OT: Auditioning

[TommyRude]

hey all - I'm sure this has been covered somewhere, but nevertheless!  I think back to my early days (20s), and as I reflect, I could have done so much better.  Ahh hindsight.  What I would do - for virtually every band I auditioned for - would be to show up with ZERO prep.  I'd just show up and start playing.  These were mostly unsigned original bands, so even if I wanted to prep, there wasn't anything to listen - unless of course I would be smart enough to ask for it!  And there were a few signed groups - but I did the same thing - zero prep.

 

But the funky thing is, despite my average talent, I got every gig, and I think for the most part I got the gig in the first 30 seconds.  I believe this was because I could somehow - very quickly - follow along and jump in with the right parts, in time.  And I could perform and sing.  Reflecting back further, I think I was able to do this because before the original band thing started, I played around a 1,000 club gigs, where you needed to learn stuff quickly, and by playing SO MUCH, you get good timing.

 

BUT - at the end (after about 15 yrs of playing), I tried for a few gigs and I didn't get them.  At this time, there was some desperation setting in and I had lost some of the mojo from the earlier days.  When I didn't get the gigs, that killed everything real fast.   

 

So. this no-prep method, although it worked for me for a while, I probably coulda shoulda worked much harder, and I "might" have been able to keep going a bit longer.  I read the recent articles about Brett Tuggle and how he prepped for his auditions, that was absolutely the way to do it - thoroughly and smartly prepped, going above and beyond the expectations of the band members doing the auditioning.  Like a professional.  Oh yeah... and it helps to be really good at everything (I wasn't).

 

So, if you've made it to the end of this post, I'd love to hear some auditioning stories, tips and tricks, methods, time and effort spent.  And I realize not all situations are the same, some gigs may be super low pressure, just fun... and conversely, other gigs may be on the other end of the spectrum, so the prep might differ accordingly.

[Stokely]

I play in weekend warrior cover bands, and generally have done well in auditions.  It helps to have some demos (both for me of the band, and of me *for* the band) so you have a decent idea of whether it will work.

I didn't pass one audition (thankfully, the band never left the practice room as it turned out) and it was mainly due to a few mistakes I made:
1.  Don't try to relearn a hard song the correct way when you've been playing it differently for years.  I did this with Foreplay/Longtime and it was a trainwreck.  I ended up playing some weird mixture of my old way and the new way and it fell apart.
2. I was late but this was mainly due to my GPS steering me wrong....this starts you off on a wrong foot.  Lesson learned, like I tell my kids (and they roll their eyes)--plan to get places early!
3. Because I was late, I took them up on an offer to use the keyboard already set up in their practice room.  HUGE mistake.  It sounded like crap, the monitor sounded like crap, and the stand was at a really weird angle that made it hard to play.

The band I've now been in for almost 10 years, I recall showing up at the audition as the last keyboard player they had for the day.  They all looked very "rode hard and put away wet" (auditioning can be grueling) but it obviously worked out.   I guess the guys before me were pretty bad so they looked and talked to me like "how bad are YOU going to be?" 

[Delaware Dave]

I've played with dozens of bands and 100's of people.  My secret is understanding the setlist before i commit to an audition. They (as well as me) typically know after one or two songs.  I've rarely been turned down, most of the time it is me turning the band down.  As I tell most people, they think I'm being auditioned but in reality they are doing the audition for me.  Locally I dont believe there is any existing band that is at a level above my ability, I pretty much know if I know the song list I will play my part to a level that will get me the gig.  In reality I'm listening to see how they perform, if the back up harmonies are in place, if they're organized, how they handle mistakes while playing.  I also want to know their goals, what they want to achieve, what kind of $'s they make, how they obtain better places to play, are they locally managed, the sound system/light arragements, do they have position backups (in case someone leaves the band so that the band doesnt fall apart), are they well known/respected in the band community, do they have contacts in the market.  Also, no matter how 'loose' they are I always present myself with a professional appearance and attitude.  These are the things I've learned over time; some people would call it wisdom.  Unless they are a supergroup and a band I've always wanted to play with I never make a commitment that night, I always takes 24 hours to reflect on it.  The last band that I made a commitment to on the same night is one of the bands I play in now, they were prepared, had great vocals/harmonies, acted professionally, had a plan and were all above average musicians.  They also had backups so I sensed longevity and made the commitment on the audition.  5 years now and we are a premier band in the area with one switchout for a guy that moved and he was replaced by his 'backup', it was seamless.  My two cents.

