Just out of interest .....

[stoneboy26]

Totally agree with Mark. When I joined my current band I had played with the same 3 guys for 10 years, give or take 2 other bands that were lucky to last 12 months and a fill in gig for a mates band.

This was my first real cover band. The guitarist and drummer had been mates for years and I knew the guitarist as he worked at the local music store. Has played covers for 15+ years all over the world. The drummer is a monster - who has one monster voice too (he is now the singer in the band).

I was packing it at the first rehearsal. 12 months later and I am learning new songs all the time, my playing has improved dramatically (still not where it was 5 years ago, but getting there) and the guitarist, new drummer and I are about to start another band aimed at corp/private functions. Playing female pop stuff (something I never thought the guitarist and drummer would be keen on, and that I am loving a lot more than i thought I would!!).

So bergerbrain, get out there and audition. You won't know if they are a fit for you until you get in there, because while you may love the tunes, you may hate the band - or vice versa. And remember, just because they may want you in the band, doesn't mean you have to say "yes".

[Aussie Mark]

And remember, an audition is also for you to audition the band, not just for them to audition you. If they don't have their sh!t together or you don't like them, chalk the audition up as experience and move on. It's a bit like internet dating.

[terry]

I just post an ad at gumtree. Apparently I'm not confident telling people I've been playing for 3 years.. So I told them I've been playing for 5 years LOL.

[maxgroover]

I just post an ad at gumtree. Apparently I'm not confident telling people I've been playing for 3 years.. So I told them I've been playing for 5 years LOL.

Mate, include a couple of links to your youtube clips and you won't have to tell them at all how long you've been playing.

[terry]

Well that's what made me got into the band that I'm in right now, which is incredibly awesome, but you can never tell people. Last time I had a guy calling me and hung up after I told him I'm Indonesian. LOL.

[Aussie Mark]

I just post an ad at gumtree. Apparently I'm not confident telling people I've been playing for 3 years.. So I told them I've been playing for 5 years LOL.

Mate, include a couple of links to your youtube clips and you won't have to tell them at all how long you've been playing.

Exactly

[LiF]

@Terry. 3 years???? Seriously??? Just watched some of your youtubes. Wow! I feel ashamed. I've been at it 25 years and I'm nowhere near your level. What is your secret?

BTW the guy who put the phone down you is a knob. His loss, and would you want to share a stage with such a racist bigot anyway.

[LowGroove]

I got to agree with Mark's sentiment about "people in the band are easy to get along with". I am playing in a covers band for low pay about 2 to 3 gigs a month. Enjoy the company of the others, but usually wind up playing whatever songs the singers are prepared to sing. I enjoy the songs with good groove more than fast rock style. Slower songs give a chance to move about a lot more, wihout showing off.

[terry]

@Terry. 3 years???? Seriously??? Just watched some of your youtubes. Wow! I feel ashamed. I've been at it 25 years and I'm nowhere near your level. What is your secret?

BTW the guy who put the phone down you is a knob. His loss, and would you want to share a stage with such a racist bigot anyway.

Thanks. I've been having too much time to spend on the bass. Practiced 8 hours a day for two years straight. Still managed to practice about 30hrs a week these days.

Thats funny though, cause in my band that i'm in right now there's indonesian, sri lankan, oz, greek, and columbian.

[Fizx]

Pretty much only at church atm,
I do play a fair bit of stuff at school though.

It's kind of hard being 17 and not able to transport yourself+gear to practices and gigs etc. The whole band thing hasn't really worked out so far

[LimeB]

It is true and also such a shame that there is usually no $ in original music. Hardly ever even funds a set of strings. If motivated it can be better, and selling merch can help if your'e in a posi to do it.

[Rude_Mechanical]

The requirements for success in the originals game can be summed up thusly:
1) be well connected
2) be marketable
3) be good

I swear #3 is optional.

c-

(Yet I still have the bug - why is it so hard to resist?)

[bianchijustin]

The requirements for success in the originals game can be summed up thusly:
1) be well connected
2) be marketable
3) be good

I swear #3 is optional.

c-

(Yet I still have the bug - why is it so hard to resist?)

Exactly... if the songs are good, you feel something that just keeps telling you it will work and to push for it.
Always good to have a real job or a cover band to help finance it though.

In the "Marketing before music" age that we live in , #3 means nothing......

[Petebass]

The requirements for success in the originals game can be summed up thusly:
1) be well connected
2) be marketable
3) be good

I swear #3 is optional.

c-

(Yet I still have the bug - why is it so hard to resist?)

For the same reason people play lotto... the odds are about the same.

[TheBottomLine]

I have been Semi Pro for years , music is now all I want to do , but I'm not the type just to play for money .
If I can scratch an existance out of my music with good musicians who arn't A -holes and don't have to play note for note covers , that's enough for me at the moment.
Hard to find in this Industry , but I'm getting close to it .
+1 to the band also being on Audition , not just the player Auditioning.
The more auditions you go to the easier they become and after a while it gets easier to vet the adds and the people on the phone or reading the emails.
Money is nice but it's not everything to me , I guess that's why I'm a starving musician.


as for being connected , being marketable , being good and having talent , the last being optional ( sad but true ) this quote pretty much sums up the Industry I love !

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench. A long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."

- Hunter S. Thompson