, we broke up, and i have relocated with my singer to Los Angeles. im in dire search of a bassist and drummer, but so far, am having pretty bad luck with auditions. http://www.myspace.com/drivingforcerocks we've worked with big names (gary katz, hugh padgham) so we're not rookies in this game, but im having some trouble finding the right musicians to complete the new band. my basic requirements are that they are of similar age to us (23 and 22) they have pro gear/transportation, and they arent already in other bands or projects. pretty typical stuff. ive tried HC, craigslist, LA Weekly, Recycler, LA Times, as well as posting actual ads at the guitar centers, sam ash's, amoeba, MI, and rehearsal spaces. so far, im getting nothing but flakes, ppl who arent right for the part, or people who are way too old (38 to 55) for us. man, any advice would be golden, its a bummer to not be able to get out there and write and gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted October 17, 2006 Members Share Posted October 17, 2006 Maybe you could lose the age discrimination thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted October 17, 2006 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2006 Originally posted by SpeedKing my basic requirements are that they are of similar age to us (23 and 22) they have pro gear/transportation, and they arent already in other bands or projects. pretty typical stuff. I think you're going to have problem with adhering to these requirements, particularly as a startup project looking for bass and drums in a big, music-rich city. Perhaps you might want to at least consider people in their thirties... and be willing to play with guys that have another project they're involved in, as long as they're able to make certain commitments. And if you found a great player who didn't own a car, but is perfect in every other way, why would that be a deal breaker? ...oh wait, you live in LA. Never mind. They don't let you live there if you don't own a motor vehicle. If you're expecting LA to be teeming with a big pool of totally available 21-25 year olds with great gear, you may have a bit of a wait. It's hard to find the right drummer or bassist even if your requirements aren't rigid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpeedKing Posted October 17, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 17, 2006 i dont think having an age requirement is such a big deal..is it? i mean, a generation gap is quite a gap, and we'd definitely be looking for ppl who we can get along with on a personal level. not saying thats not possible with someone who is ten + years older, but certainly theres a significant maturity gap. i only say gear and transportation, because..well in LA, if u dont have either, u are nothing and definitely arent serious about anything either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted October 17, 2006 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2006 Originally posted by SpeedKing i dont think having an age requirement is such a big deal..is it? i mean, a generation gap is quite a gap, and we'd definitely be looking for ppl who we can get along with on a personal level. not saying thats not possible with someone who is ten + years older, but certainly theres a significant maturity gap. One thing I have learned (I'm turning 30 next year) is that many 22-year-olds think that 32-year-olds are MUCH more different from them than they actually are. I have some friends in their early 20s and I don't feel awkward hanging with them at all. I'd venture to say that anyone who is childless and unmarried and who's been first and foremost a musician throughout their life is not that different at 40 than he/she is at 25. Contrast that to a 25-year-old with a wife, kids, and house. Do you think you'd find, say, Michael Stipe, or Robert Smith, or Ian McKaye to be an old fuddy-duddy you wouldn't be able to talk to? Just some food for thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members caveman Posted October 17, 2006 Members Share Posted October 17, 2006 Originally posted by SpeedKing i dont think having an age requirement is such a big deal..is it? i mean, a generation gap is quite a gap, and we'd definitely be looking for ppl who we can get along with on a personal level. not saying thats not possible with someone who is ten + years older, but certainly theres a significant maturity gap.i only say gear and transportation, because..well in LA, if u dont have either, u are nothing and definitely arent serious about anything either. I'm pushing 60 and playing with guys 15 to 30 years younger than I am and we get along just fine. Just saying keep an open mind and put your band together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 17, 2006 Moderators Share Posted October 17, 2006 Its L.A. ...all the young guns that are any good in the rhythm section are working multiple projects...that's how its done here in the 'rock zone'. Commitment? Non-existent...paying gigs talk. but here's a thought...have you been hitting the open mike nights?? I would suggest that....because sometimes bassists and drummers can be found hanging out there, checking the goods...bu tthat means you actually have to perform for free, hang out after you're finished, engage people in casual converation...very un-cool things to do in LA... Good luck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FingerBliss Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Allright, lets all cut the LA bashing, thats not what this post is about. LA is great for what it is- a place to network,and live in one of the best climates (with the most hots chicks) in the world.... Anyway, try going to other bands shows and meeting more musicians....Even if the guys playing are booked solid, they will probably have friends looking for gigs that are of equal talent...Also, you will be able to see what kind of music they're into..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cooterbrown Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by SpeedKing my basic requirements are that they are of similar age to us (23 and 22) they have pro gear/transportation, and they arent already in other bands or projects. pretty typical stuff...so far, im getting nothing but flakes, ppl who arent right for the part, or people who are way too old (38 to 55) for us. Wow... we have a lot in common then, because I have similar prerequisites, and I age-discriminate, too. I wouldn't have any wet-behind-the-ears noob under 25, like yourself, in my band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators daddymack Posted October 18, 2006 Moderators Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by FingerBliss Allright, lets all cut the LA bashing, thats not what this post is about. LA is great for what it is- a place to network,and live in one of the best climates (with the most hots chicks) in the world....Anyway, try going to other bands shows and meeting more musicians....Even if the guys playing are booked solid, they will probably have friends looking for gigs that are of equal talent...Also, you will be able to see what kind of music they're into..... I'm not bashing L.A.; I live in L.A.!! For more than 30 years...but there are harsh realities about this town:wave: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Los Angeles native here, divulging some secrets... Network, network, network. When you had your band you should have met and jammed with people who could be potential bandmates, you never know what could have happened. I met members of my band as long as 8 years ago, when I was in a different situation. Even after then I was involved in a totally different music genre but