lojo Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Inspired by Bilbos view on most classic songs we cover just wondering what happens to your personal enjoyment of a song once you've gigged it a few times For me, I have sometimes suggested favorites of mine to bands, but somehow after taking them apart and playing them, songs I have loved for years and turned the radio up for become "oh no not again" How does this effect you guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 Its an inevitable consequence of repetition. Music is a mixture of tensions and release and getting the right mix of tension and release is what defines a good piece of music. Most people would say 'Twinkle, Twinke' lacked harmonic, melodic and rhythmic interest but most people would also balk at Even Parker's The Snake Decides (20 minutes of circular breathing on sopranon saxophone with no conventional harmonic or melodic content). Everyone has their own 'levels' which determines what they prefer to listen to and like. But these 'levels' are always changing and more so in musicians who play and listen more than the average punter. So, if we play a cover often, it will usually pale after a while due to the fact that our needs change whilst the tune doesn't. That's why I like jazz. It makes the journey with you. The further out you need to go, the further it will allow you. Doing covers 'accurately' is more of a static thing and fails to move with you into new listening territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 [quote name='lojo' post='1085560' date='Jan 11 2011, 02:49 PM']Inspired by Bilbos view on most classic songs we cover just wondering what happens to your personal enjoyment of a song once you've gigged it a few times For me, I have sometimes suggested favorites of mine to bands, but somehow after taking them apart and playing them, songs I have loved for years and turned the radio up for become "oh no not again" How does this effect you guys[/quote] I know exactly what you're saying - sort of like killing your heroes..the act of playing a song over and over ( and over and over) somehow takes the mystique out of those songs - I can see why some musicians say that they hate the tunes we all expect them to play. I remember seeing Pigbag at the Glasgow Nightmoves club back in 1981 - they weren't going to do "Papas got a brand new Pigbag" - which was why most of the crowd were there. Apparently they were sick to death of doing it!! They did it eventually..Imagine how Ozzy feels about "Paranoid" and "War Pigs"..at least Status Quo get to change the lyrics of their one tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I think if you regularly gig it, it's difficult but if it's a while since you've done the song then hearing it again is a bit like seeing an old friend. Sometimes anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 If you have a short attention span you're in trouble no matter what you do but for me every performance is different. I've played some numbers 100's of times and as long as the guys in the band are good players then there's no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) [quote name='TheGreek' post='1085574' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:05 PM']I remember seeing Pigbag at the Glasgow Nightmoves club back in 1981 - they weren't going to do "Papas got a brand new Pigbag" - which was why most of the crowd were there. Apparently they were sick to death of doing it!! They did it eventually..Imagine how Ozzy feels about "Paranoid" and "War Pigs"..at least Status Quo get to change the lyrics of their one tune [/quote] I agree, but in some ways it annoys me, like when radio stopped doing creep live and moaned about how boring it was doing it over and over again, well most of us in our work have to do the same thing each day for years, its their right to choose not to, if they can still make a living doing other things, but you hope that some sort of humility is displayed towards the punters who made them big and love certain tunes Edited January 11, 2011 by lojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I don't really get bored playing songs I know in a band. The Devil's always in the detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 11, 2011 Author Share Posted January 11, 2011 really get at , not so much about getting bored playing them, but the fact that once you have covered a favorite, you cant sit back at home and enjoy a listen in quite the same way again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlloyd Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 (edited) [quote name='lojo' post='1085601' date='Jan 11 2011, 03:31 PM']I agree, but in some ways it annoys me, like when radio stopped doing creep live and moaned about how boring it was doing it over and over again, well most of us in our work have to do the same thing each day for years, its their right to choose not to, if they can still make a living doing other things, but you hope that some sort of humility is displayed towards the punters who made them big and love certain tunes[/quote] To be fair, they had been playing it for six years, and it was probably getting a bit boring paying royalties to Albert Hammond... It didn't half get a reaction when they played it again at South Park, Oxford in 2001. Edited January 11, 2011 by dlloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaxxyBass Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1085567' date='Jan 11 2011, 02:58 PM'].... That's why I like jazz. It makes the journey with you. The further out you need to go, the further it will allow you. Doing covers 'accurately' is more of a static thing and fails to move with you into new listening territory.