Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

The audition went real well. This band plays a lot of new music (well it is newer to me LOL). They have a lot of originals also that are pretty good. They asked me out right if I want the gig I told them let me think about it over night and I will let them know tomorrow (today). My delima is I want to show people what I can do. I see greatness here but, this music is a little stiffeling for me. The drummer is real good and so is the singer the bass player is good as well, the lead singer also plays guitar and can play the keyboards well too. I know it is bad manners to join a band and try to change it. The lead singer has a masters degree in music is very talented and is a really good music leader. What I really want to tell them is I will join if they will do some music where I can really solo and shine as a guitarist. Their set list is really unique they do a version of Country Roads that starts out real country and then goes all out Punk. Weird but really cool. They are really close to me. What do you guys think? I need advise. Oh and as I logged in to type this another band has contacted me thru BM and say's I would be a good fit I listened to some of their practice recordings they have posted here under gmiktx. They are a country rock band and sound really good as well. Thanks in advance for your advise.

J, its sounds like you want to come in and be the leader, but it sounds like they already have a leader. There might be a clash there. If I remember right, you at one point just wanted to get out and play without dealing with all the extra stuff, like booking, equipment, pr. This might be a chance to sit back and just play without worrying about all that other stuff.

On the other hand with 5 members you arent going to make the money you were used to in your trio.

Good Luck, its cool youve found something so quick. I may be looking myself real soon and hope I can find an outlet that quick.

I know EXACTLY what you mean, Jeff. I've been playing in a worship band for 3 months now every Sunday morning. The music is a lot more mellow than what I'm used to. A few songs let me kinda go off a bit, but it's not very satisfying. If I were you, I would contact the band today and just tell them the honest truth, that you need songs that will let you let go. Tell them how good you think they are and that you'd like to be in the band, but as it stands, you don't think the music would be fulfilling enough for you. Since they are all about changing songs around to make them their own, maybe they could add some solo spots in some of their existing songs. Tell them your concerns about not wanting to come across as some guy trying to change their band, but you are a LEAD guitarist, therefore, you need some lead solos to keep you enthused. They should understand.
As far as the other band, I'd audition for them too, if I felt they are a better fit, at least to check out the situation. The music may be more down your alley, but the attitude may not. You may want to tell the first band that you are going to check out another band and why, but try not to tell them in a way that may seem to be a threat to either change or lose you. Just be your down to earth self. Detante is what it's all about.
Good luck, you'll do fine as long as all the cards are laid out on the table first.

J:
Dude, you know full well not to judge anything by surface assessment.
Play with the band if it interests you, become an intigral part, go with the intent of continued stalking of what it is your truly seek. It may be there just under the surface waiting on the right catalist, YOU.
If not, you get to play, you can meet and befriend new people, you have an opportunity to network outside your prior experience.

How can you loose?
Even if it does not develope the way you like, it may be the stepping stone to bigger and better for you.
You wont ever truly know what lies down that road till you make a few miles. And in music U turns are legal.

I'm with ratsass, be totally honest. Tell them what you like and what you don't like and see if they are willing to let you stretch a little musical muscle.

sanshouheil wrote:You wont ever truly know what lies down that road till you make a few miles. And in music U turns are legal.

Googled and found a band called U-turn

JW I don't want to be the leader anymore. I just want to support a good leader that is worthy of being followed and this guy is worthy. I don't want to stifle anyone but at the same time I don't want to be stifled. to me it all comes down to an agreement. They want me in their band. I told the leader of the band I know how it is to have someone join the band and then want to change it. I will not be that guy. But at the same time I want to enjoy and be interested in the project for the long term if I am going to commit.

Ratsass, Sansouheil, Neanderpaul, RGM and JW I knew I would get good advise from all you guys and thanks!

J-HALEY wrote:JW I don't want to be the leader anymore. I just want to support a good leader that is worthy of being followed and this guy is worthy. I don't want to stifle anyone but at the same time I don't want to be stifled. to me it all comes down to an agreement. They want me in their band. I told the leader of the band I know how it is to have someone join the band and then want to change it. I will not be that guy. But at the same time I want to enjoy and be interested in the project for the long term if I am going to commit.

Ratsass, Sansouheil, Neanderpaul, RGM and JW I knew I would get good advise from all you guys and thanks!

I would just be totally honest and ask the band leader if they are open to having you solo more. I'd let 'em know exactly what you said here - that you like to shine a bit and show off your talent. Let 'em know how you feel, what you want to get out of a band as a musician, and then put the burden on them to decided.

Then it's up to them to decided: do we want to accommodate him?

ratsass wrote:IYou may want to tell the first band that you are going to check out another band and why, but try not to tell them in a way that may seem to be a threat to either change or lose you. Just be your down to earth self. Detante is what it's all about.

A non-threatening approach might be to arrange an audition with the other band, then get back to the first band and say you're interested in their band, and want to audition (with all the ideas given by the others), but that you've committed to another audition already and you always meet your committments. You can creatively leave out the fact that you arranged the other audition after contacting them

Looking forward to hearing how everything goes!
Best,
Chris

Chris4Blues wrote:You can creatively leave out the fact that you arranged the other audition after contacting them

A half truth is better than no truth at all.

