Playing songs you heartily dislike.

[BillyBass]

My covers band started out as a couple of mates playing Damned and other punk covers.  I joined, then we got a singer, then gigs and then we realised that our love for 70s punk was rarely shared by the clientele at the Dog and Duck, so we started to drop old Damned stuff and put in more popular stuff.  This went down well with audiences but ultimately our drummer walked out.  We think he really just wanted to play stuff he liked.  Now we are looking for a drummer, not an easy thing to do.

 

In our quest to play more upbeat songs that can be danced to, The rest of the band volunteered My Sharona by the Knack.  I absolutely detested that song.  Anyway, I learnt it, for the good of the band and now I don't mind it.  If the song has a good bass line I can get behind it.  

 

 

[nilorius]

10 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

My covers band started out as a couple of mates playing Damned and other punk covers.  I joined, then we got a singer, then gigs and then we realised that our love for 70s punk was rarely shared by the clientele at the Dog and Duck, so we started to drop old Damned stuff and put in more popular stuff.  This went down well with audiences but ultimately our drummer walked out.  We think he really just wanted to play stuff he liked.  Now we are looking for a drummer, not an easy thing to do.

 

In our quest to play more upbeat songs that can be danced to, The rest of the band volunteered My Sharona by the Knack.  I absolutely detested that song.  Anyway, I learnt it, for the good of the band and now I don't mind it.  If the song has a good bass line I can get behind it.  

 

 

You are the man. Cheers !

[Lozz196]

16 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

 

In our quest to play more upbeat songs that can be danced to, The rest of the band volunteered My Sharona by the Knack.  I absolutely detested that song.  Anyway, I learnt it, for the good of the band and now I don't mind it.  If the song has a good bass line I can get behind it.  

 

 

Check out the Phil X & The Drills version, it’s awesome 

[BillyBass]

11 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Check out the Phil X & The Drills version, it’s awesome 

That is pretty good!  Thanks for that.  I've just forwarded the YouTube clip to my bandmates.

[tauzero]

12 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

I've just listened to the song for the first time. If I was watching your band, this song would be the time to go to the bar/toilet.

 

Ditto. I got to 50 seconds and gave up.

[BassTool]

Bands I've been in have always been songs chosen by full consensus.

 

If just one member doesn't want to play a particular song - that's it - it's not even rehearsed.

 

Being in a covers band is all about every member enjoying what you all play together, otherwise - IMO - absolutely no point in continuing with the considerable effort of getting to a gig 😆

 

Takes a bit of time to get a decent set together, but when you're all happy playing what you've picked to play... result can be great 👍🏼

 

 

And FWIW - I've mostly been in bands that play tunes yer Granny can whistle along to -  the majority of the time 😁

 

 

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

4 hours ago, BillyBass said:

In our quest to play more upbeat songs that can be danced to, The rest of the band volunteered My Sharona by the Knack.  I absolutely detested that song.  Anyway, I learnt it, for the good of the band and now I don't mind it.  If the song has a good bass line I can get behind it.  

Our guitarist despises that song although he's never come up with solid reasoning as to why. I don't mind it, but I don't have a burning desire to play it. 

[asingardenof]

2 hours ago, BassTool said:

Bands I've been in have always been songs chosen by full consensus.

 

If just one member doesn't want to play a particular song - that's it - it's not even rehearsed.

 

Being in a covers band is all about every member enjoying what you all play together, otherwise - IMO - absolutely no point in continuing with the considerable effort of getting to a gig 😆

 

Takes a bit of time to get a decent set together, but when you're all happy playing what you've picked to play... result can be great 👍🏼

 

 

And FWIW - I've mostly been in bands that play tunes yer Granny can whistle along to -  the majority of the time 😁

 

 

If we tried that approach our set list would comprise about three songs 😂 we run on the basis that there's enough songs that everyone loves that we'll all put up with the odd stinker if the other four want it badly enough

[Dlew919]

4 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Our guitarist despises that song although he's never come up with solid reasoning as to why. I don't mind it, but I don't have a burning desire to play it. 

It’s the lyrical theme that turns me off. The riff and the chord solo at the end are terrific.  
 

but ‘I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind'

 

No no no no no 

[casapete]

6 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

Our guitarist despises that song although he's never come up with solid reasoning as to why. I don't mind it, but I don't have a burning desire to play it. 

 

2 hours ago, Dlew919 said:

The riff and the chord solo at the end are terrific.  

Maybe your guitarist doesn’t like it due to the solo being a bit tricky to play?!!

I sometimes dep in a band that does this song, and the main riff is getting a bit tedious just

as the great solo section arrives and elevates it IMO. Needs to be played at the same tempo as the

original as well, any slower and it loses it’s urgency. Always goes down well with the crowd too.

[Jackroadkill]

6 hours ago, asingardenof said:

we run on the basis that there's enough songs that everyone loves that we'll all put up with the odd stinker if the other four want it badly enough

 

That's more or less how we do it; I'm just not sure why this obscure and not very interesting song has become a hill to die on!

