Is it possible to have a successful covers band that doesn't play Mustang Sally?

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='lojo' post='1130821' date='Feb 17 2011, 12:04 PM']Sex on fire is the new Mustang Sally[/quote]

Perhaps I'm narrow minded, but I can't really see 'Sex on fire' still being played in 40 years time.

[LiamPodmore]

My band never have played anything like Mustang Sally and stuff like that, probably because we have a much younger audience (15-20) so those kinds of songs don't work well. We do do Country Roads occasionally, and also used to play Highway To Hell, but in terms of the usual cover band songs, those are the closest we do. We also have originals we throw out there too.

Liam

[icastle]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1131396' date='Feb 17 2011, 06:49 PM']Perhaps I'm narrow minded, but I can't really see 'Sex on fire' still being played in 40 years time.[/quote]


Dunno about that, it does seem to drag on quite a bit...

[thepurpleblob]

I'm sure "Mustang Sally" is a metaphor for all those standards but, unlike a lot of them, it's far from a dead easy song to play - not if you want to make a proper job of it anyway.

I'd rather play that than stuff by some miserable, unimaginative rock band (my current covers hate - Stereophonics and Greenday - but you know what I mean)

Edited February 17, 2011 by thepurpleblob

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='4000' post='1130955' date='Feb 17 2011, 05:11 AM']The thing is, how many popular songs are there out there? How many that could potentially go down a storm? Hundreds of thousands? So why do many cover bands have a set list 99% the same as each other? I personally suspect this perception is perpetuated by cover bands themselves, not punters.[/quote]
I think you're right. It's so easy to say no we don't do kings of leon and just move on. At least in my world it is. Weddings are a bit different but just playing for drinkers it should be easy enough.

I do think many cover bands I see play it too safe and are unwilling to take chances and develop the skill to entertain people without playing sure things.

[Vibrating G String]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1131097' date='Feb 17 2011, 06:46 AM']What other bands chose to do is up to them..but being much of a muchness can mean you are popular----ish from day one, but then
people go off you as they hear the set so often.[/quote]
Doing the common cover thing also puts a cap on how well you can do. You can only go so far if you can be easily replaced by any of a number of other bands doing the same thing. Like you say it's very easy with covers to get to a quick level of success, but then you're topped out pretty quick too.

[crez5150]

[quote name='Vibrating G String' post='1131761' date='Feb 18 2011, 01:11 AM']Doing the common cover thing also puts a cap on how well you can do. You can only go so far if you can be easily replaced by any of a number of other bands doing the same thing. Like you say it's very easy with covers to get to a quick level of success, but then you're topped out pretty quick too.[/quote]

Not really... but I guess it depends on what your view of success is...... be that packing out the pub, or winning the contact to do all the entertainment work for a large corporation.....

[Phil Starr]

Bands have a choice here surely. Form a tribute band if you want to make money and pick up bookings, because everyone knows what they are getting. Play all the old favourite covers if you want regular work and an instant audience reaction and become a genre band if you want something in between.

At the other end of the scale you can keep your integrity, be creative and play originals but there is no ready made market or audience and you risk struggling for gigs money and audience reaction. We've decided as a band to play covers but to choose the songs we like playing and do best and take the hit in terms of pay. We don't do weddings/parties unless someone particularly wants us because we aren't a dance band.

My worry is that with a limited range of instant recognition songs and a lack of imagination from promoters and bands we are going down a blind alleyway. Pub band down here means mainly 70's/80's rock covers with a bit of more modern guitar music chucked in. If you don't like this or the genre band (blues,punk/ska etc.) then you don't go to the pub when there is a band on. Pubs are closing down or stopping music due to a lack of punters but no-one is offering the range of music which might draw in new audiences. It's as if every restaurant in the country decided that as Chicken Tikka (Mustang Sally)is our favourite food and they were all only serving curry from now on.

We need to be more outward looking if we want a vibrant live music scene. There's nothing wrong with Mustang Sally, it is the folk music of our times, nostalgic and comfortable but it is a bit sad to see a bunch of musicians born in the 80's only playing songs written before they were born.

[JTUK]

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131791' date='Feb 18 2011, 07:06 AM']Not really... but I guess it depends on what your view of success is...... be that packing out the pub, or winning the contact to do all the entertainment work for a large corporation.....[/quote]

Everyone knows that to do decent function work, you have to make the effort if that is what you want/have to do.
Also, function work is so easy... line up the songs, play them reasonably well and you can't fail.
If an event fails, it is more likely marketing rather than the band..but that does assume the band can play, of course.
I can see why an events organiser would want to use the same bands as they need to know that the band can cut it at every level.. but why a corporation would want the same, hmmmm not sure.... same band, same sort of clientelle, it smalcks of someone no wanting the hassle of knowing the bands they book... so pass it over to an decent and trusted agent

Around here, resonable functions bands can get £1000 for the night, with not much more than a dressed up dancey pub set...and not much longer either. the more sorted ones, by quite some way, will talk about £1600 plus..
Getting it all the time, is less easy. For that, you'll have to be prepared to travel a lot.

