Mickeyboro Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 I have met a drummer I enjoy playing with (albeit only one rehearsal as yet). Since I am very picky about drummers, I want to hang onto him. We want to form a blues/rock band and recruit a guitarist and singer, possibly a guitarist/singer, but are finding it hard to recruit. Bad enough being a startup, but when you need two pieces of the jigsaw people don’t take you seriously. Jam sessions etc haven’t started round here yet, so no chance of getting someone off the back of that. Any hints, tips or advice gratefully received! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorks5stringer Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Simples 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph_Rock Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Ha I have recently become a member of a new band, a heavy metal band. We are finding it hard to get a drummer. Not sure if we could afford to be picky right now! Be nice if drummers responded to messages and didn't keep dropping out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 (edited) Couple of things: 4 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: Bad enough being a startup, but when you need two pieces of the jigsaw people don’t take you seriously. Part the first Mr Mick Fleetwood and Mr John McVie might gently disagree. It's their names on the band and, really, everyone else is just passing through. Where you are at this stage, it's a matter of perspective: if you pitch yourselves as just two guys that's how you'll be seen. As of today you are a rhythm section. I mean, you've actually got a drummer, the lack of which is the thing that sinks most start-ups. No guitarist of any quality or experience will look askance at the opportunity of picking up (as he might see it) a bass player and drummer in one fell swoop. Anyone silly enough not to take you seriously is one less numpty to audition. Put some swagger in your stride, Sir. You two are the Mick and John, the Sly and Robbie, the Bill and Charlie of Branksome Chine. Part the second Halve your personnel issues by finding a guitarist who sings (as opposed to a singer who plays guitar). OK, guitarists who sing may throw solos in at will and mumble the words they haven't learned but that's better than a pitch-perfect singer chopping out cowboy chords. Also, it's so much easier to do Blues as a three-piece (unless you really must have keys and a brass section) and you'll each get 33% more money than if you have to split it with a singer. Blueprint Take confidence in your general desirability. Scour the online and real world ads. Audition guitarists who claim they can sing. Don't worry if they look a bit dodgy on paper - try out as many as you can so that you and drummer can work together. Eventually you'll find some that are half-decent then get them back in. Also, tout yourselves round the blues jams as a working rhythm section. That might flush out some talent. It will take time. Let time be your friend. Edited August 19, 2021 by skankdelvar 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 6 minutes ago, skankdelvar said: Also, tout yourselves round the blues jams as a working rhythm section. That might flush out some talent. Bizarrely, that's actually pretty good advice! And Fleetwood Mac were so named by Peter Green; partly so that he didn’t have to shoulder all the responsibility of having the band just named after him, but also so that he could back out gracefully if the time ever came that he wanted to quit (as indeed happened). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 "Guitarist wanted" at the local music shops, rehearsal and gig venues? You can advertise on sites like bandmix.com but I've found there are loads of dreamers and time wasters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nail Soup Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 1 hour ago, peteb said: Bizarrely, that's actually pretty good advice! Why is it bizarre that @skankdelvarhas given some good advice?😃 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 46 minutes ago, Nail Soup said: Why is it bizarre that @skankdelvarhas given some good advice?😃 Possibly because I am best known for talking complete bollocks 1 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiram.k.hackenbacker Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 5 minutes ago, skankdelvar said: Possibly because I am best known for talking complete bollocks Yeah, but even the bollocks is pretty good 😂 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 2 hours ago, skankdelvar said: Anyone silly enough not to take you seriously is one less numpty to audition. That's all there is to it in a nutshell. The rest is marketing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBass Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 14 hours ago, Mickeyboro said: I have met a drummer I enjoy playing with (albeit only one rehearsal as yet). Since I am very picky about drummers, I want to hang onto him. We want to form a blues/rock band and recruit a guitarist and singer, possibly a guitarist/singer, but are finding it hard to recruit. Bad enough being a startup, but when you need two pieces of the jigsaw people don’t take you seriously. Jam sessions etc haven’t started round here yet, so no chance of getting someone off the back of that. Any hints, tips or advice gratefully received! You've got a good drummer, that's the difficult bit. Guitarists are ten a penny, guitarists sans ego are more hard to find. We started off as the drummer and me and we have recruited via Gumtree and Joinmyband but we're in London so there is a bigger pool of musicians to tap. We had to go through a few guitarist auditions/phone conversations before getting one that didn't think the sun shone out of his a*se. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Just recently pulled the plug on a band I started with random off tinternet 9 months ago. It was so, so hard to get agreement on things, or if it was agreed get things done. If you already have a drummer and you're both on the same hymn sheet then you're adding the final piece of the jigsaw, not starting out so that should help a lot with setting your stall out early and not having too many competing opinions. However, being blues based I fear you're at the mercy of the widdly six string soloist and would have to fit to their repertoire of "awesome solos" they already know and this could pull you away from your original starting point. The lesson I learned when starting an 80s band... Just say No! When someone says "but this song goes down well..." referring to something from 2007 don't sheepishly say "errr yeh" with no intent of doing it, say "it doesn't fit what we said we would do, nice idea but No". And beware there are lots and LOTS of "all the gear, no idea" people out there. So audition and don't commit until a few sessions in. Wait til they get comfortable and then make your decision when at session three they're bringing weird kit and it's all "but if I can pre programme this sequencer and set off pyrotechnics here, and there's a spotlight on me while I juggle flaming guitars, and you guys can errrrrrr, go for a pint?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPHDS Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Well, a lot of this sounds very familiar....! Our journey started just before the Pandemic took hold....... I started a rock covers band with a guitarist friend I'd previously played with (our previous effort crumbled due to a revolving door of singers and drummers - deportations, getting so off their head they couldn't perform, not learning sets......) I contacted a drummer I had previously played with, and he seemed keen, as his previous longterm (15yrs) band had folded. We found a singer/guitarist (rather good at both, usually simultaneously, so bonus..), and made a 'MegaList' which we started to work on, and it all began well (albeit ensuing lockdown considered...!), but then the singer started to 'not be able to do' songs (even if they were same band/key as stuff we were doing....!), others seemed to get 'forgotten' repeatedly.....meanwhile new 'suggestions' kept on being made (distraction tactics......half of them he couldn't play!) We then get offered (a couple) of 1/2hr spots at a local(ish) charity bank holiday bash, through our guitarist, right, set lists made (by me.....but open for adjustment...), the drummer starts to get cold feet 'it's a long way away.....'(1/2hr from his), 'are we getting paid?', 'are they providing a backline?' 'Is it really worth it...?' etc, He then started to get into niggles over how songs were played 'because in his old band....', 'which was very successful, don't you know, and had been going for 15yrs, don't you know......' (he never said......!) Next week the drummer ups and quits 'as the music isn't going in the direction he wants to go in.....' (he was present at all points when deciding on songs....) A mutual friend, totally unprompted, went 'or, rather, you ain't playing his old band's set list.......' The Singer is now saying he isn't sure he wants to continue.......(for similar reasons.....but again, he's had input on the set.....!) As a result we have had to pull out of the charity do...... (Guitarist and I still want to keep going, and hopefully get a bit more of what we want back into the set.....) Oh The Joy of Bands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 TBPH, if it's Blues Rock then I'd rather work with an arrogant but red-hot guitarist / singer who overplayed a bit than with a nice guy who lacks the necessary chops. It isn't like it's a flat-share. There are methods both psychological and musical to mitigate a guitar hero's excesses but you can't manage talent into someone if it ain't there. OTOH, if they're obviously arrogant, they overplay and they're incompetent then you don't hire them in the first place. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 50 minutes ago, skankdelvar said: TBPH, if it's Blues Rock then I'd rather work with an arrogant but red-hot guitarist / singer who overplayed a bit than with a nice guy who lacks the necessary chops. It isn't like it's a flat-share. There are methods both psychological and musical to mitigate a guitar hero's excesses but you can't manage talent into someone if it ain't there. True. My first band had a guitarist/ singer who was an unbelievable guitarist but shoddy singer. Ego told him he could do anything. We got by on the fact we had an incredible guitarist. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 Just now, uk_lefty said: True. My first band had a guitarist/ singer who was an unbelievable guitarist but shoddy singer. Ego told him he could do anything. We got by on the fact we had an incredible guitarist. One blues-rock band I was in, the guitarist was so good I'd work with him again in a flash even though he was an average singer and an utter bastard. The only big-ish problem was getting him to try new material he hadn't himself suggested. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.