cover bands....depressing?

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distortedrumble said:
do you ever go out to bars and find that every coverband seems to be just like the one before it? sometimes the only thing that tells them apart is stage presence.. I've been asked to come in on a cover band and even though I'll do it since the lead singer is a buddy.....this is going to be about as fun as a 3 hour family trip to see the worlds largest ball of yarn for the 10th time. anyone else feel this way? i think this is what happens to people who are emersed in original music.
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Playing original music is everyones pipe dream. Most people play in cover bands:
1 Because they love to play music
2 Because they have to pay bills
3 Because they want to become better musicians
4 Because it will allow them to be known in the community as a player
5 Because they have a day gig and this keeps them sane

Its all what you make of it. Some people are happy to play in the basement others are not
Cheers
 
It's 3:30 am at the Button South. The party is just getting started because all of the dancers who work at the strip clubs are getting off work and coming hear because this is where the drinks are served and the cover band plays till 6:00.
Time to play Sweet Emotions by Aerosmith for about 20 minutes then Stranglehold for another 20 with 5 guitar solos and such, and the same sluts mindlessly grinding to the beat thinking dirty thoughts about and the same thing every night.
You see why the interest?
 
LOL!!! ok i live in north carolina....differnt set of rules all together....a cover band till 6 in the morning? only for benefit functions held indoors. drinks? not after 2 on any night of the week..alcoholic kind anyway
 
Chalk and cheese.

Originals bands complaining about covers bands is like basketball players complaining about footballers! Yes they're all sportsmen, but the people who are into one sport are not necessarily into the other, so they compete on one level for an audience, but it's really a different audience.

Funny why this criticism only seems to affect rock musicians. No-one goes to see a band of old jazz musicians and complains because their set consists entirely of cover versions and asks them to write their own jazz songs !!! So why is it so for rock?
 
glynb said:
Funny why this criticism only seems to affect rock musicians. No-one goes to see a band of old jazz musicians and complains because their set consists entirely of cover versions and asks them to write their own jazz songs !!! So why is it so for rock?
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This might be the best point yet! Very insightful. While I write and perform 99% original music and don't enjoy rock cover bands, a lot of people enjoy cover bands and most that I have encountered consist of sharp well honed musicians. I think that people do not hold jazz or chamber music to this criticism because somwhere in our collective psyche we percieve Rock n' Roll as an inferior form of art and the only way to possibly elevate yourself within it is to perform your own material. I do not agree with this, it's just an observation. However jazz groups doing covers are doing standards or at least time tested material, I don't think that I've ever heard a TOP 40 jazz ensemble. Unless a band is covering mainly "Classic Rock" they are probably performing flavor of the month, or last month or last year, radio hits. Also most jazz ensembles heavily interperut the material as a basic template and make the piece thier own, whereas most cover bands are aiming to duplicate an albums production and sound or get as close to it as thier equipment allows. It's mainly a matter of tastes, I myself would prefer a Jazz trio lamenting on Mingus than an all out Jam on "Unbelieveable" by EMF
 
I'm not really against cover bands or down on them per se; I just think it's unfortunate that people (audiences) are so much more into hearing covers than originals. Granted, a lot of original bands stink at songwriting, so it gets a bad rap. But the difference is fairly dramatic, IME.
The thing about jazz is that even when a jazz act plays "covers", they typically tear them up and do them in a relatively original way. Jazz has a long tradition of re-interpreting works. MOST rock cover bands I've seen, OTOH, have a near slavish obsession with reproducing the original to a T. Jazz and classical also have a well established tradition of playing works by non-performing composers and songwriters. This kind of thing is fine in Pop and R&B, but in rock it's always been looked down upon. Raw expression is a big part of the rock'n'roll aesthetic.
I realize that people would simply rather hear something they know than something new and original. No illusions about that. I still don't have to like it, though.
 
In my cover band we only play time honoured standard classic rock songs, or those which we are confident will join that list in due course. We don't try to slavishly sound like the records (what's the point of that?) though many covers bands do and pride themselves on it!

Like i said, as an example, we play songs with a three guitars line up which originaly featured keyboards so in that situation you are forced to interpret. So i guess that makes us the ' old jazz band' equivalent in rock music.

There are good exciting and bad boring bands, regardless of whether they play originals or covers.

