Rocker Posted January 30, 2017 Posted January 30, 2017 Way back in the 1970s, I had a country, Irish and country rock pub band. We played typical songs of that genre and one guy asked if we could play AC/DC..... Quote
dlloyd Posted January 30, 2017 Posted January 30, 2017 Playing in a gypsy jazz trio, got asked if we knew Wichita Lineman... said gentleman (somewhat drunk) commandeers a mic and thinks he's singing along with us... PA says no. Quote
Mykesbass Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Guess it wasn't too bizarre, but a bit out there. Used to do a mellow acoustic set in a local pub. Our singer had suggested at the previous rehearsal a couple of Woody Guthrie songs to which the guitarist replied along the lines of over my dead body. No prizes for guessing what we were asked for that night. Poor guy was baffled by the response, but loved it when we busked I Ain't Got No Home. Quote
Rich Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Many years ago partway through a gig with my old jazz trio, a punter asked me if we could do Iron Man by Black Sabbath. He got quite cross when I laughed. [quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' timestamp='1485813498' post='3226974'] My stock answer for daft daft song requests was "we don't do that one, but the next song contains some of the same notes". [/quote] Brilliant. Quote
Bassman68 Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Once played a function over in Stratford, East London where we were asked if we played any 'Bhangra'? This was a couple of years before any 'Jai ho' etc. Looking back on that request, makes me wonder if a couple of 'Ethnic' numbers/standards would be helpful in a Function bands repertoire? but then again, I've never had that sort of request come up again..Yet... Quote
TimR Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1485710054' post='3226007'] (1) Playing with an indie/rock/punk covers trio, got a request for the Spongebob Squarepants theme: 'He lives in a pineapple under the sea' etc. ... [/quote] I'd give it a go. In the mid 80s, when Nellie the Elephant had been given the punk treatment, we did a version of Postman Pat. It went down an absolute storm. Quote
TimR Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 "Can you play some Russian gypsy folk music?" Quote
Muzz Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) Noel, our singer, is a forty-something bloke, but it never stops drunken ladies asking for Tina Turner songs, for some reason...I've told him it's him... We do an Irish half-set when requested, just the usual singalong suspects, but it's a can of worms: there's always some staggering drunk asking for something very very very obscure - I wrote a couple down last time, and even Google struggled... Ironically, we do Never Too Much, but no-one's ever asked us for it...we don't let that stop us. I'm having the 'No, but some of the notes are in the next one...', that's genius... Edited January 31, 2017 by Muzz Quote
bassbiscuits Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 My band at the time was a five-piece of 30-40something blokes, playing rock/pop/70s-00s stuff. One woman asked if we could play any Girls Aloud. FFS. Quote
bassbiscuits Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Not a bizarre request in itself, but we played at a wedding anniversary and agreed that the husband, who played guitar, could get up and play a song of his choice with us - Johnny B Goode in A, he told us. So I gave him a spare guitar and we played the song, tho there was definitely some background noise from somewhere. Turns out he'd played the entire song just mashing away on an A chord. Quote
SICbass Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 (edited) We were once asked by the client at a gala if we knew any Turkish songs. 😳 Edited January 31, 2017 by SICbass Quote
dave_bass5 Posted January 31, 2017 Posted January 31, 2017 Tubular bells, at a wedding. I kid you not. A guest came up and asked us if we could do "the exorcist bit" as a joke on one of his mates, who apparently loved all that spooky stuff. Quote
blue Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 We're a blues/rock 70s Vintage Midwestern Bar band. "Do we play what by Rush?" Blue Quote
blue Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 We're a blues/rock 70s Vintage Midwestern Bar band. "Do we play what by Rush?" Blue Quote
Mykesbass Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 [quote name='Muzz' timestamp='1485869815' post='3227317'] Noel, our singer, is a forty-something bloke, but it never stops drunken ladies asking for Tina Turner songs, for some reason...I've told him it's him... [/quote] Never really got the issue with blokes doing songs originally by women or vice versa. Tina herself did it with Proud Mary. Obviously there are very gender specific songs that wouldn't work. Quote
Hobbayne Posted February 1, 2017 Posted February 1, 2017 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1485935027' post='3227757'] Never really got the issue with blokes doing songs originally by women or vice versa. Tina herself did it with Proud Mary. Obviously there are very gender specific songs that wouldn't work. [/quote] The Shirelles had a song called 'Boys" The Beatles covered it and got away with it too! Quote
HengistPod Posted February 2, 2017 Posted February 2, 2017 (edited) [quote name='Low End Bee' timestamp='1485791703' post='3226703'] Introduced all songs for the second part of the gig as Guns n Roses B sides and unreleased tracks ... [/quote] Aye, we deploy this startlingly effective tactic also. Asked to play something by Tina Turner, our drummer will announce that the next song is indeed a tune by the ageing vixen, before launching into Iron Maiden's "Running Free". It seems to work every time. Running Free has also been announced as a song by Oasis, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones and the aforementioned Human League. Edited February 2, 2017 by HengistPod Quote
Low End Bee Posted February 2, 2017 Posted February 2, 2017 [quote name='HengistPod' timestamp='1486046688' post='3228776'] Aye, we deploy this startlingly effective tactic also. Asked to play something by Tina Turner, our drummer will announce that the next song is indeed a tune by the ageing vixen, before launching into Iron Maiden's "Running Free". It seems to work every time. Running Free has also been announced as a song by Oasis, AC/DC, the Rolling Stones and the aforementioned Human League. [/quote] As a side note. I bet Tina Turner singing Running Free would be a splendid thing. Quote
Raslee Posted February 2, 2017 Posted February 2, 2017 A reggae band I played with were asked to play a wedding...all was proper irie until the brides dad announced in the interlude "the band are now, by speacial request, gonna play a Quo track for me"....ahem cue 12bars of grinning Quote
Cathode_Follower Posted February 2, 2017 Posted February 2, 2017 (edited) I've busked a lot, playing some pretty 'out' jazz stuff. Apparently it doesn't matter how dissonant you go, how obviously not a pop covers group you are, somebody will always request Wonderwall. I usually tell them I've never heard of it Edited February 2, 2017 by Cathode_Follower Quote
Leonard Smalls Posted February 3, 2017 Posted February 3, 2017 Many years ago while dj-ing at Leeds Uni I was asked by a goth chap to "play some dance music, like 'Pagan Lovesong' by the Virgin Prunes." What surprised him was that I had it, and played it. He was the only one on the dancefloor... But the really weird thing is that years later, while playing in a 9 piece jazz funk band, someone requested the very same song. It's an easy bass-line! [MEDIA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgoJn5SUa_4[/MEDIA] Quote
BetaFunk Posted February 6, 2017 Posted February 6, 2017 This thread seems to suggest to me that often the audience has more of a sense of humour than the band does. Quote
leschirons Posted February 7, 2017 Posted February 7, 2017 Acoustic jazzy duo with quite a few Piaf classics thrown in...... Can you do Smoke on the water or Black night??? Quote
Woodinblack Posted February 7, 2017 Posted February 7, 2017 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1485935027' post='3227757'] Never really got the issue with blokes doing songs originally by women or vice versa. Tina herself did it with Proud Mary. Obviously there are very gender specific songs that wouldn't work. [/quote] Like what? We do love machine, thats pretty gender specific. Hard pressed to think of something we wouldn't do. Sisters of mercy did jolene, that worked ok. Quote
damian Posted February 7, 2017 Posted February 7, 2017 Full on Iron Maiden tribute, wigs, sweatbands, guy dressed as Eddie - the works. Punter asks if we do any Metallica. Quote
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