BottomE Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) As the members of the band are all very busy we have less time to put together new tunes. Current method is to all do as much homework as possible and then try to nail as many songs as possible when we get together. Normally these songs evolve during gigs and after 5 or 6 plays become ok. This method works ok but the songs never really develop into anything spectacular - they are polished and crowd pleasing but not very adventurous. Do you have any approaches/methods that can maximise rehearsal time and create inventive cover songs? Should we bother if the audience are happy with what they are already getting? Edited January 17, 2012 by BottomE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 [size=4]What does spectacular mean in the context of covers bands? [/size] [size=4]Other than picking the right songs, playing them well and right I'm not sure what else you can do, other than become a tribute band.[/size] [size=4]Maybe you need a different genre for "spectacular" music.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The cabaret/pub/function band I dep for never rehearses, we just have an iPhone/iPad app which downloads the setlist from the band leader, and it's turn up and get it right first time - can be tricky when it's "perm any 30 from 75 in a week"! On the other hand, when the originals band need to put a cover together, we learn the notes beforehand, then we kick it around for maybe an hour in rehearsals until we like how we sound playing it. If we don't, it gets binned. Generally, a good song is a good song no matter what the genre - we knocked out a decent version of Mamma Mia recently, which went down well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1326826958' post='1502511'] Generally, a good song is a good song no matter what the genre - we knocked out a decent version of Mamma Mia recently, which went down well. [/quote] Yes, thats a good point. Someone said at a gig recently that the band was very "efficient" It made me think that the songs were predictable. Edited January 17, 2012 by BottomE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulconnolly Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326827894' post='1502525'] Yes, thats a good point. Someone said at a gig recently that the band was very "efficient" It made me think that the songs were predictable. [/quote] Maybe it's the songs and not the band or the way you play them? What kinds of covers band is it? For example take the Classic Rock covers band; everyone plays the standards (e.g. all right now, black night etc...) and so no matter how well they are played there is nothing surprising. So out of all the thousands of classic rocks songs pick some of the less well known "standards". I think this approach can apply to any genre of covers sets. The only thing I can say therefore is to review your set list and inject something less predictable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Certainly, there is a list of songs that everyone has done at some time or another, and generally these are the songs to avoid if you have a musical conscience! Seriously, there are a few songs that my band begrudge playing (Don't stop believing, Sex on Fire) as we know they are done to death. In fact we have had some staff of venues asking if we play Don't stop Believing, and requesting us not to! BUT, they always fill the dance floor. That aside, we try to pick songs that are a bit fresher - if you can call Because the Night by Patti Smith 'fresh'- but it get's comments "no-one does that and I forgot how good it was" etc. I had mentioned in another post that we do 2 versions of Sex on Fire, the other being the ballad take by Sugarland. No one as ever heard it but it gets rapturous applause every night (well..) So I carry on Paul Connolly's point. Your band are 'efficient'? PIck some Earth shaking songs! get on youtube and look at how many hits certain videos have received is one angle to take. Be different Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 [quote name='paulconnolly' timestamp='1326830753' post='1502574'] Maybe it's the songs and not the band or the way you play them? [/quote] Could be. The main criteria when we choose a song is that it is well known to lots of people. The thinking is that this might make the band available to a wider audience. Thing is, when/where do you put songs in the set that are less well known? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Not [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326832641' post='1502625'] Could be. The main criteria when we choose a song is that it is well known to lots of people. The thinking is that this might make the band available to a wider audience. Thing is, when/where do you put songs in the set that are less well known? [/quote] Not at the beginning or end of your first spot.depends how 'less known' the song is, but experiment. if you are confident that you absolutely do the song justice, and the song does YOU justice, try it in the middle of a spot. It may go so well that it becomes your opening number. you can never tell until you try a song. sometimes it seems like a 100% banker and dies on it's arse, then a song that some of you aren't certain about will go great. That's showbiz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulconnolly Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 As [b]leftyhook says[/b] try a few in the middle of the spot. No need to make wholesale changes but just introduce changes gradually. You never know it may only take 2 or 3 songs to make the whole set feel alive again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 We have fun thinking of different genres and then doing the desired song in that way. So Crazy by Gnarls Barkely starts with a Tango