Podcast 058: Sitting in with a Band
August 21, 2014

058: Sitting In With A Band

I’ve played close to a thousand gigs and have probably seen 2,000 shows and the one thing that irks me the worst is people’s etiquette when sitting in with a  band. Worst of all, what people don’t realize is that many gigs have come out of sitting in.  It’s a real-time audition whether you know it or not and could have some very positive (or negative) effects on your career.  Keith Carlock got the Steely Dan gig because guys from the band sat in with Keith’s band in NYC.  JR Robinson got the Chaka Khan gig the same way (You can hear the story, in JR’s own words HERE) and the list goes on and on.  Always remember that when your’e sitting in with a band, you never know who’s listening and who’s in the club, so don’t blow it. Trust me, I’ve seen it all: From a drummer refusing to leave the bandstand and another who literally could not string more than 2 notes together (yes, literally.  It sounded like tennis shoes in the dryer) to two guitar players almost fist fighting right on stage.  Needless to say, there is an art to sitting in with a band and there are many unwritten rules that go along with it.

In this podcast I cover, what I think, are the top tips for sitting in with a band, including the respectful way to approach it, how many songs t play, how to play, what to say and a whole  lot more.  Check it out and get yourself prepared so that the next time you’re sitting in with a  band, you’re doing it like a pro!

“The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr. (Tweet this)