Earning a living playing covers?

[Grassie]

So who here does? I would imagine that those of you that are professional musicians are earning by playing originals/sessions/both (if I'm not being too presumptious..) but does anyone make a living playing covers exclusively? Or is it just not possible?

[Delberthot]

If you include weddings then yes. the main guy in a band I dep with regularly does this as his only job and making a fortune from it as well.

in fact when I graduated from University I didn't work for three years as I was making so much from the wedding band I was in at the time. I only got a job after this time as I got bored

Edited July 18, 2014 by Delberthot

[wateroftyne]

I know of people who do.

[flyfisher]

What's original though? Presumably something that you have made up and no one else has ever played before. How many session musicians do that? How many classical musicians do that? How many 'pit' musicians do that?

I'd guess it's easier to earn a living playing 'covers' than playing original music you've written yourself.

[JTUK]

I tend not to descrimate between the two as I think there is a decent viable band or there isn't.
But..I know far more people making, or trying to make a living, playing covers, than the other way round.

They may well be in a function band and getting £1500-2000 for a wedding and if they do that pretty regularly, they are
possibly on course for £15-20k p.a... Throw is a weeks worth of pub type money, plus a few lessons at a school...so regular and salaried,
and they are looking to be getting there.
They don't live too well tho, as if you are down on your 30 plus weddings a year, you are really going to struggle and never make that money up in the year...

On the other hand, I know of an original solo act and he has bought and paid for his house in just over 2 years... no record company backing him..
Probably the hardest working muso, I know.

[icastle]

I very nearly manage it, but there's no room for luxuries of any description.

[ratman]

I do it. I play mainly in one function band, but I'm also in four others that are less busy, and I do a fair few deps. It's taken a while to get where I am and I love it. Add in a few pub gigs a month and between the lot it's just about a living. And I get to spend most weekdays writing & recording originals. The only luxuries I now buy are bass related, the fiendish crack habit and high class hookers had to stop.

Edited July 18, 2014 by ratman

[Raslee]

I purposely work part time and supplement my wage with doing the functions scene/weddings etc - nice balance

[discreet]

[quote name='ratman' timestamp='1405715062' post='2504732']
The only luxuries I now buy are bass related, the fiendish crack habit and high class hookers had to stop.
[/quote]

Aw, no!! Better get the old whelk stall out over the weekend, then.

[molan]

I have a good friend who is in a jazz covers outfit with his wife - they pull in about £100K a year. . .

[the boy]

It's like any small business. Some people will be industrious and do quite well. Others won't. It's all about reputation, if you get that right with a pretty solid set list then making a living as a covers band can be very lucrative.

[stingrayPete1977]

I think there would be very few people making a living purely from their own material unless they are in a mainstream band or class living as 'being alive, eating most days and lots of sofas to sleep on'. Most people I know of have at least one other job often music related but not always.

[EssentialTension]

My estimate would be that most musicians who ever lived played what people wanted to hear and most audiences want to hear material they recognise. The more original your material (and really original is a very rare thing) the less likely you are to earn a living.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1405764327' post='2505016']
My estimate would be that most musicians who ever lived played what people wanted to hear and most audiences want to hear material they recognise. The more original your material (and really original is a very rare thing) the less likely you are to earn a living.
[/quote]

Agree, keep the covers to the crowd-faves and so long as you`re good you should be kept fairly busy (though I`ve seen a fair few average bands getting plenty of work too). It boils down to the faves - in my old punk covers band The Daves we only played songs that were well known, even though there were stacks of really great punk songs about, if they weren`t radio-players, or top 30 songs, then we didn`t play them (well we threw a couple in a few times and the audience reaction said it all).

[stingrayPete1977]

The public will always want summer of 69, and sex on fire over lesser known great tunes, the best songs are often not an act's best seller or even released, soul to squeeze by the red hot chilli peppers must be their best record for example, worthy of a listen if your not a flea fan and never looked past the idiot battering a modulus bass.

[gafbass02]

Totally agree, best chilis song and flea bass line by a mile IMHO ime ymmv etc

[Musicman20]

I've never met a musician who does it purely as a living.

I imagine there are plenty who do...but it doesn't seem a very safe way to ensure a living. Purely my opinion.


I personally could not do it full time. It's fun, but writing and playing your own music is the reason I started.

[JTUK]

Depends what you want to earn but to do £30k p.a, you'll work pretty hard and need 3-4-5 strings to your bow.
Even players with pretty high profile gigs can get paid 'peanuts' and that is why so many of them run function bands
as they can earn more, from pretty average function band fees...