[Baldwin Funster]

In my area keyboardist don't need to audition. They just need to own or at least possess some kind of keyboard and the ability to play....something...anything, and they are now in a band.

Gigs are paying $100 p/man too. Unfortunately most of these bands have never had a keyboardist before, which is a topic covered before on the 'Corner.

[Shamanzarek]

I miss the early 80s when just having a good polysynth would get you a gig in one of the top local cover bands. Where I was in SoCal clubs wouldn't hire a band unless they had a keyboard player. Some bands would get a synth and have a girl singer or somebody stand behind it even if they didn't know much about playing. One audition I went to in Palm Desert, CA I took my OB8, Jupiter 6, and DX7. I barely played a note and they were so impressed I had a DX7 they said "Well we haven't really tried out anybody else. If you want the gig it's yours". That band developed into a top-notch cover band and we worked 5-6 nights a week 52 weeks a year for 8 years. You are lucky if you work one day every week these days.

[The Real MC]

Anymore I audition the band at a gig before they audition me.  If I see certain red flags, I politely decline the offer.

[Caevan O’Shite]

6 hours ago, Shamanzarek said:

I miss the early 80s when just having a good polysynth would get you a gig in one of the top local cover bands. Where I was in SoCal clubs wouldn't hire a band unless they had a keyboard player. Some bands would get a synth and have a girl singer or somebody stand behind it even if they didn't know much about playing. One audition I went to in Palm Desert, CA I took my OB8, Jupiter 6, and DX7. I barely played a note and they were so impressed I had a DX7 they said "Well we haven't really tried out anybody else. If you want the gig it's yours". That band developed into a top-notch cover band and we worked 5-6 nights a week 52 weeks a year for 8 years. You are lucky if you work one day every week these days.

Haahhaahh!    

And I remember that aura that anyone who even owned a DX7 seemed to be surrounded by, and how impressed people- especially those of us who were NOT keyboard players- were by the mere presence or even mention of one... "He's got a DX7, man... "  "Wow... !" "We've gotta get that guy... " It was as if that was a ticket to instant access to 'the BIGTIME' and an elevated plane of sophistication and amazement...

 

1 hour ago, The Real MC said:

Anymore I audition the band at a gig before they audition me.  If I see certain red flags, I politely decline the offer.

Please, go on- expound on those particular "red flags"...
 
 

[Stokely]

For me those might be:
- overall quality (out of tune, out of time, etc)
- song selection (which I could probably read on their website, and anyway could be misleading if they are currently without a keys player)
- stage professionalism (do they fumble around between songs, if someone messes up do they glare at each other, dropping f-bombs while talking to the audience etc)
- stage volume (I won't join a band with big amps that is loud on stage)
- do they look like utter slobs on stage (I can't say I dress to the 9s like some but unless you are in a punk band or something I tend to favor a dress shirt and decent jeans or something where I don't look exactly like a patron)

I'd want to know if they are able to get gigs, or at least had a plan to move forward.  Someone has to be booking, that's a tough job.  I don't play music for a living but I still look at it as a "how do we get better" project.

Stuff I wouldn't know until I went to a practice would be, are they just jerks    For one thing, just like this forum I won't tolerate political talk, which never ends well.  I've played with several guys I know for sure were about as opposite as can be from me politically yet we never once brought up politics so it worked (or, if it didn't, it was for other reasons!).  Political "talk" is far too often just someone ranting or turns into bullying.  Screw that, I play music as an escape from crap like that.

