Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

It seems harder and harder these days to find people commited to making music.
Yeah, 'real life' can get in the way - unless you are a Pro (i.e. making your full living off of music) - then you've got a regular job, family, friends and other things taking up your time, but if music is in your blood, you also commit time, energy (yeah - and money) to making music because its something you HAVE to do. I'm pretty sure that's true with 90% of the people who post regularly here in these forums, but outside of this place the number is probably 10%.

Had a response to my CL ad last week from a guy, asked him for some music samples (the ad asks for them, why don't people send them automatically?), he sent some, I liked what I heard, seemed might be a good match, except he was more than an hour from me. We shot a few emails back and forth about getting together Sunday afternoon to see how it sounded. Then Monday night I get an email from him that he just got a new job and will be working weekends, so gigging/practicing is out.

That's the first non-commitment this week.

Number 2 - an email from our lead singer (Beatles tribute band) yesterday, he's quitting due to work changes and not enough time. he was always the holdback to us doing more than 1 practice a week - couldn't do weekends, couldn't do more than 1 night ...
So, the rest of us have agreed to continue, but need to find a lead vocalist as none of us can take over the duties, even spread around.

I hate it when people say they wanna jam and then never show up.

Once you get out of high school, money is all that works in getting musiciians to commit long term. Well, that or free beer and dope...but who wants those people in a band? (the guitarist, that's who)

I always went to find some paying gigs before I started auditioning.

... Guitar Mike ... I agree with all you have stated. When living in the Bay Area near San Francisco ... I had advertised regularly on C/L but never ever got anyone.

I learned years ago that if I wished to sing and to perform and create my Art upon that level then I would have to undertake certain things to accomplish what I wished. Even this was not a certain recipe for success but it has served me well. I realize that it is not acceptable for probably most but it works ...sometimes it takes longer but it has always worked for me.

I make clear that I am the Leader and that although discussion and voicing opinions are taken into consideration , I have the final say. In short the others must accept me and agree.

Rehearsal together is a minimum of three times a week ... I provide the space which has 24 hour access and I pay for electricity, rent and maintainence. It is secure and equipment can be left without worry and everyone has the ability to come and go as they please and to practice in pairs or individually seperate from the schedule. No drugs or smoking and drinking is okay as long as it does not impair.

I do all the PR, arrangements and construction of sets, lights and PA arrangements and design. I write most of the music and collaborate with the members on occasion and even iadd one of their originals if it fits well.

It is a "show" in every aspect of the word and there is choreography and procedure to be learned. Songs are learned in order of performance and added in order until the entire show is playable at which time the show is rehearsed without pause (working out bugs) and once this is done then the show is rehearsed as a performance incorporating lights, dancers etc.

Once this is put together then a rehearsal consists of running the show nonstop no matter what happens ... taking a break ... then running it again ... all keeping with the three times a week schedule.

This is obviously very intense but rewarding. It is a total and big commitment which very few are prepared to do. Oddly enough it has been my experience that money etc are not big issues because being so very selective the musicianship is high and deadly serious. I have been doing this since 1979 having staged productions in many cities in many countries.

know it is not for everyone but I just thought I would put it out there and perhaps give some hope that if I could do what I have done then what many on here wish to do is in fact possible and they should take heart. It is hard and the worst mistake one can make is to want it to work so badly that concessions are made and negatives are overlooked. In the long run if this is done you waste everyone's time and your own.

I may not be telling you anything you do not already know so I thank you for the opportunity but at any event take heart and pride in who and what you are and do not lower your personal standards. You can not swim without getting very wet and very cold at times.

Ta Live Well Die Well and good luck

I'm trying to start a side project .... playing the music of Jerry Garcia ( getting sick of the Grateful Dead ) ....
The day before the " jam " the bass guy TEXTS me " hey I left my bass at my friends cant make it " ....
Studio rented .... everyone else on board ....
CL .... lots of pretenders.

If I had a dollar for every guy who said " I know the Tunes " ......

yep.. I've seen my fair share come up with BS excuses the day of audition. Never once did any of them ever come back for a make-up audition, but all were offered.

And the the ones who do show up-- yeah.. many claim they know a song, but they only know the main 3-note riff of the opening or chorus, and know nada on the rest of it.

Posers, fakers, you name it. I could never figure out these people.. why would they waste a whole band's time? I finally had one thought- and that is that these people do it so they can brag to their friends "I jammed with X band before".. (?) just a guess...

