‘So many think that because they can sing in the car, they’ve got what it takes’ : Rock Bands Wary of Discord in Search for New Members

The next candidate staggered in for his evening audition. He carried a drink, and an attitude.

“Oh, I can play everything,” he boasted to the trio from Headlines, an Encino-based rock band searching for a lead vocalist. “Springsteen, Seger, whatever. My voice doesn’t get tired.”

The Headlines shook their heads. The candidate, a 29-year-old musician from Arleta, had forgotten to bring his song sheets. He mumbled his words. He looked like a mess. The band said thanks for coming, and told him they had other appointments.

They lied.

“I knew right away he wasn’t right for us,” said lead guitarist Larry Rosenfeld. “I just wanted to send him on his way.”

Next.

There are a lot of nexts for San Fernando Valley bands. The hunt for that missing musical ingredient--vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player--is often a painful and unsatisfying ritual. Inevitably, musicians drop out of bands or are kicked out. But whether they aspire to conquer the world or merely have fun and pick up some change, most bands must make the search.

They also must ask the usual questions:

Is the new person talented enough? Does he or she play our music? Will he or she come on time to all rehearsals? Will the musician’s ego disrupt the group’s hard-earned harmony?

“You’re looking for a marriage,” said Leyton Collins, 27, manager of Inside Out, a Van Nuys band. The wrong partner could wreck everything.

“But if you want to be on top, you can’t have anyone holding you back. You never see any bands make it with someone out of place,” said Travis Larkin, 19, Inside Out’s bass guitarist.

Inside Out has been turned upside down a lot.

Last month, both the band’s singer and keyboardist were cut loose after two years. The singer’s voice didn’t develop. The keyboard player had a lazy attitude, band members said.

To fill the void, the band immediately advertised in the Recycler, the bible for would-be musical superstars. Available at most convenience stores, the paper is a matchmaker of sorts, running ads from individual musicians and bands. Several hundred ads are listed in each issue.

Yet the ads also cause much aggravation.

“Ninety-five percent of the time,” Collins said, “the people who call us are idiots. You can tell instantly they’re unprepared and unprofessional. So many think that because they can sing in the car, they’ve got what it takes.”

As often as possible, bands try to screen the applicants over the phone. By asking routine questions about musical influences, rehearsal schedules and band experiences, they hope to avoid pointless in-person interviews.

It doesn’t always work.

“It’s amazing how much they lie to you,” Collins said. “They’ll tell you they have long hair, but then they’ll come in with a crew cut.”

Those are the ones that show up. Valley bands constantly complain about the applicants who miss their appointments and never even call to cancel. They call it “freaking out,” and in almost all cases, the musician has automatically botched any chance to make the band. Because, they reason, if the person can’t make a simple interview, he can’t be counted on to attend regular rehearsals.

If the candidate gets past the phone call, he then meets with the whole band. It’s often more of an interrogation than an interview.

“It’s a lot of pressure,” said John Corkren, 21, of North Hollywood, who is looking for a lead vocalist job. “I’m somewhat shy when I first meet people, and I don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to say too little, and I don’t want to say too much.”

Aspiring vocalist Dukane Storm, 25, of Santa Monica, used to feel the same anxiety. Then, he realized that pressure can go both ways.

“Now, when I audition,” Storm said, “I feel like I’m interviewing them as well. So they’re not in the driver’s seat.”

Yet, even before popping questions, many bands instantly judge whether the applicant’s physical appearance fits their desired image. Inside Out is strict about looks. They’re young--ages 19 and 20--and handsome. They want to keep it that way.

“There’s so much competition that if you don’t look good, you won’t make it to the first step,” Collins said. “Even if the guy were an outstanding singer, but he was 5 feet and 300 pounds, his talent wouldn’t be enough.”

Plus, the band members point out, an unattractive singer, who essentially fronts the band, wouldn’t serve as good bait for their target audience--girls.

“Good-looking singers bring in girls. And then guys come into clubs to watch the girls who are watching the guys. It all snowballs,” Collins said.

For the same reason, Inside Out’s members shy away from newcomers who are “romantically committed.” They openly pry into a candidate’s social life. They see it as a possible distraction that would keep the member from rehearsing, and worry that their female fans wouldn’t approve.

“Once the girls in the audience know the guy is committed,” Collins said, “it may turn them off from attending the show. It could destroy their fantasies.”

This emphasis on attractiveness amuses Hollywood record executives, who insist that good songs, not sex appeal, produce recording contracts.

“Yes, looks can help. We’re in the media age,” said Bob Skoro, vice president of artists and recording for Polygram Records in Burbank. “But it has nothing to do with getting you a deal. That isn’t going to happen here.”

Furthermore, as Bryan Huttenhower of A & M Records in Hollywood explained, searching for the perfect image can go too far.

“A lot of L.A. rock bands overdo it,” Huttenhower said. “They look real pretentious by overdoing the long hair. They all want to look like Bon Jovi, and they don’t look very natural.”

If the applicant survives the image test, the next step is the music quiz. Inside Out, heavily influenced by groups like Boston and Journey, labels itself as “melodic rock with an edge.” They don’t want someone who prefers slow ballads.

Next, if the candidate passes the music test, demo tapes are usually exchanged. The band hears a sample of the artist’s work, and vice-versa. Then, if both parties are satisfied, a formal audition is set up. That’s where the musician makes his most important impression.

“A lot of guys sounds great on the tape,” Winter said, “and then in the auditions, they’re completely different. They can only perform in the studio.”

But even the right looks, the right musical sensibilities, and the right skills may not be enough. The musician must have the right agenda.

For the Headlines, that means someone who takes music seriously yet harbors no illusions about imminent stardom. The band plays the wedding and party circuit, as well as a few Westside and Valley clubs. They specialize in covers of late 1960s and early ‘70s hit singles.

“The idea of making it big went away a long time ago,” said Kurt Winter, 38, the band’s bass guitarist. “We’re looking for someone who isn’t looking to make a sole living at playing music. That requires too much time and would put pressure on everyone else. Still, we don’t want to embarrass ourselves. We still want to be professional.”

Inside Out wants to be famous. Band members practice at least 18 hours a week, and have day jobs or go to school. They’ve played at Madame Wong’s West in Santa Monica and the Whisky a Go-Go in West Hollywood.

“There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to be a rock ‘n’ roll star,” said Travis Larkin, the band’s guitarist, “but that kind of person’s not for us. We want a nice, secure living in the music business, to see the world and record.”

Hidden Angel of Canoga Park sees fame as a foregone conclusion. “It’s only a matter of time,” said its creator and lead guitarist and songwriter, Kelly Burke, 22, who lives in Canoga Park.

First, though, they need a bass guitarist. So they checked out the ads in the Recycler, and called Scott Duncan, 24, of Glendale. Duncan immediately drove over for his interview. A few days later, he jammed with the band for a few hours. Everything clicked. Burke asked him to join the band. He said Duncan quickly grasped the band’s hard-driving sound and connected perfectly with the other members.

The Headlines’ Rosenfeld calls it a “musical communication.” When that happens, Rosenfeld said, the band has probably found its new member.

“I’m talking about someone who can talk to you with a simple glance of the eye or tilting of the head so you know whether to go to a bridge or end the song,” he said. “Someone who can talk without talking.”

During a recent audition with the Headlines, Matt Krivec, 26, of Burbank, generated that reaction. The Headlines were excited, and decided to invite him back for future rehearsal sessions. But like Hidden Angel’s Duncan, who is on probation, Krivec has a long way to go before he’s permanently accepted by the band.

“After auditioning a lot of people, we had this one vocalist for about eight weeks who turned out to have an ego problem,” Winter said. “He came in with a list of 250 songs and felt we weren’t learning them fast enough. So you have to realize every new member is on temporary hold.”

That sounds like a familiar position to many Valley musicians. Moving to Los Angeles for the lively club scene and proximity to high-level record executives, they had dreams of quickly joining hot bands and making it big. Many, like John Corkren, arrived with bands already in place, only to break up shortly afterwards and have to start over.

“My guitarist went Hollywood,” said Corkren, who came to California with a band from Boston. “He started losing interest in the band and cared more about being a superstar with the girls.”

On his own again, Corkren has found it difficult to find the right band. He’s had numerous auditions, but something has always gotten in the way.

“Even though you’re in L.A., if you’re picky like me, it’s very tough to find a new band. There are so many things that have to go right,” he said.

For vocalist Storm, who has auditioned for at least 20 bands, the frustrating search has made him pursue a solo singing career.

Yet, Valley band members agree, it’s probably more difficult for a female vocalist. Inside Out’s members doubt the chemistry would be right with a female singer. They also think it would be difficult to locate a “unique female voice,” someone who doesn’t sound like Pat Benatar.

“We’re not opposed to a female vocalist,” said Collins, “but we wonder if she would be able to put up with our male humor. Would she feel out of place? We see each other a lot, and how we get along is crucial.”

Duncan, the Hidden Angel tryout, was also skeptical about joining a band with a female vocalist--Gina Jacques, 23, of Newbury Park--but changed his mind after the first jam session. “She has a tremendous voice.”

As musicians go from one audition to another, the bands know they shouldn’t let the selection process linger too long. Inside Out, for example, has talked to 25 applicants over several weeks, and none of them have made it past the interview.

Bands want to be patient enough to select someone likely to stay on board for at least several years, yet they don’t want to take so long that it derails their ambitions. The more time they take to interview and audition someone, the less they have to practice and polish their material.

“You have to be picky,” said Headlines’ Rosenfeld. “Otherwise, you’ll just waste more time auditioning all over again.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Another candidate for the Headlines. Would it be someone who would fill the void, or would it be another clunker with an attitude?

“Come on in,” Rosenfeld said. “Tell us about yourself.”