How good do you need to be to work in a cover band?

[Cantdosleepy]

Hey gang. I live in London and could do with a little extra money. I'm toying with the idea of thinking of joining a cover band, to improve my live chops and make a few quid on the side.

I have two questions, really:

1) How good do you need to be to get into one

2) Is it worth doing, from a financial point of view? I'm not talking about thousands of pounds a night - if I could come away from a gig with fifty quid in my pocket every time that would be smashing. Are those the big leagues? I've got good enough equipment, I reckon.

Cheers!

(apologies in advance if this comes off as staggeringly naive...)

[lukeward2004]

From my own experiences, I spent 5 years playing in originals bands and working on getting a good handle on the bass, developing my ear and theory etc before I decided to bite the bullet and join a covers band.

I didnt think I would get much benefit from it but as you learn other peoples songs, you are essentially giving yourself ideas for your own playing and Im having loads of fun with my covers band, despite not actually writing anything.

The Benefits:

- Playing every weekend means your live chops improve quickly
- Pub gigs, in my experience, pay between £150 - £350 a night, for 2 x 45 min sets (so £50 a night is possible)
- Weddings and corporate functions are harder to get but can pay very well - anywhere from £1000 upwards
- You are constantly learning songs and developing your ear
- You get paid for playing bass
- You meet loads of people!

The Downsides:

- You can quite easily get screwed by agents
- You need to market yourself properly for the bigger, well paid gigs
- You need to invest in a good website and demo of yourselves
- You have to make sure that the music you play caters for the audience

My best advice would be to just throw yourself at it and see where the experience takes you - you dont need to be a virtuoso to play any gig but you need to be a tight band and an entertaining band to get the well paid gigs.

[Muppet]

to add

You need to be able to dedicate a reasonable amount of time to it - some covers bands are gigging every weekend more or less and that, together with regular rehearsals if you are adding to your set, can take a fair chunk of your free time.

You need to be prepared to play songs you may not like, if audiences like them. Conversely, playing a set of all the songs you like might not get you the rebooking..

It can take well over a year of playing the little places for crap money untill word of mouth sees you moving to bigger and better things.

I wouldn't rely on making a load of extra money, after catering for travelling expenses ans servicing etc of equipment. Unless you're doing corporate stuff then in my experience it's just a bit more than beer money. If you're in financial difficulties (not that you are) then it's not going to get you out of it.

Saying that - it's good fun and learning covers (if you learn them well) can really broaden your skillset.

Steve

[tauzero]

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='115018' date='Jan 6 2008, 09:43 PM']1) How good do you need to be to get into one[/quote]

Competent. Unless you're doing stuff with very complex basslines, but there aren't that many songs like that around. Bluff your way through the ones you're not that familiar with, there's only half a dozen bass lines in the world that people will notice you're playing wrong.

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='115018' date='Jan 6 2008, 09:43 PM']2) Is it worth doing, from a financial point of view? I'm not talking about thousands of pounds a night - if I could come away from a gig with fifty quid in my pocket every time that would be smashing. Are those the big leagues? I've got good enough equipment, I reckon.[/quote]

On the club circuit in the Midlands, we're on about £200 for a 4.5 piece.

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='tauzero' post='115040' date='Jan 6 2008, 10:07 PM']On the club circuit in the Midlands, we're on about £200 for a 4.5 piece.[/quote]
A 4.5 piece?? Is one of your members only half-human (the guitarist?)? Or just less than reliable?

[Thunderthumbs]

I've mainly played in covers bands for the past 20+ years.

To add to the above, I think my bass playing technically may have suffered, in that I got into a habit of not taking my bass home and practicing because we were working regularly, then rehearsing once a week inbetween gigs too. Prior to joining my first band, I used to practice for around 3-4 hours a night.

On the plus side, and maybe counter-arguing my own point above, I also have a good range of styles because of the variation of songs I've played over those years.

You will also encounter some of the most difficult crowds depending on what circuit you do. I played working mens clubs, etc. for years, and they treat you as just their entertainment for the night. This is because they go in the same club every week and you just happen to be there. They haven't come especially to see you. But it can be a good grounding, as you learn gradually how to please difficult crowds.

At the end of the day, you are there to entertain them, regardless of what you think of their tastes in music etc. So you sometimes have to chuck your personal preferences musically out of the window, and play songs you may not be overly keen on. Ultimately, if you have a great night by doing the odd bit of "cheese", that's got to be better than having a crap night because you're just playing what you love.

The band I'm in at the moment have only been together a few years, and they hadn't much experience of doing covers when I joined them. They were originally doing their own material and started doing some covers to pay for studio time, but the money got regular, and therefore they stuck at doing covers. I've been with the band nearly two years now, and we're now starting to reap the benefits of a lot of hard work over those two years. You have to constantly review your songs, and the order in which you play them. You have to learn what works and what doesn't, and bin the stuff that doesn't work no matter how much you like playing them.