I also wouldn't know if they came to practices actually knowing the songs.  That's a giant red flag, when week after week at least one person comes in with "man, I just didn't have time this week to learn those four, however what about this one"  (and pulls out a new random song).  In my experience, those bands *never* go anywhere and all it takes is one member.

[KuruPrionz]

38 minutes ago, Stokely said:

For me those might be:
- overall quality (out of tune, out of time, etc)
- song selection (which I could probably read on their website, and anyway could be misleading if they are currently without a keys player)
- stage professionalism (do they fumble around between songs, if someone messes up do they glare at each other, dropping f-bombs while talking to the audience etc)
- stage volume (I won't join a band with big amps that is loud on stage)
- do they look like utter slobs on stage (I can't say I dress to the 9s like some but unless you are in a punk band or something I tend to favor a dress shirt and decent jeans or something where I don't look exactly like a patron)

I'd want to know if they are able to get gigs, or at least had a plan to move forward.  Someone has to be booking, that's a tough job.  I don't play music for a living but I still look at it as a "how do we get better" project.

Stuff I wouldn't know until I went to a practice would be, are they just jerks    For one thing, just like this forum I won't tolerate political talk, which never ends well.  I've played with several guys I know for sure were about as opposite as can be from me politically yet we never once brought up politics so it worked (or, if it didn't, it was for other reasons!).  Political "talk" is far too often just someone ranting or turns into bullying.  Screw that, I play music as an escape from crap like that.

I also wouldn't know if they came to practices actually knowing the songs.  That's a giant red flag, when week after week at least one person comes in with "man, I just didn't have time this week to learn those four, however what about this one"  (and pulls out a new random song).  In my experience, those bands *never* go anywhere and all it takes is one member.

Great list, I'll add 2 that are critical to my interests.

 

Do the bassist and drummer LOCK the groove or are they just bumbling about?

Does anybody in the band use the songs as an opportunity to practice their licks, filling up space with deedle deedle dee?

 

OK, a third one, something that has sent me elsewhere often. Do the band members as individuals and the band as a whole understand the profound importance of silence?

[Docbop]

My best audition memory was from way back when I was a bass player.   I got a call to audition for a Funky, Country, Rock band and said it sound interesting I'd like to do it.   Then the best part they said okay be a Capital Records studio at 8pm tonight.   The famous Capital Records studios I had toured the place as a little kid but now get to play in one of the studio that alone was amazing.  So I get there and the band had been auditioning people all day and I was the last person.  So I setup it wasn't being recorded just using the room and the drummer and keys players come in and we play a little bit.  Drummer if I remember was Don Poncher an up and coming studio and touring drummer and real good.    The this guy comes in and it's Alex Harvey who song Delta Dawn was just a hit.   Alex is playing acoustic guitar and counts off song by slapping funky beats on the body of the guitar.   I was really digging it.   We play for awhile and they decide to take a break.   So I get to look around Capital studios a bit then sit and talk to Alex some.   So this funky country rock tells me he has a Doctorate in Music.  I'm like how can someone have a Doctorate and be so funky and cool.    We go back to the studio and play a few more tunes and say our goodbyes.     I knew I wasn't up to the level they needed, so I didn't expect to get a call (and didn't) but it was still one of my favorite nights. 

 

 

[Docbop]

A favorite audition stories I heard was when Darryl Jones got the call to audition for the Rolling Stones.   Darryl was mainly a Fusion bassist so he thought it was were he was called, but said yes he want to audition.    Darryl said he started shedding all the main Rolling Stones hits from over the year trying to be ready for whatever they might call at the audition.     So he goes to the audition and see some other faces he knew that had gone before him.     He gets called into the room and meeting the band and chat for a minute.   Then he's waiting to see what tune they call and they just say... let's jam on some Blues.   Then they jam another Blues or two and that's it audition over.   So he leaves thinking they must not of liked something about him he didn't even get to play one of their tunes.    A day later he gets the call to join the Stones and all he did was jam on some Blues.  

 

Years later I read an interview with Darryl and he decided to get back to playing some Fusion when Stones aren't touring.   He goes to play a gig and finds out the hard way all that playing with the Stones he's lost his chops for Fusion.   So then he started shedding more to get his Fusion chops back. 