Personally, if I do function work, the first question is always how much..?? but I don't want to do it very often.
It seems the market has kind of settled, and there are tiers of payments.
£200 is startup money in a decent pub...£280 is a good drawing band..and £350 is the same in a BIG pub.
£350 is mate's rates for a pub set party. £500 is an normal pub set function and £1000 is for a decent event for 2 plus hrs.

[crez5150]

[quote name='JTUK' post='1131810' date='Feb 18 2011, 07:56 AM']Everyone knows that to do decent function work, you have to make the effort if that is what you want/have to do.
Also, function work is so easy... line up the songs, play them reasonably well and you can't fail.
If an event fails, it is more likely marketing rather than the band..but that does assume the band can play, of course.
I can see why an events organiser would want to use the same bands as they need to know that the band can cut it at every level.. but why a corporation would want the same, hmmmm not sure.... same band, same sort of clientelle, it smalcks of someone no wanting the hassle of knowing the bands they book... so pass it over to an decent and trusted agent

Around here, resonable functions bands can get £1000 for the night, with not much more than a dressed up dancey pub set...and not much longer either. the more sorted ones, by quite some way, will talk about £1600 plus..
Getting it all the time, is less easy. For that, you'll have to be prepared to travel a lot.

Personally, if I do function work, the first question is always how much..?? but I don't want to do it very often.
It seems the market has kind of settled, and there are tiers of payments.
£200 is startup money in a decent pub...£280 is a good drawing band..and £350 is the same in a BIG pub.
£350 is mate's rates for a pub set party. £500 is an normal pub set function and £1000 is for a decent event for 2 plus hrs.[/quote]

I wouldn't say it was easy at all.... but there are tiers of different functions.... Alot of the Corporate work we pick up is because we go the extra mile where other bands don't or agencies can't be arsed..... Agencies are a complete waste of time IMO. In 5 years of the current function band I'm with we have had 4 bookings through agents and all were absolute nightmare.

It's not the fact that corporations cannot be arsed with the hassel, most of the people I work with are very much on your case for the engagements. It's more the point that they know they are getting what they pay for, they know that we turn up when asked and provide everything they need to have a successful function/product launch/lick off meeting... whatever it is. They don't want the local pub band turning up at half past six in the evening and carrying all their equipment through a crowded room of dinner guests.

Why do you think that the market has settled??

[JTUK]

[quote name='Phil Starr' post='1131809' date='Feb 18 2011, 07:56 AM']Bands have a choice here surely. Form a tribute band if you want to make money and pick up bookings, because everyone knows what they are getting. Play all the old favourite covers if you want regular work and an instant audience reaction and become a genre band if you want something in between.

At the other end of the scale you can keep your integrity, be creative and play originals but there is no ready made market or audience and you risk struggling for gigs money and audience reaction. We've decided as a band to play covers but to choose the songs we like playing and do best and take the hit in terms of pay. We don't do weddings/parties unless someone particularly wants us because we aren't a dance band.

My worry is that with a limited range of instant recognition songs and a lack of imagination from promoters and bands we are going down a blind alleyway. Pub band down here means mainly 70's/80's rock covers with a bit of more modern guitar music chucked in. If you don't like this or the genre band (blues,punk/ska etc.) then you don't go to the pub when there is a band on. Pubs are closing down or stopping music due to a lack of punters but no-one is offering the range of music which might draw in new audiences. It's as if every restaurant in the country decided that as Chicken Tikka (Mustang Sally)is our favourite food and they were all only serving curry from now on.

We need to be more outward looking if we want a vibrant live music scene. There's nothing wrong with Mustang Sally, it is the folk music of our times, nostalgic and comfortable but it is a bit sad to see a bunch of musicians born in the 80's only playing songs written before they were born.[/quote]

Yes.. I was out with Beedster last night and we went to a local pub where the brewery sponsors the music, IIRC Incidently, this brewery is very active generally musically and will be opening a music venue soon ......and we have the opening night spot...
but they are a big help to music venues as they sponsor/encourage their stable of pubs. so credit to them there.

