Playing songs you heartily dislike.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

1 hour ago, Jackroadkill said:

It's reasonably varied, and includes songs like Pet Semetary, the fast version of We Will Rock You, Fortunate Son, Everything About You, No Class, Breaking The Law etc.  The only other similar song we do is If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, and that's done as a subtle protest about the war in Ukraine.

I absolutely get where you’re coming from in the context of the other songs you’ve cited.

I would have zero interest in learning this guitarists w**k-fest. I would definitely exercise my veto option.

My humble opinion is that ‘If You Tolerate This’ isn’t even in the same ballpark.

The guitarist(s), and I assume it’s them who really want to do it, need to get over themselves.

I dep for a few bands where I look at the sets and my heart sinks, but I’m a hired hand in those situations and have no choice.

Where you have a choice, I’d say use it.

Edited November 17, 2023 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Jackroadkill]

36 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

The guitarist(s), and I assume it’s them who really want to do it

 

Yes, one guitarist in particular, and the singer to a lesser degree.

[TimR]

Learning that song will be a complete waste of time. No one will have heard it and you could put 2 much better songs in the set.

 

You'll be standing there for 6 very uncomfortable minutes while the crowd stare at you thinking wtf?

Edited November 17, 2023 by TimR

[Dad3353]

Invest in a looper pedal; play a couple of bars, switch to 'loop' then go lie down until it's over. With such a bass sound, you might even get away with no pedal, if you can capture some 50Hz buzz instead. Darned awful sludge, for my old ears. I'll not be listening to it twice. 

[lemmywinks]

Yep, that AiC song is going to be greeted mainly by blank stares and backs of heads unless you're playing to a very specific audience.

 

The worry now is that there's a detrimental, self indulgent element to song choices which is going to be very hard to get rid of, this sort of thing stifles/kills covers acts as there's no shortage of them and on most circuits there's no room for the ones that sacrifice entertaining a crowd for living out their own personal stage fantasies. Nip it in the bud, it might take playing the song a few times but if it bombs on say 3 consecutive gigs then put your foot down as this is going to be an ongoing issue.

[Lozz196]

48 minutes ago, TimR said:

You'll be standing there for 6 very uncomfortable minutes while the crowd stare at you thinking wtf?

Or maybe go to the bar/for a leak/outside for a smoke

[lemmywinks]

What sort of venues are you playing btw? Apologies if that's already been answered.

 

Around here there's one venue where 90s nostalgia rock/grunge would go down well and those bars have a regular circuit of rock tribute and covers acts on, if you have a more rock focused scene then things may be different.

[No lust in Jazz]

7 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

The worry now is that there's a detrimental, self indulgent element to song choices 

I joined a band where two band members did exactly this. It wasn't that they had massive egos - they are lovely people. It was more of a 'Wouldn't it be great to play this...' vibe. But no one had questioned why long forgotten album tracks weren't going to get them repeat bookings. 

 

[neepheid]

If it's a song that audiences dance to/sing along to - tough luck, just play the damn thing.

 

If not, then argue for its removal from the set.

 

Additional: if it's the former, don't make the mistake of letting your bandmates know that you despise the song.  I'll swear those buggers play Don't Stop Believin' extra slow, just to eke out the torture...

 

[lemmywinks]

7 minutes ago, No lust in Jazz said:

I joined a band where two band members did exactly this. It wasn't that they had massive egos - they are lovely people. It was more of a 'Wouldn't it be great to play this...' vibe. But no one had questioned why long forgotten album tracks weren't going to get them repeat bookings. 

 

 

Same, was in a band with a mate going back years who just wanted to play his favourite songs. No malice in it but it does make life frustrating and personally I find being on a stage playing songs the audience aren't interested in extremely embarrassing.

[chris_b]

Just now, lemmywinks said:

 

. . . . was in a band with a mate going back years who just wanted to play his favourite songs.

 

There's nothing wrong with that, if you stay in the rehearsal room.

 

As soon as you go out and gig, different rules apply.

[Jackroadkill]

46 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

Yep, that AiC song is going to be greeted mainly by blank stares and backs of heads unless you're playing to a very specific audience.

 

That's my feeling, and also my worry.  If it kills the mood and we then have to build back up to a previous energy level I feel it's just wasted time to play it.

 

36 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

What sort of venues are you playing btw? Apologies if that's already been answered.

 

Around here there's one venue where 90s nostalgia rock/grunge would go down well and those bars have a regular circuit of rock tribute and covers acts on, if you have a more rock focused scene then things may be different.

 

Anything out of the mainstream, really.  We make it very clear that if you want standards there other bands who cater to that.  Our set has a 1990s theme running through it but it's not restricted to material from that decade.  Decent rock music from any era is up for consideration, and most of it has an alternative flavour of some sort.

 

 

28 minutes ago, No lust in Jazz said:

I joined a band where two band members did exactly this. It wasn't that they had massive egos - they are lovely people. It was more of a 'Wouldn't it be great to play this...' vibe. But no one had questioned why long forgotten album tracks weren't going to get them repeat bookings. 

 

That's the thing; we're a cover band and as a result of that I feel we have to give the audience something.  Nobody in the band wants to trot out the Dakota, for example, but if we only played obscure album tracks and B-sides from fringe bands we may as well just play originals.

 

Thanks very much, everyone, your insights and comments are most helpful and welcome.

 

JRK

 

[bassman7755]

There very few songs on my "no way in hell" list, actually Dirging in the Free World is about the only one. Happy to play Mustang Sally et al.

[cetera]

7 minutes ago, bassman7755 said:

There very few songs on my "no way in hell" list, actually Dirging in the Free World is about the only one. Happy to play Mustang Sally et al.

