General Music Chat

Flake is just a cute word for "unprofessional"

All the qualities mentioned are simply weekend-wannabees
who are unprofessional, and don't take the craft seriously.

That plague is certainly not unique to Salt Lake City! LOL

Boy does a lot of this sound familiar. I've carried PA speakers out while someone else stood around the corner and smoked weed or drank whiesky more times than I care to think about. Played bass, guitar, keyboards (which I basically suck at) and done 2 or 3 vocal parts for a demo CD or tape because myself and the rythym guitar player were the only two to show up for a recording day. Worked for a week to learn a few songs, get to practice and find the keyboard or bass player an hour late and has never even HEARD half the songs ...much less practiced them...so I get to play keyboards/bass without ever even trying the songs on bass before...and they get paid for the gigs the CD snags.

This goes hand in hand with the "Musical Integrity" thread. Be the best musician you can be, say what you mean and mean what you say. Don't waste 3 or 4 other peoples' time if you can't deliver what you promise.

I'm above average, but nothing special...but I'm there, on time ready to go, waiting on YOU...I lug in two amps and 8 guiitars, pedal board, 2 mics, sax, stands, PA speakers, mixer, bass player's rig, or drums, and I'm an old bald fart. Bad back, bad knees, shouldn't touch some of the equipment I've carried, and I still do, it's my job. I'm there for recordings, I'm there for picture sessions, hell I usually have the camera...and some yoyo decides to go to the beach...

Ok I'll shut up...

Pete those are great points and Gods bless you for your perseverence in covering other peoples' asses.

What gets me the most about this subject is that it's not like asking someone to rebuild London Bridge. These are BASIC skills that everyone should have been socialized with by the age of 10. No excuse at all.

In the mid 80's to early 90's I played almost nightly for 7 or 8 years, made a decent living sometimes, starved a lot too. Played a whole bunch of fill in gigs for 3 years or so, a friend knew all sorts of players and whenever someone's guitar player flaked out they'd call him, he'd call me. For 3 years I played gigs with bands I just met 30 minutes ago. That kind of makes you play well under pressure, but you see all kinds of nonsense as well. I used to tell bands, "sure I can play it, what key is it in?" Half the time I'd never heard it before and still managed to make it through the uncomplicated stuff with little trouble.

So I tend to expect people to be dependable and be able to PLAY... Then again, I've made my mistakes too...but see what you think of this one, it's a bit of a tale but here goes, short as I can make it.

Got a call to audition, showed up early, at the end of the night the caller said "I like it, let's get a band going." I called for about 3 weeks once a week or so to check and see what was going on with a drummer search, no answer, no return call. Gave it up.

About a year later, while playing with another band, I get another call, I suspect the same guy and go anyway...warily...it is and I'm told I have the best chance of anyone they auditioned so far, got a CD to listen to and get familiar with the tunes, (cover tunes) and actual audition in 5 days, with drummer. Drummer missed the first night, car trouble - legitimate, his first time to miss in 3 or 4 months, not habitual, it happens. We played a few things using recordings done with drummer previously, I recorded guitar and sax leads on a song I'd never even heard before. They came out well.

Showed up for 2nd attempt with drummer present, was chastised for not learning their material, drummer tries telling me how to practice and learn songs. Was I wrong to walk away and say "Forget this"? I was there for an audition, not as a confirmed band member, hadn't had any reason to try and memorize any of their songs, had to play out of town that weekend, which made practice time scarce, had practice with regular band too, and to be honest, don't like being treated like a beginner who has never been in a band before. I did listen to the CD, more than once, and began getting familiar with some of the new songs. I suppose I should have let them know something, but on the other hand, did they attempt to contact me? Nope...Neither time.

Now who's the flake? And if I did screw up by not letting them know anything, feel free to say so. I'm not that fragile...

It looks to me like you bent over backwards trying to accomodate them. Nobody's perfecdt and things happen. What I look for are patterns. Habitual nonsense. And I've found that these behavior patterns span a persons career and mold their reputation. Very likely, if you tried to compare notes with others who worked with them, you'd see the same antics.

Best to not waste a lot of time with such people.

Nobody's perfecdt and things happen. What I look for are patterns. Habitual nonsense.

That's why I pointed out that it was the drummer's first time to miss practice in 4 months, they let me know soon as I got there that it was not a habitual thing.

I think I went "above the call of duty" so to speak, when I showed up 15 minutes early and they told me the drummer couldn't make it they gave me the option to stay and jam a while, kick some ideas around or postpone it till another night when the drummer could make it. What? Me pass up a chance to play?? You've GOT to be kidding...

But nobody said "you're in the band, learn the songs", the actual audition was the second night, the original session was supposedly just a jam session, I didn't expect to be recording guitar and sax to a song I'd never heard, it just worked out that way so I went for it.

Had a guy in Lufkin TX that fit the bill for habitual problems, classic flaky musician. Late to practice, except when he rode with me, which was most of the time, didn't practice at all at home, (that's always obvious) showed up 1 1/2 hours late for a picture taking session, without stage clothes, constantly "doodled" with his guitar while we tried to talk over song details or work out vocal harmonies...heavy metal sound even on country songs, would switch to clean for practice if we insisted, then go to metal distortion onstage and acted like he was Yngwie Malmsteen...DUDE! - it's a frickin country song...get a grip!

Flake factor - 12.5 on a 1-10 scale