Most covered 'Classic Rock' song

[gelfin]

Given tha most of our set list has already been mentioned I guess were getting it right.

[Big_Stu]

What kind of thread is this that hasn't had "The Boys Are Back In Town" mentioned yet?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1417357820' post='2619499']
Thankfully, none of the above are in our set..
[/quote]
Ditto.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1417357820' post='2619499']
Thankfully, none of the above are in our set..
[/quote]

Would you class your band as 'Classic Rock' then? If so, I'd be genuinely interested in knowing what is in your set list

[TimR]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1417421953' post='2620065']


Would you class your band as 'Classic Rock' then? If so, I'd be genuinely interested in knowing what is in your set list
[/quote]

MoJo, it would be better if you posted your setlist as a base point and then we told you which tunes from your set we play.

The we could compile a BassChat Classic Rock top 20.

Edited December 1, 2014 by TimR

[Adrenochrome]

Of all the bands on North West Bands (which includes a lot of bands including quite a few from Yorkshire), the most common covers are:

Song Artist Count
1 Dakota Stereophonics 251 .
2 Sex on Fire Kings of Leon 238 .
3 Teenage Kicks Undertones 218 .
4 Valerie Mark Ronson/ Amy Winehouse 183 .
5 Wishing Well Free 166 .
6 You Really Got Me Van Halen 166 .
7 Hard to Handle Black Crowes 162 .
8 MUSTANG SALLY ANYBODYS? 159 .
9 Paranoid Black Sabbath 150 .
10 USE SOMEBODY KINGS OF LEON 147 .

Obviously this is not just rock.

Edited December 1, 2014 by Adrenochrome

[TimR]

Ha. We've just run through Wishing Well and don't play Hard To Handle anymore. Other than thy we play NOTA.

[JTUK]

[quote name='MoJo' timestamp='1417421953' post='2620065']
Would you class your band as 'Classic Rock' then? If so, I'd be genuinely interested in knowing what is in your set list
[/quote]

If I understand the term, then no I wouldn't and it would also be something I'd run away from tbh...
Too manmy bands round her doing that....i.e 80's gtr stuff.
We just say, rock, funk, blues.

Staple sonngs in our set would be
Woddcutters, Weller
Middle of the road Pretenders
Life during wartime Talking heads

as in staple, I mean ever presents. We'll also do a couple of Elbow, throw in some Stones and Starsailor.
The set used to have quite a bit of imagination, IMO.. but now we based ourselves around 90's stuff
as we found..accidentally, that this covers birthday party ranges from 25-60 years. Good for the money, but gets
boring when the audience dictates too much. Don't get me wrong, I like the money, just that I'd prefer to mix it up
with a bit more imagination...

[crez5150]

People fall into the trap of believing that Classic rock and Indie is what people want to hear on the pub circuit..... I think this is a bit off. Do people really believe that these are the only genre's the punters listen too?

[stingrayPete1977]

The thing is I've seen these bands that do "something different", it's often played very well but to an empty room!

[crez5150]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1417429186' post='2620124']
The thing is I've seen these bands that do "something different", it's often played very well but to an empty room!
[/quote]

Depends on the band.... Not that we do pubs regularly anymore but we never had any issue getting a crowd and I think the most common song we had in our set list with any other band was half of long train running. It's all about your audience engagement

[JTUK]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1417429105' post='2620122']
People fall into the trap of believing that Classic rock and Indie is what people want to hear on the pub circuit..... I think this is a bit off. Do people really believe that these are the only genre's the punters listen too?
[/quote]

Quite, I am somewhat quite surprised by the diversity of some peoples tastes and I'd say classic rock was very very condescending...
but by the same token you need to look at who gets out and watches live music. I think the subject is fascinating.
In a local town which has enough work for bands never to venture much further, classic rock bands don't get a look in
but they may be perceived as very popular elsewhere. In my town, it is classic rock and it is done to death.
Disco bands don't get to play the pubs but then they probably don't want/need to either. Very little market there...
but................... the biggest draw in the central town music pub is a Disco and he can charge twice as much as
most of the popular bands.