[The Real MC]

All of the above, plus:
1- Players who lack the respect to back down when the singer is singing.

2- Song selections that don't have mass appeal that only musicians can appreciate.  The non-musician patrons who put money in your pocket won't respond.

3- Any band with two or more guitar players.  I'm tired of fighting that wall of noise.

4- Guitar players whose main lead tone comes from a high gain amplifier with infinite sustain.
5- Guitar players who use their high gain lead tone for their rhythm parts.  That dominates the sonic spectrum with little chance of others to be heard.

6- I absolutely positively will not play behind a guitar hero.

7- Guitar players who dominate the song selections so they favor songs that are fun to play on guitars with nothing to play on keys.

8- Guitar players who don't understand that songs like Comfortably Numb is half keyboard/orchestral stuff where there are no guitar parts.

9- Guitar players who have never played in a band with zero concept of ensemble dynamics.  One guy literally could not stop playing because his gain was so high that his guitar would squeal.  And he wore earplugs.

10- Nepotism.  If the core members are related it is a battle you cannot win.

11- If any of the musicians are dating that is asking for trouble.  Too many excellent bands broke up over boyfriend/girlfriend issues.

12- Players with no concept of space who fill every bar with too many notes.  Guitar players are hardly alone.

I hate to emphasize guitar players but after 40+ years of gigging they have been the main source of frustration.  I will admit that I have worked with guitar players who were cooperative and respective other players.

 

Back home a lot of keyboard players quit gigging out of frustration.  In most areas there are literally no keyboard players available.

[MathOfInsects]

I can't completely relate to the band aspect, but have a similar "mojo" story in a parallel world.

It sounds funny to state this so plainly (and is maybe tempting the universe to punish me over it), but somehow I have gotten essentially every job I've applied for that I've wanted. (Real-world job, not keys work.) I do mountains of homework and guess I clean up reasonably well.

I went for a position last month (music-related, permanent faculty, but part-time in required hours; an ideal position for someone who already straddles the musician/academia line, particular in the po$t-COVID era). If you had talked to me after the interview, I would have told you that there is no way to predict the future, and there are always variables in this kind of job posting, but I did as strong a job on the interview as I would have hoped to. I felt I'd knocked it out of the park, at least on my end.

At the end, they explained how the process would work and that messages about second interviews would go out within three days. I thanked them and said I'd sincerely enjoyed the process of talking with them, which was true, and got a lot of return sugar.

I was sort of doing a home-run strut for those three days. I was actually proud of myself, which doesn't happen often. My measure is usually what percentage of non-suckage I mananged to pull off. 

But then....that message never came. I didn't even make it to the second round.

And even though I completely knew that it was an area with a lot of internal politics and that jobs are often posted as a formality after someone has a preferred candidate in mind already, and that all I could hope for was that I, personally, could feel good about the interview, and that I was prepared for the unpredictable or disappointing...it turns out I didn't believe any of that. It knocked a considerable amount of swagger of that home-run trot. Humbling for sure. And since I felt I'd done well, it means that I could potentially be completely or just enough wrong about that, that it's destabilizing going forward. It means I can't adjust for future such opportunities, or trust my instincts as I have in the past.

I do tend to move on from stuff after the initial crying and eating ice cream in the shower moment. I'm feeling partially relieved I didn't get it.

And also wish I had.

[stoken6]

2 hours ago, MathOfInsects said:

a similar "mojo" story in a parallel world

Interesting post MoI. I've been applying for jobs over the past months, and quite a few times I've thought I was perfectly suited to the role, and the "screening pre-interview" with HR went really well - only to hear that I'd been turned down. Or to hear nothing.

 

Musically, I haven't auditioned for a long, long time. People know people who know people who've played with me, or heard me, and I get work that way.

 

I do treat my first gig with any new band/project as an audition, and absolutely make every effort to bring my A game to the gig:

- Preparation and knowing the material

- Professionalism, arriving on time with decent gear, the correct dress code etc.

