Unprepared For Your Audition

[Bluewine]

Would love to hear your thoughts about guys showing up for auditions unprepared.

 

A few weeks ago I referred an opportunity to a friend. This was a legit opportunity with top notch guys with an agent and ready to go out make money and gig. This is not a start up band.

 

This was an opportunity for guys that want and need money from playing. Not for the

" I don't need the money I just want to play" guys.

 

It's an oldies act and they needed a bass player that could harmonize.

 

My friend was given 4 songs to audition and he shows up for the audition unprepared.

 

If it was a a start up or questionable opportunity I somewhat get why a guy would limit the effort put forth. This was

" money in the bank"

 

You've all heard this question before. Why do guys do this? Me, if I commit to an audition I'll show up owning those 4 songs. If I don't own them I'll cancel the audition. Doesn't that make more sense than showing up not knowing the material?

 

Blue

[paul_5]

There’s probably some psychology behind ‘self sabotage’, but it still beggars belief that people still do this.

[Woodinblack]

24 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

It's an oldies act and they needed a bass player that could harmonize.

 

My friend was given 4 songs to audition and he shows up for the audition unprepared.

 

If it was a a start up or questionable opportunity I somewhat get why a guy would limit the effort put forth. This was

" money in the bank"

 

I don't get it - I am not a guy who needs the money, but if I am going to show up at an audition and I have to learn 4 songs you can be sure I will have learned those 4 songs. And probably checked them out on line and learned a couple of the others too. Because if I didn't want it, I wouldn't be going, which means I obviously do want it, so I am going to make sure that I have every chance that I can have.

 

[Bluewine]

5 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I don't get it - I am not a guy who needs the money, but if I am going to show up at an audition and I have to learn 4 songs you can be sure I will have learned those 4 songs. And probably checked them out on line and learned a couple of the others too. Because if I didn't want it, I wouldn't be going, which means I obviously do want it, so I am going to make sure that I have every chance that I can have.

 

 

 

Exactly, and nobody is hiring me for my looks.😀

 

And in the case I outlined, I recommended a dud. How's that make me look ?

 

Blue

[Woodinblack]

7 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

And in the case I outlined, I recommended a dud. How's that make me look ?

 

I would actually be pretty annoyed about that

[How1]

Arrogance maybe? More about going for the money than the material? Less ability than they’ve led everybody to believe? Bad day? People are weird, who knows - that being said, it’s really disheartening to be in that position when you’ve put someone you know forward and they let you down. What did they say/how did they seem when you approached them? If I didn’t wanna do something , or I genuinely thought it was above me, I’d say no. 
 

It sounds a bit of a p**s take. Is he/she normally reliable and competent?

Edited May 4, 2023 by How1

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, Bluewine said:

. . . . if I commit to an audition I'll show up owning those 4 songs. If I don't own them I'll cancel the audition. Doesn't that make more sense than showing up not knowing the material?

 

Me too. . . .  and yes.

 

I'd turn up knowing the songs better than the guy on the original record.

[Waddo Soqable]

Stupid.. and disrespectful.. 

Learning 4 ( presumably "oldie" ) songs isn't going to be that taxing is it.. 

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, How1 said:

Arrogance maybe? More about going for the money than the material? Less ability than they’ve led everybody to believe? Bad day? People are weird, who knows - that being said, it’s really disheartening to be in that position when you’ve put someone you know forward and they let you down. What did they say/how did they seem when you approached them? If I didn’t wanna do something , or I genuinely thought it was above me, I’d say no. 
 

It sounds a bit of a p**s take. Is he/she normally reliable and competent?

 

It was my mistake and embarrassing. Now that I think about it my guy is not an

" I need the money " guy.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, Waddo Soqable said:

Stupid.. and disrespectful.. 

Learning 4 ( presumably "oldie" ) songs isn't going to be that taxing is it.. 

 

Played correctly no songs are easy, not for me.. Perfect example, " I Get Around" by The Beach Boys. However there was plenty of time to learn 4 oldies.

 

Blue

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

 

Me too. . . .  and yes.

 

I'd turn up knowing the songs better than the guy on the original record.

 

That's a good benchmark.👍

 

Blue

[NancyJohnson]

To hell with auditions, every gig I do can't remember the songs until we start playing them.

 

 

[pbasspecial]

Counter point to the argument:

I’ve done a lot of auditions in the past and usually take it very seriously with my preparation. 
However, there has been loads of times I’ve turned up to audition and I’ve been the most competent and knowledgable musician in the room by a mile. It can be quite disheartening to put over a weeks worth of practicing in to find out the band just aren’t very good. 
Thankfully I’m in a great band and have personally built up a good reputation as a musician. It’s a lot nicer being the one you gets to choose now. 

