jmstone Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Getting slightly tired of the originals circuit in London, and was thinking of setting up a band to play some 80s/90s Indie, a bit of Beefheart maybe, some Fall.. But my question is - is it possible to get gigs for such a band? Would anyone book us? Would anyone listen!!?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly deluxe Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 The more popular the songs are,the wider the audience ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I was so pleased with the situation in my current covers band. We have a decent set of numbers, mostly well known but not necessarily typical pub fodder. Then a couple of weeks back at rehearsal the guitarist decided that we must do Mustang and Wonderful Tonight. If he suggests Lady in Red, I'm off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Tub Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 A couple of mates who are in a busy pub covers band have this, or a similar, discussion on an all too frequent basis, and it always comes back to the same conclusion: In general, any covers band has got to play what the punters want. And the punters love the standards (Mustang Sally, Sweet Child, Sweet Home, etc.) [u][b]My personal opinion[/b][/u] is that if you play a few of these standards, and play them well, then the audience will remember you. They won't remember your set, and possibly not your name, until they see the flyers up for your next gig and think,"That's the band that was here last month; they were f-ing brilliant when they did Sweet Child O Mine! I'm gonna come back and see 'em again, and bring me mates!" Putting something a bit different into the set is all well and good, and you may all play outstandingly well, but if the punters don't get it, and you don't get a repeat booking, what's the point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 The trouble with this is that everyone thinks they are playing to the same audience when all of us are always playing to several audiences at once, depending on the function. Whenever I see a band covering an endless list of 'must plays' like MS, WT, Dock Of The Bay, Billie Jean etc ad nauseum, it turns me off in an instant and I know that I am not alone. There are always people too young for your set, others too old, more too sophisiticates and some too distracted. If we all play the same material, we will become like TV - homogenised, predictable, mainstream, unchallenging, unstimulating etc etc. Arguably, we are already. I guess the art is to come up with a set of songs that everyone knows and loves but noone else plays. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1129328' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:27 AM']I guess the art is to come up with a set of songs that everyone knows and loves but noone else plays.[/quote] ^^^ this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
razze06 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) What bilbo said is very true. Balance is the keyword here, methinks. I am also turned off by the usual stuff, but I understand the need to please the punters that are eventually ending up paying for your gig. You got to have a certain mix of old and new, cheesy and obscure, so that both you and your punters are happy with the end result. I have found that obscure but up-tempo is usually better received than obscure and slow, especially if performed immediately after some well-know up-tempo number. For example we do Monkey Man immediately after A message to you Rudy. Not everybody is a Maytals/Specials fan, but most will get up and dance for the first on e and stay up for the other. Edited February 16, 2011 by razze06 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1129328' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:27 AM']The trouble with this is that everyone thinks they are playing to the same audience when all of us are always playing to several audiences at once, depending on the function. Whenever I see a band covering an endless list of 'must plays' like MS, WT, Dock Of The Bay, Billie Jean etc ad nauseum, it turns me off in an instant and I know that I am not alone. There are always people too young for your set, others too old, more too sophisiticates and some too distracted. If we all play the same material, we will become like TV - homogenised, predictable, mainstream, unchallenging, unstimulating etc etc. Arguably, we are already. I guess the art is to come up with a set of songs that everyone knows and loves but noone else plays. Good luck.[/quote] My thoughts exactly- it is SOOO boring to play the same old songs day in day out- probably both for audience and band. I think there is room for a bit of creativity but the problem is the average musician is so conservative and really relies upon the "bread and butter" songs. They do not want to do anything new. My thoughts are that is you are doing quality songs well ( whatever they are - within reason ) the audience will appreciate it. Sometimes it will go wrong- sometimes you will be surprised- by the way my band does all the standards- including Mustang and My Girl - been trying unsucessfully to knock these on the head but really they are so popular the audience sort of expect them. 1000s of songs out there to choose from- someone needs to take a risk. If it was my choice I would be doing both Parliament and Lady Gaga in a soul stylee!! Bilbo always hits the nail on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I left a band that wanted to do My Girl.... its naff with knobs on and its on my list of YEEEEEEEUCH !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1129359' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:55 AM']I left a band that wanted to do My Girl.... its naff with knobs on and its on my list of YEEEEEEEUCH !![/quote] Welcome to my world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Yes. Start a pop covers band and play at University venues. The other day, I went to see a Blink-182 cover band at Herts uni SU bar, they were wick and the place was packed! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earbrass Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Hot Tub' post='1129325' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:23 AM']Putting something a bit different into the set is all well and good, and you may all play outstandingly well, but if the punters don't get it, and you don't get a repeat booking, what's the point?[/quote] If you don't enjoy playing the music, what's the point of a repeat booking? (Unless it's just for the money, of course.