Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

ruling out potential band members based on gear


bcsride

Recommended Posts

From my local musicians craigslist.

"I'm are looking for guys that are looking to play progressive deathmetal/deathcore and similar technical genres. Bands like Between the buried and me, Veil of Maya, The Faceless, The Black Dahlia Murder, Darkest hour, Periphery, Carnifex, Born of Osiris, August Burns Red.

If your into AX7, Trivium, Tool or use a Line 6 half stack please don't response."

So, from a practical point of view, I suspect there are many players that could play the aforementioned bands type of sound on a Line 6 half stack (though maybe I am wrong). So, it is a stupid CL seeking players add.

On the other hand, in my current band project we got a keys player, and we want to restrict him to B3, Rhodes, Piano, Electric Piano, and similar (no "synthy" sounds) specifically for the sound the leader is going for (though he plays it on a Roland synth).

Also, look and image do matter, so maybe Line 6 just looks wrong (though I wonder how many in attendance know or care about the gear one is using).

Just curios about your thoughts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If I remember correctly Scot Gorham auditioned for Thin Lizzy using a cheapo L.P. Copy and he still got the job.

I wouldn't immediately discount anyone because of the equipment they're using but it can be a factor.

If the rest of the band are using full marshall stacks, how would a line 6 half stack compete with the other players onstage volumes ?

Jeff, the other guitarist in the band I play in has no interest in equipment but is a far better technical guitar player than me (with enough gear to start a rental company), his kit is adequate, not modern or old just good enough.

I'd give him a gig because of his playing ability over me with all the gear any day.

Even if he had money available to spend he probably wouldn't spend it on musical equipment, I wish I could understand how he does that !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pragmatism: Unless the advertiser was born w/ a silver spoon in his mouth, I'd speculate about how lucrative those genres listed are (I never heard of any of the bands), so one wonders if such players could even afford whatever kind of upgrade gear the advertiser would be oriented towards.

Plus, if that's the actual transcription from the ad, his grammar and spelling are so atrocious it's another reason it can't be taken too seriously...but I bet he texts a lot....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks a lot like my last add on CL: i only want girls in my band, and only Hamers guitars... :D

Again...death metal....people taking themselves too seriously...arghhhhhhh

One of the best guitar players i've ever seen live -a colleague- plays with a simple yamaha pacific...no need of effects or anything else...he was that good.

Then again, to judge people by their gear, well, immature and superficial at the least -oh right, death metal people -

I know a band here where i lived who ditched the best guitar man they had because he didn't fit aesthetically with the rest of the band. Since then, they've change a few times, and they are still looking for a guitar player....they will not go far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They probably had a cat in the band (or auditioned one or two) who used a Line 6 and couldn't get decent tone out of it (and who was evidently also a Tool, Trivium fan), therefore all Line 6 amps are crap.

Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. Notice I didn't mention the mind there....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the day, a *lot* of ads posted on the cork board in the music stores had "must have Marshall stack".

At this point in my life, attitude is the only criteria i have. The band i'm in now plays a number of songs i could care less about, isn't pulling in very many gigs, and the talent level is a bit varried. But, we all get along and have a blast together.

If i was doing it for a regular paycheck, things would be different, but for a hobby, this is more fun than i've had in a long time, and it is 100% due to the people, not the songs, gigs, money, equipment, or talent.

</soapbox> :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They probably had a cat in the band (or auditioned one or two) who used a Line 6 and couldn't get decent tone out of it (and who was evidently also a Tool, Trivium fan), therefore all Line 6 amps are crap.

I was kind of thinking that might be it, or in fact, targeting a specific player they know and don't want to respond to the add?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been fortunate enough to have never been placed in a situation where I was evaluated based on my gear. More I think about it, in almost all cases, I started the band (one way to get around that little issue) and poured all my financial resources into acquiring better(?) and recognized gear after the band line up was finalized. Current band is same- went from a Peavey 1x12 Bandit (?) to a 2 x 12 Mesa Roadster, to a Kustom HV100HD w/ 4 x 12 cab to a Marshall 50 watt JVM over a Marshall M412A.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back in the day, I used to get into bands every time I brought the 4-digit Standard bass.

Never failed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any modern metal band who advertise the fact that they belong to a specific 'genre' are by definition unoriginal, lame copyists with no creativity or musical direction/ideas of their own. Just by reading the ad copy I can tell you EXACTLY what these guys will look like and EXACTLY what they will sound like.

They'll have the right tattoos, the right T-shirts, the right cutoffs, the right sneakers and the right sideways haircuts. They'll play exactly the same done-to-death blastbeats and growled vocals, along with the same swept arpeggios - exactly the same as hundreds of other no-hopers - and collectively represent a microcosm of everything which is wrong with metal in 2013.

Line 6 won't be acceptable because it isn't kewl enough.

Just sayin' :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From my local musicians craigslist.

"I'm are looking for guys that are looking to play progressive deathmetal/deathcore and similar technical genres. Bands like Between the buried and me, Veil of Maya, The Faceless, The Black Dahlia Murder, Darkest hour, Periphery, Carnifex, Born of Osiris, August Burns Red.

If your into AX7, Trivium, Tool or use a Line 6 half stack please don't response."

So, from a practical point of view, I suspect there are many players that could play the aforementioned bands type of sound on a Line 6 half stack (though maybe I am wrong). So, it is a stupid CL seeking players add.

On the other hand, in my current band project we got a keys player, and we want to restrict him to B3, Rhodes, Piano, Electric Piano, and similar (no "synthy" sounds) specifically for the sound the leader is going for (though he plays it on a Roland synth).