[geoham]

3 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

To hell with auditions, every gig I do can't remember the songs until we start playing them.

 

 

I thought this was just me! If my guitarist or keyboard player asks me to remind them of the chords for a song - I'll generally have no idea and need to play a few bars.

[asingardenof]

11 hours ago, Bluewine said:

 

 

Exactly, and nobody is hiring me for my looks.😀

 

And in the case I outlined, I recommended a dud. How's that make me look ?

 

Blue

If I'd recommended a friend and they'd botched it through being unprepared I'd be having Words with said friend and not recommending them again.

[asingardenof]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

To hell with auditions, every gig I do can't remember the songs until we start playing them.

 

 

Oh thank goodness it's not just me! If it's something I haven't had a chance to practice recently I always panic that I'll have forgotten a song, but so far (touch wood) as soon as we start I suddenly remember I'm not a complete numpty and do actually know how to play it.

[neepheid]

12 hours ago, Bluewine said:

Would love to hear your thoughts about guys showing up for auditions unprepared.

 

A few weeks ago I referred an opportunity to a friend. This was a legit opportunity with top notch guys with an agent and ready to go out make money and gig. This is not a start up band.

 

This was an opportunity for guys that want and need money from playing. Not for the

" I don't need the money I just want to play" guys.

 

It's an oldies act and they needed a bass player that could harmonize.

 

My friend was given 4 songs to audition and he shows up for the audition unprepared.

 

If it was a a start up or questionable opportunity I somewhat get why a guy would limit the effort put forth. This was

" money in the bank"

 

You've all heard this question before. Why do guys do this? Me, if I commit to an audition I'll show up owning those 4 songs. If I don't own them I'll cancel the audition. Doesn't that make more sense than showing up not knowing the material?

 

Blue

 

Are you annoyed because you vouched for this person and they arsed it up?

 

I don't understand it personally - the money is irrelevant... where's the personal pride in doing a good job for the job's own sake?  Maybe it is arrogance, to think they'll just go in and busk it and be automatically amazing.

[neepheid]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

To hell with auditions, every gig I do can't remember the songs until we start playing them.

 

 

 

I do understand this - if you doorstep me and ask "how does song X go?" my brain goes "duuuuuuuuuuh".  But playing it in context and the memory banks are suddenly available.

[Paul S]

4 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

To hell with auditions, every gig I do can't remember the songs until we start playing them.

 

 

 

One of the many reasons I need regular rehearsals.

[geoham]

I wonder why your friend even went along to the audition. My anxiety would be through the roof in a situation like this! I can think on my feet and have done so in the past - but trying to wing it on bass rarely works out well.

 

The auditioning process can be pretty poorly managed from both sides. I remember auditioning with a band years ago, and I was given a setlist of about 60 songs. Upon asking what I should audition with, the response was 'just the setlist.. I had an hour with the band! I knew a load of them already thankfully and got through the audition.

Edited May 5, 2023 by geoham

[NancyJohnson]

We've just had a band call on Zoom.  Strategy.  We're going into the studio in three weeks to record four songs.  To be honest I was a little distracted with a work thing on another screen, so I'm just listening and sagely nodding my head.  Turns out I've agreed to record one song is something I've never heard before and a cover of Suffragette City.   

 

I have absolutely no knowledge of these being discussed.  Must pay more attention.

[Dom in Dorset]

You play through the first song the auditionee is supposed to have learned and they stand there like a spare part occasionally attempting to strum a token chord and then have the nerve to ask for a chord sheet.

 

[Woodinblack]

Dont get me wrong, if someone says 'there is an audition tonight' and you don't have any chance to practice or rehurse and it is something you think you can do, I would still go along with the caviat that I would tell them upfront that i had no time to prepare, but in general unless it is something really odd that i have never heard before, I should be able to wing it mostly, I would just rather not have to

[chris_b]

I rarely do auditions, but when I turned up to one, about 10 years ago, I was the only one who knew the songs. The band, including the guy who wrote the songs didn't have a clue.

 

The guy running the audition, from their record company, was very apologetic and looked very embarrassed.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

7 hours ago, NancyJohnson said:

Turns out I've agreed to record one song is something I've never heard before and a cover of Suffragette City.   

One of Bolder's finest efforts. You'll have a blast.