I was going to say it's been a long time since I "auditioned" for a spot in a band, but looking back over my 47 years of live performing, I have to say that I have never auditioned to join a band. All the bands I've been in in the past have either just sort of formed themselves or I was the one putting them together. Keeping a band together is a tough job, so the three bands I had that lasted 4 or more years (with only slight personnel changes) were rare and sweet. I have found myself missing the "band" experience lately, since it is almost ten years since I did anything but solo and duo gigs.

So tomorrow evening I am driving about 20 miles to a little town south of here where I will be setting up my gear for a whole new experience - actually auditioning to fill a slot left by a 20-something who has been "let go" so the band can get itself aimed in a new direction. The band started out as a Classic Rock Band, but drifted into country music so that their female singer would feel more comfortable. Hmmm... The female singer, by the way, is the mommy of the 20-something who was cut loose. I am told that she is okay with the decision.

The band performed last Friday and Saturday (NYE) at the casino in Tama, Iowa, and asked me to come down and hear them. My first contact with the band was from the bass player who sent me an email saying they were looking for a male lead singer and second guitar - pretty much me to a T, though I have no idea how he came by my name and email address - it's not on any boards at the local guitar shops. The wife and I drove to the casino (70 miles) and braved the damned cigarette smoke (smoking still allowing in casinos) to see this band, live on stage.

I was told they started at 9, but when I got there at 8:50 they were already well into their first set. I sat down at an empty table (dead center and 50-60' out from the stage) and set up my very portable Tascam PR-2d Linear PCM recorder and proceeded to record their performance. I have always done live recordings of my bands in the past, just never had such hi-tech equipment to do it. I ended up with 16 of their songs, half of which were country and mostly female country at that. I thought the 20-something was a little over the top, but I suppose that had to do with the other three guys being in their 50s and his 40-something mommy being on stage with him.

After the second set, I went up and talked with the bass player and drummer, founders of this band and maybe others, the two guys who were wanting to get back into Rock & Roll and ditch the country. They were pleased to see me and we had a nice chat, with them doing 90% of the talking, and we agreed to get together soon to see how we might mesh. I have their play list (with a lot of female country), so I have singled out the rock songs they're doing that I already know, plus taking along music for about 40 classic rock songs I've been doing for years.

I hate getting together with musicians I don't know and having to pick their brains to see what songs they can pull out of the ozone. For that reason, I am taking two sets of lyrics and chords so we can dispense with the "do you know this one" time wasters and get right down to the playing. They don't realize it, of course, but this is very much a "two-way audition." I'll be very interested in how quickly they can pull together and do songs that, as 50-year-old classic rockers, they should know in a heartbeat. It will be very interesting, to say the least.

Am I nervous? No more than anytime I get together to jam with guys I don't know. I'll be very, very well prepared. Yes, it will be interesting. Another guy is auditioning after me.

P.S. I took the 16 songs I recorded, ran them thru CuBase on my computer, editing and fading out the ends, then proceeded to make four copies - one each for the remaining members of the existing band. I told the bass player he would find the recordings enlightening - he emailed back - more like frightening! We'll see.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Since you actually had a chance to hear them play a gig, do you want to play with them? Even though you obviously know what you're doing, you don't sound too excited.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

Good luck Guitarman.. Hope the session goes well.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

I have to admit that I am a little up in the air, but the bass player is good, the drummer is good and the lead guitar sounded pretty good, though I couldn't hear everything he was doing. Even with a miked Marshall amp, he was a little lost in the mix and he was the one running the PA system. He'll hear that when he listens to the CD I made. Everything sounds different behind the monitors.

The thing that most interests me is that they are about my age and seem to really want to accomplish something with this band. They want to get established on the Casino Circuit, thinking they'll tumble into some big money, but my experience with the casinos is that they don't want to pay what you ought to get. You have to jump through a fair number of hoops to play the casinos (contracts that read like prenups, show up three hours early, trade your license for a temp pass, no drinking or gambling, stay near the stage), so I think they're going to be disappointed.

I think there's hope and with a little subtle guidance, I think they can be a good band. I've played the money game for a long, long time and at this point, if I can break even on expenses, but have serious FUN with some decent musicians, I'll be happy.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Good story CR. It looks like you're ready to play with this band and if you dig their vibe when playing with them could be you're experience can help them. Very cool all the way around.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Well, today is the day and I'm pretty pumped. My wife says she'll be glad when this is over. I'll be heading south about 5 o'clock to see what happens. I finally figured out which electric guitar to take (Fender Toronado GT) and which electric amp (Roland Cube 60 - don't want to roll in there with a half-stack), plus I'll be taking a good Ovation acoustic-electric and my Fender Acoustasonic Junior. That should cover all the bases as far as instrumentation. I'll be taking my own mic (Shure MS-58) and stand and plenty of cables, don't want to start off the audition by borrowing any gear.

They're going to outnumber me 4 to 1, but I hope they're as ready for me as I am for them!

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Good luck and have fun

Well, the audition is over. And as I was driving home smelling dog s**t on both my shoes, I decided that this band is probably NOT something I want to pursue. The little practice house is rented by the drummer and as you pull up you notice not one, but two realty signs in the front yard - For Sale. As I climb out, I am almost attacked by a very large German shepherd, but luckily the dog runs out of chain before he gets to me. The drummer comes out, takes the dog inside and says come on in.

The backyard is covered with dog crap, up to and around the side of the house, everywhere but actually on the little cement patio that opens off the basement. Loading my gear into the basement took serious concentration not to step on doggy doo and German shepherd doggy doo is BIG doggy doo. I was the first to arrive (I am always very punctual, especially for practice and gigs), so I was able to set my stuff up while the drummer and bass player set their stuff and a little PA up.

