That happens in both of my bands, but one is especially bad as he is always too loud, even when he is supposed to be playing. I think he's mostly deaf by now and is oblivious to the fact we're trying to talk (through the practice PA). We sometimes have to literally scream at him to get his attention to stop.
That's our bass player. Can't get him to stop. Ever. Whether we're playing a lead guitar intro that want NO bass, or having a discussion between songs, or whatever.
One band I was in had a keyboard player that would do exactly that. He would noodle around on his keyboard at full volume. Every time the band stopped playing. It was the most annoying thing ever.
I once jammed with a bass player who sounded great playing on his own. Then I told him "I'm going to play some riffs in Am, just see if you can catch a groove and jam along". He replied "I don't know anything about keys, just let me play something and you fall in". I gave it a try, just to be nice, since he had dragged his rig out to the car and driven over to play. When trying to play against his lines, I realized he was never in the same key for two measures in a row. He'd practiced all his techniques, without having any idea what to do with them. I politely told him he wasn't there yet, and needed to spend some time on basic theory. He got unpleasant and had to be ushered out of our jam space, telling us "a true artist just plays what comes to him, you guys are just a----le wannabes".
@@xaviergough9359at no point was he a dick what are you talking about? He had his time wasted by a wannabe diva who thought they were hot shit but actually couldn’t play worth a damn. Sounds like you’re one of these guys and you’re upset that people don’t just let you play nonsense while they have to compensate overtop to make you sound decent.
How do you get a guitar player off your porch? Give him 20 bucks for the pizza. What's the difference between a large pizza and a guitar player? A large pizza can feed a family of 4.😎
I was in a professional touring band and had made several records, and did some studio work; I've met so many guitarists who only want to start a working group but only want to jam - then 4 months later you're still jamming and haven't written a single song (I've met so many lead guitarists who think they're Jerry Garcia). I've also met those ,musicians who want to be in a touring group, and will say, "but I'm only available Monday during the day, Thursday early mornings, and Sunday early evening". I've played with musicians who have told me they've done a thousand "HUGE!" shows - yet when we get onstage playing in front of an audience of 200 they get stage fright so bad they're unable to complete the set (in one instance the drummer got so angry at the guitarist who had gotten horrible stage fright and was just butchering every song that he threw his drumsticks at him, and the two wrestled while still on stage, landing on the drum kit and destroying it, the amp fell over, the mic stand fell over and the mic was under them, etc - I was the bassist, and just kept playing and told the vocalist to sing and finish the song - this happened only 20 minutes into our set, and the night was over. We were auditioning a drummer whom I thought was really good - until the end of the audition, when he completely destroyed all his drums, saying he was a huge fan of Keith Moon, and that by trashing his drums it showed us how Rock and Roll he was. I was involved in auditioning a guitarist who's amp was really beat to hell - aaand it caught on fire right then and there. Another time a Metal band I was in was auditioning a rhythm guitarist; the candidate said he had played Metal, and loved it blah blah blah. He was an Evangelical Christian who had come there to save our souls from Satan, and didn't even know how to play guitar.
All those stories are crazy. The burning amp would have been exciting to see. The person who lied their way into the audition just to proselytize is disgusting. That makes me feel bad as a guitarist and as a Christian.
@@wherehouseedm kind of thinking, at that stage, I probably would have looked him in the eye and said _”You lied to us. This requires a blood sacrifice to appease us”_ Just for the lols.
Red Flag for me, Guy introduces himself as a Lead Guitar Player. Proceeds to play at volumes of a jet engine. If the first thing I have to do is tell a guy to turn down? get in the pocket with the rest of the band? He/She is gone
eh' i can kinda feel ya on this one. but at the same time i've been on the receiving end of two or three a-hole guitarist , that believed every metal band should sound like metallica. They would always bitch that my bass was too loud. these two guitarist in particular seemed to not want to ever hear the bass at all. so it got to where when i jamed with them we'd set up volumes first get every one audible and blended nicely .. then these two fuckers after every one shoved ear plugs in , would again start bitching that my bass is too loud. both being too stupid to realize EAR PLUGS MUTE OUT HIGH FREQUENCIES NOT LOW, so of course the bass is going to sound too loud after you fucking jab ear plugs in. Just a couple of fucking Bozo's. so guitar players that say they want a "metallica sound" are a huge red flag to me.
I’m a bass player who has been impersonating a guitarist recently. Now no one has ever accused me of playing bass like a frustrated guitarist, however I have been caught out playing guitar like a frustrated bass player. This makes me a below average guitarist…..but what separates me from all the other below average guitarists…..Being a bass player, I know when _not_ to play.
You guys made me feel good about having no personal responsibility. I actually have a section of my resume about being a musician to explain gaps in employment.
I really built a Strat style guitar from Warmoth parts. I lived near their place in Puyallup, WA and the late Ken Warmoth himself helped me select the body, neck, hardware and pickups. This was in 1987, when they were still working from their home. I still use that guitar to this day. Thanks for the video.
I’ve built 4 of my guitars from Warmoth parts between 2015 and 2019. Fortunately, I don’t think I’ve displayed any other red flag behavior 🤣 and have managed to stay in the same band from 2014 to the present! I try not to be snobby about building my own guitars. I just like to make my own decisions about materials, components, colors and wiring. And of course, the “satisfaction factor” is important too! I think I’m overdue for a build…🎸🧐🎸
I actually did play with Buddy Guy. It was at Bogarts in Cincinnati. I was in the front row and he reached down from the stage and had me strum his guitar while he fingered the frets for like 10 seconds. Highlight of my playing career.
Yeah! The single genre thing is one that gets me most. There are so many similarities between genres it’s hard to imagine. It’s more fun if you can sit in with whoever’s at the jam even if you need to learn the language.
Any musician that only wants to play one genre probably can't play anything else. Or if they only play "originals" that means they literally can't learn songs.
The red flag I am most familiar with is the Automatic Rock Star. It's the person who lives the Rock Star lifestyle every minute of their life as soon as they get in a band or think about starting a band. They are the ones that usually don't want to practice but party.
Dont forget the one where there's a guy on a video telling you not to brag about your equipment while he’s sitting in front of his entire guitar collection so it gives him more credibility, hahaha Just kiddin guys… I agree with what ya said and could probably add one or two….👍🏻👊🏻🎸
When trying to start a band here in Florida to no avail...I had so many singers call that obviously wanted to "take over" the band...I could hear it in the conversations and it was obvious they were trying to play nice in the beginning but the overshadowing tone of the conversation was obvious they had other plans. Watch out for those tones there are lots of singers in particular that wanna steal what you built and then change everything to what they do...not the original plan.
This is why singers start their own bands. No. I'm not a singer. Bands are better when the singer is in their comfort zone. The rest is just a game of notes that are on every guitar...
@@younkinjames8571 if the singer can't do the plan the others make than they shouldn't apply. Famous bands don't hire singers to sing their comfort zone...they hire singers to sing what the band decided to do
@@erockscott1184 The band revolves around the singer, like it or not, and expecting a singer to sing "out of their comfort zone" shows a fundamental lack of knowledge about singing. A singer isn't going to be able to change their range, tone or style to whatever the non-singing band has plucked out of their backside.
@deaddoll1361 you missed my point...Dont apply if you can't sing what is asked. I got replies from singers wanting to do 50's and 60's shit when I clearly wanted a 70's and 80's ROCK singer...dont apply if you want to doo wop in a rock band.
The thing about “I built my own guitar” might be a little deceiving. My old boss said that and we were a little apprehensive about him coming over to jam and he is by far, the best musician I have ever played with. He is also a top notch luthier and now lives near Nashville. Besides being a retired Senior Army Officer, he has his own business building guitars, pickup-up’s and repairing and general work on guitars. My point is it’s not always a red flag. Nothing is “always”.
