Bilbo Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Just thinking about another thread about paying to play and it got me thinking. Do people think that a covers band develops a following or are they just one in a long line of covers bands appearing at the same venues week after week? The only covers bands I have seen in the last few years have been when I have gone to a pub that others take me to because they go here every week. When I used to go regularly as a teenager, the audience in The Isca pub or El Seico's in Newport was near as damn it always the same people. I have no doubt that a tribute band will pull an audience of fans of the subject act but just wondered whether covers bands doing the kinds of set lists we have seen here recently are an attraction in their own right or whether they just fulfil a need by default. Any thoughts? My query is a response to the idea that a covers band would be asked to 'pay to play' on the promise of a percentage of door take and that they would be expected to 'pull' an audience. So I am curious whether punters are selective about which covers bands they see of whether they are going to the 'venue where there is a band on', irrespective of who the band is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matski Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Well, personally I wouldn't make the effort to go and see a covers band specifically - as you yourself stated I only see covers bands when I happen to go someplace where one is playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 IME - yes they can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='crez5150' post='1184411' date='Apr 1 2011, 11:05 AM']IME - yes they can[/quote] +1 We've played gigs for promoters who have put the night on and used us (the covers band) as the crowd pull, and it can work well depending on the venue/time of year/quality of the band. In my limited experience, if you sound good you can get a lot of people walking in off the street who are looking for a bit of live music. With regards to "pay to play" for a covers band, that if far from the experience I've ever had. It's always based on an agreed fee and I wouldn't play a covers gig on any other terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low End Bee Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 There's a couple of covers bands who do the local circuit that both have a small following and will go to whatever pub they're playing in. So I'd say yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3V17C Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) yes, my covers band has regular followers who turn up to see us wherever we play.. which is nice though admittedly we are more specialized than most covers bands and play mainly different songs to the norm, always keep our set fresh with new material and put on a good show. peace c Edited April 1, 2011 by 3V17C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stag Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Im in a covers band and we pull a crowd, in venues that dont usually do bands... if you make it fun and get people dancing and singing you will get a good name and pull a crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matski Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I stand corrected! Please ignore my witterings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor J Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I've never gone to see a cover band, specifically, though I have for originals. The only people I know who've made an effort to see a specific cover band are friends and family of said band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Our cover band pulls an audience i am told by the landlords, promoters etc who book us. We generally play in places with a core audience which is either embellished or diminished depending on the quality of the band. There is one place we play that is always packed (queues at the door all night) and i do wonder if it is because they put on the best local cover bands or if this place might be packed anyway. I don't know. It sells itself as a venue and occasionally puts on some original stuff - Roy Ayers, for example - (amazing act and a nice guy). Most of the time it has cover bands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I know a few covers bands that pull the same crowd wherever they go, and my current covers band also has a fair few people who travel quite some distance some times just to see us. Which is nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 What originals bands that play a lot of covers too? That seems to work very well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 They are expected to pull... most landlords will want you to bring 20 odd people minimum to complement what they already have that night to make it work. One or two of the tougher landlords only give you one date and review it from there...so he is obviously expecting you to shape up. But then again, this is not exclusive to cover bands... The venue needs to sell on the back of the draw...either alcohol or whatever, nobody does it much for artistic reasons. Lets not kid ourselves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRev Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 There are a couple of really good cover bands round these here parts and I would make an effort to go and see them - but I wouldn't pay to see them. One of my bands has a small regular following, but again, we don't charge on the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stag Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 oh yeah, and people specifically do come to see us. We dont take it very seriously and we do tunes that people really should know so they get into it. Playing for the fun of it - something I didnt do for a long time! Its great to knock out a bit of Rush and stuff like that... but the majority of people who go and see a band want to hear stuff they know... (Sweet Home Alabama etc! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 I think it's a bit of both, depending on the bands and venues. there are some venues that will always be pretty busy on their regular "live music" nights. The punters will usually be discerning but appreciative. If a band is poor, it's the band that will tend to get the blame rather than the venue and obviously that band will struggle for another booking! Some bands undoubtedly have a loyal following who will turn up pretty much anywhere to see them. These bands tend not to gig quite so often, as they can't afford to saturate their audience... In most situations though, it's a combination of the two. A new band in a new venue may well be empty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 There are also one or two places that have an audience themselves and people will go there as the landlord has painstakingly accrued the bands he likes and that keeps the standard up..generally. People will go to these places on spec as the bands are known to be good, so will take a chance on unknown/unseen..but they are hard places for bands to get into, of course. But if you do that.... you'll get good expeosure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubs Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='charic' post='1184452' date='Apr 1 2011, 11:22 AM']What originals bands that play a lot of covers too? That seems to work very well[/quote] That's our situation anyway. Kind of ended up falling into it then started getting our name around. We're now starting to get bookings through some fairly good agents in the extended 'South East' region. Seem to get more bookings for covers than original stuff - only difference is that with one type of gig you get paid (sometimes very well), play to an audience that get up and dance and have a really good time, the other type of gig is the opposite and can be a massive pain in the arse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Academy Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='TheRev' post='1184454' date='Apr 1 2011, 11:23 AM']There are a couple of really good cover bands round these here parts and I would make an effort to go and see them - but I wouldn't pay to see them. One of my bands has a small regular following, but again, we don't charge on the door.[/quote] There seems to be a reluctance for people to pay to see cover bands. I remember one of the regular pub venues in Stoke charging two quid after he had always let people in for free, and there was much moaning from the visitors, many of whom walked away in disgust. Personally, I think you should be expected to pay in most cases. All the hard work rehearsing, not to mention buying expensive gear, deserves to be recognised, and a couple of quid wouldn't go amiss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamster Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 As has been said, it's the quality of the band that counts. A trio called Be Sharp [url="http://www.besharp.co.uk/"]http://www.besharp.co.uk/[/url] are some of the best musicians I have ever heard playing in a pub/club setting. They do covers with a couple of originals. They usually pull in a few followers. Same with The Hamsters [url="http://www.thehamsters.co.uk/"]http://www.thehamsters.co.uk/[/url] who very often sell out quite large venues with playing covers. A very large following who travel. As for a tribute band [url="http://www.limehouselizzy.co.uk/"]http://www.limehouselizzy.co.uk/[/url] who do a sell out concert virtually every night - you've got to get in quick to get a chance of a ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 (edited) Our drummer from the old originals band plays in a covers band and they sell out boxing day night in october most years at a fairly large pub if another band did it they would see a drop in ticket sales no doubt about it. They do the usual indie/rock stuff but with extra energy, great singer and a good atmosphere about them. Last year they advertised an ABBA tribute band as support and it turned out to be them in disguise (drag for 2 of them!) but the standard of the music was good and the punters loved it. It took them a lot of practice to learn a whole ABBA set in short time too so you have to appreciate the effort that they had put into it all, Like most things in life you get out what you put in Edited April 1, 2011 by stingrayPete1977 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='Hamster' post='1184502' date='Apr 1 2011, 11:48 AM']As has been said, it's the quality of the band that counts. A trio called Be Sharp [url="http://www.besharp.co.uk/"]http://www.besharp.co.uk/[/url] are some of the best musicians I have ever heard playing in a pub/club setting. They do covers with a couple of originals. They usually pull in a few followers. Same with The Hamsters [url="http://www.thehamsters.co.uk/"]http://www.thehamsters.co.uk/[/url] who very often sell out quite large venues with playing covers. A very large following who travel. As for a tribute band [url="http://www.limehouselizzy.co.uk/"]http://www.limehouselizzy.co.uk/[/url] who do a sell out concert virtually every night - you've got to get in quick to get a chance of a ticket.[/quote] Tribute are a seperate case though as many folk dont seem to care if its the real band or not anymore and for some obviously the artists are dead so thats fair enough. Tribute tickets cost more than the real bands for some of them, Crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 If you're good, you'll get a following. It doesn't matter who wrote the tunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 [quote name='crez5150' post='1184411' date='Apr 1 2011, 11:05 AM']IME - yes they can[/quote] +1 It depends how good you are, the songs you choose to play and the way you present them, but I know several cover bands that can pull an audience. Also, you are asking opinions from the wrong people. Cover bands are aimed at the general public not musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 OR..covers bands are multi faceted trubutes acts..?? If the band is any good...it should all work through unless they are doing something wrong, by which time..the venue will have given up on them anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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