The band last night was a standard blues band with a twist..all good players .. and the evening worked well.
The local scene here is indeed dominated by 70/80's rock acts but that is the limitations of the bands or their outlook, IMV.
3 or 4 piece bands are limited in what they can cover sound-wise and that is before you even get to play. There are some very good 4 piece bands that do well enough to pull people in but it can't help a pub that is struggling if you get the same band set most music nights.

When I am touting for gigs, I am always asked what we play... I generally cite the more popular names, Weller, Pretenders, Talking Heads, The Who...etc
but those names alone are normally enough to get us a date. At first, I thought it was standard fare, but having been a lot more active of the circuit lately in taking an interest in GETTING the gigs..rather than let someone else do it all...and getting out and seeing other bands, I am struck by the sameness of the genre and numbers being played..

I think this firmly an issue for the bands.. and I would say, if you want to stand out..then play a stand-out set..in every respect.

[JTUK]

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131826' date='Feb 18 2011, 08:35 AM']I wouldn't say it was easy at all.... but there are tiers of different functions.... Alot of the Corporate work we pick up is because we go the extra mile where other bands don't or agencies can't be arsed..... Agencies are a complete waste of time IMO. In 5 years of the current function band I'm with we have had 4 bookings through agents and all were absolute nightmare.

It's not the fact that corporations cannot be arsed with the hassel, most of the people I work with are very much on your case for the engagements. It's more the point that they know they are getting what they pay for, they know that we turn up when asked and provide everything they need to have a successful function/product launch/lick off meeting... whatever it is. They don't want the local pub band turning up at half past six in the evening and carrying all their equipment through a crowded room of dinner guests.

Why do you think that the market has settled??[/quote]


I say it is easy to do function work but accept that can be a glib remark as I don't go out of my way to get them.
When they come in, we made a distinct decision to do them ONLY if the money or gig was right.
We don't even have a function set as such and are not interested in getting one. The only one who is is the drumemr but then he brings so few gigs in anyway, we tend to do them if they sound like a good night for us. We only do weddings for freinds.
I am sure there are bands who want them more than we do and they are welcome to them, personally.

When I say hassle, you are talking about a company booker who may not really knew their music so from that respect I can understand why they would go with something that works and has been successful in the past.


Yes..agents...ha ha !! I always want them to turn up and pay me..just so they can see what they may have lumbered us with..
but again, don't use them anymore.

As for bands turning up at the wrong time..that is just basic...
First questions you should ask when booked for a function.
Where, what time, dress code and how much for how long...

I say the market has settled as those prices I have given are the most easy to obtain once you have listened to the enquiry in the first instance.
As there are so many new venues cropping up...only just replacing older ones that have died off, mainly, it is often that we will have to help out the organiser...get them bands and point them in the right direction.
Have had to do this for a few places and one of them last year was a very successful beer festival and they really do things well, but they don't know about the music side at all...things like hiring in a PA and lights...stage, power supply...etc etc even the names of a few decent bands.

Last night, a few of the musos in the pub agreed that the area is really quite vibrant for music...so not all bad..far from it.

[icastle]

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131826' date='Feb 18 2011, 08:35 AM']I wouldn't say it was easy at all.... but there are tiers of different functions.... Alot of the Corporate work we pick up is because we go the extra mile where other bands don't or agencies can't be arsed..... Agencies are a complete waste of time IMO. In 5 years of the current function band I'm with we have had 4 bookings through agents and all were absolute nightmare.[/quote]

+1
We used to work through an agency but had 3 bookings over the space of couple of months that were an absolute farce.
1) We weren't told a wedding gig had been cancelled due to family bereavement, travelled 40 miles to setup and then discovered the agency had been told about the cancellation two weks beforehand.
2) Wrong hotel name provided and nobody to ask back at the agency as it was a Saturday. Had to ring around all the local hotels to track gig down.
3) Two bookings by the agency on same night at same time - bit of a naff mistake but made even worse by the agency ignoring the fact that we told them we couldn't do two venues at the same time two weeks beforehand.

[quote name='crez5150' post='1131826' date='Feb 18 2011, 08:35 AM']It's not the fact that corporations cannot be arsed with the hassel, most of the people I work with are very much on your case for the engagements. It's more the point that they know they are getting what they pay for, they know that we turn up when asked and provide everything they need to have a successful function/product launch/lick off meeting... whatever it is. They don't want the local pub band turning up at half past six in the evening and carrying all their equipment through a crowded room of dinner guests.[/quote]

+1
We try and get into the venue as early as we possibly can - we have a booking tomorrow night from 9pm - we've got access to the room from 10am.
Means we can get everything setup and soundchecked, have plenty of time to iron out any technical 'glitches' and get to know the hotel staff - you never know if you're going to need a last minute favour!