Had one guy turn up and he had an obvious drug problem, another guy turned up and insisted we hear him sing for us because, quote "I've never met anyone who can sing as well as I can", we declined to even let him play as we weren't looking to hire an egomaniac. Once had a drummer audition for us, he could play like nobody I've ever seen/heard before, I mean he was an absolute monster talent and set the room on fire..... but he had the worst personal hygiene problem I've ever smelt, the idea of getting into a car or van with this dude was nauseating. My lead singer and I were holding an audition for a bass player (ours had just landed a high paying job and left us) and while we waited for an applicant to show, we had a cup of tea and watched out the window as a guy stole a set of hubcaps off a car in a multi story car park across the street, to our horror he then pulled out an instrument case from the boot of his car and crossed the road and headed straight for the building we were in, he was a decent bass player but a lousy human being, we listened to him play then made sure to watch out the window as he left in case he tried to steal anything from our van. Caught a tech from another band trying to open our (clearly marked) gear case at a gig, he got a good kicking for that. Make sure to lock your shit up whenever you do a gig and square it away as soon as you're done playing, also mark your gear clearly, and secretly, I once had a pedal nicked and found it on another players board, he had managed to wipe off the magic marker I had used to mark it and swore it was his right up to the moment I pulled out the black light and showed everyone my name written on it in invisible ink on all sides of that pedal. A lot of gear theft goes on at gigs, also be really on guard when using rehearsal rooms/studios, but the number one place they steal your shit is out of your car/van.
@John Smith.... wow.. I've had a lot of weird things happen as well... like smelly and unscrupulous musicians..my case was a smelly guitarist... but he wasn't an ace.. so not jamming with him was no big deal... but the most I ever had stolen was a guitar cord.. or pick.... never an instrument or pedal.. we never used guitar techs.. each of us.. set up the controls on all our own gear... we un packed.. and packed up every gig.. so.. the only time any of my stuff would go missing would be during this packing up process..
@@jeffcarlson3269 Yeah we were the same, the "tech" was part of another (bigger) band, we had played earlier and packed our gear into a big flight case on wheels and left it backstage while we got a drink at the bar. Myself and the drummer went to get something out of the case and found the shit bag tech trying to break the lock with a screwdriver, violence ensued.
@John Smith once however when I was a fresh musician back around 1974 .. I used to jam with different people to "trade off" licks so to speak.. and I loaned someone my "fender blender".. and a week later when I went to pick it up... he had skipped out.... since then though I never loaned anything out again...
An obvious red flag: The guy shows up first practice either drunk or high. This is obviously not a professional-minded musician, probably got into music for the wrong reasons. A subtle red flag: Constantly bitching about how loud the other guitarist is, no matter how low the other guitarist turns down. Ive seen this red flag lots of times, this is almost always a narcissistic diva-type that just causes more drama than they are worth.
Great vid!!! Very funny. Lessons I learned in 25 yrs: Be humble, be in service of the band, learn the songs, focus on decent rythm playing and make sure that your sound complements the rest of the band. Musicians wants to be heard, don't.... know it's time not to play. And yes, you may have the best gear, but nobody really cares.
You guys are literally describing the frontman of my previous band point by point! It was a shame cause we had some great songs and the band was starting to grow, we just couldn't put up with him anymore.
@@dan_kay chemistry?... well many times at the beginning.. when things are still gel-ling many people put on fronts... they do not act like themselves.. they are overly nice... but once they start feeling comfortable the fangs come out... hence the old adage "familiarity breeds contempt"... or maybe that one is before your time.... many bands start off with everything fine and everyone agreeable.. then little by little biases start creeping in.. this guy won't play this part in a song.. or does not want to do this song or that ..and egos start kicking in.. where the person feels like the band would not exist without them.. fortunately.. none of my previous bands got to the point where one of the members thought they deserved a higher share of the gig money.. but I can see that happening..
I kind of had the opposite thing happen to me. I was hired to play a gig in a band at a huge biker rally. Preshow as musicians talk I had mentioned that I got to meet Ed King at a guitar show, and that I’m friends with the drummer from Asleep at the Wheel, which I am. However when we hit the stage I was introduced as the guy who got to play with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Asleep at the Wheel!! I was like NO No but the crowd was all into that. Show was over I was bombarded with Skynyrd questions! It was a nightmare!
One guy I played with, who was far better than me and that made me nervous, said to me... IT'S JUST MUSIC. Very calming words. Don't take it too seriously.
Dear Bass players; avoid guitar players (it's always guitar players) who say, 'you don't need to know whether the chord you're playing over is major or minor, etc.'...they don't know or understand music much less respect the bass instruments.
I always kind of laugh when a guitarist tells me when chords are minor or major, I say "I'm a bass player" lol. But the fact is I usually know what they are already based on where they are in the chord progression. If I'm not sure what I should be doing, or think he may be playing a chord wrong (happens a lot and I'm usually right), then I'll ask "Is that major or minor?"
@@tacomadc If one is a bass player and not playing chords, they're not a bass player. Chords, arpeggios and scales are really all the same thing, separated only temporally. Any decent bassist must know chords!
Some of the best Musicians I've ever played with had day jobs. Them having lives outside of the band meant more meaningful and quality practice sessions. We also preferred not to have full band practices. Sometimes it was just vocal harmonizing practices. The idea that practice has to be constant full band full gear full volume is not very productive
I don’t play with too many people anymore. I auditioned for these guys who were like 30 years younger than me a few years ago. They were heavy metal dudes and it was really a complete waste of time. When I took out my Strat and plugged into a Fender amp they just looked at me like I was from the nursing home. Oh well.
I'm with you there, pal. after reading some of these comments, I'm so glad I don't play in bands any more. although most of my bad experiences were with agents and club owners rather than other musicians.
That's funny! Trying to feel out their tastes on the phone beforehand helps, but there's often a bit of unforeseen gamble with auditions. I showed up with my guitar at a band audition, only to find that the band had, unbeknownst to me, arranged for another guitarist to be auditioning at the same time. The other guitarist also didn't know that ours was going to be a "dueling audition". I told myself to relax, to play smoothly, and to concentrate on making the original band members sound good. The other guitarist was thrown by the situation, and decided he was going to "flash" a lot, to stand out. But it didn't sound good. I got the gig.
As someone who works in theatrical management, drama also is not good in a theatre work-life lol. Turns out being an asshole creates bad environments everywhere
Many years ago (1991) my best friend and I were trying to start a band. Only one left to audition was a singer. Kid comes in and had the look, long hair, slim as a rail, etc. Super nice guy. Comes in with a music stand and lemon water, the whole deal. Poor guy was so off key it was painful. We just let him screech while we played for about an hour and said “We’ll let you know”. Of course we never called him back. Shitty, I know, but I didn’t have the guts to tell him he was horrible.
That’s a pretty common way to say “no”. I don’t see anything wrong with it. If it’s a ‘yes’ there is normally some other good vibes or other clues. If you have to think about it, it’s probably a ‘no’. I was kind of expecting you to say, “years later, that guy is everywhere calling himself Jack White or Ben Weasel.”
We would sometimes use the ever-reliable, "You're not what we're looking for." You don't have to explain that what you're looking for is someone who can sing in tune.
I once met a guy who handed out cards at an open mic that list him a Rock Legend! It was kinda funny, but then I went home and found out he had a number one hit in the 70’s and toured with Christopher Cross and heavy cats like that. I still have the card on my fridge. Oddly enough he was super mellow yellow.
The initial meeting should just be contained to sitting on the floor playing with Panthor and Battle Cat. You judge them on which they choose to play with. If they go for Panthor, then you throw them on the Snake Mountain microphone and see if they can do backup vocals..
I dont agree with the chemistry part. I am 52 and been playing "professionally" since 15. When my second band broke up, I went to audition for a new band, the minute I played with my friend Rich it just fit. That band stayed together for 22 years. We were very successful and only stopped because our drummer got a truck driving job and we didnt want to start over again. Since then it has been a little difficult to find another player to mesh with.
I love talking with other guitar players about mods or builds they've done, a guitarist that understands their rig is way easier to work with than a guy that feels it's all magical. It's electrical components guys.
Yes!! This happened with a band I was in a few years ago. We were auditioning a new drummer and within literally 15 min he was trying to restructure the arrangements but hadn't fully learned the actual arrangements! I couldn't believe his audacity. Needless to say, in the end it didn't work out.
My red flag is when a guitarist takes their guitar out of the case, and they haven't trimmed their strings. This tells me either they do everything last minute, they are so disorganized that they can't keep up with something as simple as wire cutters, or they will be a moocher that wants everyone in the band to provide everything for them all the time. Beware of guitarists that don't trim their strings.
