keepitgreen
Senior Member
I've got a dilemma... A local band here in town stopped playing earlier this year because the drummer and bass player moved away. The guitarist and singer found a new bass player, but still didn't have a drummer. So I made my move, and asked for an audition/interview. The band writes all their own stuff, sort of surf-punk-pop music. Think Reverend Horton Heat, but a little darker/heavier.... Really the kind of music that I thrive on, so I figured it was a perfect match for me. The guys are good friends of mine, I've been watching them play for a couple of years now, and I figured I'd be a great fit.
So I approached the singer (the leader/founder) and asked if I could sit down with the band and try-out... But he told me sorry, they wanted another guy, and they were just waiting for him to say yes. I said fine, and wasn't bothered at all by it. The singer told me this drummer was an old friend, he has known the guy for years and years, so they were just waiting for him to get back to them. I left it at that. I'm very good friends with all the members of the band (the music scene here is very close, we all know everybody!), and I walked away bummed out, but not unhappy...
So last night, I went to their first gig. And this is where my problem lies. They sounded great, their sound was the same as I remember it: loud, aggressive, groovy, and fun! But their new drummer was.................................. I don't know... boring? He played well enough, but he didn't really do anything other than just keep time. No fills, no changes, just start-stop. Everything very basic, simple, and straight forward. I'm not saying this was a bad thing! He kept time perfectly, and kept the band rolling through the songs. He was just..................meh... nothing more, nothing less... I kept thinking to myself "Why no fill there? Why does this sound so dry?" A couple of guys in the audience even came up to me over the course of their set, and asked me "Is that drummer even doing anything?" or "He's the most boring drummer I've ever seen..."
Anyway, sorry this is taking so long, but here's my dilemma: I want to ask the singer for an audition again. But I don't know if I should. This is a tight-knit community here, where everyone knows everyone. Also, no one here is professional, we're all just guys doing this in our spare time, as a hobby, for fun. But (said with all modesty) I feel like I could do a better job than their current guy, and thus really make that band better.
So what do you think? Do I approach them again? What's the proper etiquette here? Anyone have any similar experiences?
Thanks for any advice/help you may offer, all will be appreciated!
So I approached the singer (the leader/founder) and asked if I could sit down with the band and try-out... But he told me sorry, they wanted another guy, and they were just waiting for him to say yes. I said fine, and wasn't bothered at all by it. The singer told me this drummer was an old friend, he has known the guy for years and years, so they were just waiting for him to get back to them. I left it at that. I'm very good friends with all the members of the band (the music scene here is very close, we all know everybody!), and I walked away bummed out, but not unhappy...
So last night, I went to their first gig. And this is where my problem lies. They sounded great, their sound was the same as I remember it: loud, aggressive, groovy, and fun! But their new drummer was.................................. I don't know... boring? He played well enough, but he didn't really do anything other than just keep time. No fills, no changes, just start-stop. Everything very basic, simple, and straight forward. I'm not saying this was a bad thing! He kept time perfectly, and kept the band rolling through the songs. He was just..................meh... nothing more, nothing less... I kept thinking to myself "Why no fill there? Why does this sound so dry?" A couple of guys in the audience even came up to me over the course of their set, and asked me "Is that drummer even doing anything?" or "He's the most boring drummer I've ever seen..."
Anyway, sorry this is taking so long, but here's my dilemma: I want to ask the singer for an audition again. But I don't know if I should. This is a tight-knit community here, where everyone knows everyone. Also, no one here is professional, we're all just guys doing this in our spare time, as a hobby, for fun. But (said with all modesty) I feel like I could do a better job than their current guy, and thus really make that band better.
So what do you think? Do I approach them again? What's the proper etiquette here? Anyone have any similar experiences?
Thanks for any advice/help you may offer, all will be appreciated!