If I'm honest I'd much rather be playing to full bars and clubs every weekend and getting paid performing ORIGINAL work, but not all of us can achieve that depending on circumstances. So for some of us a covers band is the next best thing to...well, doing nothing at all live.
 
glynb said:
If I'm honest I'd much rather be playing to full bars and clubs every weekend and getting paid performing ORIGINAL work, but not all of us can achieve that depending on circumstances. So for some of us a covers band is the next best thing to...well, doing nothing at all live.
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Exactly my point. You'd rather be playing originals. You can't, though, because people don't give a crap about original music unless they can get it shrink-wrapped at wal-mart. It's depressing. I'm not busting on people who play in cover bands; if you make some money playing music, more power to you. Don't you ever just wish that people would consider sacrificing yet another listen to "freebird" to take an open-minded listen to a song you wrote?
 
it amazes me when some bad orginal bands still slip through the cracks and appear on stage somewhere where you just paid 5 bucks. the band has no concept of chord structure or even a hook in a song. they usually either stand there looking stiff and dull while playing or they jump around and run into each other with an energy that isnt in any song they play.
 
I'll sum it up

I think it comes down to what you do with the material. When I first learn to play one of my own tunes, do I stop there? NO. I work on the arrangement I shorten the intro. I change a verse. I add a rifff. I take one away. I do the same things with our covers, I treat them as raw material and hone it into our own tune. Or rather...Are you playing the tune or is the tune playing you?
 
lykwydchykyn said:
Exactly my point. You'd rather be playing originals. You can't, though, because people don't give a crap about original music unless they can get it shrink-wrapped at wal-mart. It's depressing. I'm not busting on people who play in cover bands; if you make some money playing music, more power to you. Don't you ever just wish that people would consider sacrificing yet another listen to "freebird" to take an open-minded listen to a song you wrote?
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Well it's no different to other forms of art. Wouldn't you prefer people to watch arty french films rather than Hollywood blockbusters? Wouldn't you prefer it if people watched Twin Peaks rather than soaps? Wouldn't you prefer it if people went to art gallerys rather than football games? Wouldn't you prefer it of people read books rather than watching DVDs? An wouldn't we prefer it if people always demanded original music rather than covers?

We vsometimes forget that for some people music is not that important to them, just some tunes to sing along to when they're drunk, they don't want challenging music.

Not everyone can appreciate a challenge, some have to be lead and guided and told what they should like by repetition on the radio/media, sadly, that's the way it is.
 
I'll agree that perhaps it is a bit depressing. But, there are some things that we can do to help the community get into it, I believe. When the repetition from the radio holding their hands won't work for us local original musicians, we just have to hold their hands, and show them the way ourselves.

Yes, easier said than done, for sure. ;)

Check out this thread over at the MARSH. (part of what was formerly the RecPit.)

http://marsh.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/81/

It's a thread all about creating a scene where you live, and how to gain exposure with what you're doing, by using all the tools at our disposal, and bands working together to get people excited about local music again.

It's a few pages long now, but it's worth the read.

-Speedy
 
I do mostly my version or rendition of other peoples compositions. I dont feel that this compromises me as an artist. I have original material also but has never been as popular. Ah well, maybe someday but for now at least Im playin' ;)
 
glynb said:
Well it's no different to other forms of art. Wouldn't you prefer people to watch arty french films rather than Hollywood blockbusters? Wouldn't you prefer it if people watched Twin Peaks rather than soaps? Wouldn't you prefer it if people went to art gallerys rather than football games? Wouldn't you prefer it of people read books rather than watching DVDs? An wouldn't we prefer it if people always demanded original music rather than covers?

We vsometimes forget that for some people music is not that important to them, just some tunes to sing along to when they're drunk, they don't want challenging music.

Not everyone can appreciate a challenge, some have to be lead and guided and told what they should like by repetition on the radio/media, sadly, that's the way it is.
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Believe me, I'm not arguing with any of that. I still find it depressing.
 
distortedrumble said:
it amazes me when some bad orginal bands still slip through the cracks and appear on stage somewhere where you just paid 5 bucks. the band has no concept of chord structure or even a hook in a song. they usually either stand there looking stiff and dull while playing or they jump around and run into each other with an energy that isnt in any song they play.
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This gets to the real dilemma, which is that clubs are only going to book something that can draw the largest crowds. There are two ways to do this: Book the cover bands and get that crowd. Or book whatever original band can bring the most people. NOT, mind you, whatever original band is any good.

That is actually what's most depressing to me. I've walked into clubs jam-packed with sorority chicks who are all watching the worst band imaginable, but they know them from school or work or whatever. And then I'll see a guy playing in the subway who can't get a gig for shit because he doesn't know 50 people, but beats the hell out of anything I'm hearing in the clubs.

How to get around that, I have no idea. Still working on it...
 
whats the best way to know 50 people.....go to college....not a community college but a college or university....if you live on campus..thats even better...if you belong to a frat....your crowd is automatic. i know college isnt for everyone but its in the best intrest of most original bands to have someone in the band in college. lol the only other option is to do house parties complete with kegs and all. and thats a slow process also.
 
Some people can't go to college, too old! LOL

You have to accept that some people are naturaly gregarious, have a wide social circle, attract others to them, etc. these are the ones who develop a following. Some of them in addition create good music, some don't, but people go and see them anyway because they have some 'charisma'. You need to network in the music biz, just like in any other business, some are better at networking because they have the social skills.