[/quote] Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I just love playing music and don't care how often I have to play something. I've found that the songs I enjoy playing live are the ones I would never listen to at home and some songs that I;d like to do live are really boring to play along to and very rtarely do the two cross from playing to listening and vice versa. I never play a song exactly the same twice anyway so every night its different. Not because I get bored with it but just enjoy trying stuff on the spur of the moment Level 42 didn't play Love Games or Mr Pink when I saw them last year and that annoyed the hell out of me as for me they pretty much define Level 42. Cheap Trick never did Ain't That a Shame but the rest of the gig was so amazing that it didn't bother me one bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 For me it goes both ways.There are some songs I play regularly that I still enjoy listening too,and others that I don't. The same way that there are songs that I never liked but after playing them for a bit I get into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 My bands don't do a lot of covers but when we do, they're not replicas of the original, thus still able to enjoy listening to the original songs. I do enjoy playing along to the original songs at home tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 [quote name='Doddy' post='1085816' date='Jan 11 2011, 05:56 PM']For me it goes both ways.There are some songs I play regularly that I still enjoy listening too,and others that I don't. The same way that there are songs that I never liked but after playing them for a bit I get into them.[/quote] Agreed. Many times I've learnt songs I dislike by bands I dislike, but once they've settled into the set and I'm happy with what I'm playing on them, they can become my favourites. I'd never listen to the original again though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted January 11, 2011 Share Posted January 11, 2011 I recently learned Pink Floyd's Money as my misses loves it. She actually doesn't like it any more as it took a while to get it right to the record. Drat....! I should have learned it with the headphones on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Songs go through phases with me. New stuff is normally introduced into the set with the minimum of rehearsal so for the first few outings its sticking to the basics of the song and working on the groove. After a few gigs I get more confident and start to add all the little bits and pieces that you hear on the recording but that are inconsequential to the overall bassline. Then after a while the song is pretty much committed to muscle memory and it becomes an old friend that I dont need to think to play. It only goes wrong when I second guess where my hands want to go. I never get truely bored with any one song, as over the three bands I gig regularly with, there are three almost completely different set lists and rostas, so I probably have about 150'ish songs on rotation hence everything stays pretty fresh. Mind you, I dont think I could go out every weekend and play the same two sets without becoming even slightly bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechFoo Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Bored of playing a cover at gigs? No. Bored of rehearsing it? You betcha But then it comes with the territory I suppose. As for hearing it on the radio,CD, iPod etc. I usually end up thinking about one of the good gigs at which I played it (of which there are few ) Or, if I haven't heard it for a while, it makes me want to pick up the bass and learn it again, which is no bad thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MythSte Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 I rarely play covers so when I do I actually enjoy the songs more - I find I listen more intently when I know I have to play it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted January 18, 2011 Author Share Posted January 18, 2011 [quote name='Blademan_98' post='1086074' date='Jan 11 2011, 08:55 PM']I recently learned Pink Floyd's Money as my misses loves it. She actually doesn't like it any more as it took a while to get it right to the record. Drat....! I should have learned it with the headphones on [/quote] Simple solution then to stop her playing any albums you hate, just practice them for a while Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethfriend Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 Kings of leon - sex on fire, liked it when it first came out but gigged it a few times and now hate it with a passion. Strangely never liked yellow by coldplay until we gigged it but do actually enjoy that one now. guess it depends on the song. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mlucas Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 In my experience whenever I cover a song I love it and it enjoys a honeymoon period of around 2 weeks, then I detest the song for a good month or two then find it average for a few weeks then end up covering it again. Vicious circle! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.