Orrrr they change strings often and just whipped some on before practice so they'd have quality tone. I change my strings once a week at least and prefer to cut the extra but it doesn't always happen, for whateve reason If you're that petty, that's reason enough to not call YOU back. Lord knows what irrelevant things you'd have a problem with
@@minorcek Good point. Like they always say, don't point at someone because there's four fingers pointing back at you. I just don't like crazy strings waving all over the place. That could put an eye out. Lol!
#7 stood out to me because the the first band I was in was started by our lead guitarist so it was "his" band lol (we were in high school and all were friends) but, every chick this guy went out with was supposedly a talented vocalist. Only problem was none of them could actually sing. I guess it would have been OK since none of us could really play that well either though lol.
Absolutely with you on the "only listens to this one thing" angle... as musicians and especially as creative musicians making our own music, we grow and ultimately put our own stamp on our music by incorporating our own favourite bits of the music we hear, and the more different sorts of music we allow ourselves to be exposed to the better we get at creating the things we want to make.
I fell into this with multiple bands only due to immense study of them. But I took the time playing together to focus on us not to just copy what I was working on alone .
Usually a red flag for me is all the guys who come out saying what you should or should not do. Like dude, you should turn your volume down to here and play, or you should use a Tele instead of a Ibanez. Or the best one I heard is I should buy pro tools for the band, since I have the money, instead of buying a new guitar. But some of my red flags truly are 1. Drug users? Especially meth, and alcohol. Every dipshit wanted to be David Lee Roth and sing, "I forgot the fucking words". 🤦🏻♂ 2. The other is, hey man, can I use your guitar and amp. I had to put mine in hock. 3. Dude, I'll be in your band, you're awesome! But I need a place to live, can I stay with you? 4. Dude, I need to you come pick me up and my gear up. I don't have a car. 5. My mom,....
AND your last point by the way is total hogwash... without a working income... how do you expect most people to have equipment?.. inheritances...?.. gifts from their folks..?.. I've been in plenty of gigging bands over the years.. where everyone worked.. but the ONE thing that DID destroy a band.. was having musician(s).. who worked the night shift.. and especially Saturday nights... If I ever came across a musician where his life was working nights... I could not get serious about a band with them.. maybe only a garage or neighborhood party band.. just for fun..
The stories in the comments are as fun, painful, and hard won as the points explained in the video. Stay in the groove, friends. Peace and good vibes to all.
I am going to bring my cheap squire strat with chinese humbuckers and my crate amp. also a pedal board beyond my ability to use it. I waved at Eddie Van Halen at a concert. I am a terrible guitarist, but am practicing occasionally when no one can hear it. :)
Perfect! Candor and honesty! I'll bet you sound good or at least competent. Look,anyone with a sense of humor about themselves has some clue. I'd listen to you play. Keep at it, it'll be good!
#2 "I built my own guitar" Haha I felt personally OFFENDED ;) Im proud of my new build (from scratch wood blanks!) but I would never pretend its a competition against established custom shops ruclips.net/video/5FMfYaX7RtM/видео.html But it stays in tune, plays nice and lets me do everything I need on stage. Love it! :)
I didn’t quite understand their comment on that point. What’s the problem if a guy or gal bought Warmoth parts and put together a guitar exactly how they like? I’m just a drummer so what do I know. 🤷♂️
I'm seriously looking forward to movie reviews. Or books. Or games. Whatever. You two nerding out is just good vibes. Maybe you don't think about it, but this silly video meant 10k people went out into the world today a little happier than they would have otherwise. That matters.
I was auditioning other guitarists and one guy who was older told me he lost his license and would need me to give him a ride to practice every week and loan him a guitar and amp. and on top of that he was calling me twice a day and every day and would not take the hint.
There's like a thousand pro level players on the planet though, everyone wants to think of themselves as professional players but cmon guys....not even YOU are professional players lol
“Bill Bellamy” made me laugh. I know you meant Matt Bellamy. I don’t think I’ve done any of these things on initial meetings, but I cringed for a few. Enjoy the adhd of these videos, keep up the good work.🤘🏼😂
I build my own guitars because nobody else builds what I want. I'm sure I could get fender custom shop to do it and it would be better than mine, but I also could afford a new truck or a bathroom remodel for how much that costs. Sucks being poor 🤣
As a Norwegian dude i just got to say, Norwegian childrens music can be quite good! “Sjørøverne kommer” by kaptein sabeltann (Captain sabertooth) is a pirate song about collecting treasure (so you can be lazy for the next 100 years), and aside from the fact that it’s sung by a Norwegian theatre character, the song is filled with blues licks and accordion goodness. It’s one of those things where they put actual effort into it so that it’s interesting to listen to for the parents as well as the children I didn’t expect to write a short essay about Norwegian children’s pirate music when I clicked on this video, but here we are!
Can confirm all of these I let one of my band mates borrow my PRS SE that I had just put new McCarty pickups in you can't even buy them anymore and I never saw that guitar again I miss it so much. I'll even add one when the guitar players girlfriend or wife talks for him and says something like "I just want to make sure you guys are a good fit and you're not going to let him down I don't want to see him get hurt again"
Damn, I built quite a few guitars, the only reason I ever started playing guitar is because I was fixing guitars for broke musician friends and figured I should be able to tune the thing, then I read about intonation and figured that out, then learned a few chords, ya know, just to be better at fixing them, then fixed a couple of broken headstocks, then made a guitar body for a dude who's girl found out he was a dog and threw his guitar down the stairs at him, Before I knew it I was playing drums in a band, and all the time I was getting hooked on guitar, it sorta creept up on me till I was a guitarist. And I'd still build a Telecaster if the wife wouldn't kill me, because apparently I have enough guitars. 😂
I’ve found that when a great player doesn’t have the instrument they need to play, they’re probably going through a rough patch due to personal problems. Some players might be worth it, but it might be better to wait until they get out of that situation, whatever it is.
One of the Guitar players of Thin Lizzy (Scott Gorham) auditioned with a cheap LP copy, because he could'nt afford a better instrument at that time. They liked his playing, so he got the job. So, there might be circumstances in your life, that even great players can't afford the equipment they need.
Pulls out a homemade tele and plays a nice part and you go "Nice, what model Tele is that?" "aw, something I just thru together" Thats how its supposed to work.
I played in a number of struggling bands back in the day and needless to way, we all had day jobs. There was no surviving on just the money from gigs. In many bands, everyone was either very accomplished or had formal musical training on their instrument. I auditioned guitar players several times and hated it. You make good points though.
The anyone can play drums thing is definitely not true. I know a lot of people who cant even keep a simple 1/4 beat.🤷♂️ although it is easier to get than guitar it's a lot more work.
I did jam with these 2 clowns around 1974... and they were into Skynyrd one asked to borrow my Fender Blender... I used to use it on Foghat tunes.. a week later I went by to see them.. and they had cleared out of their apartment... never seen them since... LESSON LEARNED... have never loaned anything since then..!
You didn't mention the worst - the guy you are playing with for the first time in your 10x12 basement room and he has a Twin turned up to 6 and has no idea he's playing too loud.
my favorite was the guy who was a great guitar player but " Mine has a broken neck- can I borrow yours?" so I loan him my Fender to use and he goes off on it how the "pickups are trash"....
The band I was in (many years ago) needed a second guitarist that could also solo. Auditioned several and none seemed the right fit. Then comes along this guy one day and he brought his girlfriend. He was OK, but there wasn't any real magic. A week later this guy's now ex-girlfriend (who came to the audition with him) calls and wants to audition for the band. We said 'why not' got nothing to lose. Rachel shows up with a 1960's Marshall stack and a 100% original 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Lights up on the guitar and we knew in a second we had our guitarist. 12 years later me and Rachel and the rest of the band said goodbye. For some reason at this point in my life I find myself thinking about her more than ever....
When they said "gear-dropping" my first throught was they mean literally someone accidentally dropping what they're holding on the floor, and my head immediately played a dramatic scene of myself dropping a capo and being banished from the world of music forever 😂
I'll preface by saying I'm not a pro musician. Avoid any musician who dresses like "a rock star" in everyday life. Even real 'rockstars wear normal clothes when they're off duty. You should do a 'Band Red Flags - Don't Join/Time To Leave This Band' video.
I've never seen a guy that built GREAT guitars that could play all that well...... I've kicked around with jam band situations and playing with just anyone that has a guitar in our small area... But when the bunch of us who grew up together get together and play - damn .. ! the room just seems to explode. Even if there are just two or three of us at a time.