- Flexibility and the ability to go with the flow

- Being easy-going and good company

 

Cheers, Mike.

[Reezekeys]

Almost all the gigs I do are gotten via personal connections and/or recommendations by current band members. This is not a bar/cover band or wedding/corporate band situation - it's a different level. If one of the band members says "you should use XXX, he's the person to call", that's usually good enough. All the best steady band gigs I've gotten have happened like this, or because I already knew the guys and they knew of me.

[KuruPrionz]

3 hours ago, The Real MC said:

All of the above, plus:

12- Players with no concept of space who fill every bar with too many notes.  Guitar players are hardly alone.

More or less what I meant when I posted this above: 

OK, a third one, something that has sent me elsewhere often. Do the band members as individuals and the band as a whole understand the profound importance of silence?

 

It's almost as if some players never listen to recordings or somehow, the openess, lack of musical clutter, spare playing and imperative playing of just the right sounds at the right time escapes their notice. 

I saw Ray Charles twice. At any given moment, more musicians on stage were NOT playing than were playing. Leave some holes, create some texture. When I saw Willie Nelson's Family band and BB King's Band, players would lay out while another player soloed or the singer was singing. Wait your turn!!!!

Otherwise you'll flatline every song and they will all sound the same. 

[ksoper]

In the early 2000s I auditioned for a rising star on Arista who already had a single in heavy rotation. There used to be (and maybe still is) a practice where the label would put together a band of seasoned players for a few shows and then replace them with a regular band that would support the album. The BL from the pick-up band was BL/keys for a well-established Arista singer on hiatus. I don't remember how I got the call to audition, but at the time I was just off a tour and needed something immediately. I was counseled to go for it and "ride the rocket" as it appeared the artist was about to take off. 

 

I was thoroughly prepared. They had a drummer and bass player in place and were auditioning keys, guitar and steel. I sat in the hallway of SIR listening to the process through the door thinking that the rhythm section was god-awful and that the players filtering through weren't much better. Before even walking in the door I prayed I wouldn't be asked to take the gig. 

 

Narrator: He was asked to take the gig. 

Turns out that the bass player went to high school with the fancy-pants BL and had done nothing since but work as a cabinet maker.  He knew one lick outside of the artist's material, the line from "You Can Leave Your Hat On." We soundchecked with it because that's all he had. Absolutely the worst band of my professional career. 

 

I lasted 6 weeks. The artist was from backwoods WV--nice guy, great singer, but way over his head. His wife, who insisted on riding along, was completely insane. (After I left her antics resulted in a bus accident.) My sole accomplishment was getting the band wage up to union scale, which was still piss poor. The manager's excuse for not paying us a living wage was, "We're building a house here." Cool, I'm paying for one. 

 

I ignored the flags because I needed work. Don't ignore the flags. 

 

 

[David R]

I've only ever done three auditions for gigs. Two were for cruise ship companies and I was basically hired on the spot. The third was for a blues band in town. I was young and over-confident, didn't have pro-level gear at the time (coming from an acoustic jazz background, I expected to use band or studio gear), and didn't really learn the intricacies of the original tunes. The demos I got sent felt "jammy" to me, so I went in expecting to jam. Needless to say, I didn't get the gig.

 

Since then, every other gig I've gotten has been a direct phone call to me, someone referring me, or someone hearing me on a gig.

 

I do not have the same kind of track record in academia. I think I've only made it to the interview stage once, and wound up not getting that post either. Most postings I've applied to have been so hyper-specific that they already know who they're going to hire, they open the call as a matter of formality, and I don't think they ever actually expect to get any other candidate to apply.

[Doerfler]

1 hour ago, ksoper said:

I ignored the flags because I needed work. Don't ignore the flags. 

Great story, Ken. 

[Theo Verelst]

As a advanced student and for while after graduating I did most band stuff, various constellations and conditions, not many commercial gigs (interesting Jazz/Fusion in Holland in that time (around 90) already was a ridiculous proposition). It was quite alright to do a cover band but I had to graduate and then had a (paying) day job, so that wasn't a goal.