and Poker Face has a purdie shuffle. Some we do straight as it were as going nuts all night long turns punters off. However, it can take a bit of time getting all 8 of us up to speed so wood shedding is the only way forward. As the keys and saxes are reading that's not to bad and we also do sectionals, just the vocals and me, or just the drums, guitar and me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fender73 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 we tend to match tunes together in sort of mini-medleys, i.e, we do Shaking All Over into I've Got a Feeling (Black Eyed Peas) into Mama Told Me by The Stereophonics. Works a treat and keeps things interesting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 For a start I put together a group of guys that I thought might work..we jammed a get together and found we would bend classic tunes and it immediately became us. This became the core of what we do in terms of approach. everyone works from the chords and maye a feel that we like in rehearsal. I distinctly wanted us to puruse this as a) it sounded and felt good and we knew it would be different. Competance is a given, IMHO, so it just becomes a question of whether certain songs are 'our' type and fit. I find this can only work if you develop the song within your remit...it will not work if you have minimum time on it..and if you slavishly follow a part. I certainly wanted to avoid the function type approach where you may jam the song on a gig as therefore have to keep it simple and samey. We let other bands do clone rip-offs..and it is to my dismay that we haven't been able to continue our approach lately as we have done more functions and time is short. Certain songs fit what we are trying to do and others don't...it is becoming a battle to keep it on track but as the band is capable enough we want the song to breathe and be our own take.. The downside is how far different audiences will allow us to be...and/or it takes some time to get us..??? We find we fit far better on a bigger stage type gig or festivals rather than pubs but you need to do the latter to get known for the former... When we do pubs we join the motely crew, when we do a stage and ticket gig, we step up a bit.,,and this fits the band far better..plus is more interesting and better paid. There are less gigs though... and round and round we go..!! Some of our versions aren't a million miles away at all... but we need to 'play' the song and get across what we do well, on it. Anything other than a cribbed part is a good start, IMO, for this band but the player will have to have/get that spark and bring it along, and then we have to make it work thereafter What we can find is this though..it takes a lot of time for this to get around..and that is just hard yard legwork. What can get depressing is the money is dependant on the audience turnout..even in pubs as you can't go in with the better prices and not be a draw in some places.,,of course, but then we have some real crap bands do well...somehow and amazingly as they have just worn people down over 10 years. I can't interpret that any other way...truely awful and shouldn't charge, almost....!! We are more a players band, imo... and I am certain we are on the right path... but keeping it and the songs on track takes more effort and time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) We've played loads of covers over the years. But we've never been a cover band. As an original band, we did the odd cover or two of songs that we all just liked, sometimes, but not always because they were well known songs, sometimes they weren't. They always added something to the set though. For me, there's two distinct ways of covering a song. Either as a tribute, which is something we do now, as a Neil Young tribute band (which has evolved from covering NY songs) OR you cover the song in your bands style. In which case, really to do the song justice, you've got to add something to it and put it in a context. I've never got on playing standards or covers though. I always want to rearrange them or change them, or be part of that. But then I do, quite unashamedly play for myself and the band and for enjoyment of playing rather than for what anyone thinks the punters might want to hear. With that in mind, I play covers like they're our own songs. I'm glad there are a LOT of versions of NY songs to play tribute to Edited January 18, 2012 by bigjohn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 The last thing I want to see is the same bands on the circuit do the same songs the same way, ie, stick as close to the record as they can get. I don't want to see the original artist do that..let alone a copy band. All you are then getting is varying degrees of proficiency and then I'm bored pretty quick...yawn..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1326882029' post='1503078'] The last thing I want to see is the same bands on the circuit do the same songs the same way, ie, stick as close to the record as they can get. I don't want to see the original artist do that..let alone a copy band. All you are then getting is varying degrees of proficiency and then I'm bored pretty quick...yawn..!! [/quote] Exactly. I think this is the worry. As we are trying to be efficient there isn't much time for creativity and the songs are pretty much copies of the original. It'd be nice for punters and us if the songs had a little extra to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326884139' post='1503113'] Exactly. I think this is the worry. As we are trying to be efficient there isn't much time for creativity and the songs are pretty much copies of the original. It'd be nice for punters and us if the songs had a little extra to them. [/quote] Agree entirely, but then who is going to do that for £50 a man in