We set up the band to do songs that others couldn't or wouldn't do... but we did make a populist change to a 90's set
so in came Killers,
We have an energy that gets people so we start the set at a pace that other bands try to finish on. It is all about the gears you have.
But..... that can be an incessant onslaught as well and I think the band has lost its way and there is no thought put into it all.
It is time to end it.

[JTUK]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1417429186' post='2620124']
The thing is I've seen these bands that do "something different", it's often played very well but to an empty room!
[/quote]

There is that... but it depends how well you do it, IMO. You either can connect or you can't.
A good front man will get you there -cheaply- but we tend to use good singers and don't do anytthing he can't sing

[TimR]

I played a few pubs in our disco/function band. People were actually dancing in the street outside because the pub was so rammed.

We didn't get paid much. We could make £650 minimum from a birthday party and weddings sky's the limit.

That should tell you why Classic Rock and light Jazz are the staple of Pubs.

[JTUK]

And why it wont achieve fees outside the pub...

[crez5150]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1417430307' post='2620147']

Disco bands don't get to play the pubs but then they probably don't want/need to either. Very little market there...

[/quote]

This is us... though we get calls all the time from the pubs asking us for dates for the diary because we offer something 'different' to the other 99% of the bands playing on the circuit, we are turning them down because its not worth the hassle financially .

There's a couple of 80's bands around here that do well on the circuit too

[JTUK]

There are only a couple of decent disco bands around here but they have to pick their pubs.
( I am not talking about Blues Bros type bands tho... who seem to have died off a bit )
It would be a train wreck if they pick the wrong one...
Ska bands tends to cross over quite well and are able to charge on the door, but I file them
with tribute bands - who seem to have killed a lot of venues.

But we are getting into talking about pubs being too much work for the money and I can see
why a blues 3 piece is the minimum effort that you can get away with...

[gadgie]

Why is Ska more like a tribute band to you? and why do you thikn they are killing off venues?

The bands that I see drawing a crowd in my town all seem to be rock bands that have been playing the same stuff for ages. Throwing in the odd new number as long as it falls into the genre.
the last one was playing the same stuff as they were several years ago. I think the only reason people were there was because they went to see them years ago......and I mean yearrrrssss ago. Went to see them for the first time in 10 years and safe to say it was the worst gig I've seen in 2014 by a long way.

[peteb]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1417355157' post='2619438']
The last two bands I've joined have set out to do something different, you get two songs in and "do you do any kings of leon, sweet home alabama, sweet child?" etc , I suppose you have to give them what they want?
[/quote]
No – I would say that one of the biggest mistakes you can make is pandering to the audience too much!

Obviously you have to play stuff that your audience knows and likes but if you let them in effect choose the set list, then even though you will get a good reception you will always be yet another band playing the same old songs that every other band does.

None of our set list would be on any list of overplayed tunes yet anyone with a passing interest of the genre (I try to discourage people from promoting us as Classic Rock) would know pretty much every tune. Therefore, when we play Guns n’Roses tunes we bring out Nightrain rather than Sweet Child and we play Sin City rather than Whole Lotta Rosie for the AC/DC tunes. The audience knows every song but doesn’t hear the same as every other band playing the pub circuit and we seem to be picking up a decent following after a handful of gigs…

[leschirons]

[quote name='crez5150' timestamp='1417429444' post='2620132']
Depends on the band.... Not that we do pubs regularly anymore but we never had any issue getting a crowd and I think the most common song we had in our set list with any other band was half of long train running. It's all about your audience engagement
[/quote]

Very true.

Years ago, we had a gig in a little Essex bar, known for the usual Mustang Sally / Alright now stuff. We were warned that the place would be empty when the club opposite opened at 10pm.

We gave them, Room 335, Sylvia (Focus) Peg, Black Friday, You might need somebody and even Manhattan. No-one was more surprised than the owner when we still had them all there at 11.30pm at closing time. It's not just a matter of playing well, it's also a matter of not under-estimating the taste of the audience. Give them some credit for music appreciation.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1417436271' post='2620250']

No – I would say that one of the biggest mistakes you can make is pandering to the audience too much!

Obviously you have to play stuff that your audience knows and likes but if you let them in effect choose the set list, then even though you will get a good reception you will always be yet another band playing the same old songs that every other band does.

