Bands you tried to get into (as a member) and failed...

TheBigDipper

This is what I first thought was the question being asked by the other thread (bands you tried to get into). 

Did you ever get a shot at getting into a band we've possibly heard of and not made it? I've got a couple from back in the day when I actually wanted to be a professional musician...

Tubeway Army. When Gary Newman was putting a band together to go on tour, they wanted a guitarist who could also play one-finger keyboards and advertised (somewhat anonymously) in Melody Maker. As a callow youth and rank amateur, I've no idea how I got an audition, but I did. The practice space was in a house behind an anonymous door one street north of Shepherds Bush Green. Inside, Mr. N was sat in the corner with a girl and never said a thing to anyone. Billie Currie ran the audition. I played some guitar parts. He showed me how to play the synth bass on "Down In the Park" and I did that, left and that was that. I was so unsuited to join them as a touring musician and totally unaware how unsuited I was. It wasn't about the playing, but the rest of the package. I knew I was out of my depth before I'd even opened my guitar case. 

Way Of The West. A little later, I auditioned for these guys. At the time, they were still called "Datapanik" and wore their Pere Ubu hearts proudly on their sleeves. We got on well musically and I loved the songs the band leader was writing. After several sessions, they decided they preferred the other guy who was also in the frame and went with him. I was totally gutted. Again, probably just a bit too young and naive at the time. They changed their name to Way Of The West (a Pere Ubu lyric quote), released "Don't Say That's Just For White Boys", got picked up by Peter Powell and went on to have a short but bright career, releasing a few excellent singles before vanishing. I went to see them a few times and still like their work to this day. 

Anyone else?

rico

Guns 'n' Roses...oh wait

EricTheWeary

I know Lesbian with a gun had that disastrous audition with The Darkness...

Saddlepunk

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about Tubeway Army - back in '81 I used to play drums in a band and we used to get Sean Burke,  former Tubeway Army guitarist, to come over with his Tascam 4 track and do our demo-tapes. I think they only did 'Our Friends Electric' with Newman and then he went off to all that fame and fortune on his own.

aord43

I like reading these stories.

However I feel obliged to point out that it's
Are 'Friends' Electric?
and 
Numan.

TheBigDipper

Saddlepunk said:

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about Tubeway Army - back in '81 I used to play drums in a band and we used to get Sean Burke,  former Tubeway Army guitarist, to come over with his Tascam 4 track and do our demo-tapes. I think they only did 'Our Friends Electric' with Newman and then he went off to all that fame and fortune on his own.

I got over it quite quickly. :-) It was when Numan needed a band to promote Replicas.

proggy

TheBigDipper said:

Saddlepunk said:

I wouldn't beat yourself up too much about Tubeway Army - back in '81 I used to play drums in a band and we used to get Sean Burke,  former Tubeway Army guitarist, to come over with his Tascam 4 track and do our demo-tapes. I think they only did 'Our Friends Electric' with Newman and then he went off to all that fame and fortune on his own.

I got over it quite quickly. :-) It was when Numan needed a band to promote Replicas.

I was learning to play bass in the early 80's and the guy teaching me was Gary Numan's bassist. An American called Joe Hubbard, he left Newman after a short while and went on tour with Elkie Brooks.

impmann

I auditioned for a band that *I think* was Dogs D'Amour (the management company were being pretty cagey but the songs definitely were theirs)... I was turned down because I "wasn't sleazy enough".  Fair point, I thought.

Teyeplayer

EricTheWeary said:

I know Lesbian with a gun had that disastrous audition with The Darkness...

I lol’d but this should probably have been a wisdom really.

djspecialist

"Tried to get into as a member"

Am I the only one who sniggered out loud at this?

RobDavies

I tried and failed to get into Sabbat as a second guitarist to Andy Sneap.  

Met up with the band via a lady I knew from Noise Records, got drunk with them at The Cumberland Hotel in London, gave them my demo tape and....




.....never heard anything again.  

vasselmeyer

I auditioned as a touring guitarist for The Inspiral Carpets once in the early 90s as we were using the same rehearsal space in Ashton under Lyne. I told them I couldn't give up my day job but I'd drive to the gigs in the evening. Surprisingly, I never got a call back.