I never go beyond "here it is, come and get it"
If they aren't motivated enough to initiate on their own, i'm done right there; if you say you'll show then don't, i don't call or answer from that point on.
If they leave a message with a reasonable excuse, they get one more shot.

I have no time for posers!

Deadguitars wrote:I'm trying to start a side project .... playing the music of Jerry Garcia ( getting sick of the Grateful Dead ) ....
The day before the " jam " the bass guy TEXTS me " hey I left my bass at my friends cant make it " ....
Studio rented .... everyone else on board ....
CL .... lots of pretenders.

Well I don't like your genre, but it's been done before.
If you get in a bind, you can always solicit me.
I can spit on you from here.

And I never forget my bass, I just prefer to be paid to actually play it.

Every other musical duty is done for free, EXCEPT play bass.

(It helps to have a second, just in case you get wounded in a duel, etc.)

We've got one CraigsList responder auditioning on Monday. A second one was a Stevie Ray Vaughn raspy vocalist - really, for a Beatles tribute band?

GuitarMikeB wrote:We've got one CraigsList responder auditioning on Monday. A second one was a Stevie Ray Vaughn raspy vocalist - really, for a Beatles tribute band?

I think Stevie Ray playing the Beatles would be interesting, unless you're a die-hard Beatles fan and purist.

GuitarMikeB wrote:It seems harder and harder these days to find people commited to making music.
Yeah, 'real life' can get in the way - unless you are a Pro (i.e. making your full living off of music) - then you've got a regular job, family, friends and other things taking up your time, but if music is in your blood, you also commit time, energy (yeah - and money) to making music because its something you HAVE to do. I'm pretty sure that's true with 90% of the people who post regularly here in these forums, but outside of this place the number is probably 10%.

Had a response to my CL ad last week from a guy, asked him for some music samples (the ad asks for them, why don't people send them automatically?), he sent some, I liked what I heard, seemed might be a good match, except he was more than an hour from me. We shot a few emails back and forth about getting together Sunday afternoon to see how it sounded. Then Monday night I get an email from him that he just got a new job and will be working weekends, so gigging/practicing is out.

That's the first non-commitment this week.

Number 2 - an email from our lead singer (Beatles tribute band) yesterday, he's quitting due to work changes and not enough time. he was always the holdback to us doing more than 1 practice a week - couldn't do weekends, couldn't do more than 1 night ...
So, the rest of us have agreed to continue, but need to find a lead vocalist as none of us can take over the duties, even spread around.

John Lennon was quoted once, saying: "Were not that important..." He belonged to the best Rock n Roll act of modern history. But, in the end...It was just a rock n roll act. We were the ones who fell into a huge spell about it. Now that the spell is over... Its doubtful we'll ever fall for and support a music act the same way we did for the Beatles. Everybody is wiser and The greatest Rock n roll band has been outed by its very own members, who will tell you with a smile that they produced the greatest con (becuse we wanted to be conned) of entertainment . Mind you, I aint talkin about their music...I'm talking about the surrounding myth and mania that spun the world upside down.

Chief Engineer Scott wrote:

Deadguitars wrote:I'm trying to start a side project .... playing the music of Jerry Garcia ( getting sick of the Grateful Dead ) ....
The day before the " jam " the bass guy TEXTS me " hey I left my bass at my friends cant make it " ....
Studio rented .... everyone else on board ....
CL .... lots of pretenders.

Well I don't like your genre, but it's been done before.
If you get in a bind, you can always solicit me.
I can spit on you from here.

And I never forget my bass, I just prefer to be paid to actually play it.

Every other musical duty is done for free, EXCEPT play bass.

(It helps to have a second, just in case you get wounded in a duel, etc.)

We used to practice in Flemington all the time.
It never works out with non-heads though.
Gotta be drinking the same kool-aid and all that.

Deadguitars wrote:It never works out with non-heads though.
Gotta be drinking the same kool-aid and all that.

You aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you?

GuitarMikeB wrote:We've got one CraigsList responder auditioning on Monday. A second one was a Stevie Ray Vaughn raspy vocalist - really, for a Beatles tribute band?

Don't ever turn down an audition for ANY singer for ANY genre. You'll never know what might work. Keep an open mind. Doing a Beatles tribute band has been done ad nauseum which means until you puke. It would be refreshing to approach a tribute band with a completely creative concept and that is this: YOU AREN'T THEY. DON'T TRY TO BE THEY. Capiche?