I've played with an excellent guitarist who also made great guitars and another one who built some fantastic effect pedals. But there never flaunted it. And those are of course expections to the rule. Building good instruments and playing them take two completely different skill sets and very few people have the talent for both.
Interesting observation; not sure one skill has anything at all to do with the other, building and playing. I built the bass I wanted 20 years ago. It's the best instrument I've ever owned, looks incredible, plays great, sounds great, and I still have it.
I’ve seen another type wayyyyy too many times. 11.- The very nice guy that secretly don’t want to be a part of the band, he just want a band to play his songs. So, nicely gain trust on the members over time and suddenly BAM! he starts to treat everyone in the band like they were he’s support band on his undercover solo project.
I play in a for fun project that is more Alt/Grunge and my originals are way more R&B, the guy who organized the project is super nice and says I can play my stuff with the project, but I really don't like telling everyone exactly how I want an original to sound when it's outside the normal band music. They like it but I don't feel comfortable lol.
Had a drummer show up with just sticks. 😂Literally said, “I can prove my skills by playing on this table”. Proceeded to play the worst air drums ever. I was amazed, never had that happen before and I couldn’t believe I was actually listening to him dent my coffee table. I asked him what was up and he said his wife sold his drums to buy airline tickets to a funeral, he was saving to get a new set soon. 😳 No call back on that guy.
My son vomited on my tools (set of screwdrivers and other random tools) and now 20 years later they still smell like rotten milk. How is this even possible lol
These guys would have sent Ed Van Halen packing cause of his home made guitar. "Yea, nice kid, we got a guy with a "Whole" guitar coming later, so buh bye"
Red flag: guys who sit down and make a video about red flag musicians. Let people be people. This entire list is just a list of different peoples personalities and flaws. Who cares if this guys wife is a singer. Or if this guy built his own guitar. Or if he said he played with Buddy Guy. Let your decision be made by the chemistry during the jam. Sometimes things don’t work out. Stop trying to write a book about life.
Just a quick thought on the "What's you most expensive guitar, dude?" question. If you see a guy with a $13,000 Benedetto, you may safely assume he makes more money than you.
I refuse to play with husband wife combos of any sort...and name dropping is chronic in SW Florida. Husband and wife duos are a cancer and only lead to playing what the wife wants which is usually candy ass crap. Also there are some truly gifted players here but they are "un yielding" and its a no go they always never work with anyone.
Here's my list of band members to avoid. 1. Doesn't have the time to practice and learn songs. 3 months later they don't know the songs. It took you until the next practice. 2. Start arguments over changing the way a PA is setup, because a member did the math and research to setup everything properly. "I've always done it this way and it worked". Meanwhile the PA is overheating and risking blowing something up. 3. Skips practice to watch sports. 4. A drummer who plays rock music like it's jazz, softly. 5. Guitarists who are inconsistent players. 6. Guitarists who never change strings, don't tune properly. 7. Guitar players who sit down and play as if they are bored and are looking at their iPad. 8. Musicians offended that another person in the band is better than they are rather than wanting to learn from that person. 9. Drummers who claim they are "technical" when they suck.
Do t agree I’m a Van Halen fan and made some of my own guitars I like them but if u have a taste I respect it u can like whatever brand u want and that’s fine, there’s nothing I can do if I got good at luthiering my own gear and like how it plays and sounds I can’t make u like my gear
Oh my goodness I'd a bass player come over with no base and he was playing a song incorrectly and I said what are you playing there and he says number 5 What the h*** is number 5
two musicians that made me run for the hills. 1. the drummer said I couldn't keep time and kept criticizing my playing. I told the sound man to play back the recorded session to see who was off beat. It turned out to be the drummer. the tape doesn't lie. He got indignant and left the band. My timing was perfect. Lesson learned: the guy who is always right and never wrong is going to be a problem. 2. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be in a band with someone who has financial troubles. Guess who he's going to sponge off of or plain rip you off. 3. Any musician who is an alcoholic or has a drug problem is going to be a problem. I've played with some of the finest musicians in the country, but most were either drug addicts or alcoholics. ALWAYS a losing combination no matter how talented they are.
First or second rehearsal, constant noodling between songs while you're trying to work stuff out with your members. Bad at rehearsal, worse on the gig.
Can you play "Your Body is a Wonderland?" That is my favorite John Mayer song. I want to learn that song for my wife. I never get the time to practice because I am always watching this RUclips channel
another big red flag 'you don't look right for the bands image' or anything that involves using the way you look as an excuse not to hear you play, I've had this a few times, they wouldn't even let me play and show them what I'm capable of, ridiculous...
About the guy who has a job..."And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't, make the scene, He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright", and he's a sultan of swing.
Anyone who keeps playing/noodling at full volume while the rest of the band is trying to talk to each other...
Amen.
at full volume - that is so true.
That happens in both of my bands, but one is especially bad as he is always too loud, even when he is supposed to be playing. I think he's mostly deaf by now and is oblivious to the fact we're trying to talk (through the practice PA). We sometimes have to literally scream at him to get his attention to stop.
That's our bass player. Can't get him to stop. Ever. Whether we're playing a lead guitar intro that want NO bass, or having a discussion between songs, or whatever.
One band I was in had a keyboard player that would do exactly that. He would noodle around on his keyboard at full volume. Every time the band stopped playing. It was the most annoying thing ever.
“Be decent enough to feel bad about it.” Words of wisdom and grace. Thank you gentlemen!
Sorry. I may not make such a big deal of it, but I won't apologize for sportin' a '65 blackface Super Reverb NOT the reissue.
I once jammed with a bass player who sounded great playing on his own. Then I told him "I'm going to play some riffs in Am, just see if you can catch a groove and jam along". He replied "I don't know anything about keys, just let me play something and you fall in". I gave it a try, just to be nice, since he had dragged his rig out to the car and driven over to play. When trying to play against his lines, I realized he was never in the same key for two measures in a row. He'd practiced all his techniques, without having any idea what to do with them. I politely told him he wasn't there yet, and needed to spend some time on basic theory. He got unpleasant and had to be ushered out of our jam space, telling us "a true artist just plays what comes to him, you guys are just a----le wannabes".
Kind of a dick move on your part.
That made me laugh out loud in real life. That was deeply funny. I imaged that being done by Bobby Hill.
@@xaviergough9359
How was a i dick in that situation ?
I love being a working wannabe! Maybe one day I’ll be a “true artist”. But for now, I think I’ll keep the lights on and put food on the table!
@@xaviergough9359at no point was he a dick what are you talking about? He had his time wasted by a wannabe diva who thought they were hot shit but actually couldn’t play worth a damn. Sounds like you’re one of these guys and you’re upset that people don’t just let you play nonsense while they have to compensate overtop to make you sound decent.
You missed my favorite: "We'll have to practice at my place, I don't have a car."
What do you call a guitarist without a girlfriend?.... Homeless!
@@lemonzest8909 😂😂😂
Yea I'm not bringing my drums to your girlfriends house!
haha good one 😆😆
How do you get a guitar player off your porch?
Give him 20 bucks for the pizza.
What's the difference between a large pizza and a guitar player?
A large pizza can feed a family of 4.😎
I was in a professional touring band and had made several records, and did some studio work; I've met so many guitarists who only want to start a working group but only want to jam - then 4 months later you're still jamming and haven't written a single song (I've met so many lead guitarists who think they're Jerry Garcia). I've also met those ,musicians who want to be in a touring group, and will say, "but I'm only available Monday during the day, Thursday early mornings, and Sunday early evening". I've played with musicians who have told me they've done a thousand "HUGE!" shows - yet when we get onstage playing in front of an audience of 200 they get stage fright so bad they're unable to complete the set (in one instance the drummer got so angry at the guitarist who had gotten horrible stage fright and was just butchering every song that he threw his drumsticks at him, and the two wrestled while still on stage, landing on the drum kit and destroying it, the amp fell over, the mic stand fell over and the mic was under them, etc - I was the bassist, and just kept playing and told the vocalist to sing and finish the song - this happened only 20 minutes into our set, and the night was over. We were auditioning a drummer whom I thought was really good - until the end of the audition, when he completely destroyed all his drums, saying he was a huge fan of Keith Moon, and that by trashing his drums it showed us how Rock and Roll he was. I was involved in auditioning a guitarist who's amp was really beat to hell - aaand it caught on fire right then and there. Another time a Metal band I was in was auditioning a rhythm guitarist; the candidate said he had played Metal, and loved it blah blah blah. He was an Evangelical Christian who had come there to save our souls from Satan, and didn't even know how to play guitar.
