Looking for band members on Craigslist

Here we go again!
Freakin' excruciating.
I just thought I'd share my CL post that I've developed from having to do this WAY too often.
It STILL doesn't effectively weed out all the squids.



Thanks for answering so quickly.
This band is from all over the place...you just can't expect to find players like these on your block!
I'm near Phoenixville, the others are from Fort Washington, Quakertown and Wayne.
Where we rehearse will depend on finding a place that's somewhat centrally located.
We've been playing out 2-4 times/month.
2 is optimum, sometimes taking a 3rd if it's a good gig...or whatever reason for taking another gig.
For instance, we picked up 6 good-paying gigs this summer playing on the street at the main entrance to the Convention center in Philly...this really filled up our schedule.
We have steady gigs at The Titus Inn in Spring City, Hollywood Tavern near Glenside, Carney's in Roslyn, a hard-drinkin' VFW post in Glenside and probably The Rising Sun near Telford...with others in the works.
I'm pretty sure we'll be back in the studio to record 2 more songs...that's a long-ish story.
Everybody in the band is easy to get along with, dead-on dependable, top notch players and in our late 40's-early 50s.
Check the link for our quick-and-dirty-live-in-the-rehearsal-studio demo and I've attached more.
We only play a couple covers a night; I write and arrange everything else.
I hate to come off like a dick, but sometimes it's unavoidable!
I hate doing auditions and it takes precious time and money.
A lot of folks really WANT to be in this band...please be honest with yourself as to whether you're really up to this level of musicianship AND HAVE A REALY GOOD GRASP ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BLUES DRUMMER.
When I start mentioning folks like T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, BB King, etc....you really need to know what I'm talking about.
This gig is for someone who really understands the style...not someone who CAN play Blues, but someone who PLAYS BLUES.
Sorry if that's harsh, but we're all busy with jobs, families, gigs, etc and to get together with a player who is immediately clearly not up to the task makes me angry and mean.
Rant over.
Hope to hear from you soon!
Charlie

Sounds good to me. Honesty, not to be confused with being rude.

Squids aren't usually a problem so long as you keep'em liquored-up.

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRaXIeyQhhP7ZGXtSJULzbccDY1GcGwg RZL_7Yyk1Gz0p_nhDdxcx_GM0u3

Wow! that is a loooong ad!

..but from your experience, if that works for vetting candidates, then ✓

It's too long, it's a rant, you use the word "dick" in it and you type things in all CAPS.

Sounds like you want a professional who can play and get the job done. Ask for that, post links to sound clips, and be done with it. This ad says "hack."

Just being real brother, not trying to be mean.

It's too long, it's a rant, you use the word "dick" in it and you type things in all CAPS.

Sounds like you want a professional who can play and get the job done. Ask for that, post links to sound clips, and be done with it. This ad says "hack."

Just being real brother, not trying to be mean.

+1

For me as a player, looking any ad that talks a lot about troubles and the poster apologizes for being a dick does not sound like fun to me.

The way we have stream lined the weeding out process is 1) to post our current set as a way to be clear about what we play, not statements about genres or artists, 2) have the player show up for a 45 minute audition to play 4-6 songs of their choosing from this list. Even though we have wasted time with people who can't play, at least we know within a half hour.

I edited your post slightly to illustrate some of things I would do differently. I tried to keep most of it intact because any further changes would be based on personal writing style rather than readability and credibility.

Not that you asked for input or critique, but I'm in a funny mood this evening :wink:

Thanks for answering so quickly.

This band is from all over the place. You just can't expect to find players like these on your block!
I'm near Phoenixville, the others are from Fort Washington, Quakertown and Wayne.
Where we rehearse will depend on finding a place that's somewhat centrally located.

We've been playing out 2-4 times/month. 2 is optimum, sometimes taking a 3rd or 4th if it's a good gig and schedules permit.
For instance, we picked up 6 good-paying gigs this summer playing on the street at the main entrance to the Convention center in Philly.

We have steady gigs at The Titus Inn in Spring City, Hollywood Tavern near Glenside, Carney's in Roslyn, a hard-drinkin' VFW post in Glenside and probably The Rising Sun near Telford with others in the works.
We're working on getting back in the studio to record 2 more songs.
Everybody in the band is easy to get along with, dead-on dependable, top notch players in our late 40's-early 50s.
Check the link for our quick-and-dirty-live-in-the-rehearsal-studio demo and I've attached more.

We only play a couple covers a night; The rest is material I write and arrange

A lot of folks really WANT to be in this band. Please be honest with yourself as to whether you're really up to this level of musicianship AND HAVE A REALLY GOOD GRASP ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BLUES DRUMMER.
When I start mentioning folks like T-Bone Walker, Elmore James, BB King, etc... you really need to know what I'm talking about.
This gig is for someone who really understands the style, not someone who CAN play Blues, but someone who PLAYS BLUES.
We're all busy with jobs, families, gigs, etc and to get together with a player who is immediately clearly not up to the task just isn't worth the trouble.

Hope to hear from you soon!
Charlie

You guys who think it's over-the-top....you're right.
It's the letter I send to folks AFTER they contact me from the ad, and it's an attempt to answer all the common questions so I don't have to write an individual response to everybody.
The ad reads like this:

Working band needs drummer.
Must be able to swing AND shuffle.
Original songs with arrangements.
You should be able to learn the songs, recognize them by the title on the set list, count them in for the band and know the arrangement.
In other words, we need a band member who knows the songs.
I know...it's shocking...but it's been working for us.
I'll send song samples if you're interested.