pubs...? especially as the better players tend to be busy so therefore get that just for turning up..and then you have to juggle the dates ect ect as they may have beter payers elsewhere. I've spent 2 years on this and now we are arriving at a crossraods.. money is THE issue and the guys can get what we pay them anywhere in pubs dates. We play as a 5..withkeys, the gtr can get £70 starters in a duo.. We might do well at ticketed gigs and get £140 per man... but you can't do that every week. We have to 'stimulate' the guys with a few choices prestigeous type gigs and then they also see the need to tick over in a pub just to hine the set etc ect... but we are comingto a point where it is at odds with itself. We need to not play at pubs too often to make spending £8:00 a ticket a seller but we need the pubs to enhance our fan bass. I've proposed 3 ways of doing this 1) pub set which will be for our amusement..less interest in this from a band POV. 2) Function set..to satisfy that demand ..Interest in the money but set/music can be soul-destroying 3) original and concert set. Appealing but you have to work into this. and venues and economics aren't always helpful especially as you want function type money As this is my main band, I want us to cherry-pick the pubs and also get the money we want. I also want to develop/pursue the type of set and song that the band is good at which takes time in rehearsal plus a concensus on the material and style.. For the time that takes, we might just as well do originals. Plus...and this is quite galling.. for all our effort, we might take months for that to come to fruition at a new venue..when a week later you go there and see the crowd an awful bog standard fare band has pulled... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Putting a few songs that lead straight into the next is a good one - people have often remarked to my covers band that they like the way we do that, without the predictable pause between every song whilst a guitar is (audibly) tuned. Another is good one is, if you play a few songs by one band, and they`re all well-known faves, bunch them together. A band I go to see to that, and for me, it really works having three Jam songs played in a row. Other than that, the only real thing is make sure that you have more songs than you need, tailor them to each venue, rotate them, and don`t be afraid to realise mid gig "hold on, x-type songs aren`t working this eve, drop `em, and do all y-types". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musophilr Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 May I say something? Some might have seen me introducing myself in the introductions dept ... A cover bands I played in had a habit of introducing subtle twists into the songs. Different accents in the rhythm dept, slipping in a few bars of something else between a chorus and the next verse, singing the words a bit different, that sort of thing. We never messed around so much that you couldn't tell what the original song was though. Our drummer had a great sense of humour and he was an avid Frank Zappa fan, both of which helped. We took the view that if punters wanted the original they could stay home and listen to the record, but we were there to do some live entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BottomE Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1326886907' post='1503167'] Plus...and this is quite galling.. for all our effort, we might take months for that to come to fruition at a new venue..when a week later you go there and see the crowd an awful bog standard fare band has pulled... [/quote] Yep, its a complete bummer when that happens . Of course its all subjective ... [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1326887850' post='1503178'] Putting a few songs that lead straight into the next is a good one - people have often remarked to my covers band that they like the way we do that, without the predictable pause between every song whilst a guitar is (audibly) tuned. Another is good one is, if you play a few songs by one band, and they`re all well-known faves, bunch them together. A band I go to see to that, and for me, it really works having three Jam songs played in a row. Other than that, the only real thing is make sure that you have more songs than you need, tailor them to each venue, rotate them, and don`t be afraid to realise mid gig "hold on, x-type songs aren`t working this eve, drop `em, and do all y-types". [/quote] There are a couple of ideas we could try. Thanks. [quote name='musophilr' timestamp='1326887984' post='1503180'] May I say something? Some might have seen me introducing myself in the introductions dept ... A cover bands I played in had a habit of introducing subtle twists into the songs. Different accents in the rhythm dept, slipping in a few bars of something else between a chorus and the next verse, singing the words a bit different, that sort of thing. We never messed around so much that you couldn't tell what the original song was though. Our drummer had a great sense of humour and he was an avid Frank Zappa fan, both of which helped. We took the view that if punters wanted the original they could stay home and listen to the record, but we were there to do some live entertainment. [/quote] It'd be great to do this - as i said in the OP its a question of time and priorities and maybe motivation. Being a busy band its almost like there is an undercurrent of complacency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326884139' post='1503113'] ....It'd be nice for punters and us if the songs had a little extra to them.... [/quote] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]Spoken like a true musician.