Get that job at Micky D's or Wally World
Micky D's maybe, wally world is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. My sister worked for walmart for 5 years, still didn't make $6 an hour. Worst place I've ever seen, I've heard her stories and those of a half dozen of her friends who worked with her. It's not a place I recommend at all. I watched the same assistant manager that harrassed her for 3 years scream at a teller one night with 8 or 9 people in line at her register, had the girl in tears when he should have called her tot he office and talked to her like a human being. My sister had to drag me across the store away from him, knowing who he was I was about to start a fight.
He ordered my sister to take a 21" TV off the top shelf, she fell off the ladder with it and hurt her back, he lied on her workmans comp form and told them she did it on her own, out of her department. Wally world was going to deny workmans comp until 3 of her friends who were standing beside her when he ordered her to do it went to the district office. He wasn't her immediate boss either. He harrassed her for 3 years, made her life miserable, got her written up regularly for things she didn't do, killed pay raises whenever he could, kept her doind crap jobs out of her department so she stayed in hot water because her own work wasn't finished...
Store manager wouldn't do a thing, district manager was the only reason she stayed as long as she did. When she quit I was damn glad, I'd been trying to get her to leave that evil place for 2 years. I don't like to walk in a wally world still, over 10 years later. Only go there when I have to.
CW it sounds like you need to sort things out. Getting the transportation issue resolved will be the biggest consideration as far as bands go, Philby's comments might not be pleasant, but he pretty much spelled out everything musicians automatically think when you say can't drive. I'd get rid of the pot leaf too, it would make me hesitant about working with you, since 90% of the people I've known refuse to do it AFTER practice/gig. I have to, it started affecting my concentration around 10 years ago, I never even take one with me for the ride home any more.
I just got a mess dumped in my lap at a gig not long ago trying to work with a guy who had a problem with both drugs and alcohol. Said he played straight, only drank a beer or two...showed up 1 1/2 hours late, got wasted, played a half hour set and downed at least one beer and 4 shots, smoked one in the parking lot and proceeded to stumble all over the stage then fell on his face, went outside and left me to play a song my date wanted to hear, I then found out the bass player and drummer had never played it, after he told them to just follow me, he lost his lunch and [passed out, left me to do the rest of the gig 3 piece with 2 guys I'd just met a couple of hours ago. Then told us he had a stomach virus...
Fortunately the bass and drummer were excellent musicians, two of the best I've had the pleasure of jamming with in years, we managed to pull off enough songs to make the night and sounded great, never took more than 30 seconds between songs, very few wrong notes, audience loved us, club manager was the first to run up and shake my hand and tell us how good we sounded, so it ended well. Could have been a total disaster though...I've played a lot of fill in gigs, and have played songs I've never even heard a bunch of times, so I didn't have much trouble, the other guys were seasoned enough they could handle it too, so it turned out really well. we got lucky...
So the pot leaf would make me think twice, same as I do when someone trells me they like to drink, but just a couple to "loosen up"...yeah right, I've heard that before...usually just before they get roaring drunk and make the whole band look like crap.
If you're looking for a professional gig, you have to approach it in a professional manner, as your job, which is exactly what it is. I don't drink or smoke weed at work, don't touch it onstage either and get pissed if someone else does and makes me look bad too. I dislike iet even more when they claim to drink in moderation and in reality get just as wasted as anyone in the audience.
They're usually also the ones that show up ill equipped, constantly borrowing guitar cords, picks, strings, mic stands, mics, always late, don't practice at home...in other words flaky...and don't think you can fool people, if you don't practice at home, you get to band rehearsal and I know it in 15 minutes. That's usually when I know you're there to party now play later...I'm the opposite, I print in large text on my flyers for local music stores PLAY NOW PARTY LATER. I strongly believe in it too.
Like Philby, sorry if I sound severe, too many people have shown me they can't or won't put the music first, where it should be. I show up for gigs with new strings, extras in a tuning kit, extra guitar cables, at least an hour early to set up, stage clothes ready so I don't play in the grungies I end up with setting up, I'm the one you see helping lug the PA in, bad back and all, the drunk is the one standing in the corner watching...
I expect no less of everyone else. If I can put everything else on the back burner and play then party, they can too, no excuses. If I'm the one looking for musicians, that's what I'm looking for, the cartoon and pot leaf tell me think twice. Is that cartoon you? Head in the clouds and stoned? Hmmm....I'm not likely to look much further...