[EssexBuccaneer]

We have AIC in our set, which is predominantly 90’s and 00’s rock/metal. We have our little niche, and the idea of sticking in something purely because the punters will enjoy it is anathema to me - it’s got to be a song that the whole band want to play. 
 

That’s not to say that the audience reaction isn’t important, it definitely is. Green Day’s Longview is on the bubble at the moment because the crowd seems to lose a bit of interest during it - so we may replace it. Now we could easily play Basket Case instead and get a guaranteed crowd reaction - but that would make us like every other covers band in the world, so we’re not doing it.

 

You have to enjoy what you’re doing, because (IMO) money isn’t enough to get me out of the house and onto the stage. I’ve got to love the songs I play, and that translates into a better performance, which in turn gives your crowd a better night. 

Edited November 18, 2023 by EssexBuccaneer

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

I was just thinking about the set from my gig last night and there's maybe one song I would happily lose as it's pretty uninspiring from a playing perspective.

Ironically, it's one of those songs that always goes down well and last night was no exception (go on, have a guess which one it is).

In this band we operate a kind of checklist system:

1. Are we all up for trying xxxx song?

2. Are we performing it well?

3. Is it going down well?

4. We've played it for a while now, are we still happy to keep it?

Stagnation doesn't really feature in this band as we have another set of songs we can substitute in to keep it fresh.

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by hiram.k.hackenbacker

[Lozz196]

I’d be more than happy seeing a band doing that set list!

[Ed_S]

Playing that AIC track would be a 'no' from me - of course it's all personal taste, but I just don't find very much in it save for a few seconds in the chorus. I play entirely by ear and relative position, so I learn songs by just knowing the song; if I can hear it in my head I can play something appropriate, but I can't get to know it if I don't want to listen to it and I certainly won't remember it if I don't like it.

 

When I have had to veto in the past, I've generally tried to find something else that I can suggest which I think shares some aspects of the song I don't like, but I would be prepared to play. So with the general feel of the bass, the kinda subdued verses, the slightly more punchy chorus, the widdly-wah guitar bits... I'd probably offer Metallica - The Outlaw Torn, as it's what the AIC track instantly reminded me of, but I much prefer it and I'd assume there's a greater (although admittedly still not great) chance of it being known.

 

We're an originals band that throws a cover in every now and then, so we don't feel we have to be as mindful of everybody knowing a song as long as it fits musically; if you know it then great, but if you don't and it fits well then it's as good as another original that you also didn't know. Tends to be stuff with fun guitar work that we gravitate towards, though.. Rising Force, Killing the Dragon, Tornado of Souls.. that kind of thing, so I'm not often faced with a dirge.

[Woodinblack]

47 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I’d be more than happy seeing a band doing that set list!

 

Me too as long as I knew I was leaving before dakota and wouldn't be anywhere near earshot by dont look back in anger!

[EssexBuccaneer]

Broadening this topic, because that’s what my brain does to everything - what importance does an identity have to covers band? We could play all the generic hits all the time, and probably please a large number of people whilst also alienating a chunk of the public who loathe pop music, and also probably playing a load of stuff that the band itself don’t like.

 

Or alternatively play niche material that appeals to a smaller fanbase which will potentially be more loyal and travel to see you. Would probably be a more fulfilling/satisfying band to play in, but at the risk of fewer gigs.

 

Personally speaking I don’t think I could play in a wedding/functions band - it’s just not my thing, regardless of how good the pay is or how solid the summer bookings are. It’d just drive me nuts to play a load of stuff that I don’t enjoy.

[neepheid]

11 minutes ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

Broadening this topic, because that’s what my brain does to everything - what importance does an identity have to covers band? We could play all the generic hits all the time, and probably please a large number of people whilst also alienating a chunk of the public who loathe pop music, and also probably playing a load of stuff that the band itself don’t like.

 

Or alternatively play niche material that appeals to a smaller fanbase which will potentially be more loyal and travel to see you. Would probably be a more fulfilling/satisfying band to play in, but at the risk of fewer gigs.

 

Personally speaking I don’t think I could play in a wedding/functions band - it’s just not my thing, regardless of how good the pay is or how solid the summer bookings are. It’d just drive me nuts to play a load of stuff that I don’t enjoy.

 

I think it helps to have a core genre of music that you play.  It helps when people say to their friends "I saw this ace <insert genre> band last night".  However, I do enjoy surprising people with a few choices - have observed raised eyebrows (but in a good way) and comments sometimes passed like "Oh cool, you do that song".  We try and tread that line.  There'll be grumpy punters if we don't play any AC/DC, but they don't mind if we throw in the odd curve ball.

 

Weddings can do one - there's a reason the money's good - far too much pressure, far too much having to learn one-off pap songs that you hate, venues can be Richards about noise levels and arranging access - no thank you, I do this for fun.  I've only ever played one wedding, and it was with my originals band because it was a mate who really likes us and specifically requested us - we did all our songs to date and padded the night out with covers that we enjoyed playing, it was a good night.

