Should I settle? Band related

[khabibissell]

I have been trying to put a band together. I found a good drummer, and him and I have been jamming for a little over a year. About three months ago, we found a good singer/lyricist. To make the lineup complete, we have been looking for a competent bassist to round things out. Trouble is, every guy we have had audition (about four) have been mediocre at best. A couple of weeks ago, we had a guy come out that was a mediocre player and pretty much needed to be shown what to play (didn't seem to be able to come up with his own stuff). Another thing I didn't like is that he didn't take the time to learn any of the tunes we sent him. Lastly, he seems like a nice guy, but doesn't really fit our "image" (he's a bit older). I was pretty much against it immediately because I feel that he's just not the right guy... It just didn't click (actually, I think he just stood there and tried to figure out what was going on). This dude just comes off as a guitar player (he does play guitar somewhat too) that is new at bass. I would guess that he figures playing bass is the quickest way for him to get in a band since they are in short supply around here. The other guys in the band were pushing to keep him around. Honestly, at 37 I'm not really sure how much longer I'm going to be doing this and for once, I'd like to put a killer band together. Not that we are going to get a record deal or become rockstars, but I'm tired of playing with guys that just aren't all that talented or don't have the drive and tons of excuses to cover for it.

If you were in my situation, would you keep any bassist you ran across or would you hold out for the best possible player?

[phill_up]

Kind of hard to drive a car when you have one wheel with the brake on. If you could find some kid that really wanted it but you had to help teach him some licks I think you would be ahead. There is no substitute for passion.

[UFORocks]

I'd take a lesser bassist that showed commitment by taking the time to learn and practice the audition pieces over one that showed up for the audition without practicing and having no clue what was going on.

Edit: Like Phil said, there's no sub for passion.

Just my $0.02.

-Steve

[guitarsjb]

I wouldn't take someone who didn't click. If the chemistry isn't there, you'll NEVER be able to overlook the lack of ability. If he was cool to hang with, you probably wouldn't mind teaching him some stuff and kind of show him the way.
Our bunch isn't the greatest bunch of players..all pretty decent I guess, but we're family. We hang out together away from practice, call each other to shoot the shit, etc. We're friends off stage too.
And not bothering to learn the songs you sent him (or at least TRY), that's a no-go right there.

[rjohnstone]

I have one word for you... NEXT!
It isn't worth the hassle.
You either all click or you don't.

[joelayres]

And not bothering to learn the songs you sent him (or at least TRY), that's a no-go right there.

Gotta agree with that one - a sure sign of utter laziness, which is the last thing you need.

[khabibissell]

Gotta agree with that one - a sure sign of utter laziness, which is the last thing you need.

That's exactly how I feel about it. I just have to convince the other two.

[MikeStrat]

I have one word for you... NEXT!
It isn't worth the hassle.
You either all click or you don't.

+1 Sooner or later you will be tired of it not working. If the chemistry isn't there, you are wasting time.

[Joelski]

The fastest road to LAME is making the decision to allow weak links into the chain. It's not your cousin, or the hot rich chick's brother, so send him packin'.

[triplehold]

Hang tough brother, take the time to find the right dude. After being in this racket for a long time, the first thing that sticks in my mind is the one for all, all for one attitude. You want band guys, not superstars and you want loyalty, passion and reliability. Your band also has to have the chops to deliver the goods. Don't diss the old guys, or fret about "image", but maybe getting a young buck with the rock and roll look, passion and attitude could be the ticket. Since you have a good drummer, you are already ahead of the game and a young player hot to learn could catch on quick. Your bass player has to have good gear and understand that you can never practice and rehearse too much. One plus is generally a younger player will get all his boys and their friends to go to your shows and everyone will have blast. khabibissel, don't limit your band ambitions because of your age, because if you're really into it, you will always be into it. Good luck!

[jgcable]

If you don't like him from the beginning.. you will hate him later on. Musicians either click and fit or they don't. You know what you want. Hold out until you find it.
I do agree.. if you find a bass player who is a quick learner and eager to learn and fits with the band.. thats a good thing.
Regarding image... my take is image means nothing. Chops and attitude mean everything. The best looking musicians that fit my bands image the best were always the worst musicians with the worst attitudes. I'll take a fat bald guy who could rip your head off with an instrument over a skinny long haired poser with a bad attitude who things being a musician means shopping and working on their MySpace site anyday.
There is no replacement for a real musician with a good positive attitude and chops.
The hard thing is finding them... but trust me.. keep looking. They are out there.

[Shawn Lutz]

No Steveo, Detroit is a big city and there are more than one bassist in town...I know how hard it is to find suitable band members, I lived there and went through it all.

Keep looking, be patient yet stick it out until you'll find someone that you can work with.

[broken_fusion]

Well heres a different point of view. Get a guy in there who can play the songs. Start playing out. If your good the players will come to you. I have found its easier to find other musicians when your playing out in the scene. A lot of good players want to step into a situation, not knock around with a start up band for a few years that may fizzle before they get one gig.. I say get out there and it will be easier to find someone.

[RR05xx]

Well, I am in the exact same situation as you and I will tell you what we did (only difference is my bassist is an ex-drummer and i have been with the singer/rythem guitar player for years instead - but you get the idea).

We ended up keeping the old bastard and you know what. It has been hot and cold because all of the things you complained about - not knowing songs, not being very creative have not gotten really all that much better. The thing is, that we have tryed to replace him and the only people who showed any promise were not really interested in getting into a serious band (at least they were honest).

I have mixed feelings. I know that the singer/rythem guitar player would drop him in a second and go it alone with him playing bass (we tried for a while - it was a no-go based on our songs) if the drummer and i would agree.

Thing is, we have been playing out in Boston (usually once every 2months - this month we actually have two shows). Since I am in a band to play out, I guess things could be worse.

[992gnt]

I wouldn't take someone who didn't click. If the chemistry isn't there, you'll NEVER be able to overlook the lack of ability. If he was cool to hang with, you probably wouldn't mind teaching him some stuff and kind of show him the way.
Our bunch isn't the greatest bunch of players..all pretty decent I guess, but we're family. We hang out together away from practice, call each other to shoot the shit, etc. We're friends off stage too.
And not bothering to learn the songs you sent him (or at least TRY), that's a no-go right there.

+1.242567

I've been 'looking' for a couple years now, nothing had the right feel so I moved on. The group I'm with now though fits the quote above pretty well - generally speaking if we're not playing out, we're out playing. When everyone clicks, and is on the same page, it's pretty awesome. When it's not, well, it's not...