still networked with people. When the time was right it was all a matter of calling people up; I knew what they were about and they knew what I was about, no need to waste time on auditions. Transplants crack me up, they're soooo obsessed with instant gratification ("Ooooh I gotta be a STAR!!!") and lack common sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by daddymack I'm not bashing L.A.; I live in L.A.!! For more than 30 years...but there are harsh realities about this town:wave: There's harsh realities about EVERY place. The thing is, people come to Los Angeles with media-fueled preconcieved notions, and when they see the actual reality, they're let down. I grew up in the reality, the people I know are real, I don't have the same baggage that people who move "out here" experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Yeah, totally agree with elsongs about networking. I'm an L.A. native as well, but have found the same thing to be true everywhere. You might get lucky through placing ads but most of the time, you find people by going out and seeing bands and meeting all the people in said bands... at least one of which is probably going to break up at some point or somebody will quit. And just because you already have a band doesn't mean you should stop going to see other bands, and meeting people... you never know when someone in YOUR band will quit, or you'll need a fill in, or you want to put a bill together with another band. The more people you know, the easier it will be to get back on your feet when you hit a bump in the road. And it does take time to get to know people, so when you first move to a new town you can't really expect that things will fall into place right away. Having a "me-me-me" attitude and not giving a crap about any band but your own rarely gets you anywhere - whether in L.A. or anyplace else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by elsongs There's harsh realities about EVERY place. The thing is, people come to Los Angeles with media-fueled preconcieved notions, and when they see the actual reality, they're let down. I grew up in the reality, the people I know are real, I don't have the same baggage that people who move "out here" experience. Me too, but I still have baggage - it's just different baggage, which is why I left. I got tired of dealing with other people who'd moved out there wanting to be rockstars as opposed to musicians, and all the "instant gratification" and self centered attitude that goes along with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SpeedKing Posted October 18, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by elsongs Los Angeles native here, divulging some secrets...Network, network, network. When you had your band you should have met and jammed with people who could be potential bandmates, you never know what could have happened. I met members of my band as long as 8 years ago, when I was in a different situation. Even after then I was involved in a totally different music genre but still networked with people. When the time was right it was all a matter of calling people up; I knew what they were about and they knew what I was about, no need to waste time on auditions.Transplants crack me up, they're soooo obsessed with instant gratification ("Ooooh I gotta be a STAR!!!") and lack common sense. thats a hindsight is 20/20 kind of deal for me. i never thought of to network when my band had the ball rolling, incase it all fell apart. also, my exband wasnt based in los angeles, so this wasnt a possibility anyways. im not looking to blow my load immediately, im just venting my frustration with the auditions so far and if ppl could just give their own advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by SpeedKing thats a hindsight is 20/20 kind of deal for me. i never thought of to network when my band had the ball rolling, incase it all fell apart. also, my exband wasnt based in los angeles, so this wasnt a possibility anyways. Understood - I had the same problem when I moved out of L.A. to Atlanta. I didn't know anyone, so had to sorta take what I could get for awhile. You may not have been able to go out and network in L.A. when you had your former band, but you gotta start now! The longer you put it off the longer it'll likely take you to find the people you want. And you may have to use fill-in people to get yourselves out there at first - people who maybe aren't your ideal but are good players and you can hire them out to do the occasional well placed gigs, or play on recordings. The important thing is to get the ball rolling however you have to - you never know that a fill-in person might turn out to be a good fit on a more permanent basis, and even if not, they'll get you out there so you'll be playing out and building a reputation, which will give you more credibility with other potential bandmates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by Actionsquid I'd venture to say that anyone who is childless and unmarried and who's been first and foremost a musician throughout their life is not that different at 40 than he/she is at 25.Contrast that to a 25-year-old with a wife, kids, and house. + a billion. The lifestyle thing makes a way bigger difference than age, usually, when it comes to musicians and how well they relate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members elsongs Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by Lee Flier You might get lucky through placing ads but most of the time, you find people by going out and seeing bands and meeting all the people in said bands... at least one of which is probably going to break up at some point or somebody will quit. Having a "me-me-me" attitude and not giving a crap about any band but your own rarely gets you anywhere - whether in L.A. or anyplace else. Back in 1998 I formed a band that contained two former members of my favorite local band that had been active until around the year before! Since I already knew what they sounded like, no need to audition them! When forming a band you have to think like the general manager of a sports team...You can put the rookies on the squad, but you have to find out if they can play the game or not...And if you make the right kind of deals, you can add some veterans to the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SunRaFan Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 This is coming from my perspective as a bass player. I'm not interested in playing in situations where there isn't a good drummer. There's certainly no chance I'd commit to a group as my main project if they didn't have a drummer. You need to be willing to accept a rhythm section that treats you as a side project at least to get the ball rolling. Try to get the drummer and bass player as a package deal if you can get somebody interested who's already in a working situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lee Flier Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by elsongs Back in 1998 I formed a band that contained two former members of my favorite local band that had been active until around the year before! Since I already knew what they sounded like, no need to audition them! That's exactly how my current band got together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ned911 Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 We've got people from 3 different age brackets 20's, 30's and 40's we all get along and actually do stuff outside of the band together. Heaven forbid you get someone with experience in your band or are you afraid to actually learn something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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