theplumber Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Joined a covers band about 6 months ago and the usual run of learning the set,breaking and so on. Come the New Year we have spoken about bringing some new songs in to the set. The band have settled in to a set of songs going back about 5 years so it will be nice to have some new blood! Putting forward some songs and one by one getting them knocked back we have got it down to two. Fair enough not everyone has the same musical taste! After a few conversations on whatsapp and in person at last nights gig I put it that to make it fair we all get one song to try out at a practise to see what makes it to the set list. After knocking back most of the suggestions and failing to come up with any of his own,the keyboard player now thinks that we have a great set already and new songs have to be better than the ones we are taking out! Plus he is put off by listening to our suggestions as he feels he can't play all the parts thats on the recordings! I did try to say check out some live versions on you tube lol....Anyway I think we are making progress and I know that time,family work and all sorts get in the way of learning new tunes but can't help feeling he just can't be arsed learning anything new! Anyone had similar issues with band members just wanting to coast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubsonicSimpleton Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Inertia is pretty common in my experience - at least you are not putting your precious time/energy to learning new material only to find that time/energy to have been wasted come next rehearsal. For what it's worth, I think that your method of everyone picking a song can be very productive, but only when everyone involved is suitably motivated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Been there so many times... A good gigging covers band that wants to get more gigs needs to keep adding new songs. We make sure when we go back to a venue three months after playing there we mix up the set and add some new stuff in, I feel like we are cheating them if we don't. Our band is pretty clear on what type of songs we will and won't do though. When it's not so clear what songs should or shouldn't be considered a quick way round it would be something like: "Walk this way" goes down well, what other Aerosmith song could we do to mix it up a bit? That way you keep in with the style and genre, so you know your audience will like it and you appease the person who first suggested it/ loves it more than anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplumber Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 17 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: Been there so many times... A good gigging covers band that wants to get more gigs needs to keep adding new songs. We make sure when we go back to a venue three months after playing there we mix up the set and add some new stuff in, I feel like we are cheating them if we don't. Our band is pretty clear on what type of songs we will and won't do though. When it's not so clear what songs should or shouldn't be considered a quick way round it would be something like: "Walk this way" goes down well, what other Aerosmith song could we do to mix it up a bit? That way you keep in with the style and genre, so you know your audience will like it and you appease the person who first suggested it/ loves it more than anything. I agree. In our case or shall I say in my case being the last man in I picked songs that are similar to what we play now. One or two knocked back right away,which is only to be expected. It came down to myself and the other members having to explain to the keys guy that even with a great set that works we still need to bring in stuff to keep it fresh for us as well as the punters. I have had it in other bands...''Don't try and reinvent the wheel...we have managed up to know with the current set'' Also was in a band that learned new songs nearly every week and dropped them weeks later...Aye! It's hard! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Yep. We go through ages of discussion about the tunes, draw up a list, learn them, and then they seem to just ‘drop out’ of the set. Funny how it’s the singer who didn’t like them and then has drawn up the set to miss all of them out…🙄 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplumber Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 13 minutes ago, Jakester said: Yep. We go through ages of discussion about the tunes, draw up a list, learn them, and then they seem to just ‘drop out’ of the set. Funny how it’s the singer who didn’t like them and then has drawn up the set to miss all of them out…🙄 Been there...All the hard ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPHDS Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Oh this all sounds very familiar....and I know I've mentioned it before (sorry...!) My last band was one I put together with a guitarist I had played with previously, when his then band split (due to the other guitarist never learning any new songs......), he said from the beginning, apart from a few 'no go's' he was happy to play anything, and it was 'my band'.....(I classed it as 'our's', but it was good to know he basically had my back....!) We recruited a drummer I had previously been in a band with a few years previously, found a singer, we all picked and agreed on a set..... Then COVID reared it's head......! We had a few practices between lockdowns and were getting on pretty well.....it then got to learning some of the songs lower down the list (bearing in mind these had all been agreed by the whole band before the pandemic hiatus.....) It soon became clear that the drummer basically only wanted to play his old band's setlist, the singer claimed he 'couldn't sing' anything he didn't like and there were a couple that they both shut down without even listening to them..... They then both quit a week before our first gig.....(a Summer Bank Holiday festival slot) Two weeks later.....the drummer's old band reformed......and they had a new singer......! I admit I do have a few songs I will flat out not play (doesn't everyone?), and a few I really struggle with, so prefer not to butcher, but will always give stuff a punt, even if I am not a fan.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I think that that`s the worst part of being in a covers band, people don`t want to play tunes that they don`t really like instead of songs that the punters love and get you re bookings. For example, my old band had a drummer who wouldn`t play Oasis, just refused point blank. And quite right I hear lots of you say but people love to hear the songs, especially when there is drink involved. It`s all about compromise in a covers band and targeting tunes for your audience. It`s like I would never join a funk/soul band as it`s not my bag. So I agree, it`s bloomin frustrating trying to pick songs. And that`s why I am in a tribute band whose songs I love anyway. No arguments about the material 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I just can't get this being picky about what people will and won't play.. If you're in a covers band, and getting paid for it, you're an entertainer and your job there is just that.. if a band member doesn't enjoy or at least accept that then they maybe they should find something else to do! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPHDS Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 Ha, Jezzaboy, All our drummer wanted to play was Oasis......! I totally accept I will have to play dross that gets the plebs up dancing, but my (and my guitarist's) philosophy was to chuck in a couple of 'unknown' and less common songs in - as a punter there have been loads of songs I've heard bands play that have made me go 'oooh......what was that.....!?!' and then discover a 'new' band or 'not heard that in bloody ages......!' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I used to play with my brother in law years ago - he is the front man and plays guitar. His usual bass player couldn't make a gig and he asked me to dep for him. After the gig he said how impressed he was that I played all the songs in his set flawlessly. I told him that it wasn't such a big deal, as he hadn't changed his set for 35 years (we played that exact same set together, for 10 years, until I left 25 years ago). Some people are just resistant to change. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplumber Posted January 8, 2023 Author Share Posted January 8, 2023 I agree with playing the crowd pleasers stuff to a point. Everyone thinks that their band is the only ones doing certain songs. Been in a few bands and been told ''We do such and such a song.No one else covers it!'' When I mention I played the songs in the last two bands they just say ''Well I have never heard anybody else do it!'' Also get a lot of folk asking if we do AC/DC and I say no. Why not? Well I say did the band play AC/DC last week....and the week before that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted January 8, 2023 Share Posted January 8, 2023 I’m of the firm belief that many musicians try to second guess their audience - if we do xxxx it might not go down well so we should stick with our 30 year old set list. No, no, no. Do it then establish if it goes down well or not. Might doesn’t come into it. Often I think that they use this as an excuse for not doing material others want and as such are exercising this as a way of control, or as an excuse for just being lazy and not wanting to learn new material. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) Depends how popular you want to be. Play whatever the punters want and do it well with enthusiasm if you want a full diary. Play only the songs that the band members want to play if you're less concerned about it. By all means try new stuff, its really important to keep the set list fresh and relevant, but be objective about what is working and what isn't. Don't flog a dead horse because someone in the band loves it and don't dismiss anything that an individual hates until youve tried it. Be aware that singers may struggle with the odd song and, if changing the key doesn't help, there will definitely be some limitations there and you'll have to respect that. If I'm in a covers band, which I am, I'm more concerned about what goes down well than what I love playing. I've heard loads of bands say "we want to do some slightly more obscure songs" but they rarely work that well imo. If you have band members rejecting suggestions just on personal preference then you're on a hiding to nothing. If they're rejecting songs because they're not well known bangers then they might have a point. Edited January 9, 2023 by mrtcat 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Sounds like you need to clarify with these guys what the purpose of the band is: 1. Mates who met up and play a few songs together? 2. Playing a few gigs a year in the same places for an "audience" they largely already know? 3. A gigging covers band that wants x number of gigs per year and is actively looking to fill a diary and broaden their reach? There's a massive jump in mentality and approach needed from each one. And the problem with music types is often that they only have the ability or commitment for 1 but think 3 will magically just happen for them, or expect to be playing Wembley arena this time next year if they can just play their favourite Faith No More B side down the local because "everyone will love it". I'm in a band that is actively looking to fill a diary. They'd been going ten years before I joined and went through the motions and a few bassists and rhythm guitarists. I knew what I was getting into. I play a lot of songs I really, really don't like to listen to. Some songs I do like don't go down well with the audience so reluctantly I have to suggest we drop them. But we have a full diary and it's giving me gigs I'd never have got before with previous bands, and it's fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 11 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said: I just can't get this being picky about what people will and won't play.. If you're in a covers band, and getting paid for it, you're an entertainer and your job there is just that.. if a band member doesn't enjoy or at least accept that then they maybe they should find something else to do! This. I'm a dyed in the wool rocker and I have to playw what seems to me to be some right sheet, but the alternative is to not play at all so suck it up. Fortunately my suggestion of Rockin' All Ofer the World goes down a storm as an encore in the pubs and clubs and has softened the stance of the other chaps on some of my suggestions. That aside I'm fortunate that they're not a bad bunch and any suggestion that gets aired is thoroughly examined to be sure that its viable for all to play it and that no one is disadvantaged. That's perhaps a consequence of all but one of us being in our fifties and long since having outgrown any egos. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 12 hours ago, jezzaboy said: For example, my old band had a drummer who wouldn`t play Oasis, just refused point blank. And quite right I hear lots of you say but people love to hear the songs, especially when there is drink involved. I'm with your drummer on this one 100%. There are certain bands whose music I wouldn't touch with several bargepoles end to end and so would never join any band that covered them. I've only ever played in bands that specialised in funk and soul as I don't strongly dislike any songs in those genres enough not to play them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplumber Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 59 minutes ago, uk_lefty said: Sounds like you need to clarify with these guys what the purpose of the band is: 1. Mates who met up and play a few songs together? 