 

Whenever I was in a band at the time, educational, jam or with some prospects or gigs, either as asked or as leader I felt talent and skill were subjected to what people wanted from life, which often wasn't giving me pleasant feelings. Good friends and girlfriends aside there wasn'r much going on that I knew of which would make me think: this is going somewhere.

 

Mostly I would be asked and be as good that I was satisfactory or better in the keyboard role, where it was understood that I could play pretty much anything as long as I would know the songs or there would be tabs, and just one thing not: fast score reading (because that's no fun).

 

Theo V

 

[o0Ampy0o]

On 7/3/2022 at 12:24 PM, MathOfInsects said:

I can't completely relate to the band aspect, but have a similar "mojo" story in a parallel world.

It sounds funny to state this so plainly (and is maybe tempting the universe to punish me over it), but somehow I have gotten essentially every job I've applied for that I've wanted. (Real-world job, not keys work.) I do mountains of homework and guess I clean up reasonably well.

I went for a position last month (music-related, permanent faculty, but part-time in required hours; an ideal position for someone who already straddles the musician/academia line, particular in the po$t-COVID era). If you had talked to me after the interview, I would have told you that there is no way to predict the future, and there are always variables in this kind of job posting, but I did as strong a job on the interview as I would have hoped to. I felt I'd knocked it out of the park, at least on my end.

At the end, they explained how the process would work and that messages about second interviews would go out within three days. I thanked them and said I'd sincerely enjoyed the process of talking with them, which was true, and got a lot of return sugar.

I was sort of doing a home-run strut for those three days. I was actually proud of myself, which doesn't happen often. My measure is usually what percentage of non-suckage I mananged to pull off. 

But then....that message never came. I didn't even make it to the second round.

And even though I completely knew that it was an area with a lot of internal politics and that jobs are often posted as a formality after someone has a preferred candidate in mind already, and that all I could hope for was that I, personally, could feel good about the interview, and that I was prepared for the unpredictable or disappointing...it turns out I didn't believe any of that. It knocked a considerable amount of swagger of that home-run trot. Humbling for sure. And since I felt I'd done well, it means that I could potentially be completely or just enough wrong about that, that it's destabilizing going forward. It means I can't adjust for future such opportunities, or trust my instincts as I have in the past.

I do tend to move on from stuff after the initial crying and eating ice cream in the shower moment. I'm feeling partially relieved I didn't get it.

And also wish I had.

 

Great story well told.

 

It takes strength to work hard to win and win.

It takes strength to work hard to win and lose.

 

"Humbling for sure. And since I felt I'd done well, it means that I could potentially be completely or just enough wrong about that, that it's destabilizing going forward. It means I can't adjust for future such opportunities, or trust my instincts as I have in the past."

 

Or it can be going forward, more comfort with potential loss will have replaced the lost confidence with potential win. 

 

[BluesB3]

On 7/3/2022 at 1:43 PM, The Real MC said:

All of the above, plus:

<Major snippage>
I hate to emphasize guitar players but after 40+ years of gigging they have been the main source of frustration.  I will admit that I have worked with guitar players who were cooperative and respective other players.

Back home a lot of keyboard players quit gigging out of frustration.  In most areas there are literally no keyboard players available.

All very valid points.

When I was advertising to audition some players for a band I was putting together, the verbiage for guitar and bass players ran something like this:

 

Guitar players, I’m not looking for Stevie Ray or Jimi here.  Think Steve Cropper, Reggie Young, Jimmy Johnson, or Pete Carr.  The guitar is part of the ensemble.  Taste and restraint.  Call and response.  No amps louder than a Deluxe Reverb.  I’m tired of wearing earplugs at rehearsal sessions.

 Bass players same deal.  Not looking for Jaco or Larry Graham.  Need a real pocket player with a good ear for solid inventive lines.  Think Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Duck, or David Hood.  Your line and tone will shine, you don’t need to play up on the 18th fret to attract attention.

