Author Topic: Finding Musicians via Craigslist (Read 201 times)

hydrargyrum · « **on:** October 23, 2010, 10:13:31 AM »

I feel like pulling my hair out. Our band has been trying to find a replacement drummer through Craigslist, and talk about frustrating. We've got day jobs so we don't have lots of time to audition a whole bunch of people. I keep trying to arrange people to make our regular practice time, and for one reason or another they can't do it. This leaves me going back to the other folks who responded, and seeing if they are still interested (usually after having politely explained we had found someone else to audition at that time). We're getting a lot of responses from people, but everyone seems to flake out at the last minute. I'm about to give up and just use a drum machine.

tmoney61092 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 23, 2010, 10:42:38 AM »

craigslist is how i found the band i'm in now. they were looking for a bassist so i sent them an email because it had been 2 years since i had been in a band and it was driving me crazy. the guitarist called me and we talked for about 15 minutes and then set up a time to jam which worked out perfectly, been in that band coming up on a year now even though i'm 18 and they are 45 and 55, it's just something i'm doing for fun until i can find a real band but hoping we can start playing some parties and get a little bit of $$$. moral of that little rant is just be patient, if you have to use a drum machine then go for it, but the right guy(or gal if that's ok with ya'll) will come along soon enough

~Taylor

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #2 on:** October 23, 2010, 12:33:30 PM »

I'm just astounded by the number of drummers who expect us to have a drum kit for them to audition with. And tell me this the day before we meet. I would never expect someone to have a guitar rig for me to play on at an audition. More importantly, I wouldn't want to use gear I was unfamiliar with in such a setting. Oh well, we've got someone lined up for tomorrow, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

mike1762 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 23, 2010, 01:49:36 PM »

I hooked-up with my current group via Craigslist:

Ad #1: Jammed with Guitarist, Drummer, and KB. Decided to form band. KB is trying to make a living at playing gigs. No way I can (or want to) do that... KBist bails and Drummer is not too far behind.

Ad #2: Me and the Guitarist jam with a Drummer I know from work and a Singer who answered the ad. The Singer is bloody awful, but he's better than nothing... I guess.

Ad #3: A second Guitarist comes over to jam with us. The Drummer can't make rehearsal, so Drummer #1 fills-in for him. The Singer misses rehearsal. The Guitarist is looking for a ready-made band and also want to play more than I'm able. Good player though.

Ad #4: I make contact with a KBist (who turns out to be the wife of one of my old partners!!!). The Singer quits because I didn't ask him if it was OK to audition a KB player.

Ad #5: A female Vocalist answers my ad for a Bluesish Singer. The Drummer misses rehearsal again, but Drummer #1 now wants to play with us.

That's where we're at presently (Vocal, Guitar, KB, Bass, Drums). Everybody is skilled at their instrument, but we're only able to practice for 2-3 hrs 1 night/week. As such, we're moving along slowly (our goal is 5 songs/week). The guitarist, drummer, and I are OK with the pace, but it remains to be seen if the girls will stick with it. We may add a sax player who will double on percussion.

I might add... I provide EVERYthing except for the KBist's keyboard and the guitarist uses his own guitar.

glocke · « **Reply #4 on:** October 23, 2010, 02:03:32 PM »

A few things Ive found that have helped weed people out:

1) Talk on the phone with the person before having them come out. A few times I've been able to weed people out by chatting on the phone with them.

2) Ask for a recording or video of them playing, anything that will demonstrate that they can at least play a song all the through from start to finish. In this day and age of portable recorders going for less than a couple of hundred bucks, Im always a little suspect if someone cant produce a recording.

Good luck, and above all keep it fun!

tmoney61092 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 23, 2010, 08:21:22 PM »

well i got lucky because the drummer had been a touring a musician for 15 years and had acquired a very nice PA and bass rig which included a Sunn Concert bass head which i'm in love with and an 18in speaker(he has the original 2x15 cabinet that came with the Sunn but the speakers blew when his son through a party and had the music turned up too much)

~Taylor

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #6 on:** October 24, 2010, 05:59:57 PM »

Thank the heavens. The drummer we played with was competent and friendly. I think the long arduous nightmare has ended.

gtrguy · « **Reply #7 on:** October 26, 2010, 01:15:03 PM »

Tried to form a band off CL last year and had to give it up. Learned to:

Never give the inpression at the audition that they will be asked to join the band.

Ask them to know 3 songs beforehand that you will play.

Set a time limit on the audition.

Make sure your band is on the money with the tunes.

Inquire about drinking/smoking/drugs they are used to using during practice and gigging.

See how far away they live and what they drive (cars pasted up with duck tape are a bad sign).

Be realistic about the money your band makes and what everyone's goals are and how often you can practice/gig etc.

Good luck!

hydrargyrum · « **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2010, 01:39:54 PM »

Boy Mike, and I thought I had seen band drama.

We got pretty lucky with the person we found. Light drinker, employed, majored in music in college, and he seems at first impression to be a generally likable guy. He also has more experience playing in the local scene than we do, and it sounds like he has connections with some local studios and other musicians. Usually we wait until an audition is over to talk things over, but this time after a few songs I looked at the other guitar player, and we gave each other the nod. We asked him on the spot to join us, and to my relief, he agreed. Now we've got a couple of weeks hiatus until we can meet again for various reasons, and I'd really like to keep moving. Oh well.