Young women you referred to may be looking for a performer who is sexy and confident, & not just or even a good musician.

Don't also forget the luck factor, location, timing all of which play a part, and last but not least sheer hard work in spreading the name about and creating a buzz.
 
Actually, those aren't the only ones who attract a following. I and people I know tend to be fans of artists who are a bit antisocial (Tom Waits, Pink Floyd, etc.), and that has a different kind of appeal for a different kind of crowd.

The world of music listenership is a broad, broad thing, and the longer I do this odd job, the more I think there are really no rules whatsoever. Try something, see if it works for you. If it doesn't, try something else. It takes a while, but I've seen it work.
 
I've seen alot here concerning performing cover songs to grasp the crowd's attention but the ONE thing I haven't seen here discussed is the STAGE PRESENCE. Usually, this is the one thing that's set the people who wrote the cover songs you all somehow feel "forced" to perform that has propelled them to the top. I don't know how many times I've seen bands turn the stage prsence on and off during a night if they even turn any on to begin with. Guitarists stand around and either act like they'd rather be somewhere else like on a big stage or are more worried about impressing the other guitarists with their accuracy and never turn on any energy or one musician stands out while the other's look bored or too consumed with the accuracy of what they're playing. This is the entertainment business...not a JOB....so guess what ...it's your job to ENTERTAIN people and if you don't like doing that, then don't waste the stage! Dress up, be crazy...if you wanna be stars, you have to act like stars and do things none of the other bands or musicians will do despite how much potential peer/public humiliation you may suffer from it. If you get up on stage and ENTERTAIN people by giving them something to look at or fixate on, then it will not matter what you play but HOW you play it. Just nailing songs doesn't mean a flip to Joe Schmo...they want to see you running around being crazy and doing the things that the of the rest of the world can only DREAM about doing. Most people are simple creatures of emotion that are attracted by all things that shimmer, shine and are animated. If a band stands up there and doesn't move around or just acts like they'd rather be somewhere else, then the crowd will feel that way also. It's all simple psychology. If a band acts like they're having the time of their lives in a hole-in-wall bar with 10 people, chances are that those 10 people will feel the same way. A band is the creator of ALL energy and you can't get any back if you don't give it all out to begin with. You can butcher a cover song and the crowd won't care as long as you put on a SHOW while you're playing the song. It's not about what you're hearing when you're playing live. It's more about what is seen. Simple as that. Sure, maybe one or two other musicians will find and criticize your accuracy of a song you're performing but what is more important: impressing a minority of armchair sonic critics in the crowd or the majority of clueless people who will potentially buy your music in the future when you make that artistic leap into selling your music?

I've played in many bands in the past...cover bands, original bands etc just like most of you here but the one thing that has made one of my most successful bands stand out and create the most street buzz to date is the raw energy of our live show. It's loud, it's crude, rude and in-your-face and there's alot to see at a live show and we don't play a single cover song and we're all basically hermits in real life who don't have the advantage of drawing off college frats or sororities although some of them do come and see us. We don't have but maybe 4 or 5 close friends collectively in real life and off-stage, we're really reserved people who don't partake in heavily active social lives. We draw on street cred alone and the ONE thing that complete strangers keep coming up and enthusiatically telling us after every show we perform includes: "You guys take the stage and OWN it...It's like being at a mini-concert...You play with HEART....You put on an entertaining show.....You are a FUN band....I can tell you LOVE what you are doing...etc"

That's the heart of the matter: If you really love what you are doing, chances are the people you are performing for are going to love it too and keep coming back and bringing friends if you truly entertain them. Loving what you're doing on stage is not something you can act or fake, either. So get out there and love on your crowds and it won't matter if you play originals or covers. Eventually, you will create enough street buzz that you'll be drawing crowds in droves on your notorious stage show alone. This is not gimmick. This is the only thing that separates the proverbial "men from the boys".
 
ok that one was a long read. lol i didnt read all of it. but i would like to say that its more than just stage presence...sounding good with the stage presence is whats the best...sounding like shit with great stage presence sucks. sounding good and no stage presence is acceptable for the $75-$150 show at the local pub...you play some southern rock crap and the local drunks will take care of the dance floor. as a guitarist, since I'm not an 80's hair metal player with all that finger tapping, i dont care who i impress with my technical skills. as for standing around.....its kinda hard to go hopping all over the stage when you are playing guitar with 4 to 5 pedals and no song is straight clean or staight distortion and you sing. it confines me to one place alot. as for the people that just stand there and look down at the guitar...the whole anti-social rockstar thing has ran its course....atleast smile at some chick. smile at the ugly ones so they feel special. most ugly ones show up with atleast 2 hot friends..most of the time
 
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