 

Yeah I sound like a bit of an a-hole but I'd rather be up front about it and weed out potential problem players from jump street.

[KuruPrionz]

22 minutes ago, BluesB3 said:

All very valid points.

When I was advertising to audition some players for a band I was putting together, the verbiage for guitar and bass players ran something like this:

 

Guitar players, I’m not looking for Stevie Ray or Jimi here.  Think Steve Cropper, Reggie Young, Jimmy Johnson, or Pete Carr.  The guitar is part of the ensemble.  Taste and restraint.  Call and response.  No amps louder than a Deluxe Reverb.  I’m tired of wearing earplugs at rehearsal sessions.

 Bass players same deal.  Not looking for Jaco or Larry Graham.  Need a real pocket player with a good ear for solid inventive lines.  Think Jamerson, Bob Babbitt, Duck, or David Hood.  Your line and tone will shine, you don’t need to play up on the 18th fret to attract attention.

 

Yeah I sound like a bit of an a-hole but I'd rather be up front about it and weed out potential problem players from jump street.

Another side of this and a personal frustration of mine is keyboard players who can't or won't control their left hand. 

Maybe they think they are the bassist. They're not and they should not be cluttering up the low end. If you are going to be the bass player, don't hire one. 

This has not been a rare observation unfortunately. And sometimes it can't be fixed. So I find something else to do, it's just a messy lack of consideration of the music. 

[Stokely]

There are musicians on every instrument including vocals that don't care, or don't know, what it means to play in a band.  I'm not even a pro guy but it's no different than being on a team in my day job--it takes compromise, communication and understanding that you aren't the only person doing your thing.  (Hell, even sounds a bit like marriage...)

Keyboardists with busy left hands, guitarists with loud amps or busy lead lines stomping on everything, bassists trying to be lead player John Entwhistle all the time, and so on.   I'd argue drummers are the the most important since they set the volume at the type of gigs I tend to have (low volume), so someone unwilling or unable to play quietly (if they don't have electronics of course) means the band can't play a lot of gigs around here at least.  These are the "better" ones monetarily too.   I will not step back into a practice room with a caveman drummer unless I can wear IEMs.   I've gradually learned that there is no need to practice at 11 especially while you are working through the song structure.

[Bobbo Fett]

I've hardly ever auditioned, mostly get hired by folks who know me. The last time I was set to audition it was way back in the 80's for a band playing bar gigs in Atlanta. The convo I had on the phone with the BL included the question, "How many 'boards you got, man?" I told him I usually gig with 2 (At the time I think it was a Rhodes and a Poly Six). Fine, we set up a time....that morning I get a call from the guy, saying that they were going to listen to someone else first, who was coming in from out of town. 2 hours later I get another call, saying that Mr Out Of Town had rolled up with a literal VAN full of 'boards, and that that was it, he had the gig, so stand down.....fine, no biggie. Next morning I get a another call, saying, "Uh, hey....would you still be interested in the gig?" Turns out Mr Out Of Town couldn't play his way out of a wet paper bag, and since the BL felt bad about not even letting me have an audition they just offered me the gig. I wished later on that they hadn't, BL and lead singer were married and fought like cats and dogs the whole 3 months I was able to tough it out.....

[KuruPrionz]

5 minutes ago, Bobbo Fett said:

I've hardly ever auditioned, mostly get hired by folks who know me. The last time I was set to audition it was way back in the 80's for a band playing bar gigs in Atlanta. The convo I had on the phone with the BL included the question, "How many 'boards you got, man?" I told him I usually gig with 2 (At the time I think it was a Rhodes and a Poly Six). Fine, we set up a time....that morning I get a call from the guy, saying that they were going to listen to someone else first, who was coming in from out of town. 2 hours later I get another call, saying that Mr Out Of Town had rolled up with a literal VAN full of 'boards, and that that was it, he had the gig, so stand down.....fine, no biggie. Next morning I get a another call, saying, "Uh, hey....would you still be interested in the gig?" Turns out Mr Out Of Town couldn't play his way out of a wet paper bag, and since the BL felt bad about not even letting me have an audition they just offered me the gig. I wished later on that they hadn't, BL and lead singer were married and fought like cats and dogs the whole 3 months I was able to tough it out.....

