Auditions - Am I being too picky?

[fretmeister]

Sounds like the didn't really want to 'audition' you as such.

Sounds like they wanted you to have an entire set of material so you could gig the following friday night and they could immediately fire the existing bassist - THEN probably decide on who the proper replacement was.

More like a depping gig that an audition.

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='molan' timestamp='1370370908' post='2099916']
So my band fell apart recently and I've been looking for something new to try.

Thought I had a good option but I've just turned down an audition and got a mouthful of abuse from the band leader because of it. It was booked for tomorrow so obviously it's late notice and I can, partially, understand his frustration. However. . .

When first contacted I was given an outline of types of music which sounded interesting so thought it worth trying out.

I was then sent a list of 70 songs to review. A quick look over them showed quite a few I quite liked the look of and I thought would be interesting to play.

After a lot of faffing about we got a date booked (I had been super flexible throughout in terms of availability).

I was then sent a revised list of 25 songs to learn for the audition. I've never had to learn more than 4 or 5 in the past. I was told to let them know if I wasn't able to learn all 25 but that I was expected to have at least a dozen sorted. Seemed to be quite a strong implication to learn all 25 though.

When I looked closely at this list it seemed that they'd picked the most 'obvious' / cliched ones and this should have sounded some warning bells. I decided to give them a bash anyway & booked today to go through them all. I quickly realised just how 'samey' they all were and got bored playing them quite quickly. Odd thing is that they range from some 60's stuff through to 90's yet all seem to have the same groove & feel to them.

At this point I used by good old 'acid test' - if I went into a pub and heard a band playing these songs would I want to be in that band. The answer was a resounding no. I tried the list on a couple of other people who had similar views.

So - am I being too picky by only wanting to play songs I like (both in terms of listening to and enjoying playing) or should I bite my tongue and take a gig because it'll get me out & playing again. . .?
[/quote]

I don't see how you can make a decision without knowing what their actual set list is, for example they could had deliberately given you the easy ones to learn. But having said that I only join bands for one of two reasons - I really like the music or they are mates (in which case I'm prepared to be a bit less picky music wise) so on in the end you probably made the right choice but its always good to have all the facts at your disposal. As for your "acid test" well for me playing and listening are two different things for example I've played in a couple of blues bands but would generally get bored after 10 mins of watching the average pub blues outfit.

Edited June 5, 2013 by bassman7755

[fretmeister]

Pub band or not. If there is no disco / soul / funk / big band in the set list then I'm not playing.

[lojo]

last audition i did, i picked a handful off their current list , some i knew so i picked those, the band leader specified 2 i had to learn as he wanted to test out certain styles or songs I assume, but it totalled around 6-7 i think

NOT 25 ??

Anyway we did end up jamming more after from his list, but by then id done enough, so wasnt worried if i looked silly by not keeping up on songs Id not suggested I knew

25 ? way to many , at least at non pro level

Edited June 5, 2013 by lojo

[Lozz196]

Last audition I had the band gave me 8 songs to learn, which I did, and got the job - only I found I didn`t want it, so depped til they found someone permanent (realised at the audition I`ve outgrown playing heavy rock, just like listening to it now).

The one previous - for The Daves, who I`m still playing with - they gave me 5 songs to learn. But all of their set were/are my fave songs from when I was a kid, so knew them all, so at the audition we went through the 5, then I suggested going through the whole set. They were suitably impressed - or I was the only applicant. I`m sure they`ll always say the latter.

[WalMan]

Both of the last two auditions I did I was given a list of no more that 8 IIRC and 'pick a three from the list and we'll go through them. I did actually work through all of them, but mainly because 1) it was stuff I enjoyed; and 2) varied.

25+ does seem a tad excessive. I while back I to learn 25 or so for a dep, that actually fell through (was asked as "our bass players's dicking us around", learnt them, then having been drawing a blank on confirming the dates & a quick run through to top & tail, was told "sorry we don't need you now" which was a bit of a pisser) and have recently had to learn up 30+ for another dep, but those are deps with a view to possibly more work & not just an audition!

[Muzz]

As has been pointed out, half a dozen songs is an audition, 25 is a dep gig list. Sounds like that's what they had in mind, anyway.

[4-string-thing]

I answered an advert last Friday for a "full time" tribute band who gig 2 or 3 times a week (some vey big gigs booked) I got a phone call on Saturday and after 30 minutes or so on the phone, got told I could audition in a couple of weeks with a view to starting with the gigs booked for he end of June (they're using a dep til then) "I'll email you a set list tomorrow" (Sunday) says guitarist, "learn as many as you can, for he audition and hopefully you'll know them all after a couple of weeks" Its now Wednesday, and no sign of a set list and he's not answered the text I sent asking what's happening. I don't care if it is a "pro" band, or the fact that I don't have a job at the minute, if people can't be ars*d to do what they say, then neither can I. This is supposed to be fun, so to the OP, if you don't like the songs and can't see yourself enjoying it, you did the right thing!

Edited June 5, 2013 by 4-string-thing

[skankdelvar]

I'd usually mail out 4 songnames with keys and a rough note about any deviations from 'as known', links to youtube and tell 'em choose which two they'd like to play. Anyone keen will usually learn all 4. Hopefully, so will the [i]current[/i] band members.

Get 'em in, give it an hour or so going round the songs, jam something if everyone gets bored. Next please.

How hard does it have to be?

[gerryc]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1370442119' post='2100914']
I'd usually mail out 4 songnames with keys and a rough note about any deviations from 'as known', links to youtube and tell 'em choose which two they'd like to play. Anyone keen will usually learn all 4. Hopefully, so will the [i]current[/i] band members.