Edited November 18, 2023 by neepheid

[ezbass]

1 minute ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

Broadening this topic, because that’s what my brain does to everything - what importance does an identity have to covers band? We could play all the generic hits all the time, and probably please a large number of people whilst also alienating a chunk of the public who loathe pop music, and also probably playing a load of stuff that the band itself don’t like.

 

Or alternatively play niche material that appeals to a smaller fanbase which will potentially be more loyal and travel to see you. Would probably be a more fulfilling/satisfying band to play in, but at the risk of fewer gigs.

 

Personally speaking I don’t think I could play in a wedding/functions band - it’s just not my thing, regardless of how good the pay is or how solid the summer bookings are. It’d just drive me nuts to play a load of stuff that I don’t enjoy.

I think focus helps, as your set list is less scattergun in approach and that makes choosing songs easier. I’ve played in bands where the set list contained a good number of pub favourites. However, the band I had the most fun in was specifically an ‘80s covers band. This helped with choosing the numbers, on stage appearance and having a specific product to tout to venues and punters. I joined a mod band earlier this year, after moving house (not normally my kind of thing, but I was desperate for a gig) and the same advantages seem to hold for this project too.

 

10 minutes ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

Personally speaking I don’t think I could play in a wedding/functions band

FWIW my old ‘80s band did a good number of functions as the clients wanted our specific product.

[Woodinblack]

6 minutes ago, neepheid said:

Weddings can do one - there's a reason the money's good - far too much pressure, far too much having to learn one-off pap songs that you hate, venues can be Richards about noise levels and arranging access - no thank you, I do this for fun. 

 

I guess it depends on the wedding. We have done 5 weddings, 3 of them we did new songs for, 2 of which are now in our standard song list but the rest was just parts of our normal set. They all seemed to go down fine and we enjoyed playing all of them. I don't recall any of them being that much more hassle than a normal gig, apart from finding the venues (as they all tend to be little country areas with weird parking).

[neepheid]

10 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I guess it depends on the wedding. We have done 5 weddings, 3 of them we did new songs for, 2 of which are now in our standard song list but the rest was just parts of our normal set. They all seemed to go down fine and we enjoyed playing all of them. I don't recall any of them being that much more hassle than a normal gig, apart from finding the venues (as they all tend to be little country areas with weird parking).

 

Sounds like you hit the jackpot.  I was just very crudely collating some of the horror stories I recall reading about on here, for my usual attempt at dubious humour which infects most of my utterings on here in a desperate bid for approval

 

[Jackroadkill]

42 minutes ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

Personally speaking I don’t think I could play in a wedding/functions band - it’s just not my thing, regardless of how good the pay is or how solid the summer bookings are. It’d just drive me nuts to play a load of stuff that I don’t enjoy.

 

I agree 100% there.  We like to play interesting covers rather than the same old shite that one can hear anywhere.

[Woodinblack]

27 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

Sounds like you hit the jackpot.  I was just very crudely collating some of the horror stories I recall reading about on here, for my usual attempt at dubious humour which infects most of my utterings on here in a desperate bid for approval

 

I think the weirdest thing is that 3 of the 5 weddings we have done were gay weddings. Seems disproportionately high, considering we are just a normal cover band.

[Leonard Smalls]

24 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I guess it depends on the wedding

Playing your average wedding fills me with horror!

However, I remember our punkfunk band in the early 90s being booked to do a wedding - it was for someone very posh who our drummer knew.

We'd just finished gigging with Gaye Bykers and were at the height of our rock'n'rollness; 2 of us turned up on our motorbikes, rest came in the van which we were all going to kip in at the venue.

As soon as we'd turned up at the stately home somewhere in Surrey we were offered champagne, which we alternated with tequila shots that the guitarist had brought.

I remember the look of horror from the older folks there as we launched into our set, which for some reason was at 3pm. We leapt about, swigging from champagne bottles, playing songs no-one would have known unless they knew us (we actually played well!), and as soon as we finished we jumped on the kiddies bouncy castle, spraying young 'uns with more champers.

Then we lazed about smoking dope and started on the beer. But strangely, we weren't shunned, or beaten up, or arrested - folks came and joined in with our excesses and we were convinced to play our set again in the evening. After that, there was a rave DJ, which perhaps meant we hadn't just been booked by mistake.

All in all it turned out to be a serious party - similar to many of the free festivals of the late 80s, just that someone posh who liked to party was getting married too!

I suspect there aren't that many proper rock XS weddings though - it was like Fear and Loathing in Guildford!

 

[Woodinblack]

2 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said:

Playing your average wedding fills me with horror!

 

I don't know, I am not sure I have ever really been to an average wedding, probably related to the people I know.

The last but one wedding we did though was quite a lot of money spent, 'big farmer' type, proper wedding venue (who couldn't have been more helpful), big buffet and twee citreon wartime vans outside with different catering. A best man who clearly wasn't used to public speaking.

Wedding went well, but the thing that impressed me is that the bride, in bridal gown, when we started took her wedding shoes off, put sneakers on and danced to every single one of our songs in a > 2 hour set.