[ubit]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1405764327' post='2505016']
My estimate would be that most musicians who ever lived played what people wanted to hear and most audiences want to hear material they recognise. The more original your material (and really original is a very rare thing) the less likely you are to earn a living.
[/quote]


Couldn't agree more! Where I come from, if you play originals, folk are not interested. They want the same material that they know they can dance to . We tried originals a while back and got no interest. Then again maybe the songs were crap.

I suppose if you are writing good enough material and working hard at it, you would get away with originals.

Years ago, we toyed with the idea of going out and playing covers all over the place, but in the end we chickened out as it would become a chore travelling all the time . I'm glad we didn't , because now there are so few places to gig compared to the 90's!

[Grassie]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1405706372' post='2504592']
They may well be in a function band and getting £1500-2000 for a wedding and if they do that pretty regularly, they are
possibly on course for £15-20k p.a...
[/quote]
£1500 for a wedding gig?? I wish...

[JTUK]

[quote name='Grassie' timestamp='1405981100' post='2507302']
£1500 for a wedding gig?? I wish...
[/quote]
Agree it is a tough market and these gigs have suffered most in the recession, IMO... there are less of them.
but I don't see how you can make a living without 1 big payer a week, each and every week throughout the year
if you want to stand a hope of hitting £30k...

Even £20k needs something like £100 in lessons, either salaried or peripertetic, 4 pubs gig and a function of around
£100...but you need to average this each and every week...which is why it isn't easy.
In truth, if I asked most of the guys I know trying to do it, I'd guess most would now choose another career.
Not saying they aren't having fun, but its gets to be a job just like anything else and they don't live well.
They are struggling..and working as hard as they can...

[crez5150]

The higher paying function/wedding work is out there but you have to invest to get this. Wedding shows and advertising in trade press doesn't come cheap. On average we pay around £5k per wedding show for stand, promo material, hotel/food for duration of show.
Most bands won't do it because they cannot see the bigger picture. Exhibit at 4 or 5 of these a year and you need to make your money.

Also the market isn't at the same place where it was say back in 2007-2009 though it is showing signs of getting back there in the next year or so.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='ubit' timestamp='1405779987' post='2505194']
Couldn't agree more! Where I come from, if you play originals, folk are not interested. They want the same material that they know they can dance to . We tried originals a while back and got no interest.
[/quote]

It depends what the venue is... round here covers bands play regular pubs, paid to entertain a regular clientele on Friday / Saturday nights.

We also have a good Thirty odd live music venues with nightly gigs, where a covers band would look very out of place amongst all the original acts. So on a Fri/Sat night in Camden alone I recon there are a hundred originals bands of various styles playing.

Edited July 22, 2014 by CamdenRob

[discreet]

[size=4][quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1406016158' post='2507437'][/size]...We also have a good Thirty odd live music venues with nightly gigs, where a covers band would look very out of place amongst all the original acts. So on a Fri/Sat night in Camden alone I reckon there are a hundred originals bands of various styles playing every night.
[/quote]

Long may it be so!

Edited July 22, 2014 by discreet

[Musicman20]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1406016158' post='2507437']
It depends what the venue is... round here covers bands play regular pubs, paid to entertain a regular clientele on Friday / Saturday nights.

We also have a good Thirty odd live music venues with nightly gigs, where a covers band would look very out of place amongst all the original acts. So on a Fri/Sat night in Camden alone I recon there are a hundred originals bands of various styles playing.
[/quote]

Agreed. I tend to find from living in my small home town in Lincolnshire, then Leeds, Nottingham and now Newcastle, that the covers scene is totally different and attracts a hugely different crowd.

My home town is a quiet weird place, but it is rife with music. The same guys have countless original bands writing quite obscure underground styles, (and I've been there with them in the past) and yes, plenty of covers bands.

The thing is, I personally never get hugely excited to see a covers band, unless its full of old mates (and one particular band who treated a gig like a party and covered lots of modern pop/rnb). I'd much rather go see a band I aspire to be in and sound like. That is the whole reason I wanted to play music.

Covers scenes and function bands (I've been in plenty of covers bands in the past) seem to attract 'mates and family' plus the locals who are just there anyway. There isn't the buzz and excitement.

It also comes down to genre. Seeing bands I like who write their own music is very accessible, whereas bands that may not exist anymore would make covers more acceptable.

I don't know really. I've enjoyed cover bands but it just doesn't have the buzz or excitement. Especially playing in a local normal bar that isn't really setup for bands.