All those stories are crazy. The burning amp would have been exciting to see. The person who lied their way into the audition just to proselytize is disgusting. That makes me feel bad as a guitarist and as a Christian.
@@wherehouseedm kind of thinking, at that stage, I probably would have looked him in the eye and said _”You lied to us. This requires a blood sacrifice to appease us”_
Just for the lols.
Best read ever
@@engineeringartist4801 took a Rare Bird to write that :-)
Red Flag for me, Guy introduces himself as a Lead Guitar Player. Proceeds to play at volumes of a jet engine. If the first thing I have to do is tell a guy to turn down? get in the pocket with the rest of the band? He/She is gone
eh' i can kinda feel ya on this one. but at the same time i've been on the receiving end of two or three a-hole guitarist , that believed every metal band should sound like metallica. They would always bitch that my bass was too loud. these two guitarist in particular seemed to not want to ever hear the bass at all. so it got to where when i jamed with them we'd set up volumes first get every one audible and blended nicely .. then these two fuckers after every one shoved ear plugs in , would again start bitching that my bass is too loud. both being too stupid to realize EAR PLUGS MUTE OUT HIGH FREQUENCIES NOT LOW, so of course the bass is going to sound too loud after you fucking jab ear plugs in. Just a couple of fucking Bozo's. so guitar players that say they want a "metallica sound" are a huge red flag to me.
I hope I can become a ‘sub-standard player’ like you guys one day.
I’m a bass player who has been impersonating a guitarist recently. Now no one has ever accused me of playing bass like a frustrated guitarist, however I have been caught out playing guitar like a frustrated bass player. This makes me a below average guitarist…..but what separates me from all the other below average guitarists…..Being a bass player, I know when _not_ to play.
You guys made me feel good about having no personal responsibility. I actually have a section of my resume about being a musician to explain gaps in employment.
If shit ever goes sideways I’m using this lmao
actually true.
I really built a Strat style guitar from Warmoth parts. I lived near their place in Puyallup, WA and the late Ken Warmoth himself helped me select the body, neck, hardware and pickups. This was in 1987, when they were still working from their home. I still use that guitar to this day. Thanks for the video.
And just like dating all the ones I married i divorced and I still don’t talk to them too this day … much like my x wife
I’ve built 4 of my guitars from Warmoth parts between 2015 and 2019. Fortunately, I don’t think I’ve displayed any other red flag behavior 🤣 and have managed to stay in the same band from 2014 to the present! I try not to be snobby about building my own guitars. I just like to make my own decisions about materials, components, colors and wiring. And of course, the “satisfaction factor” is important too! I think I’m overdue for a build…🎸🧐🎸
That’s a great story. Word of advice: Don’t ever sell that guitar.
I actually did play with Buddy Guy. It was at Bogarts in Cincinnati. I was in the front row and he reached down from the stage and had me strum his guitar while he fingered the frets for like 10 seconds. Highlight of my playing career.
Sounds like a Red Flag. 😆
Or tech. Checking strings. 2 gigs. Rock on !!!!
1990ish?
Yeah! The single genre thing is one that gets me most. There are so many similarities between genres it’s hard to imagine. It’s more fun if you can sit in with whoever’s at the jam even if you need to learn the language.
best lesson I ever got from my high school guitar teacher, he basically said " I want to be able to go to any jam and be able to sit in"
For example, black metal is basically surf rock with heavy distortion.
Any musician that only wants to play one genre probably can't play anything else. Or if they only play "originals" that means they literally can't learn songs.
The red flag I am most familiar with is the Automatic Rock Star. It's the person who lives the Rock Star lifestyle every minute of their life as soon as they get in a band or think about starting a band. They are the ones that usually don't want to practice but party.
Exactly. Drunk ass singer taking tequila shots.
Dont forget the one where there's a guy on a video telling you not to brag about your equipment while he’s sitting in front of his entire guitar collection so it gives him more credibility, hahaha
Just kiddin guys… I agree with what ya said and could probably add one or two….👍🏻👊🏻🎸
When trying to start a band here in Florida to no avail...I had so many singers call that obviously wanted to "take over" the band...I could hear it in the conversations and it was obvious they were trying to play nice in the beginning but the overshadowing tone of the conversation was obvious they had other plans. Watch out for those tones there are lots of singers in particular that wanna steal what you built and then change everything to what they do...not the original plan.
"..wanna steal what you built and then change everything to what they do..." - Not just singers or musicians.
This is why singers start their own bands. No. I'm not a singer. Bands are better when the singer is in their comfort zone. The rest is just a game of notes that are on every guitar...
@@younkinjames8571 if the singer can't do the plan the others make than they shouldn't apply. Famous bands don't hire singers to sing their comfort zone...they hire singers to sing what the band decided to do
@@erockscott1184 The band revolves around the singer, like it or not, and expecting a singer to sing "out of their comfort zone" shows a fundamental lack of knowledge about singing. A singer isn't going to be able to change their range, tone or style to whatever the non-singing band has plucked out of their backside.
@deaddoll1361 you missed my point...Dont apply if you can't sing what is asked. I got replies from singers wanting to do 50's and 60's shit when I clearly wanted a 70's and 80's ROCK singer...dont apply if you want to doo wop in a rock band.
The thing about “I built my own guitar” might be a little deceiving. My old boss said that and we were a little apprehensive about him coming over to jam and he is by far, the best musician I have ever played with. He is also a top notch luthier and now lives near Nashville. Besides being a retired Senior Army Officer, he has his own business building guitars, pickup-up’s and repairing and general work on guitars. My point is it’s not always a red flag. Nothing is “always”.
They said this in the video. That’s why they’re just flags and not deal breakers
Why did you put always in quotes as if the video said always ever
I think they meant people that only ever use their own and consider everything else crap.
Sounds like a silly reason to turn down Brian May.
@@robertdeen8741 They said specifically to exempt him from the rule.
Had one guy turn up and he had an obvious drug problem, another guy turned up and insisted we hear him sing for us because, quote "I've never met anyone who can sing as well as I can", we declined to even let him play as we weren't looking to hire an egomaniac. Once had a drummer audition for us, he could play like nobody I've ever seen/heard before, I mean he was an absolute monster talent and set the room on fire..... but he had the worst personal hygiene problem I've ever smelt, the idea of getting into a car or van with this dude was nauseating.
My lead singer and I were holding an audition for a bass player (ours had just landed a high paying job and left us) and while we waited for an applicant to show, we had a cup of tea and watched out the window as a guy stole a set of hubcaps off a car in a multi story car park across the street, to our horror he then pulled out an instrument case from the boot of his car and crossed the road and headed straight for the building we were in, he was a decent bass player but a lousy human being, we listened to him play then made sure to watch out the window as he left in case he tried to steal anything from our van.
Caught a tech from another band trying to open our (clearly marked) gear case at a gig, he got a good kicking for that. Make sure to lock your shit up whenever you do a gig and square it away as soon as you're done playing, also mark your gear clearly, and secretly, I once had a pedal nicked and found it on another players board, he had managed to wipe off the magic marker I had used to mark it and swore it was his right up to the moment I pulled out the black light and showed everyone my name written on it in invisible ink on all sides of that pedal. A lot of gear theft goes on at gigs, also be really on guard when using rehearsal rooms/studios, but the number one place they steal your shit is out of your car/van.
@John Smith.... wow.. I've had a lot of weird things happen as well... like smelly and unscrupulous musicians..my case was a smelly guitarist... but he wasn't an ace.. so not jamming with him was no big deal... but the most I ever had stolen was a guitar cord.. or pick.... never an instrument or pedal.. we never used guitar techs.. each of us.. set up the controls on all our own gear... we un packed.. and packed up every gig.. so.. the only time any of my stuff would go missing would be during this packing up process..
@@jeffcarlson3269 Yeah we were the same, the "tech" was part of another (bigger) band, we had played earlier and packed our gear into a big flight case on wheels and left it backstage while we got a drink at the bar. Myself and the drummer went to get something out of the case and found the shit bag tech trying to break the lock with a screwdriver, violence ensued.