Get 'em in, give it an hour or so going round the songs, jam something if everyone gets bored. Next please.

How hard does it have to be?
[/quote]



That's what an audition should be. Skank you moved to Dorset now, if so whereabouts?

[JTUK]

[quote name='WalMan' timestamp='1370435108' post='2100738']
................

25+ does seem a tad excessive. I while back I to learn 25 or so for a dep, that actually fell through (was asked as "our bass players's dicking us around", learnt them, then having been drawing a blank on confirming the dates & a quick run through to top & tail, was told "sorry we don't need you now" which was a bit of a pisser) ..........
[/quote]


They should have paid you....

[WalMan]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1370451449' post='2101142']
They should have paid you....
[/quote] well probably, but it's the usual thing; it was a guy I've known for years, might get a call again so don't burn bridges, but mainly I'm a pushover

[ubassman]

At such a late stage , I think that I would probably have gone through with the audition if for no other reason than to meet the other musicians. I have always found that many players have more than one band or project on the go at any one time and you never know where that can lead to. Any audition its a 2 way street and you are not forced to join the band and can always say thanks for the offer ...but no thanks!. Like everyone else here, learning 25 songs is a bit daft and I don't know many who would put that kind of effort at least not 'on the first date' !

[barkin]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1370424540' post='2100520']
last audition i did, i picked a handful off their current list , some i knew so i picked those, the band leader specified 2
[/quote]

That's what almost happened at the last audition I didn't do.

Replied to an advert, spoke to the guy at length on the 'phone, then drove almost an hour for a general natter over coffee & cakes. All seemed OK. The distance wasn't an issue for me, and I was the one who'd be doing all the travelling.

Got an email a few days later, along the lines of "here's a typical set list - we'll do these 2, and pick another 2 or 3 yourself". Then a proposed date - rehearsal space booked in the afternoon - is that OK? Yup - fine.

So I learned the stuff, booked the day off work, blah blah...all looking good.

Got a text the morning of the audition - "sorry mate, but we're really looking for someone local".

Grrr!

[Damonjames]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1370373341' post='2099983']
No you're not being too picky.

However OTO wimping out of an audition with less than 24 hours to go is very bad form. If you were booked into a rehearsal room and the terms are anything like they are here in Nottingham then the band you should have been auditioning for will have just lost at least 50% of the room rental. If that happened to me I'd not be a happy chap either.
[/quote]

+1 you have every right to be picky, in fact on one level you are doing them a favour by not auditioning if you are not into it. Nothing worse than spending a few weeks with someone and then have them pull out because its not really their thing. On the other hand, they wanted you to learn 25 songs, which is ridiculous if you ask me, but it does suggest that you were the ONLY person they were auditioning that night so they probably had to fork out hard earned off the back of you backing out at the last minute. Maybe try learning the songs before the day of the audition next time so you don't find yourself in the same boat 😜

[molan]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1370470390' post='2101625']


+1 you have every right to be picky, in fact on one level you are doing them a favour by not auditioning if you are not into it. Nothing worse than spending a few weeks with someone and then have them pull out because its not really their thing. On the other hand, they wanted you to learn 25 songs, which is ridiculous if you ask me, but it does suggest that you were the ONLY person they were auditioning that night so they probably had to fork out hard earned off the back of you backing out at the last minute. Maybe try learning the songs before the day of the audition next time so you don't find yourself in the same boat 😜
[/quote]

I first saw the list of songs on Sunday evening and had told them I was out all of Monday. First chance to try them was Tuesday AM and audition was Wednesday afternoon

I should simply have said no as soon as the list arrived but I didn't know half of the songs so hadn't realised how 'samey' they all were until I downloaded them all and got a chance to listen to them back to back.

I'll certainly know better next time

[SpaceChick]

Only just caught up with this thread. I think you have to do what feels right for you, and if it didn't sit right with you then you were right to step away.

25 songs for an audition is madness though!!

Reminds me of an audition I had (where I stepped away and declined only to be told they werent going to give it to me anyway! LOL!), they sent me a setlist of 20 songs, asking me to learn the top 4. I learned them, had a quick look at another 2 for chords and went to the audition... We played the first 4, then they started throwing all the others from the set at me.... Without telling me keys and some I'd never even heard before!!!! Now, if I know a key and a rough idea of chord progressions I can tend to chuck something out, but they were expecting me to come up with the original basslines on songs I'd never heard... Arses!!!

My Ultimate Floyd audition, I was asked to learn 5, I learned 7 and we clicked musically. The audition before that (where the band folded a few weeks after I joined) I learned 3 in 3 days and they were happy with that.

[thebrig]

[i]I was sent a list of seventeen songs the day before an audition about 9 months ago, and I actually learnt them all reasonably well, only to find out at the audition, that they only knew about 4 or 5 of them themselves![/i]

[Damonjames]

Yeah that's a fair call mate. We are currently auditioning singers at the moment, I think it's Definately a two way street. Part of being a good auditionee is knowing your limits and not over commiting yourself to learning too much new material. Learn few well rather than lots poorly has always been my philosophy. The flip side is that as the auditioner you want the person to feel like they have a chance of doing well, rather than learn all 25 he should have said "here is our set list, learn 4 or 5 and we will go from there". As someone else has pointed out though I think there may have been a more sinister plot at work here to get someone to fill in for a gig and possibly axe the encumbant. Sounds like you dodged a bullet my friend!

[gjones]

If someone gives you a list of 25 songs to learn for an audition then they haven't got a clue. If you were asked to learn 4 or five of the more difficult songs that would be a more professional approach. I think you were right right in turning them down.