[/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]Do the punters really care about "little extras"? Unfortunately they don't! It only has to be a song they know and one they like. Preferably played well, but judging by some of the bands I've seen even ability doesn't seem to matter that much to an audience. [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial] [/font][/color][/size][color=#222222][font=Arial][size=1][/size][/font][/color] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]I keep the covers band simple, effective and mainly as per the record. And no, we don't rehearse. I save the cleaver stuff and my creativity for the other bands where it's needed and appreciated.[/font][/color][/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326826072' post='1502502'] Do you have any approaches/methods that can maximise rehearsal time and create inventive cover songs? [/quote] A lot depends on what sort of band you are at rehearsal. My lot ( [url="http://www.junkyarddogslondon.co.uk/home.html"]http://www.junkyarddogslondon.co.uk/home.html[/url] ) are currently relaxed and good-humoured. We're not laid back to the point of boozing at rehearsals, but neither are we so "driven" that everything has to be [i][b]just so[/b][/i]. All our best ideas for which songs to play, and how to play them, come from what probably looks/sounds like messing about during the rehearsal. To pick a new song, we'll often find that someone is playing a riff or phrase that they like (from a song we don't currently do), other band members will join in - or not as the case may be - and a good song which works with this band will quickly announce itself. In the process, we'll probably get close to a working arrangement simply through the way in which each band member joined in. To get a final arrangement, there'll be occasional spontaneous occurrences that lead to "[i]I really like what you did there[/i]" or maybe "[i]Why don't we try it this way?". [/i]And you find yourself playing folk/reggae fusion in the middle of [b][i]Riders On The Storm[/i][/b]. Or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326884139' post='1503113'] Exactly. I think this is the worry. As we are trying to be efficient there isn't much time for creativity and the songs are pretty much copies of the original. It'd be nice for punters and us if the songs had a little extra to them. [/quote] That 'little extra' should come from the people in the band, not the music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) [quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1326889512' post='1503215'] [size=4][color=#222222][font=Arial]Do the punters really care about "little extras"? Unfortunately they don't! It only has to be a song they know and one they like. Preferably played well, but judging by some of the bands I've seen even ability doesn't seem to matter that much to an audience. [/font][/color][/size] [/quote] +100 Last week I went to see a bunch of friends playing a pub gig in a pop-tastic 60's covers band. All four of them are way more experienced than me, and probably far better musicians too. (No false modesty - that's just an observation.) Musically, I thought they were pretty crap. I could go into all sorts of detail as to why I say that but there's no point. As each familiar hit started, the entire audience in the pub started singing along. Later in the evening, most of them were dancing. We play the same pub regularly, and we play our stuff pretty well, and we get a good reaction. [i][b]They [/b][/i]got an absolutely stonking reaction. Looking at the punters, and talking to them (I was in the crowd too, after all), it was pretty clear that they weren't actually listening to the band ... they were listening to the original song being replayed in their heads. I've noticed this phenomenon many times before, but last Friday was about the most extreme example I can recall. Edited January 18, 2012 by Happy Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 [quote name='BottomE' timestamp='1326826072' post='1502502'] As the members of the band are all very busy we have less time to put together new tunes. Current method is to all do as much homework as possible and then try to nail as many songs as possible when we get together. Normally these songs evolve during gigs and after 5 or 6 plays become ok. This method works ok but the songs never really develop into anything spectacular - they are polished and crowd pleasing but not very adventurous. Do you have any approaches/methods that can maximise rehearsal time and create inventive cover songs? Should we bother if the audience are happy with what they are already getting? [/quote] i 'try' and persuade the band the do some covers but not the obvious ones - you need to do stuff the crowd likes but instead of picking the two really obvious songs from a particular band (for example jailbreak , boys are back in town) go for a couple that everybody will still recognise but not the obvious choices - it creates that element of pleasant surprise when an old favourite is recognised and a sense of relief when its not bleedin smoke on the friggin water or alright now again also try some tunes that people of a certain age will recognise but unless they some sort of intergalactic pop quiz champion they will not know the title or band - good example of this would be something like this.... everybody has a fading memory of the riff when they hear it, hardly anybody dislikes it, and its a great litttle number to play [url="http://youtu.be/J1XKdXXZjDc"]http://youtu.be/J1XKdXXZjDc[/url] but definitely draw the line at SOTW but thats a whole different thread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 All you need now is someone who can sing like Roger Chapman. Good luck with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.jpg.7e18f76540598a8efc0e6ca9be453059.jpg)
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.