@John Smith once however when I was a fresh musician back around 1974 .. I used to jam with different people to "trade off" licks so to speak.. and I loaned someone my "fender blender".. and a week later when I went to pick it up... he had skipped out.... since then though I never loaned anything out again...
An obvious red flag: The guy shows up first practice either drunk or high. This is obviously not a professional-minded musician, probably got into music for the wrong reasons. A subtle red flag: Constantly bitching about how loud the other guitarist is, no matter how low the other guitarist turns down. Ive seen this red flag lots of times, this is almost always a narcissistic diva-type that just causes more drama than they are worth.
Great vid!!! Very funny. Lessons I learned in 25 yrs: Be humble, be in service of the band, learn the songs, focus on decent rythm playing and make sure that your sound complements the rest of the band. Musicians wants to be heard, don't.... know it's time not to play. And yes, you may have the best gear, but nobody really cares.
I've always said
Nobody can hear the name on the headstock of the guitar you're playing. Either you can play the damned thing or you can't.
Love it, im going to audition this weekend for established local band. so, you're saying don't let them know i have a job and pay my bills?
Ha...I got fired from a band because I got a job...lmao
My worst red flag was when the new guy asked if i could tune his guitar for him because he didnt know how to do it propperly..
I once had my brothers guitar friend ask me to teach him how to sweep pick. I'd had to tune his guitar for him earlier that day.
You guys are literally describing the frontman of my previous band point by point! It was a shame cause we had some great songs and the band was starting to grow, we just couldn't put up with him anymore.
So, no chemistry? Maybe you should have talked about it the first time you met ;)
@@dan_kay chemistry?... well many times at the beginning.. when things are still gel-ling many people put on fronts... they do not act like themselves.. they are overly nice... but once they start feeling comfortable the fangs come out... hence the old adage "familiarity breeds contempt"... or maybe that one is before your time....
many bands start off with everything fine and everyone agreeable.. then little by little biases start creeping in.. this guy won't play this part in a song.. or does not want to do this song or that ..and egos start kicking in.. where the person feels like the band would not exist without them..
fortunately.. none of my previous bands got to the point where one of the members thought they deserved a higher share of the gig money.. but I can see that happening..
I'm suspicious of any band who would have me as a member! Cheers Casino!!
"I love my cigar, but I take it out, occasionally." 🤣
I kind of had the opposite thing happen to me. I was hired to play a gig in a band at a huge biker rally. Preshow as musicians talk I had mentioned that I got to meet Ed King at a guitar show, and that I’m friends with the drummer from Asleep at the Wheel, which I am.
However when we hit the stage I was introduced as the guy who got to play with Lynyrd Skynyrd and Asleep at the Wheel!! I was like NO No but the crowd was all into that. Show was over I was bombarded with Skynyrd questions! It was a nightmare!
One guy I played with, who was far better than me and that made me nervous, said to me...
IT'S JUST MUSIC. Very calming words. Don't take it too seriously.
No matter how good they are, talented musicians just want to play with other people. Music alone isn't as fun!
Dear Bass players; avoid guitar players (it's always guitar players) who say, 'you don't need to know whether the chord you're playing over is major or minor, etc.'...they don't know or understand music much less respect the bass instruments.
I always kind of laugh when a guitarist tells me when chords are minor or major, I say "I'm a bass player" lol. But the fact is I usually know what they are already based on where they are in the chord progression. If I'm not sure what I should be doing, or think he may be playing a chord wrong (happens a lot and I'm usually right), then I'll ask "Is that major or minor?"
@@tacomadc If one is a bass player and not playing chords, they're not a bass player. Chords, arpeggios and scales are really all the same thing, separated only temporally.
Any decent bassist must know chords!
Some of the best Musicians I've ever played with had day jobs. Them having lives outside of the band meant more meaningful and quality practice sessions. We also preferred not to have full band practices. Sometimes it was just vocal harmonizing practices. The idea that practice has to be constant full band full gear full volume is not very productive
I think this was tongue in cheek.
You left out the dude who immediately starts checking out the name on your headstock… “My eyes are up here, buddy.”
LMAO
ha aha ha
I don’t play with too many people anymore. I auditioned for these guys who were like 30 years younger than me a few years ago. They were heavy metal dudes and it was really a complete waste of time. When I took out my Strat and plugged into a Fender amp they just looked at me like I was from the nursing home. Oh well.
I'm with you there, pal. after reading some of these comments, I'm so glad I don't play in bands any more. although most of my bad experiences were with agents and club owners rather than other musicians.
Did you not know what style of music they wanted to play? Or do you do metal with a strat and fender?
That's funny! Trying to feel out their tastes on the phone beforehand helps, but there's often a bit of unforeseen gamble with auditions. I showed up with my guitar at a band audition, only to find that the band had, unbeknownst to me, arranged for another guitarist to be auditioning at the same time. The other guitarist also didn't know that ours was going to be a "dueling audition". I told myself to relax, to play smoothly, and to concentrate on making the original band members sound good. The other guitarist was thrown by the situation, and decided he was going to "flash" a lot, to stand out. But it didn't sound good. I got the gig.
If be nice is a theory that escapes them, you don’t want them in your band. Drama is good for theater, not so much real life.
Yep for sure
As someone who works in theatrical management, drama also is not good in a theatre work-life lol. Turns out being an asshole creates bad environments everywhere
Many years ago (1991) my best friend and I were trying to start a band. Only one left to audition was a singer. Kid comes in and had the look, long hair, slim as a rail, etc. Super nice guy. Comes in with a music stand and lemon water, the whole deal. Poor guy was so off key it was painful. We just let him screech while we played for about an hour and said “We’ll let you know”. Of course we never called him back. Shitty, I know, but I didn’t have the guts to tell him he was horrible.
That’s a pretty common way to say “no”. I don’t see anything wrong with it. If it’s a ‘yes’ there is normally some other good vibes or other clues. If you have to think about it, it’s probably a ‘no’.
I was kind of expecting you to say, “years later, that guy is everywhere calling himself Jack White or Ben Weasel.”
We would sometimes use the ever-reliable, "You're not what we're looking for." You don't have to explain that what you're looking for is someone who can sing in tune.
I once met a guy who handed out cards at an open mic that list him a Rock Legend! It was kinda funny, but then I went home and found out he had a number one hit in the 70’s and toured with Christopher Cross and heavy cats like that. I still have the card on my fridge. Oddly enough he was super mellow yellow.
I am going to get business cards that establish my status as an after-dinner raconteur.
The initial meeting should just be contained to sitting on the floor playing with Panthor and Battle Cat. You judge them on which they choose to play with. If they go for Panthor, then you throw them on the Snake Mountain microphone and see if they can do backup vocals..
This guy is onto something
I dont agree with the chemistry part. I am 52 and been playing "professionally" since 15. When my second band broke up, I went to audition for a new band, the minute I played with my friend Rich it just fit. That band stayed together for 22 years. We were very successful and only stopped because our drummer got a truck driving job and we didnt want to start over again. Since then it has been a little difficult to find another player to mesh with.
I love talking with other guitar players about mods or builds they've done, a guitarist that understands their rig is way easier to work with than a guy that feels it's all magical. It's electrical components guys.
The guy who has great “ideas” to rearrange/rewrite or “make better” your well established song before even learning how to play it in the first place.
Yes!! This happened with a band I was in a few years ago. We were auditioning a new drummer and within literally 15 min he was trying to restructure the arrangements but hadn't fully learned the actual arrangements! I couldn't believe his audacity. Needless to say, in the end it didn't work out.
@@AJ-yi6hg so did you release the song? did it go any big?
Rick Rubin? Lol
My red flag is when a guitarist takes their guitar out of the case, and they haven't trimmed their strings. This tells me either they do everything last minute, they are so disorganized that they can't keep up with something as simple as wire cutters, or they will be a moocher that wants everyone in the band to provide everything for them all the time. Beware of guitarists that don't trim their strings.
I thought that was people trying to imitate famous guitarists that left their strings uncut.