None of our set list would be on any list of overplayed tunes yet anyone with a passing interest of the genre (I try to discourage people from promoting us as Classic Rock) would know pretty much every tune. Therefore, when we play Guns n’Roses tunes we bring out Nightrain rather than Sweet Child and we play Sin City rather than Whole Lotta Rosie for the AC/DC tunes. The audience knows every song but doesn’t hear the same as every other band playing the pub circuit and we seem to be picking up a decent following after a handful of gigs…
[/quote]
We don't play the songs they ask for buy they still ask for them, although we do have alright now and Dakota in the set the rest of it is proper random, great for pubs which is where the trio mainly plays but terrible for a wedding which I do with my other band. My function band does play some ska so I apologise for being a tribute band and closing venues down in advance for no apparent reason, lol, even if the venue is desperate to book us again as we had the place pumping all night last time, we had to start removing tables half way through!

Edited December 1, 2014 by stingrayPete1977

[TimR]

[quote name='leschirons' timestamp='1417436408' post='2620251']


Very true.

Years ago, we had a gig in a little Essex bar, known for the usual Mustang Sally / Alright now stuff. We were warned that the place would be empty when the club opposite opened at 10pm.

We gave them, Room 335, Sylvia (Focus) Peg, Black Friday, You might need somebody and even Manhattan. No-one was more surprised than the owner when we still had them all there at 11.30pm at closing time. It's not just a matter of playing well, it's also a matter of not under-estimating the taste of the audience. Give them some credit for music appreciation.
[/quote]

There is more going on there than meets the eye.

Those songs are very well known Classic Rock tunes. They're tunes if people don't completely know or can even name, they'll recognise them.

Also if you're playing those tunes you are obviously good musicians. No one is going to do a half arsed 'those chords are close enough and we'll miss out that hard bit in the middle' hatchet job on Steely Dan tunes. I would have a good guess you've got the appropriate volume level as well.

[JTUK]

[quote name='gadgie' timestamp='1417433237' post='2620195']
Why is Ska more like a tribute band to you? and why do you thikn they are killing off venues?

The bands that I see drawing a crowd in my town all seem to be rock bands that have been playing the same stuff for ages. Throwing in the odd new number as long as it falls into the genre.
the last one was playing the same stuff as they were several years ago. I think the only reason people were there was because they went to see them years ago......and I mean yearrrrssss ago. Went to see them for the first time in 10 years and safe to say it was the worst gig I've seen in 2014 by a long way.
[/quote]

Ska is music that white guys can dance to ..
and tribute bands are killing ticketed venues, IMO.
That is to say that there are some very good tribute bands
but there are some pretty average ones as well. They take up
the bills that original bands could and should have...
I include my covers band in this altho we will try and play a few originals,
but basically we are as guilty as tribute bands..

Classic rocks bands around here don't draw a crowd as we've offered the most popular
ones a bill share at more than a pub would pay them..and possibly more than they'd get at a party,
on the proviso they sell a 100 tickets or so... no takers..!!

And finally... a band that has been going for years has run out of steam and is more a social event than a musical draw.

[JTUK]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1417436271' post='2620250']
No – I would say that one of the biggest mistakes you can make is pandering to the audience too much!

Obviously you have to play stuff that your audience knows and likes but if you let them in effect choose the set list, then even though you will get a good reception you will always be yet another band playing the same old songs that every other band does.

None of our set list would be on any list of overplayed tunes yet anyone with a passing interest of the genre (I try to discourage people from promoting us as Classic Rock) would know pretty much every tune. Therefore, when we play Guns n’Roses tunes we bring out Nightrain rather than Sweet Child and we play Sin City rather than Whole Lotta Rosie for the AC/DC tunes. The audience knows every song but doesn’t hear the same as every other band playing the pub circuit and we seem to be picking up a decent following after a handful of gigs…
[/quote]

I do think bands should try and 'educate' an audience to a degree. I get the populist requirement but I think
you should make an effort and do something different and well. Otherwise, you are just another band doing the
other bands same songs over and over...

[KevB]

Well until other bands then start doing those songs you've just 'educated' them with