Playing songs you heartily dislike.

[Leonard Smalls]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

put sneakers on and danced

We had a mosh pit!

And despite that, no punch ups...

The horror I have is that middle of the road do where they're trying to keep everyone happy meaning that most aren't. 

Or at least I wouldn't be, but then I hate most music that isn't an unlistenable racket!

[bassman7755]

2 hours 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.

 

This is why I like playing in tribute bands - it solves this inherent tension between what people want to play and what people want to hear on a night out. Everyone is there to play and listen with a shared love of whatever band it is, you also generally a lot of leeway with more obsure song choices.

[tauzero]

14 hours ago, asingardenof said:

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

 

So do we, which is why "All right now" is still in the list (although it doesn't seem to get into the set these days).

[bassman7755]

23 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

So do we, which is why "All right now" is still in the list (although it doesn't seem to get into the set these days).

 

All right now is one of my favourite songs ever to play, original bass work on it is superb (sadly the vast majority of people I see cover this song have obviously never sat down and really listened to it to do it justice ...).

Edited November 18, 2023 by bassman7755

[tauzero]

5 minutes ago, bassman7755 said:

All right now is one of my favourite songs ever to play, original bass work on it is superb (sadly the vast majority of people I see cover this song have obviously never sat down and really listened to it to do it justice ...).

 

I learnt to play it wrong (in the solo) fifty years ago and I tried but failed to play it right, so wrong it remains. I'm fine on the verse.

[Jackroadkill]

Well I've managed to force myself to play the main riff.....  So, so dull.

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

10 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

Well I've managed to force myself to play the main riff.....  So, so dull.

I had another couple of listens to this last night, just to see if would grow on me and I was struck by how horrible the production is. It sounds very uneven, guitars too loud, not enough bass. This never helps when I’m sitting down to learn new material. If it doesn’t sound good to begin with, I’m usually less than enthused about listening to it.

This live version sounds loads better to my ears.

 

 

[Jackroadkill]

11 minutes ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said:

I had another couple of listens to this last night, just to see if would grow on me and I was struck by how horrible the production is. It sounds very uneven, guitars too loud, not enough bass. This never helps when I’m sitting down to learn new material. If it doesn’t sound good to begin with, I’m usually less than enthused about listening to it.

This live version sounds loads better to my ears.

 

 

That version's better, but I still find it a turgind yawn-fest, I'm afraid.

[TimR]

9 hours ago, EssexBuccaneer said:

We have AIC in our set

 

Man in a Box would be a great track to play with the right singers.

[Jackroadkill]

Well, I put my big boy pants on and said that I really didn't want to play Rain When I Die.  Following some discussion, during which the drummer and one guitarist were apathetic about it at best we decided to sack it in.  I don't think we're all particularly happy with it, but I said that we can replace it with something all of us like.  We've got a big list of songs that are more or less agreed on, so we'll take one off that.

 

Songs we will be working on, however, are:

 

Worker's Song - Dropkick Murphys' version

Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

Orange Crush - REM

Word Up - Gun version

Poison - Alice

[Japhet]

Sweet Home Alabama has mercifully disappeared after years having to play it in various bands. Hopefully it never reappears. Dreadful dungaree wearing, toothless slack jaw Hillbilly garbage, not to mention tedious in the extreme.

[TimR]

21 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

Songs we will be working on, however, are:

 

Worker's Song - Dropkick Murphys' version

Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

Orange Crush - REM

Word Up - Gun version

Poison - Alice

 

Never heard of the first one, had a listen, still don't recognise it. Don't think it is catchy enough for an audience who've never heard it before. 

 

Word Up - Gun. It's another one like Lenny Kravitz's Are You Gonna Go My Way. It's a great song, everyone listens to it, every band wants to play it - but it goes down like a lead balloon unless you play it right at the end of the evening when everyone is up and leaping around.

 

The others are OK, but don't think they're groundbreaking storming songs. 

 

There are hundreds of songs people like to listen to, sound great and we'd all love to play. There's a reason why a load of those type of songs don't stay in setlists for very long.