Of course if you have a "showcase" kind of gig you wouldn't do that but what about letting others (that you know are good musicians) sit in at a local bar/club date. The reason i ask is...last night at my gig i was taliking to another guitarist from back East (Deleware!) and he's like, "you actualy let guys sit in with you?" I said sure we do....why not? and we left it at that. Today i'm thinking is it really OK? We haven't had any "bad" players yet and our crowd (which changes every week!!!!!) seems to enjoy it too so i'm asking any of you guys if you do that once in a while or not. Personaly, i'd be honored if a band asked me to sit in....my problem is playing a right handed guitar upside down!!??!! But i sit in on drums with other bands when they ask...i'm a lefty but i play right handed drum kits..i just don't cross over with my right hand...i play the hi hat with my left hand! Anyway.....my first "poll".

The TakeOffs
"Kauai's Only All-Instrumental Surf Band"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-TakeOffs/312866840587

We often have people we know sit in, if they are at the show.

Last night, all of Urban Surf Kings sat in with 9th Wave. Mike Rosado & I were on guitars, Sandy "Oceana" played tambourine, Fred played dums, Spunky (USK) played cowbell and tambourine, and both bass players (Negative Ed & Crash) plugged into the same bass amp. It was a blast, and the audience loved it!

Rev

Canadian Surf

http://www.urbansurfkings.com/

JakeDobner
I think it is perfectly acceptable. However, as with everything, there is a right way to go about it. Try to avoid any 'jam' sessions live. While a jam session can be a blast, it is not ideal for those at gig.

Not necessarilly true, Jake. Not ideal for MOST of those at a gig... maybe(?). I happen to like jams, surprises and spontaneous stuff. When the sparks fly, to me there is almost nothing better. If is crashes and burns... so what, it's just a jam.

We get a fair number of people sitting in at shows in the Bay Area, and I'm 100% for it.

Bob

Bob

I think it's fine if you know the calibre of the sitter in. Unfortunately, there's a whole host of otherwise quite sensible people out there who are blissfully unaware of their absolute incompetence at singing or playing an instrument ..

http://www.myspace.com/thepashuns

Youth and enthusiasm are no match for age and treachery.

estreet wrote..."Unfortunately, there's a whole host of otherwise quite sensible people out there who are blissfully unaware of their absolute incompetence at singing or playing an instrument .."
Yeah, i think we've all been duped once or twice by folks like that...."hey, my girlfriend plays drums...can she sit in with you guys?" NO!! If someone out of the blue comes up like that then no, we don't let anybody play with us.
In the TakeOffs it's usualy another surf guy who's coming over on vacation and i'm the one asking if they WANT to sit in with us....most do and some don't....i bring an extra amp and one of the other guys will bring a righty guitar if i ask them to. It's kinda special to us because we don't ever get to see another surf band play 'live' and it's interesting to hear how other players interpret(sp?) some of those "classics". So it's an educational thing for us sometimes..if that makes sense. We're certainly not a "jam" band. I do play with other groups who encourage people from the audience to come up and "jam" but The TO's are doing 2 minute songs for the most part and you gotta know 'em or we're all shot!!! haha!
I list all of our tunes on our MySpace blog and i direct potential players to go there and pick out a few. Actually, no one has come up to the TO's and asked to play out of the blue...i doubt we would let anybody do that unless it was, you know, someone like Paul Johnson or Danny Snyder or Jake!!!!!!!

The TakeOffs
"Kauai's Only All-Instrumental Surf Band"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-TakeOffs/312866840587

I on the other hand would be honored. And it's not an impossibility, but it may be a few years.

Danny Snyder

"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

Playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

Formerly a guitarist in The TomorrowMen and Meshugga Beach Party

Latest surf project - Now That's What I Call SURF

That is because Danny does not have musical downs syndrome like I have. I'm a decent guitarist, but I'm such a poor musician.

We had a sax player join us on Sleepwalk once. He didn't know what time signature the song was in... And he wasn't very good. Does anybody here know how much I hate sax?

JakeDobner
That is because Danny does not have musical downs syndrome like I have. I'm a decent guitarist, but I'm such a poor musician.

We had a sax player join us on Sleepwalk once. He didn't know what time signature the song was in... And he wasn't very good. Does anybody here know how much I hate sax?

I had wiped that from my memory. He also just kind of came up on stage and started playing without our consent if I remember correctly. I don't think any of us were happy about it.

-Eric

New music!
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Jeff (Big Tiki Dude) sat in with us one night at the Doll Hut for a few numbers. It was a low key affair. At first I was a little apprehensive because we had never done anything like that, but it turned out to be fun for everyone. That said, I might never do it again unless it was Jeff. Too many variables.

I think this sort of thing is done more in surf because there are so many standards that everyone knows. Blues and jazz guys sit in all the time. Maybe polka musicians do also?

SSIV

zak

LHR
Blues and jazz guys sit in all the time.

The ones that are half-decent are able improvisers. Surf musicians, for the most part, are not.

Yes, this seems obvious. You have a point, there.

SSIV