The follow-up message is OK, not the most diplomatic, but I suppose you're trying to be a little harsh to scare off those without a lot of confidence in their abilities.

What gets me about CL ads in general is that I always wonder how effective most of the "not looking for THIS kind of player" ads are at weeding out "THAT" kind of player? For example, when they say "no EGOS needed," don't the guys with really insufferable egos think that every band is clearly dying to ask them to join up? When it says, "must be a team player," is there anybody who doesn't think they're a team player? And my personal favorite, "no drama!" -- I've never meet a drama-queen lead singer who realized that they were the source of all of the unnecessary BS the band was going through.

But I guess you can always hope. LOL! (Or, you could try some reverse psychology and advertise for "an egotictical, selfish, drama queen" and see what you get?

I know what you mean...imagine a guitar player thinking, "No egos...crap...I guess I can't try out for that one!"

You guys are brutal. Audtions for me say:

Show up at xyz, 9-1, pays $xx

Maybe you should include a link in your ad to the samples you have of the group? May help people who are looking for groups know right off the bat whether they are on the same page as your group (and eliminate the steps of exchanging 3 or 4 emails before arranging an audition).

Maybe bands have this whole thing backwards. Most employers spend little time telling you about the job and spend most of the time finding out about you, your qualifications. With all of the online media, any player at a good level surely will have video or audio links available, their online resume. Like an employer we should be asking, "Show me what you have done, show me what you can do, tell me who you have played with", and if all that matches up, then we schedule the audition. But if the person has no evidence of current competency then no interview/audition.

With that being said, the greatest drummer I've ever played with had been out of the game for over ten years and with this system wouldn't have been called for an audition for lack of current experience. :confused:

You guys are brutal. Audtions for me say:

Show up at xyz, 9-1, pays $xx

That's about the only kind of audition I'll show up for.:grin:

I got a flood of calls with this:

Hi. I'm an experieinced bass player looking for some work in southern middle TN. I have a decent ear and read charts. I know lots of old country, a lot of newer country, rock and roll, blues and so on. I'm an older guy that used to do this for a living. I'm not looking for a "deal", to "make it", to "tour" or to rehearse 31 times to go play for tips because the songs you wrote are so good. If you need somebody to show up and play I'll be happy to do that with you. I have nothing against a rehearsal if it's for a purpose, not just to jam in your basement. If you're looking for someone young, not me. If you need somebody with "the look", not me. If you need an unwashed, flannel-wearing, scum-bag type, not me, although on the weekends I may come close. I have a day job and bathe quite regularly. My wife insists. I sing and play guitar too just like everybody else, state law.

If I haven't offended you by now and you have some work or need a sub email or give me a call in the evenings at

That's about the only kind of audition I'll show up for.:grin:

Then you guys are too cool for me!
I have enough trouble paying for the rehearsal space without paying the applicants, too.
Alas, we're just a lowly bar band.

If I ever got that as a follow-up to an ad that I responded to I would immediately interpret it as "show up, play, and don't say anything because we have this figured out and aren't interested in outside opinions."

Not at all the kind of band I would be interested in playing with. I totally get that you want to weed out the knackers. But as a person who shows up on time, learns the music and lyrics, is professional and efficient with practice time and writes/arranges as well I'm just letting you know that you would weed out the likes of me as well.

If I ever got that as a follow-up to an ad that I responded to I would immediately interpret it as "show up, play, and don't say anything because we have this figured out and aren't interested in outside opinions."

Not at all the kind of band I would be interested in playing with. I totally get that you want to weed out the knackers. But as a person who shows up on time, learns the music and lyrics, is professional and efficient with practice time and writes/arranges as well I'm just letting you know that you would weed out the likes of me as well.

I guess it's inevitable.
In the process of culling the unqualified, a couple of qualified folks might get caught.
Maybe this isn't so much of a problem in Montana, but in a major metro area like Philly, one can waste a huge amount of time and money if you don't find a way to pre-qualify.

Then you guys are too cool for me!
I have enough trouble paying for the rehearsal space without paying the applicants, too.
Alas, we're just a lowly bar band.

There is your problem. You're paying to play somewhere? Man. Must be nice to be rich. We book a job and get players to the job. If they suck, we move on to the next guy. If they do good then we give them directions to the next job. For me, auditions at somebody's house or rehearsal space or garage means you are not comfortable enough in what you do so you need to make sure I don't throw you off of your mark. It also means you have no paying jobs. If I want to play for free I still have about 100 friends playing enough places where I could always show up and play half or all night for free with them. I don't like playing that much for it to cost me money.

The difference between a player and a bar patron, in my opinion, is that a player leaves the bar at closing with more money than he came in with. One other thing I tell the cop that stops me because I pulled out of a bar at 2am when he asks how much I've had to drink I say "I hope the same amount you've had while you're at work tonight".

There is your problem. You're paying to play somewhere? Man. Must be nice to be rich..

We pay for rehearsal space.

Good luck, Charlie.
If it works for you, then whatever the naysayers have to offer is null & void!

If it doesn't, then maybe they are on to something!