Gah! I was in a Top 40 Country band in Fresno and we had a steady gig in the lounge at a nice hotel - with air conditioning, plush carpets, all that nice stuff. I left an amp in the same spot on stage for 9 months. 

The 2 bandleaders/lead singers were a married couple. Everything went fine for the first 8 months, then the husband apparently stepped out of bounds in some still unknown way and things went south. I made 9 months, gave notice and helped them find another guitarist but I won't play in a band with couples in it again. Don't need that sort of drama!!

[Bobbo Fett]

59 minutes ago, KuruPrionz said:

Gah! I was in a Top 40 Country band in Fresno and we had a steady gig in the lounge at a nice hotel - with air conditioning, plush carpets, all that nice stuff. I left an amp in the same spot on stage for 9 months. 

The 2 bandleaders/lead singers were a married couple. Everything went fine for the first 8 months, then the husband apparently stepped out of bounds in some still unknown way and things went south. I made 9 months, gave notice and helped them find another guitarist but I won't play in a band with couples in it again. Don't need that sort of drama!!

That was the SECOND time for me actually....once while I was living in NJ I was playing a hotel gig down at the shore. The BL (guitar) and his lead singer wife had been battling for weeks. One night it came to a head and they both stomped off the stage, MID SHOW, in oppposite directions, never to return, leaving me, the bass player, and drummer to finish the night...good times.....crazy thing was they were both shocked when I gave my notice the next day.....

[RABid]

In 20 years of playing in cover bands I only auditioned once. That was when I moved 180 miles from my small town to a city. One of the top bands in the city had an opening so I called. The manager took me out to lunch, then to a studio to show off his contacts. At the studio he lead me to a grand piano and said "play something." I was NOT prepared for that, and instead of Billy Joel he got the classical piece I used to audition at college for a music major. That must have impressed him because a few hours later I was auditioning with the band. I looked at the set list, chose two songs that I knew, and we played. The immediate response was "Wow. You can play with both hands. ... Different parts. ... At the same time."

 

That should have been a indication of what was to come. While they were playing the biggest clubs for top dollar, the musicians were below average at every position. That is when I learned that band popularity is NOT dependent on talent.

 

Anyway, as Jr. Deluxe said, I never had to audition for a band. I was a keyboard player. Bands auditioned for me. 

[Al Quinn]

I haven't had many auditions. Most of my gigs have come via recommendation, reputation, and/or contacts. The most memorable audition I had was back in the 80's. I was playing with a band at a holiday party for an investment firm. The gig was at the Grand Hyatt in Manhattan. Some of The Beach Boys, who were customers of the investment firm, were asked to play a few tunes at the party. They said they would sit in with the band but had to audition the band first to be comfortable that it would go well. So, a few days before the gig we met with a few of the Beach Boys in a room at the hotel so they could check us out.

 

I was never a Beach Boys fan so I wasn't star struck by the experience but wanted to do well. I wasn't sure how to prep so I bought a Beach Boys Greatest Hits cassette and learned all of the tunes. We get to the room, setup our gear, and once we get past the introductions Mike Love says let's do Barbara Ann. He counts it off and in less than a minute says "OK, these guys can play. What do you guys want to drink?" That was it -- audition over and we just hung for a couple of hours. I had this new keyboard called a DX7. They never heard of it and were drooling over the sounds. It was a fun experience. 

 

Here's a pic. Unfortunately, not all of the Beach Boys who were there are in pic (i.e., Al Jardine and Carl Wilson are missing from the pic). I'm the fourth guy from the left. Brian Wilson wasn't there. I think he may have been in the hospital then. As I recall, the Beach Boys had not had a hit in quite awhile; Kokomo came out the following year. Their drummer, second guy from the left, was John Stamos. He was also an aspiring actor (and super nice guy!). He was very excited about a new show he was working on. Full House came out around that same time and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.