Yes we will want updates. Good luck!

Jeff, I know this situation like no other. I went from Hard-Rock to Reggae!! I didn't know a damn thing about playing Reggae when I auditioned. The other guys knew everything about it. The band had a leader, and I just followed his lead for a while.

I got a bit of advice from Black57 on here when I first joined HaleAmano that stuck with me. Don't let the music make it's mark on you, you make your mark on the music.

It's been a gradual process, but now there are 3 of us in the band who are equally considered leaders and we put our heads together to make decisions. Now I'm continuing to make my mark on this band as a songwriter, singer, and guitar player.

If you think there's potential and talent in this band, then it would be my advice to follow their lead right now. I think that eventually as you settle in to this band, you will end up doing what you want to do in it. It's a gradual process, not an immediate one, when you join a band as opposed to putting your own together. Trust your skills, follow their lead for now, do the best you can, and things will fall into place.

J-HALEY wrote:JW I don't want to be the leader anymore. I just want to support a good leader that is worthy of being followed and this guy is worthy. I don't want to stifle anyone but at the same time I don't want to be stifled. to me it all comes down to an agreement. They want me in their band. I told the leader of the band I know how it is to have someone join the band and then want to change it. I will not be that guy. But at the same time I want to enjoy and be interested in the project for the long term if I am going to commit.

Ratsass, Sansouheil, Neanderpaul, RGM and JW I knew I would get good advise from all you guys and thanks!

Hey J -

From what I gathered in your original post, your chief concern is the music itself, and your ability to shine as a soloist within the range of that music, and not dictating to change the band to stroke your own ego, so to speak-

This is a quandry that ALL of us deal with, if I understand it correctly.

For instance, I'm in a band as a lead guitarist, where in the 20 some original songs, I only do lead in ONE, and a couple of short ad-lib leads in one or two others.

On the negative side, I have no room to show-off my mad lead skills; but on the positive side, it's forced me to develop interesting rhythm lines, some of which are transposed from music written on piano, which in the end, a lot of the guitar lines are far more difficult to play as rhythm than most leads.

I guess what I'm trying to say, without offending, is that it sounds like you might be looking more at the ideal to show off individually (and aren't we all?) than to showoff as a collective (?)..

Nothing wrong with that, EVH , page, etc all did it I would too if I could.

Just trying to nail down where you are coming from vs. what they are offering ya

Kramerguy wrote:

J-HALEY wrote:JW I don't want to be the leader anymore. I just want to support a good leader that is worthy of being followed and this guy is worthy. I don't want to stifle anyone but at the same time I don't want to be stifled. to me it all comes down to an agreement. They want me in their band. I told the leader of the band I know how it is to have someone join the band and then want to change it. I will not be that guy. But at the same time I want to enjoy and be interested in the project for the long term if I am going to commit.

Ratsass, Sansouheil, Neanderpaul, RGM and JW I knew I would get good advise from all you guys and thanks!

Hey J -

From what I gathered in your original post, your chief concern is the music itself, and your ability to shine as a soloist within the range of that music, and not dictating to change the band to stroke your own ego, so to speak-

This is a quandry that ALL of us deal with, if I understand it correctly.

For instance, I'm in a band as a lead guitarist, where in the 20 some original songs, I only do lead in ONE, and a couple of short ad-lib leads in one or two others.

On the negative side, I have no room to show-off my mad lead skills; but on the positive side, it's forced me to develop interesting rhythm lines, some of which are transposed from music written on piano, which in the end, a lot of the guitar lines are far more difficult to play as rhythm than most leads.

I guess what I'm trying to say, without offending, is that it sounds like you might be looking more at the ideal to show off individually (and aren't we all?) than to showoff as a collective (?)..

Nothing wrong with that, EVH , page, etc all did it I would too if I could.

Just trying to nail down where you are coming from vs. what they are offering ya

You got Kramer ... you're there to support the band .. or artist, not for individual whacking

JH,

You've gotten alot of good advice in this thread.

The best being: Be honest about what your own goals are, and see whether it fits with their vision.

The only thing I would add is:

What's wrong with a trial period? Businesses give prospective employees a 90 day trial period, so that if things don't work out, they can part ways, no harm, no foul.

Consider a 30 to 90 day trial period with them, after having an honest discussion with them. It is in BOTH party's best interest, to consider it a trial, with BOTH SIDES understanding they can bow out for any reason they deem fit, without letting anyone down.

Chances are, they may go for this, because it fills the spot and gets them through a few months of gigs, as everyone gets to know one another. If it works out permanently (and you'll both know whether it could in that 3 month time) then all the better.

In the end you haven't wasted anything. You kept your chops up, stayed out in public, where you are continuing to network, etc...

And there is nothing wrong with having the spotlight brother. The key is BALANCE. There is a time and place for every sound, every player. The music, as a collective effort, should be preeminent, just keep that in mind. If someone is "showing off" as opposed to "shining" and it is distracting to the sound or band as a whole, this is a mistake. Shining at the right times, is awesome! It adds sparkle to the whole thing. The cherry on top. The people are going to see PERFORMERS after all. They WANT to be impressed. Just everything in balance, so it ENHANCES and doesn't DETRACT from the music as a whole.