Covers bands - how do you agree on new songs?

[thepurpleblob]

This seems to have been a bone of contention in all covers bands I have played in - how do you (democratically or otherwise) determine which songs to learn next?

I've noticed that it always seems to descend into a kind of passive-agressive spiral. Someone suggests something, everybody half-heartedly agrees and then at next practise one or more haven't learned it on some flimsy excuse. Obviously, they never meant to.

This isn't a case of us being a dysfunctional band. In truth we are not. I'm just looking for tips/suggestions on getting buy-in and commitment when it comes to increasing our repertoire.

Thoughts and experiences appreciated

[discreet]

I was once in a band that had an excellent solution to this problem. If just [i]one [/i]band member didn't want to play a certain song, then we didn't do it. No questions asked and no arguments. Obviously it does take quite a bit longer to sort out, but you do end up with a set that everybody wants to play and avoid the situation where you see a song you don't like coming up on the setlist.

So no more passive-aggressive crap or half-hearted 'protest playing'. It really shows when the whole band is into the whole set.

Edited January 4, 2015 by discreet

[EssentialTension]

Same here, everyone must agree happily or the song is forgotten. The same goes for originals as well as covers; we don't treat them differently.

The only time I would expect any different to this is if there was a band leader and we were all doing as we were told ... and if you don't like it you can leave.

[Woodinblack]

We have the advantage there are just 3 of us. There are some songs that I don't like as much as others, but if there are any songs I didn't want to play I would just say no.

[Marvin]

All previous bands I've been in there's always been someone who, although not really a band leader, will push what they want onto the list - not always a success.

I'm currently starting with a new band and was quite surprised when I rejected about 6 songs on the list and they all went "Ok, that's fine"

I think everyone has to be happy with what they're being asked to play. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to actually have had to have been a fan of the song but see that it works for the band. There's stuff I play that I wouldn't ever listen to at home but will play in a band because it clearly works.

Edited January 4, 2015 by Marvin

[scalpy]

The Brian Clough school of management. We talk about it then agree I'm right.

[gafbass02]

I tell them, they do as they are told

[Handwired]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420369407' post='2648423']
I was once in a band that had an excellent solution to this problem. If just [i]one [/i]band member didn't want to play a certain song, then we didn't do it. No questions asked and no arguments. Obviously it does take quite a bit longer to sort out, but you do end up with a set that everybody wants to play and avoid the situation where you see a song you don't like coming up on the setlist.

So no more passive-aggressive crap or half-hearted 'protest playing'. It really shows when the whole band is into the whole set.
[/quote]Exactly what my band does and it works a treat.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Marvin' timestamp='1420370426' post='2648433']
I think everyone has to be happy with what they're being asked to play. That doesn't necessarily mean they have to actually have had to have been a fan of the song but see that it works for the band. There's stuff I play that I wouldn't ever listen to at home but will play in a band because it clearly works.
[/quote]

That is it exactly. My group does some things I wouldn't listen to at home but turn out they are fun to play. But I have just joined so got a list of 28 songs to learn. Done them all apart from 2, prefer some to others, but of the 26 I learned all are pretty good fun to do, or work well live. The other two.. meh.. well maybe they will be passed by!

[ezbass]

Someone comes up with something and then it's agreed to or poo-pooed. Then, if approved, tried in a rehearsal for the 'does it work?' test. Unfortunately our keyboard player often has a lot of down time during his job and comes up with loads in one lump (often based on specific synth tones), most of which are, if you can wade through all the youtube clips, not quite right. Unfortunately, it's in his nature to be a bit down when we don't do even one of them.

[Dad3353]

Unanimous consensus for us. As we are 5, with wildly different tastes and backgrounds, anything that we can all agree on must be a pretty strong song. We have, over a decade or so, gone through about 50 or 60 songs; some get left behind, as they have become 'stale' (to us...), but we'd happily pick 'em up and dust 'em off if required, or inspired to. We usually add 2 or 3 each year. Current new ones: 'BYOB', by SOAD, and 'You Know My Name', by Chris Cornel.

[Lozz196]

The main thing for my old punk covers band was, was it a well-known song. If not, don`t do it. From there we`d run through the song twice, if we hadn`t got it by the second time around, we knew we`d not get it so the idea was binned. I`m sure there were songs that certain members didn`t like - there were a couple I wasn`t keen on - but the audience loved them, and to us, getting a reputation as a good band with packed audiences was the main thing. Though if anyone really diliked a song then we wouldn`t do it - no point in upsetting the team if not needed.

[PaulWarning]

if one member doesn't really want to do a song then it doesn't get done, but it's usually by consensus, as someone said earlier there's no point in doing obscure album tracks you might as well do your own stuff, and IMO try to stick to a certain genre more or less, by trying to please everyone nobody is totally satisfied, there are songs I really love playing but for any of the above reasons I know they wouldn't work.

[steve-bbb]

sort of democratic decision - but whatever any band chooses its down to whether the singists are comfortable singing a particular song

we will occasionally change keys if it is just a simple issue of register for the singists but always try and stay within 2 (3 maximum) semitones of the original

our band recently pick 'for once in my life' for the 'to learn for next rehearsal list' but i did insist that i would only do it if everybody else was going to put the effort to make it work 100% as whilst it is not technically difficult to play it is nonetheless a bit of a memory tester remembering all 60+ different bars

[stingrayPete1977]

Harry Hill method..."FIGHT!"