 

Knocking On Heaven's Door saps my will to live...

[lemmywinks]

I was always against Summer of '69 but ended up playing it for a few dep gigs and it always went down well. Somebody mentioned Chumbawumba earlier, I think that's where I'd draw the line!

 

 

[asingardenof]

I wouldn't say I liked every song in our set list (the set opener when I joined was deathly dull and has now thankfully been binned) but those I don't like I either power through if they're at least involved to play, or zone out if it's just three minutes playing crotchet roots of the same four chords.

[chris_b]

If I'm playing with a good drummer I can enjoy any song.

 

IMO all bass lines can be made interesting with a good drummer.

[No lust in Jazz]

9 minutes ago, chris_b said:

If I'm playing with a good drummer I can enjoy any song.

Agreed, for me this touches on an important point with respect to the audience and the music. Even if the music is soul destroying, it can be made less soul destroying by playing it well.

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by No lust in Jazz

[markbunney]

I think that if you learn it and play it at a few gigs, and it clears the dance floor then hopefully the rest of the band would notice, and look to drop it from the set

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I just do not see the point of conceding.

This song wouldn’t even be in the top ten to hear at an Alice in Chains gig.

 

 

[nilorius]

There are always some songs on playlist which i don't like, but then there is such a thing called - money and beer, and everybody is happy at end.

[TimR]

7 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I just do not see the point of conceding.

This song wouldn’t even be in the top ten to hear at an Alice in Chains gig.

 

 

 

The bass player, who originally played that tune, left and then died - I suppose that's one way of getting out of playing it!

[Al Krow]

17 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

Hi all, I'm after a bit of advice.  I play in a covers band and have done for about 12 months now.  Song choices are always by consent, with the understanding that there will be some that an individual loves to play, some that they're happy to play and some that they may not like as much as the others.  I've been lucky so far in that most of them so far I really enjoy playing and the few that I haven't initially been keen on have grown on me after a while for the most part.

 

However, I've just hit the immoveable object of a song I just can't like.  I've tried my best and I find it a very boring (heaven knows what an audience would think of it) and needlessly fiddly dirge, bereft of hooks, groove or anything I find attractive.  I'm aware that some of the other guys in the band absolutely love it and it would be a personal high point in the set for them, and also that they've played songs that have held the same joy for me even though they don't particularly like them.  I've no problem with the abstract that sometimes I might have to play a song I'm not keen on (this is a covers band after all), but the reality seems to be different.  It would be better perhaps if I thought it would go down well with an audience - this happened with PUSA's "Peaches", which I think is rubbish but I can see why the audience might like it, and when we've played it live the reaction has been very positive.

 

The problem I have is that I dislike the song we're supposed to be learning for practise on Sunday so much that when I sit down to learn it, it turns me off so much that I just can't focus on it or even stomach hearing it played enough to follow the tabs.

 

"Don't play it, then"-type answers aside, how do you old sweats deal with this?

 

Thanks very much,

 

JRK

 

I could have pretty much written the same post as you, certainly a while back, so I completely sympathise with where you're coming from!

Being obliged to play stuff that grates can put you off enjoying a gig. In the covers bands I've been in, as well giving everyone a say in song choices, we've also allowed each other a veto on the occasional song which falls into the "can't stand that" category. 

The point about whether your audiences are going to like it or not is an important one, although some songs may appeal to a minority in the audience and you then have something "for them" which they never usually get to hear played live.

 

We've found having an open chat about songs we dislike and being able to share what's a turn-off to us individually has helped, and maybe also given a different angle to a song. I've ended up recently agreeing to play a couple of songs which are crowd pleasers but I'd previously really disliked. Annoyingly, haha, I've found they've both really grown on me! So I guess sometimes it's worth pushing through and giving it a try?

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

There seems to be a few factors to consider ; 

'Dance floor ' has been mentioned  above , but in all honesty it's Alice in Chains .  Not exactly dance floor material .

It's not exactly teen spirit or hi ho silver lining . 
 

It reminds me of one of the last bands I was in . The idea was to play obscure old songs where in all honesty , imho the people who may have remembered those songs were either 102 or dead . ( no disrespect to songs mentioned / I've been in blues bands etc) 
A strange mix which was  not the stuff in my avant garde / metal z/ 80's / ambient collection . 
We played songs as ' the weight ' , ' the letter ' , ' born under a bad sign ' , ' the thrill is gone ' and a Pentangle song . 
I actually enjoyed our 1 and only gig . The letter from the Box tops I do remember when I as abiut 4 years ol£ , was a song I really enjoyed playing . The thrill is gone ( bb king ? ) I enjoyed also . 
As I say , our 1 and only gig . The punters enjoyed it , but the leader ( singer / backing guitarist ) wasn't able to converse with good humour and couldn't deal with one or 2 punters geeing us up for a laugh . Plus he sounded like Lou Reed on the lulu album, so I quit .

Hopefully you get the picture 😬

 

[Rich]

18 hours ago, chris_b said:

Does the audience like what you are playing? In a cover band that is the only objective. 

...

In our Top 40 covers band any song would be dumped, no matter how much we liked it, if it didn't get an enthusiastic response from the audience. If the audience liked it then my opinion didn't matter. I focussed on the mechanics of the song, playing it to the best of my ability and making it work. Hearing an audience shouting and clapping at the end of a song I didn't like made everything better again.

This, entirely. We've binned songs that we'd worked hard on and quite liked, because they were floor-emptiers. Conversely, Mustang Sally is absurdly popular with the punters but we had to stop playing it was because we'd been doing it for 20 years and it was affecting our mental health 😄😄