Openings in the Jay Groovara Band
VACANCIES
DRUMMER REQUIRED
FOR THE JAY GROOVARA BAND !
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Hi. It’s a tall order, but we could do with a regular drummer, who’s not in twenty bands already? Plus likes our stuff?
Male or female, preferably with their own drum kit and sticks.
We are based in Southsea, Portsmouth, England, Planet Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy.
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PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING
Sorry but this is quite important: Don’t just message us wanting to play drums. It doesn’t work like that. You are basically applying for a job (but with more fun). Treat it as such. Please read the following:
WHO THE HELL ARE WE ANYWAY?
So I’m Jay, a singer songwriter and guitarist. Together with my bassist Dan, we run a Power Trio Rock Band, that just needs a reliable drummer to re-complete our line up. We’ve done gigs ranging from toilets, to festivals and got a little radio airplay in between, so we are quite experienced in what we do.
MUSICAL STYLE
I guess we are alt-rock? We play mainly original material and improvisations. Our style leans towards: Grunge, Punk, Psychobilly , R&R, Blue Grass, Metal & Folk Rock. We splurge a lot of that into our improvisational aspects, where the audience suggests ideas and we make up songs on the spot. We do a few covers, just to break up the set, (such as Tainted Love) etc but we beef them up with our own style.
INFLUENCES
Musical influences vary but certainly any fans of Nirvana, The Doors (and Star Trek) are welcome. Mainly coz we need to talk about something, when we’re stuck in traffic for hours on end. But it also helps, if we share some common interests? Other influences include The Beatles, Hendrix, Blue Cheer, The Chats, War Paint, Ani Defranco, Jeff Wayne, to name but a few.
PLAYING ABILITY
Our stuff is pretty basic. But we really need a drummer with a lot of flare, to bring the songs to life. Think Dave Grohl. Percussion that will back the guitar / bass parts with some punchy accents and help rock out the sound. If you can sing backing vocals that is a HUGE plus.
LEARNING THE SONGS
Our set is about two hours long. So ideally, we need a quick learner, who doesn’t mind learning to play the existing drummer lines. This might suck and it may feel like you’re in a covers band! But I guess any band you join, will have that same issue, so please listen to our songs and see if its your bag. That said, we’re also up for jamming out new ideas too, so if you have any ideas you wana jam out, then please, don’t be shy, baby.
PRACTICE AVAILABILITY
Before we start spending money on studios: Try to learn our demos in your spare time. When we do practice, please record these sessions and play them back in your spare time, whilst stuck in traffic, waiting for buses or on crappy dates. No really. Learn the songs. I hate having to teach them over and over. It really sucks. Once you’ve learned a bunch, we can rock the world.
BAND REHEARSALS
We usually rehearse as a band, for three hours on Sundays in Southsea (at WRS Studios) and split the cost three ways. Its only a tenner each. Bargain. Plus they supply Tea & Coffee.
IM ONLY IN THIS BAND TIL SOMETHING BETTER COMES ALONG…
Listened to the songs yet? Do you actually like them? Sounds kinda obvious but you would be surprised how many musicians just don’t get that fundamental piece of the jig-saw. How many times have you seen a live band and you could just tell, that the drummer (or whoever) really didn’t wana be there?
If you don’t even like our songs, how do you expect anyone else to? Apathy is the killer. Audiences pick up on that shit. Do your research, check out our stuff. If its not your thing, be honest & don’t apply to join our band. You’ll only get bored and quit and waste your time and ours.
But if you do like our tunes, then great. Because it really will make a difference and the audience will love those vibes.
PAYMENT & GIGS
Your weekends need to be free for gigs. Sometimes we play in the week as well. Our shows are a mixed bag, ranging from pubs, cafes, open mics, festivals and charity events. Some gigs we get paid and others we don’t. So don’t hold your breath on getting paid on a regular basis (hence liking the songs really helps). Besides, we don’t play for the money, although getting paid really helps. So why the hell do we do it then? I have no idea. Check out this documentary,
maybe it will help clarify things.
But when we do get paid, we split the monies equally.
CONTRIBUTION
We’re not asking for much but if you’re really into our music, then we expect you to help share expenses (mainly band practice fees) and help promote the band? It might mean helping us look for paid gigs/opportunities or helping to sell merchandise after the shows. At least share a few Facebook posts and invite some friends to our gigs? That might all sound like a drag. But we’re not a big signed rock group or anything, so we need to share the workload. So don’t be a wuss! Muck in!
DRUGS N DRAMA
Sorry but we’re NOT into that whole Druggie Rock N Roll thing. In fact, most successful bands don’t even drink alcohol. We’re not quite there yet but we’ve had too many issues with former band members (off their tits) or just being drama queens. So please, no Drug-Heads, Drama Queen’s or Alcoholics! Must have own sticks.
THE FINISH LINE
Ok. So if you’ve reached this far, then congrats, you have a brain.
Next step: (If you haven’t already)
Check out our tunes and if you like what you hear, either PM me for details on Facebook or email: jaygroovara@outlook.com
Up for the challenge? Then lets rock!
Cheers
Jay