Orrrr they change strings often and just whipped some on before practice so they'd have quality tone. I change my strings once a week at least and prefer to cut the extra but it doesn't always happen, for whateve reason
If you're that petty, that's reason enough to not call YOU back. Lord knows what irrelevant things you'd have a problem with
@@minorcek Good point. Like they always say, don't point at someone because there's four fingers pointing back at you. I just don't like crazy strings waving all over the place. That could put an eye out. Lol!
The player with a huge pedalboard who is messing with them constantly at the first jam. Immediate red flag.
#7 stood out to me because the the first band I was in was started by our lead guitarist so it was "his" band lol (we were in high school and all were friends) but, every chick this guy went out with was supposedly a talented vocalist. Only problem was none of them could actually sing. I guess it would have been OK since none of us could really play that well either though lol.
Absolutely with you on the "only listens to this one thing" angle... as musicians and especially as creative musicians making our own music, we grow and ultimately put our own stamp on our music by incorporating our own favourite bits of the music we hear, and the more different sorts of music we allow ourselves to be exposed to the better we get at creating the things we want to make.
I fell into this with multiple bands only due to immense study of them. But I took the time playing together to focus on us not to just copy what I was working on alone .
Usually a red flag for me is all the guys who come out saying what you should or should not do. Like dude, you should turn your volume down to here and play, or you should use a Tele instead of a Ibanez. Or the best one I heard is I should buy pro tools for the band, since I have the money, instead of buying a new guitar.
But some of my red flags truly are
1. Drug users? Especially meth, and alcohol. Every dipshit wanted to be David Lee Roth and sing, "I forgot the fucking words". 🤦🏻♂
2. The other is, hey man, can I use your guitar and amp. I had to put mine in hock.
3. Dude, I'll be in your band, you're awesome! But I need a place to live, can I stay with you?
4. Dude, I need to you come pick me up and my gear up. I don't have a car.
5. My mom,....
AND your last point by the way is total hogwash... without a working income... how do you expect most people to have equipment?.. inheritances...?.. gifts from their folks..?.. I've been in plenty of gigging bands over the years.. where everyone worked.. but the ONE thing that DID destroy a band.. was having musician(s).. who worked the night shift.. and especially Saturday nights...
If I ever came across a musician where his life was working nights... I could not get serious about a band with them.. maybe only a garage or neighborhood party band.. just for fun..
The stories in the comments are as fun, painful, and hard won as the points explained in the video. Stay in the groove, friends. Peace and good vibes to all.
I am going to bring my cheap squire strat with chinese humbuckers and my crate amp. also a pedal board beyond my ability to use it. I waved at Eddie Van Halen at a concert. I am a terrible guitarist, but am practicing occasionally when no one can hear it. :)
Perfect! Candor and honesty! I'll bet you sound good or at least competent. Look,anyone with a sense of humor about themselves has some clue. I'd listen to you play. Keep at it, it'll be good!
That reminds me of me! I never waved at EVH though, so you're probably better than me.
#2 "I built my own guitar"
Haha I felt personally OFFENDED ;)
Im proud of my new build (from scratch wood blanks!) but I would never pretend its a competition against established custom shops
ruclips.net/video/5FMfYaX7RtM/видео.html
But it stays in tune, plays nice and lets me do everything I need on stage. Love it! :)
Ya man. All my guitars are either homemade or completely redone cheapos.
ha ha cool comment. wish I had the skill and place to build my own bitchen guitar. ha ha cool subject
I didn’t quite understand their comment on that point. What’s the problem if a guy or gal bought Warmoth parts and put together a guitar exactly how they like? I’m just a drummer so what do I know. 🤷♂️
@@68fmj51 Buying expensive parts alone does not make a good guitar.
@@dakistle I didn’t say that it did, it’s all about the skill of the builder.
A musician being a guitarist is a red flag in itself.
Haa!! Good point!🤣🤣🤣🤣
Burn!!! But, so true. 😂
I always liked the “I used to be awesome, but I haven’t played in years” But can’t remember basic chords now.
Happened to me for medical reasons.
I'm seriously looking forward to movie reviews. Or books. Or games. Whatever. You two nerding out is just good vibes.
Maybe you don't think about it, but this silly video meant 10k people went out into the world today a little happier than they would have otherwise. That matters.
I’m a drummer and I buy Godin guitars and Garnet amps. No one thinks I’m cool. I save money and sound great.
I have a guitar, no job and haven't played with anyone. Unfortunately I also have no talent..
My whole band is red flags. 😅😅🤣
I was auditioning other guitarists and one guy who was older told me he lost his license and would need me to give him a ride to practice every week and loan him a guitar and amp. and on top of that he was calling me twice a day and every day and would not take the hint.
There's like a thousand pro level players on the planet though, everyone wants to think of themselves as professional players but cmon guys....not even YOU are professional players lol
I’ve got gigs I didn’t deserve just by following these rules. Also thumbs up to Casino movie reviews, good stuff looking forward to it
I've always let my playing do the talking.
“Bill Bellamy” made me laugh. I know you meant Matt Bellamy.
I don’t think I’ve done any of these things on initial meetings, but I cringed for a few.
Enjoy the adhd of these videos, keep up the good work.🤘🏼😂
I build my own guitars because nobody else builds what I want. I'm sure I could get fender custom shop to do it and it would be better than mine, but I also could afford a new truck or a bathroom remodel for how much that costs. Sucks being poor 🤣
As a Norwegian dude i just got to say, Norwegian childrens music can be quite good! “Sjørøverne kommer” by kaptein sabeltann (Captain sabertooth) is a pirate song about collecting treasure (so you can be lazy for the next 100 years), and aside from the fact that it’s sung by a Norwegian theatre character, the song is filled with blues licks and accordion goodness.
It’s one of those things where they put actual effort into it so that it’s interesting to listen to for the parents as well as the children
I didn’t expect to write a short essay about Norwegian children’s pirate music when I clicked on this video, but here we are!
This is why we invented the internet
@@joncollins7129 high praise!
It's the only thing I listen to.. 🤣
Can confirm all of these I let one of my band mates borrow my PRS SE that I had just put new McCarty pickups in you can't even buy them anymore and I never saw that guitar again I miss it so much. I'll even add one when the guitar players girlfriend or wife talks for him and says something like "I just want to make sure you guys are a good fit and you're not going to let him down I don't want to see him get hurt again"
Man that sucks, I love those pickups, sorry about your PRS!
1980's NYC humor, What do you call a guitar player without a girlfriend? Homeless.
Damn, I built quite a few guitars, the only reason I ever started playing guitar is because I was fixing guitars for broke musician friends and figured I should be able to tune the thing, then I read about intonation and figured that out, then learned a few chords, ya know, just to be better at fixing them, then fixed a couple of broken headstocks, then made a guitar body for a dude who's girl found out he was a dog and threw his guitar down the stairs at him,
Before I knew it I was playing drums in a band, and all the time I was getting hooked on guitar, it sorta creept up on me till I was a guitarist. And I'd still build a Telecaster if the wife wouldn't kill me, because apparently I have enough guitars. 😂
You forgot the biggest red flag: dudes who have a RUclips channel.
I’ve found that when a great player doesn’t have the instrument they need to play, they’re probably going through a rough patch due to personal problems. Some players might be worth it, but it might be better to wait until they get out of that situation, whatever it is.
One of the Guitar players of Thin Lizzy (Scott Gorham) auditioned with a cheap LP copy, because he could'nt afford a better instrument at that time. They liked his playing, so he got the job. So, there might be circumstances in your life, that even great players can't afford the equipment they need.
Pulls out a homemade tele and plays a nice part and you go "Nice, what model Tele is that?" "aw, something I just thru together"
Thats how its supposed to work.
I played in a number of struggling bands back in the day and needless to way, we all had day jobs. There was no surviving on just the money from gigs. In many bands, everyone was either very accomplished or had formal musical training on their instrument. I auditioned guitar players several times and hated it. You make good points though.
The anyone can play drums thing is definitely not true. I know a lot of people who cant even keep a simple 1/4 beat.🤷♂️ although it is easier to get than guitar it's a lot more work.
I did jam with these 2 clowns around 1974... and they were into Skynyrd one asked to borrow my Fender Blender... I used to use it on Foghat tunes.. a week later I went by to see them.. and they had cleared out of their apartment... never seen them since... LESSON LEARNED... have never loaned anything since then..!
You didn't mention the worst - the guy you are playing with for the first time in your 10x12 basement room and he has a Twin turned up to 6 and has no idea he's playing too loud.