[tauzero]

Consensus. We have an Excel spreadsheet with a list of suggestions on, and each member gives a song green (yes), yellow (maybe), or red (no). Anything with reds by it doesn't go forward. We've been building a set up so out of pragmatism we've put some three-greens in front of some four-greens if they're quicker to learn. Sometimes a song gets mentioned in rehearsal that isn't on the list and if we agree on trying that, it gets added. Slightly haphazard but it works.

With the other covers band (now in hibernation), the singer, drummer, and I could suggest a sing that we all really wanted to do until we were blue in the face but the guitarist would then decide, generally on songs that none of us had suggested. We finished up with a reasonable set but there were some songs I'd have loved to play but never did.

[icastle]

In the duo I play in it's done by consensus.
We both know what will (and won't) work and it never becomes an issue.

The second band is a function band.
If it hasn't been in the charts or isn't suitable for a function then it just isn't considered.

The third band is a plain and simple pub rock covers band.
I took over from a bass player who just 'poo pooed' anything he didn't like, which left them with a limited and rather stale set and very little work.
I don't do that so it's flipped the band on it's head.
Material is generally chosen by the singer, but he's switched on enough to know that if the rest of the band say 'this isn't going to work' he listens.

The fourth band isn't in any way democratic, at the moment.
I have a clear vision of where it needs to 'sit' musically and until it gets there I'm steering it - I was upfront about that before we started and they trust me... poor deluded souls.

For other stuff I'm involved in, I do as I'm told and keep my mouth firmly shut.

[Graham]

It helps with my lot that we are all well aware we have "sold out" and so pick songs that we think punters want to hear, rather than songs we listen home.

Which is why my current suggestion list has Olly Murs, Meghan Trainor, Jessie J, Katy Perry and a Grease medley on it rather than the obscure doom I listen to or the 90s grunge the singer likes.

Fortunately, it's a lot more fun playing these songs than it is listening to them

Edited January 4, 2015 by Graham

[JTUK]

With a 5 piece band there are going to have to be compomsing attitudes or else
the band leader can do everything but he'll pay for the privelidge.
I always like a democracy in that everyone's opinion is as valid as anyone elses
and so we suggest we need new songs and we have a session where everyone proposes
3 songs. They sell each one and go for agreement. If anyone really hates a song, then
there is no mileage pushing it but they need a good reason..and just as the proposer has
sold it, the disenter needs to justify why they are 'vetoing' it.
The hardest part is in a new startup when you are looking for common ground in your picks
and a common theme as to waht you are trying to do.
This is why I tell the guys we approach what the idea and goals are... so we don't end up with
a metal drummer when we want groove... It isn't that a guy that is really into metal wont
work or be good enough, but that direction isn't on the table. You will have talked a few things
over with new guys about what they listen to and what they'll bring along.
I'm very careful about what I put together and who fits the 'vision'... if someone suggests an
'off the wall' track, then listen to how they propose we do it, and then try not to scupper the idea
until you have rehearsed it and then evedyone should agree it works or doesn't.
If people don't do enough to get ready for a rehearsal ..it is a waste of everyone's time otherwise and we never get enough as it is...
then that is a seperate issue and that isn't good enough from that person.

[ColinB]

We work backwards from "what will the audience like" and "will it fit in with the rest of our set".... and I don't care what I play as long as the punters like it!

[Skinnyman]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1420377110' post='2648518']
Consensus. We have an Excel spreadsheet with a list of suggestions on, and each member gives a song green (yes), yellow (maybe), or red (no). Anything with reds by it doesn't go forward. We've been building a set up so out of pragmatism we've put some three-greens in front of some four-greens if they're quicker to learn. Sometimes a song gets mentioned in rehearsal that isn't on the list and if we agree on trying that, it gets added. Slightly haphazard but it works.


[/quote]
That's what we do. Sorry, did. And will do again one day!

But that's what we did, anyway, and it seemed to work...

The other rule was that it only went on to the spreadsheet if it was a song that was likely to be recognised by a decent proportion of the likely audience. So, no obscure album tracks or B sides

[ubit]

We too, have the problem with, someone suggests a song , three of us agree, but if the guitarist doesn't want to do it, he conveniently forgets to learn it, hoping it will get forgotten, but if he likes a song, he learns that instead of rehearsing ones he's meant to do! It's very annoying and I find the only way around it is to keep on and on until he is embarrassed enough to have a go. I've always been better than him at choosing which songs will go down well, so I know I'm right !

[discreet]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1420372986' post='2648463']
Unanimous consensus for us.
[/quote]

Hey Dad, is that one of your kids in your avatar?

[chris_b]

Our guitarist/singer makes most of the suggestions (it's his band), but we all have input and a say when analysing the audience reaction.

In our cover band it doesn't matter who suggests the numbers, it's whether they work well on an audience that keeps them in the set or gets them dumped.

A band has to have a clear objective and to be any good you have to be looking further than your personal likes and dislikes. Punter reaction is the only criteria.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420394869' post='2648819']
Hey Dad, is that one of your kids in your avatar?
[/quote]

I'm tired of being the butt of these jibes; I've herd them all before. Sorry if my bleating seems a little gruff. [size=4] [/size]