The great thing is, I've now got three great mates, and we're out playing live on a regular basis....not just rehearsing. And we're getting paid for what we love doing.

Just go for it. You've nothing to lose by doing that. If it's not right for you, you'll know. If the band's not right for you, just move on.

[tonybassplayer]

I'm certainly not the best bass player in the world ( probably not even the best in my street ) but I get by and love it. We play from Abba to Hendrix and even the more cheesy songs are enjoyable when you have 50 people on the dance floor dancing to them.

We play Do You Love Me ( from Dirty Dancing ) as our last song and it gets everyone up dancing and guarantees an encore.

We do not play anything that is too musically demanding so it can become a little stale but like I said earlier it feels pretty damn good when there is a full dance floor.

[markytbass]

I have just started out with a covers band and we have been going to open mic evenings just to try stuff out infront of an audience. Alright we are not getting paid at the mo but it is putting our name around.

[spinynorman]

If it's money you're after, I'd have thought either a wedding/function band or a tribute band. Depending who you're a tribute to, you might be able to get away with not being that good.

[blamelouis]

If you want to go down that road, learn motown !
95% of people want to dance and good covers bands who work a lot .......GROOVE !

Also Chic is handy to know ,cos your 1 will be DOWN !
I played in covers bands for years and we were getting £80 a man 5-6 nights a week,really good dough and if the other guys in the band are good lads it can be a great time.
Just remember ALWAYS practice ,have a bass at home practice the complete opposite of what you are playing nightly and dont get in a rut.

It's so easy to leave your bass in the van and watch "trisha" while eating breakfast at three o'clock in the afternooon!

You have been warned.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='115018' date='Jan 6 2008, 09:43 PM']1) How good do you need to be to get into one[/quote]
Competent but not blisteringly amazing, I'd say. You'll need to be a quick learner of stuff but also realise how to make the basslines work in a band situation rather than playing everything straight off the record. If you're already used to playing in a band, you'll have a head start.

[quote name='Cantdosleepy' post='115018' date='Jan 6 2008, 09:43 PM']2) Is it worth doing, from a financial point of view? I'm not talking about thousands of pounds a night - if I could come away from a gig with fifty quid in my pocket every time that would be smashing. Are those the big leagues? I've got good enough equipment, I reckon.[/quote]
If it's for a bit of pocket money, then yes. It's a hobby that pays for itself. If you're looking to make a living out of the money (ie pay the bills) it's a bit depressing. Joining a really busy function band would prob be the only way you'd do it. Remember, you'll have overheads to cover (transport, new strings, new gear, clothes, etc etc). £50 a night won't cover that!

Edited January 7, 2008 by stingrayfan

[EdwardHimself]

In terms of being able to play as with any good band, it's not about what you can play really, just how well you can do it, i'd rather see somebody play a FOB song really well on the bass then see somebody screw up a jaco song or something like that.

[queenofthedepths]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='115309' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:30 AM']In terms of being able to play as with any good band, it's not about what you can play really, just how well you can do it, i'd rather see somebody play a FOB song really well on the bass then see somebody screw up a jaco song or something like that.[/quote]
Ugh, I don't think I would! Still, fair point

[bremen]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='115282' date='Jan 7 2008, 10:50 AM']It's a hobby that pays for itself[/quote]

hoho - looking at your gear list it looks like you're getting some well-paid gigs!

Agreed that covers are great for making you learn other styles, and coping with stroppy audiences. I couldn't wait to quit and do original stuff after a couple of years of cheese though.

Anyone playing in a tribute band here? looks like fun as you get paid AND get to choose music that you like playing. My mate here (points) plays in a Johnny Cash band and he loves both the music and the effect it has on audiences.

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='bremen' post='115318' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:38 AM']Anyone playing in a tribute band here? looks like fun as you get paid AND get to choose music that you like playing.[/quote]

I don't, but I was talking about one this morning. Some years back, I saw a covers band in Wigan called Magic, and they were a top class covers band at the time. They were all talented musicians, could all sing lead vocals, etc. They covered the sort of songs that most bog standard covers band wouldn't touch.....like a full length version of Bohemian Rhapsody with the full operatic part in the middle, and full length ELO/Beach Boys covers, etc. with really good harmonies.

They were one of the first bands I knew that really took the tribute thing by the scruff of the neck, and for years now, have been touring solely as a Queen tribute act. They no longer play "clubland", and instead play venues such as the Palace Theatre in Manchester and that sort of place. They must be seriously creaming it in by now.

[stingrayfan]

There's been a rise in the number of [url="http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1283144,00.html"]ultra-modern tribute bands[/url] because the new bands get too big too quickly. I wouldn't mind playing in a Killers tribute band but I'd be bored stiff doing Queen and the like!

