All you band players:

[Treeline]

But without cover bands, who will fill the bar scene with such favorite songs from Alanis Morisette, 1980's Bon Jovi, and Poison?

...........facepalm.gif

[Richard Monroe]

I can't imagine not doing covers, but what the hell? I'm a neopsychedelic *folk-singer*. Pete Seeger once said to me, "You steal a song, they'll call you a plagiarist. You steal a thousand songs, and they'll call you- a great American folk singer." Ballads are a critical part of the historical record. If you never play a cover, then who plays your songs when you're dead? I guess I'd rather have my songs be a living, breathing artistic entity, than a Greek statue carved of digital data. Each to their own. -Richie

[moresound]

Really, who will play our songs once we are gone?

[Richard Monroe]

I've got no worries, Moresound, There's enough covers of my songs out there. I probably don't get to be for the ages, but I will get extended play. And the cheap bums can send $.08 per copy to my estate via the Harry Fox Agency. Baby needs new shoes...-Richie

[Greg_L]

I can't imagine not doing covers, but what the hell? I'm a neopsychedelic *folk-singer*. Pete Seeger once said to me, "You steal a song, they'll call you a plagiarist. You steal a thousand songs, and they'll call you- a great American folk singer." Ballads are a critical part of the historical record. If you never play a cover, then who plays your songs when you're dead? I guess I'd rather have my songs be a living, breathing artistic entity, than a Greek statue carved of digital data. Each to their own. -Richie

Wow, that was really gay.

[S.Lee]

I only like doing my original songs, Its alot more fun and its easier cause you don't have to have the stress of people trying to compare your cover to the original.

[guitaristic]

I know this thread has just been recently necro'd, but I personally find all covers to be the more successful route for small-time bands. Not gonna lie, it's great and all getting my originals out in front of an audience and hearing people's feedback or how much they enjoyed it, but honestly the small-time musician market is so oversaturated that people tend to not listen (at like bars and gigs like that) unless you're playing a cover of a well-known song.

Ehh. My 2 cents.

[openminded]

Covers. We do a lot of weddings and corporate events so nobody is all that interested in hearing our original stuff.

[moresound]

Um, the jukebox?

Oh you kids with all of those fancy 8 track record players.

[guitarguy101]

Most people I know, including myself like to hear cover songs done pretty much like the original.

I play in a punk rock band and in a reggae band, and sometimes we cross-pollinate, taking a punk song and doing a reggae cover, or vice versa. That usually gets a good response as long as you don't touch the classics (a punk cover of Buffalo Soldier would be a bad idea.)