When the lead player got there, he wouldn't acknowledge me, just kept walking around me, setting up his little amp and playing with the little PA. I finally forced him to shake hands and introduce himself. He set the mike volumes very loud, right on the verge of feedback, and the speakers these guys were using for mains had blown tweeters - you get the drift. When he finally started messing with his guitar, I knew it was going to be a long night - he was LOUD! I would add that though he set his mike volume at ridiculous levels, when he deigned to sign backup, you couldn't hear a single word.

One of the best tests of a band, as far as I am concerned, is where they run their practice volume, especially in a little basement where everyone is almost stepping on each other. These guys were very loud. Much too loud. I decided not to press the issue the very first time we were playing together, but luckily I had the ability to raise my vocal level without going near the PA head. That's one advantage of running your vocals through your own harmonizer - EQ and volume. I had no intention of blowing out my vocal cords competing with all the noise.

I watched and waited as everyone slowly got to the point where we could start playing. No one had any idea where to start. No song list, no indication from anyone as to which songs I was going to be expected to sing, so I took over, opened up the song notebook I had brought two of and proceeded to suggest, start and sing about a dozen songs. I was making eye contact with everyone, but getting nothing back - no smile, no rolling eyes, nothing - even at the end of a song. I was finding out pretty much what I wanted to find out... and it wasn't good.

But then it all got worse. Little Ricky, the 20-something who was leaving the band, came walking in with his guitar and proceeded to plug into the PA system and started playing along with the rest of us - loudly. His mommy smiled at him and he smiled back. The lead player looked miffed, but said nothing, just turned his amp up a little louder to compensate for Little Ricky. I knew at that point that no one was in charge of this practice or the band itself, for that matter.

We did another three songs and then decided to talk a bit as auditioner number two was due to show up in 10-15 minutes. I started tearing down and packing as I was hit with a bunch of questions: How much do you want to gig? Can you get us into any bars where you live? Do you sing lead on all those songs you brought with you? I brought chords and lyrics sheets for about 70 songs and yes, I sing lead on all of them. Ricky was avoiding any eye contact with me, lead man was playing with his phone and the drummer was wondering what the score was of the Broncos game? Oh, boy.

I went outside to load my truck in the dark, through the poop minefield, with no outside light. Lovely. The bass player followed me out and we had what I am pretty sure is going to be our last chat. He told me he was impressed, really liked my singing, then asked me what kind of recorder I used to record the band at the casino? I told him a VERY GOOD ONE, so brace yourself for what you are going to hear! He told me that Miss Female Lead Singer, twenty years my junior, was now arguing about dropping the country stuff as she didn't know that much classic rock - that was true - I asked her about a dozen different great female rock songs and she didn't know ANY of them.

So I am back home, disappointed and washing dog crap out of two waffle-soled work shoes - wonderful. Another day in the trenches with nothing to show for it, but the realization that finding a real band to play with is going to be very difficult indeed. Thank goodness I am gigging on my own about six times a month or I might go insane.

Over and out.

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for. just keep looking and you will find a great fit for your music. Hell, start your own band if nothing materializes.

Sorry to hear that CR but you're well out of that situation and it sounds like a narrow escape! All the wrong messages right from the start, disorganised, no one knows what the hell they're supposed to be doing, what a nightmare!

That sounds like a bizarre situation with the mother in the band then the son being kicked out but he shows up and wants to jam with the band during auditions for his replacement Bizarre!

Sometimes you're better off gigging on your own, at least you know everything's gonna be reliable!

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Luck won't do it and ignorance can't

George Van Eps.

Sounds kinda horrible. But Ive been down that road too.

Blown speakers Sullen guitar players Ex members back from the dead Dog crap alley

Sympathise strongly - been there and done that a few times (but without the dog crap.)
Last time it happened, I told them to call me again when they'd got themsleves sorted out. Then I hooked up with my current collaborator and we worked out how to create our own PC based rhythm section. Never looked back since.

You're well off out of it. Very frustrating though when you've done the preparation work.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Wow, with all those, shall we say, 'eccentric' personalities you were exposed to while making mutual first impressions, guaranteed there's a lot more inherent dysfunction therein than meets the eye! Thoroughly clean the dog crap off your boots and don't ever look back in that direction!!

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You dig?

It's now two days since the "audition" and, true to form, I've not heard a how-dee-do or a fare-thee-well from Jay, the bass player. Common courtesy (had I been handling the audition) would have been an immediate thank you for coming down and trying out, whether the outcome of the tryout had been determined yet or not. Of course, as far as I am concerned, the outcome is obvious, but I figured I would wait to hear from Jay before I gave him MY feedback.

It's painfully obvious that these guys are all living in La-La Land, thinking that they are going to be moving into that elite $1,200 to $1,500 a gig sometime in the near future. I don't know what they were paid for the two-night Indian casino gig, but going in on NYE weekend and playing in scruffy jeans and T-shirts indicates to me that they need more than a little polish.

I'd love to know what Jay and the rest of the band thought of the way they sounded on the CD I recorded...

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Dennis in CR
Rockin' since 1963

GR...
Great recount of a real world band situation....I wonder just what is the percentage of bands and /or musicians who just do not understand that joining/auditioning in a band is very much like the everyday world.....
Impressions matter " Please leave your fantasies at home "

I applaud you for being polite and respectful, I would not have lasted thru the entire event....
I would loveto get back into a band situation myself but at this point in my life....
(1) It has to be fun....(2) It has to be serious as far as respect for the music and especially all band-members. Not into going to prove who can shred or outshine the others...

It's funny but it is very akin to my everyday work situations.....Often it is difficult to get thru the day since getting the job done seems to take second place behind personality issues....

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "