It WAS intimidating, but I viewed it as a lesson in preparedness. That was very early in my full time music career and I truly had no business being there.

Later in life, I was in a really great Motown band that played in any state that touched a Great Lake. We had a standing rotating Sunday night gig at a bar called Cagney's. Some random Sunday I had 2 guys approach me and asked if they could talk to me somewhere quieter. We went to the dressing room. The lead guy told me he was starting a band much like the one I was in. Their bass player had come to see us 3 Sundays in a row, and they could really use me. I stared at him for what I am sure to him must have seemed like an hour before saying "Just so I understand. You are starting a band just like this one. You think you could use me. Could you tell me why you think I would leave a band the plays 4-5 nights a week and 9 shows a week during summer months to join a startup and start at square zero?" And then here's where the topic of auditions comes in. He actually said "Well, if you'd like to audition let me know." And I literally laughed at him and said "Audition? You said you have been scouting me. You came to me to try and steal me from this band, and you think I need to audition? The last 3 Sundays your bass player scouted me and this night when you are here yourself ARE my audition. If anything I would be auditioning YOU to see if your players are good enough to make a stupid move like leaving a band that works as much as we do." And he told me I was arrogant and left. Never saw him again.

That situation was a little different. LOL!!! The one in LA was like a high school football player trying out for an NFL team.