I’ve now had a chance to sub with in a friend’s band a few times. What has been immediately clear is how quickly I picked up their vibe and everyone noticed. It wasn’t missed by the band that I didn’t need to keep asking questions, “how do you start the song, how do you end it” and all the other usual questions about how a song will be covered. It starts with doing the homework. What are the songs? What key are being played in? Is there any deviation from the original? If you have all this, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be prepared. We’ve rehearsed a couple hours before each gig and the interesting part is that they needed to work on some of the songs more than I did. By that, I mean that they weren’t comfortable yet with the songs and that made it even easier for me to play them. If they are not quite there, then I’m most likely at the same level of comfort as them.
After rehearsing the other night, the lead singer and I sat outside chatting. He complimented me on my bass playing skills, adding how easy I made for the band. Wow. And then he said it how feels like I’m part of the family, just coming in for the weekend to visit. They are looking forward to having me there playing. How cool is that?
Subbing gives me the chance to experience how other bands work, how they interact with their audience, how they handle problems during a show, what they do when one of members has a bit too much alcohol and how they treat the person subbing. It’s been a rewarding experience for me. And, like a wrote about in 3 previous posts, it’s allowed me to knock down some walls! Bring on the sub gigs… I’m ready!