2. Playing a few gigs a year in the same places for an "audience" they largely already know? 3. A gigging covers band that wants x number of gigs per year and is actively looking to fill a diary and broaden their reach? There's a massive jump in mentality and approach needed from each one. And the problem with music types is often that they only have the ability or commitment for 1 but think 3 will magically just happen for them, or expect to be playing Wembley arena this time next year if they can just play their favourite Faith No More B side down the local because "everyone will love it". I'm in a band that is actively looking to fill a diary. They'd been going ten years before I joined and went through the motions and a few bassists and rhythm guitarists. I knew what I was getting into. I play a lot of songs I really, really don't like to listen to. Some songs I do like don't go down well with the audience so reluctantly I have to suggest we drop them. But we have a full diary and it's giving me gigs I'd never have got before with previous bands, and it's fun! The band do around 30 to 40 gigs a year and have been going for about 7 years. I think we have a decent set of songs all known stuff but I believe it really centres around the keyboard player not having the confidence or skills for certain songs which is fine as none of us are tip top! I think we will be able to get a couple of new songs in the set at some point. It's not as much as I would like but I have learned to step back a bit from this kind of thing. Either that or find another band and at this stage of the game for me is not something I fancy! Yip...sometimes it just doesn't go 100% your way! Anyway,there is nothing stopping me getting in to a wee side project or at least pushing my playing in the house!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, theplumber said: The keyboard player now thinks that we have a great set already and new songs have to be better than the ones we are taking out! Plus he is put off by listening to our suggestions as he feels he can't play all the parts thats on the recordings! In principle, he's not wrong. Once you have a 'full' set of songs then inevitably any incoming song will result in an outgoing song. That said, if you need three sets of material then the best place to be is to have FIVE sets of material fully-rehearsed and gig-ready, so that you can shuffle the deck and keep things interesting. On the 'playing all the parts' thing, it's easy (as a keyboard player) to think that you need to supply the horns AND the strings AND the piano AND the Hammond, and no, you can't do it all, all at the same time. But you don't need to. The audience will be hearing the song in their head anyway. Just so long as you don't leave out any vital hook, lick or riff to snap them back into the real world, you'll be fine. I have plenty of songs where the intro is on organ, the verse is on piano, the bridge is on strings, but all the audience remember later is the horn stabs in the chorus. 🙄 Edited January 9, 2023 by Happy Jack 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Assuming basic performance competence, the USP of a paid covers band is the set list. A band that keeps up with the latest hits as well as keeping the classics will get more work, and keep a wider audience age range. The classics to me are not the same songs as the classics to a 20 year old. Being able to chuck in a few No1 singles from at least the last 6 months is always a crowd pleaser. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplumber Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) 14 minutes ago, fretmeister said: Assuming basic performance competence, the USP of a paid covers band is the set list. A band that keeps up with the latest hits as well as keeping the classics will get more work, and keep a wider audience age range. The classics to me are not the same songs as the classics to a 20 year old. Being able to chuck in a few No1 singles from at least the last 6 months is always a crowd pleaser. Not in the pubs we play in. Its mainly middle age folk that come to see the bands and none of the bands I have been in recently,classic rock,punk etc are playing anything current.Its things from 30 and 40 years ago! I suppose it's an age thing but I couldn't give a hoot about anything from the charts! But that said horses for courses! We are covering Genesis,ELO,Supertramp,The Killers,The Cult etc...pretty old hat! lol Edited January 9, 2023 by theplumber 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Nostalgia is always a big seller, an nice little temporary escape from the crappy modern world perhaps. The bottom line with all this being "whoever pays the piper calls the tune" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 13 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said: I just can't get this being picky about what people will and won't play.. If you're in a covers band, and getting paid for it, you're an entertainer and your job there is just that.. if a band member doesn't enjoy or at least accept that then they maybe they should find something else to do! Ah. There in lies the rub. If you're in it for the money then you should absolutely be expected to play anything. For me though that all changes when (as in my case) it's just a hobby. Why should I spend my valuable leisure time learning and playing a song I can't stand. If it's not enjoyable, I'm not doing it. Simple as that. Not really an issue any more as I'm no longer in a covers band. But this was certainly a bone of contention when I was. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Our lot are pretty open minded. We're all mature enough to realise that it's not about what we like or don't like - the guitarist has a pathological dislike of Oasis but we still sometimes play "Some Might Say" and I die a little inside every time I play "Don't Stop Believin'", but the punters like those songs, so what are you going to do? We do have veto powers but they're used sparingly - we generally will give anything a go but can work out quickly if it isn't working out musically. Singer vetoed one Pink song because he felt like an idiot doing an acapella rap thing in the middle, fair enough. We're going to keep adding songs, old ones kinda just drop out of the main list into the reserve list and if we haven't used them for a while they get ditched. Songs get ditched when we clock that they haven't gone down that well with a few audiences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 18 minutes ago, theplumber said: Not in the pubs we play in. Its mainly middle age folk that come to see the bands and none of the bands I have been in recently,classic rock,punk etc are playing anything current.Its things from 30 and 40 years ago! I suppose it's an age thing but I couldn't give a hoot about anything from the charts! But that said horses for courses! We are covering Genesis,ELO,Supertramp,The Killers,The Cult etc...pretty old hat! lol Middle aged people become old age and the young become the middle age. Have to update it at some point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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