[4000]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='1131568' date='Feb 17 2011, 09:13 PM']I'm sure "Mustang Sally" is a metaphor for all those standards but, unlike a lot of them, it's far from a dead easy song to play - not if you want to make a proper job of it anyway.

I'd rather play that than stuff by some miserable, unimaginative rock band (my current covers hate - Stereophonics and Greenday - but you know what I mean)[/quote]

If you [i]like[/i] playing Mustang Sally et al then I don't see a problem; for you it's a win/win. The issue many of us have is we [i]don't[/i] like playing it.

Personally I'd sooner play something by a "miserable unimaginative rockband" as it's more what I'm interested in. Most blues, Soul (discounting JB of course), R&B, etc just doesn't really interest me from a playing perspective. Everybody's tastes differ. There doesn't have to be something wrong with a band for you not to like them.

Edited February 18, 2011 by 4000

[farmer61]

[quote name='jezzaboy' post='1130057' date='Feb 16 2011, 06:55 PM']Re Mustang Sally: we play it mabye every 2nd gig but only if it`s a few tasty girls doing the backing vocals on it. No girls, no Mustang. Shallow and a bit sexist but honest. The girls love it and so do we.[/quote]
Haha and us. We have it in the locker just in case but never on the prepped set list. Variety is the key, we sometimes play Peaches by Presidents of the USA to blank looks and other times everyone's rocking??

[4000]

By far the most successful cover I ever played (and I have played the occasional well-known one, including dancy stuff) was You Got It by Mudhoney, back in the 90s. It never failed to ignite the place, regardless of audience. Ironically most poeple had never heard of it and thought it was one of ours. Which goes to show something I guess...

[ben604]

[quote name='farmer61' post='1132146' date='Feb 18 2011, 01:03 PM']Haha and us. We have it in the locker just in case but never on the prepped set list. Variety is the key, we sometimes play Peaches by Presidents of the USA to blank looks and other times everyone's rocking??[/quote]

We play Lump and find that about 3 people REALLY love that we played it, but the rest look on bewildered! Who cares, we have fun, money's in the pocket and we mostly get asked back.

[ironside1966]

You don’t have to play the same old standards but you need to know your target audience. Try to get the “what a great song I have not herd this for a long time” appeal
To run a successful cover band you need to treat as a business it is relatively easy to get the odd gig but if you are looking at 15 gigs a month things get a little more difficult.

[dave_bass5]

We play Sally at all our gigs. I dont mind the song, it goes down well and yes, we sometimes have girls get up and sing backing. The main reason we do it is our drummer sings it, so this gives the singer a break.
To be honest i dont ever recall us getting asked to play it at gigs, its just something we started doing because other bands were doing it and we saw the reaction they got.

I think there was a a big change in the covers scene, certainly down her in london, after the Commitments film came out in 1991. You couldn't go and see a west end/nightclub covers band without hearing Midnight hour, Sally, Hard to handle etc.

[BottomE]

Here are the first few songs from one of our cover sets:

The Meters - Cissy Strut
Curtis Mayfield - Move on Up
Incognito - Always There

We won't go near Mustang Sally or any of the Commitments/Blues Brothers stuff. Loads of bands do it. Whats the point in being like all the other bands?

[Truckstop]

I've never heard a cover band do The Police. Which is a shame. I'd love to hear Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic or Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da live.

Truckstop

[crez5150]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1132417' date='Feb 18 2011, 04:24 PM']I've never heard a cover band do The Police. Which is a shame. I'd love to hear Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic or Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da live.

Truckstop[/quote]

We used to do Synchronicity 2..... hard bloody song to sing

[icastle]

[quote name='Truckstop' post='1132417' date='Feb 18 2011, 04:24 PM']I've never heard a cover band do The Police. Which is a shame. I'd love to hear Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic or Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da live.[/quote]

Yep - I've never heard anyone doing a Police cover either, which is odd as they were a big part of 80s/90s music.
We're working on Message in a Bottle and Every Little Thing at the moment.

[4000]

[quote name='icastle' post='1132433' date='Feb 18 2011, 04:44 PM']Yep - I've never heard anyone doing a Police cover either, which is odd as they were a big part of 80s/90s music.
We're working on Message in a Bottle and Every Little Thing at the moment. [/quote]

We're also working on Message & Can't Stand Losing......I'm surprised to hear that people don't play the Police (except for the key - and possibly drummer - issues). I don't think anyone round here does but that's not saying much.

[4000]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='1132333' date='Feb 18 2011, 03:19 PM']I think there was a a big change in the covers scene, certainly down her in london, after the Commitments film came out in 1991. You couldn't go and see a west end/nightclub covers band without hearing Midnight hour, Sally, Hard to handle etc.[/quote]


Nail, head.