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='bremen' post='115318' date='Jan 7 2008, 11:38 AM']Anyone playing in a tribute band here? looks like fun as you get paid AND get to choose music that you like playing. My mate here (points) plays in a Johnny Cash band and he loves both the music and the effect it has on audiences.[/quote]

Are they called Keep it Ca$h, by any chance?

[Thunderthumbs]

[quote name='stingrayfan' post='115345' date='Jan 7 2008, 12:08 PM']There's been a rise in the number of [url="http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1283144,00.html"]ultra-modern tribute bands[/url] because the new bands get too big too quickly. I wouldn't mind playing in a Killers tribute band but I'd be bored stiff doing Queen and the like![/quote]

Yeah me too. We got asked by an agent recently if we'd considered doing a Killers tribute set, just because we had two Killers tracks in our set.

I'd like the idea if we weren't already doing our current setup, but I don't think we'd have the time to combine both at the moment.

[OldGit]

You are talking about joining an existing band and not forming your own new one, I think.
Forming new bands and all the management stuff like gig-getting and marketing etc are different subject ....

But for progressing fast, joing a covers band is a good move especially if you follow the advice above about not getting lazy.

Read this about playing weddings and functions
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=5436&st=0&p=56924&#entry56924"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...amp;#entry56924[/url]
Good money but takes skill (beyond playing skill) and the right attitude to do it well and often.

There's no much money in playing pubs but it's generally enjoyable, if you have a crowd pleasing set
The pub building/staff/booker/chairs/tables are not impressed with Jaco solos if they don't bring in a large number of people ..

Tribute bands get boring too - there are people on this very forum who are part of dormant tribute bands which got bored playing the same 12 hits every gig and having anoraks point out their deviations "from the bassline on the live 1973 recording" etc and now only come out for special occasions.

Working mens' and other clubs are soul destroying gigs so I'd avoid them initially.

So .. go for it and keep practicing the jaco solos ...

[MB1]

[quote name='spinynorman' post='115104' date='Jan 6 2008, 11:48 PM']If it's money you're after, I'd have thought either a wedding/function band or a tribute band. Depending who you're a tribute to, you might be able to get away with not being that good.[/quote]

MB1.

Interesting!........ what tribute bands , might a crap bass player be able to get away with??????

[chris_b]

Anyone can play in a bad covers band, but, in my opinion, you have to be a much better player to make a good covers band work. You have to convincingly cover bass lines from 20 - 30 good songs, recorded by a variety of good bands, played by good players and in many styles. That's a challenge that most original bands don't have, as they can play what they like, "cos that's how we wrote it"!

I don't write but I do play in covers and original bands. There are two differences, in an original band you know the song writer and in a covers band you don't, and in a covers band you have access to far more good songs.

Back to your question, you don't always have to be "good" but, if you're up to it, a covers band will make your playing "match fit" far quicker.

[OldGit]

[quote name='MB1' post='115398' date='Jan 7 2008, 01:14 PM']MB1.

Interesting!........ what tribute bands , might a crap bass player be able to get away with?????? [/quote]

Erasure

Edited January 7, 2008 by OldGit

[MB1]

[quote name='OldGit' post='115406' date='Jan 7 2008, 01:28 PM']Eurasure[/quote]

MB1.

Would that be Erasure?.....The Pet Shop Chaps?...Could this be a hide behind the keyboard player related tribute Scenario?(very dodgy ploy!, in either band id have thought)

[OldGit]

[quote name='MB1' post='115417' date='Jan 7 2008, 01:43 PM']MB1.

Would that be Erasure?.....The Pet Shop Chaps?...Could this be a hide behind the keyboard player related tribute Scenario?(very dodgy ploy!, in either band id have thought) [/quote]

Yeah typo .. no bass player... geddit?

Edited January 7, 2008 by OldGit

[warwickhunt]

How good do you need to be? Competent at least BUT I'd say flexible, imaginative and creative were as important. The thing I like about being in a covers band is that invariably the band you are covering may well have had keyboards/horn section/3 guitars etc and if you keep your band to the bare minimum (more dosh per member) of 4 then it challenges you as a bassist to fill the sound out and be imaginative with what and how you play.

Others may argue and say you have to stay true to the original etc but my approach is take the song and do what you have to, to make it work.

A consideration is commitment! I know people who play in covers bands and it 'is' their day job but they have to work 4/5 nights and having NO weekends off isn't that much fun IMHO. Even if you do it as a weekend warrior every now and again, the whole band has to commit to giving up weekends etc for gigging and you'll lose any credibility if you start canceling gigs because one of you has other band or personal commitments.

It is great fun though and any live playing will be of huge benefit to your playing.