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 IME to get a good reaction you have to sell your soul a bit and play well known stuff. Have a wide variety too as pigeon holing yourself as a 90's indie band will simply limit your appeal. Look at a site like lemonrock or something then look at the busiest bands. I'm afraid they all do pretty much the same stuff and it's purely because thats what punters want. Bookings will go hand in hand with crowd satisfaction as a happy crowd is a thirsty crowd and that's what the covers game is really all about. I would recommend some modern hits, some classic stuff and something funky and plenty of them so at any point you can pull a run of crowd pleasers out of the bag and whip a drunken audience into a frenzy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1129359' date='Feb 16 2011, 10:55 AM']I left a band that wanted to do My Girl.... its naff with knobs on and its on my list of YEEEEEEEUCH !![/quote] Maybe naff done by most cover bands, but the original Temptations version is sublime. Smokey Robinson's songwriting at it's best, great arrangement and band. Have a listen, you may be surprised how wonderful it is after years of hearing it done to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 If you play it properly My Girl is a very good number! This year I've left one covers band (Mustang Sally etc) for another which is trying to play "better" numbers (Hold Your Head Up/Argent, I Drove All Night/Roy Orbison). Both bands go down well but the Mustang Sally band used to get a better audience reaction! The second band has just added Paranoid and I Can Hear The Grass Grow! I don't like either but the audiences do. Welcome to the world of cover bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 What we did was sit down and look at decades. We found songs that people identify with the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and some up to date covers. We then mix the whole lot up so that a multi age audience has 'something' that they recognise in each set. We have a number of songs that we have rehearsed and don't add to the set - Mustang Sally is one of those. Sometimes it pays to have an ace up your sleeve to appease the expectations of an audience that knows what it wants to hear. We also agree to peform one pre arranged 'request' for high paying performances - particularly useful for 'first dances' at wedding do's. We usually make a quick recording of it in a local studio that we have free access to and present that as a 'keepsake'. Bit cheesy perhaps but it's always well received and gets us plenty of follow on bookings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='icastle' post='1129451' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:50 AM']....We also agree to peform one pre arranged 'request' for high paying performances - particularly useful for 'first dances' at wedding do's. We usually make a quick recording of it in a local studio that we have free access to and present that as a 'keepsake'. Bit cheesy perhaps but it's always well received and gets us plenty of follow on bookings....[/quote] That's not cheesy, that's good PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropzone Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 It is possible but choose your venues wisely. We play slipknot, korn, limp bizkit but we do save it for the second set. We play more palletable stuff in the first set and then wallop them in the second. We only play venues that will accept what we are willing to play. We did the whole playing what the audience wants to hear but that made us just an average pub band. We were no longer happy to sacrifice too much. However we still do a couple of numbers that kill me slowly inside to keep the punters on side, so you have to pay the piper to some extent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbayne Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Thing is, if you dont play it then someone is bound to request it anyway! happens most weeks with me. Unfortunately, we are entertainers and we are in the entertainment business. Nuff said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I admit I haven't played covers for a crust for a long time, but my rock covers outfit in the mid 90s made a point of off-the-wall song choices & "songs you didn't know you knew", and had a successful & busy couple of years. The cheesiest stuff we did was probably Dire Straits (Sultans / Romeo & Juliet), but we did a pretty wide cross-section of 60s - 90s rock & pop/rock - The Who, Floyd, Big Country, Sex Pistols, Sabbath, REM, Green Day - even stuff like Rush & Metallica if we spotted some hairies at the back. We always went down well in a load of different places & always got repeat bookings, so we were obviously doing something right. If/when I I end up doing covers again, I'll take the same approach - I'd have to be paid a lot before I'd do stuff I hated. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperbob 2002 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='casapete' post='1129413' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:32 AM']Maybe naff done by most cover bands, but the original Temptations version is sublime. Smokey Robinson's songwriting at it's best, great arrangement and band. Have a listen, you may be surprised how wonderful it is after years of hearing it done to death.[/quote] Good one Pete- I dont think it is that bad a song but when you have been doing this song for over 30 years it feels a bit like a groundhog day moment! How are you doing anyway?- think you did a do at the Willerby Manor last week- we did the night after you- another black tie do - lots of money in there. The usual suspects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='chris_b' post='1129465' date='Feb 16 2011, 11:57 AM']That's not cheesy, that's good PR.[/quote] Yes. It's not quite so easy to lose as a business card and we certainly get a lot of 'you guys played at my mates sisters wedding two years ago' calls... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3V17C Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I play in a classic rock covers band (Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, Whitesnake etc) and we always try to steer away from all the obvious songs within that field - so definitely no Paranoid, no Smoke on the Water, no Sweet Child o' mine , no Highway to Hell etc - we do however try to pick songs that rock fans will know, so quite often that will be well known album tracks etc. I think as well because we put on a good, energetic live show people enjoy that and get into it even if they're not 100% familiar with the song. peace c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 We also agree to peform one pre arranged 'request' for high paying performances - particularly useful for 'first dances' at wedding do's. We usually make a quick recording of it in a local studio that we have free access to and present that as a 'keepsake'. Bit cheesy perhaps but it's always well received and gets us plenty of follow on bookings... [/quote] Not cheesy its a great idea - well done. Bet you've now started a trend. LOL !!! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 [quote name='Bassassin' post='1129517' date='Feb 16 2011, 12:35 PM']I admit I haven't played covers for a crust for a long time, but my rock covers outfit in the mid 90s made a point of off-the-wall song choices & "songs you didn't know you knew", and had a successful & busy couple of years. The cheesiest stuff we did was probably Dire Straits (Sultans / Romeo & Juliet), but we did a pretty wide cross-section of 60s - 90s rock & pop/rock - The Who, Floyd, Big Country, Sex Pistols, Sabbath, REM, Green Day - even stuff like Rush & Metallica if we spotted some hairies at the back. We always went down well in a load of different places & always got repeat bookings, so we were obviously doing something right. If/when I I end up doing covers again, I'll take the same approach - I'd have to be paid a lot before I'd do stuff I hated. Jon.[/quote] I would pay to see a band doing these covers. If only ??? Normally all club stuff you get these days and I'm not a youngster either. - LOL !!! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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