Also, look and image do matter, so maybe Line 6 just looks wrong (though I wonder how many in attendance know or care about the gear one is using).

Just curios about your thoughts.

In your band, you have very specific requirements for the keyboard player. Sounds like this metal band is the same, and they are probably doing the right thing.

In the mid 2000s my then-band was looking for a keyboard player like you describe. We went through about 15 before we found the right one. We advertised EXACTLY what we were looking for and auditioned 14 who read that description, knew they didn't meet it, but auditioned away, 'just because.' We wasted so much time on that experience we almost gave up before No. 15 vindicated our efforts. It was especially burdensome on me, since I wasted a 2-hour round trip every time we auditioned the wrong guy.

This metal band has very specific needs and in their ad they hope to weed out those who they pretty much know won't make the cut. They might annoy a few who might otherwise be good candidates, but I wouldn't fault them for their approach. The more general description they provide, the more likely they'll waste their time on the wrong guys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any modern metal band who advertise the fact that they belong to a specific 'genre' are by definition unoriginal, lame copyists with no creativity or musical direction/ideas of their own. Just by reading the ad copy I can tell you EXACTLY what these guys will look like and EXACTLY what they will sound like.

They'll have the right tattoos, the right T-shirts, the right cutoffs, the right sneakers and the right sideways haircuts. They'll play exactly the same done-to-death blastbeats and growled vocals, along with the same swept arpeggios - exactly the same as hundreds of other no-hopers - and collectively represent a microcosm of everything which is wrong with metal in 2013.

Line 6 won't be acceptable because it isn't kewl enough.

Just sayin' :(

That's exactly what I think.

Being labeled under a metal sub-genre IMHO lowers the chances of your band of leaving the pack (of losers, I must say) behind.

Nowadays many bands sound the same, songwriting is poor and they just imitate each other, continuously.

Sometimes I think there's just no hope -and that's why I'm no longer looking to play with any [place-your-preferred-narrow-minded-metal-subgenre-here] band.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This metal band has very specific needs and in their ad they hope to weed out those who they pretty much know won't make the cut. They might annoy a few who might otherwise be good candidates, but I wouldn't fault them for their approach. The more general description they provide, the more likely they'll waste their time on the wrong guys.

I agree. Good on them for knowing what they want, and more importantly what they don't want. The logic is immature for sure, but if they're in their teens/twenties it should be expected.

Any modern metal band who advertise the fact that they belong to a specific 'genre' are by definition unoriginal, lame copyists with no creativity or musical direction/ideas of their own. Just by reading the ad copy I can tell you EXACTLY what these guys will look like and EXACTLY what they will sound like.

They'll have the right tattoos, the right T-shirts, the right cutoffs, the right sneakers and the right sideways haircuts. They'll play exactly the same done-to-death blastbeats and growled vocals, along with the same swept arpeggios - exactly the same as hundreds of other no-hopers - and collectively represent a microcosm of everything which is wrong with metal in 2013.

Line 6 won't be acceptable because it isn't kewl enough.

Just sayin' :(

That's exactly what I think.

Being labeled under a metal sub-genre IMHO lowers the chances of your band of leaving the pack (of losers, I must say) behind.

Nowadays many bands sound the same, songwriting is poor and they just imitate each other, continuously.

Sometimes I think there's just no hope -and that's why I'm no longer looking to play with any [place-your-preferred-narrow-minded-metal-subgenre-here] band.

Ahhhh....the benefit of hindsight, eh?

If I was starting a a project today that I wanted to put some real effort into making successful, I'd avoid all the same pitfalls you speak to.

But, when I was a kid and first starting to get together with other musicians (term used loosely), it was 100% covering our idols and doing the same things they did because if it worked for them, it HAD to work for us! Our style of playing, our sound, our look, our gear, etc...it was all the same as whoever we were trying to emulate.

These guys are at least playing real instruments (HUGE step in the right direction) and making their version, or someone else's version (does it really matter?) of real music. Sounds like fun to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originality is overrated, except for the ONE band or artist that emerges as a pioneer and gives rise to legions of poseurs that come afterward. Audiences don't appreciate it and the industry doesn't nurture it, so blazing your own trail is a one-way ticket to obscurity in 99.999999999999% of instances. If you're fine with that, then by all means, move forward with your world-changing vision. When you have the time to do so outside of your day job, that is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You know, it makes me laugh, but to each their own. Who knows what they've run into, they're trying to let people know what to expect.

On the other hand, I know when Marty Friedman showed up to audition for Megadeth he didn't have "good" equipment, and looked a mess. They hired him on the basis of how he could play and then fit him into the band(equipment, clothes, and supposedly a haircut but who the heck could tell???).

I do agree with Kevin though how some of the ads are dead giveaways as to what they sound and look like. I'd be afraid to look at the craigslist "looking for musicians" in Nashville ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originality is overrated, except for the ONE band or artist that emerges as a pioneer and gives rise to legions of poseurs that come afterward. Audiences don't appreciate it and the industry doesn't nurture it, so blazing your own trail is a one-way ticket to obscurity in 99.999999999999% of instances. If you're fine with that, then by all means, move forward with your world-changing vision. When you have the time to do so outside of your day job, that is.

Wow.

I feel like I just spent two years writing a killer original album for nothing. Without the brave pioneers who stake their claim to be different and innovative, we'd have nothing to inspire us, excite us and have our jaws on the floor.

Guys in my fortunate position would also be swallowing up the dozens of free guitars I get offered, instead of sticking to my guns and wearing a minority instrument from a dead manufacturer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...