I was in a band once where we auditioning drummers and the drummer insisted we come to his house for his tryout.
my favorite was the guy who was a great guitar player but " Mine has a broken neck- can I borrow yours?" so I loan him my Fender to use and he goes off on it how the "pickups are trash"....
I wonder if the Drummer didn't want to haul is stuff for the audition.
@@JohnStefaniFI uh,,, you think?
Was it Dahmer?
@@sheedog7242 Maybe 😂 If we would have we’d probably be buried in the basement.
The band I was in (many years ago) needed a second guitarist that could also solo. Auditioned several and none seemed the right fit. Then comes along this guy one day and he brought his girlfriend. He was OK, but there wasn't any real magic. A week later this guy's now ex-girlfriend (who came to the audition with him) calls and wants to audition for the band. We said 'why not' got nothing to lose. Rachel shows up with a 1960's Marshall stack and a 100% original 1958 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Lights up on the guitar and we knew in a second we had our guitarist. 12 years later me and Rachel and the rest of the band said goodbye. For some reason at this point in my life I find myself thinking about her more than ever....
When they said "gear-dropping" my first throught was they mean literally someone accidentally dropping what they're holding on the floor, and my head immediately played a dramatic scene of myself dropping a capo and being banished from the world of music forever 😂
I'll preface by saying I'm not a pro musician.
Avoid any musician who dresses like "a rock star" in everyday life. Even real 'rockstars wear normal clothes when they're off duty.
You should do a 'Band Red Flags - Don't Join/Time To Leave This Band' video.
Love these guys! So true! But it could all still work. Follow your instincts. Let rock and roll happen 🎸✌🏼❤️
I've never seen a guy that built GREAT guitars that could play all that well......
I've kicked around with jam band situations and playing with just anyone that has a guitar in our small area... But when the bunch of us who grew up together get together and play - damn .. ! the room just seems to explode. Even if there are just two or three of us at a time.
you should check out Bill Comins at Comins Guitars. Builds great guitars and the guy is a real musician
@@bobrich1950 i will do that... ! thanks for the tip
I've played with an excellent guitarist who also made great guitars and another one who built some fantastic effect pedals. But there never flaunted it. And those are of course expections to the rule. Building good instruments and playing them take two completely different skill sets and very few people have the talent for both.
@@tessjuel Your last sentence was spot on... that's pretty much what i was saying/meaning to say.... 👍
Interesting observation; not sure one skill has anything at all to do with the other, building and playing. I built the bass I wanted 20 years ago. It's the best instrument I've ever owned, looks incredible, plays great, sounds great, and I still have it.
I just kicked myself out based on this video.
I’ve seen another type wayyyyy too many times.
11.- The very nice guy that secretly don’t want to be a part of the band, he just want a band to play his songs. So, nicely gain trust on the members over time and suddenly BAM! he starts to treat everyone in the band like they were he’s support band on his undercover solo project.
I play in a for fun project that is more Alt/Grunge and my originals are way more R&B, the guy who organized the project is super nice and says I can play my stuff with the project, but I really don't like telling everyone exactly how I want an original to sound when it's outside the normal band music. They like it but I don't feel comfortable lol.
Ugh, mind fvck.
Had a drummer show up with just sticks. 😂Literally said, “I can prove my skills by playing on this table”. Proceeded to play the worst air drums ever. I was amazed, never had that happen before and I couldn’t believe I was actually listening to him dent my coffee table.
I asked him what was up and he said his wife sold his drums to buy airline tickets to a funeral, he was saving to get a new set soon.
😳
No call back on that guy.
😂 I swear you made that up. Too ridiculous to be true 😂
@@Banzo_ sadly it actually happened 😂
My son vomited on my tools (set of screwdrivers and other random tools) and now 20 years later they still smell like rotten milk. How is this even possible lol
Here’s a drummer red flag-never let a drummer in your band who says “I can’t play in that key.”
ha ha
@@QBRX 🥁🥁
I played with a drummer who needed us to mike a metronome to stay in time.
@@got2kittys Sounds like he picked the wrong instrument.
@@got2kittys like using a click track in a studio..hope it wasn’t audible to the audience!!
I had a rich friend who always asked what I paid for stuff, drove me nuts.
I do miss him though.
How much do you miss him?
I play lead ukulele in a ska, funk, death metal band that jents. And that's all I play. 🥴
Ha hA AHA ha!! rolling laughter over here
@@michaelweinman9051 we're huge in Malta
These guys would have sent Ed Van Halen packing cause of his home made guitar. "Yea, nice kid, we got a guy with a "Whole" guitar coming later, so buh bye"
Red flag: guys who sit down and make a video about red flag musicians.
Let people be people. This entire list is just a list of different peoples personalities and flaws. Who cares if this guys wife is a singer. Or if this guy built his own guitar. Or if he said he played with Buddy Guy. Let your decision be made by the chemistry during the jam. Sometimes things don’t work out. Stop trying to write a book about life.
No way! I watched the seinfeld episode where they find out Jerry changes his pant size on his jeans just today! Crazy!
Just a quick thought on the "What's you most expensive guitar, dude?" question. If you see a guy with a $13,000 Benedetto, you may safely assume he makes more money than you.
I refuse to play with husband wife combos of any sort...and name dropping is chronic in SW Florida. Husband and wife duos are a cancer and only lead to playing what the wife wants which is usually candy ass crap. Also there are some truly gifted players here but they are "un yielding" and its a no go they always never work with anyone.
Baxter on Grindr, you knew it had to happen😂🎉
Here's my list of band members to avoid.
1. Doesn't have the time to practice and learn songs. 3 months later they don't know the songs. It took you until the next practice.
2. Start arguments over changing the way a PA is setup, because a member did the math and research to setup everything properly. "I've always done it this way and it worked". Meanwhile the PA is overheating and risking blowing something up.
3. Skips practice to watch sports.
4. A drummer who plays rock music like it's jazz, softly.
5. Guitarists who are inconsistent players.
6. Guitarists who never change strings, don't tune properly.
7. Guitar players who sit down and play as if they are bored and are looking at their iPad.
8. Musicians offended that another person in the band is better than they are rather than wanting to learn from that person.
9. Drummers who claim they are "technical" when they suck.
And a drunk ass singer
Do t agree I’m a Van Halen fan and made some of my own guitars I like them but if u have a taste I respect it u can like whatever brand u want and that’s fine, there’s nothing I can do if I got good at luthiering my own gear and like how it plays and sounds I can’t make u like my gear
Oh my goodness I'd a bass player come over with no base and he was playing a song incorrectly and I said what are you playing there and he says number 5 What the h*** is number 5
two musicians that made me run for the hills. 1. the drummer said I couldn't keep time and kept criticizing my playing. I told the sound man to play back the recorded session to see who was off beat. It turned out to be the drummer. the tape doesn't lie. He got indignant and left the band. My timing was perfect. Lesson learned: the guy who is always right and never wrong is going to be a problem. 2. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER be in a band with someone who has financial troubles. Guess who he's going to sponge off of or plain rip you off. 3. Any musician who is an alcoholic or has a drug problem is going to be a problem. I've played with some of the finest musicians in the country, but most were either drug addicts or alcoholics. ALWAYS a losing combination no matter how talented they are.
First or second rehearsal, constant noodling between songs while you're trying to work stuff out with your members. Bad at rehearsal, worse on the gig.
Can you play "Your Body is a Wonderland?" That is my favorite John Mayer song. I want to learn that song for my wife. I never get the time to practice because I am always watching this RUclips channel
I look forward to your movie reviews which will no doubt include frequent, lengthy tangents on guitar gear. Lol.
ha ha aha
If your homeboy isn't telling you how your jacket cuts your shoulders, you in the wrong crew
another big red flag 'you don't look right for the bands image' or anything that involves using the way you look as an excuse not to hear you play, I've had this a few times, they wouldn't even let me play and show them what I'm capable of, ridiculous...
About the guy who has a job..."And Harry doesn't mind, if he doesn't, make the scene, He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright", and he's a sultan of swing.
My wife is my Manager, maybe she can manage your band I’m trying out for.
Kingfish is average bluesplayer just like Mayer. PLEASE STOP IT
Guitarist? HAH! What about NARC singers? DOESN'T get any worse!
2 jaded guitar store guys...