Viewing 38 posts - 1 through 38 (of 38 total)
  • Original 'local' bands – do you want covers?
  • Lifer
    Free Member

    Trying to get my band gigging again after losing a couple of people. We’ve got loads of songs half written and I don’t see the point in wasting time learning covers to pad out an originals set, would rather spend it getting our own songs done.

    If you go and see a band playing originals do covers ‘help’ the experience? Would they help you remember a band? Is it a good thing that you’d remember a band because of a cover they did rather than the originals?

    All thoughts welcome… 😯

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    Originals only! Covers only matter if your watching a dull/poor band and its preferable to hear something you at least recognise rather than their own songs.

    If your a good enough band then your own songs every time. Much prefer to hear new music instead of something thats been redone loads of times already.

    CharlieMungus
    Free Member

    Some covers, everyone likes the familiar

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    whippersnapper
    Free Member

    …pity you’ve lost members, quote enjoyed the stuff you posted up before. I am still waiting for the Black Angels-esque tune 🙂

    Covers. Well, if you can add something to it why not but I prefer originals.

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    Unless a small baynd are really good, and have very strong, unique material of their own, their best bet to stand out a bit at a gig is to do a belting cover of a recognised song. I reckon.

    I’ve heard baynds that are really good technically, but let down by poor material (usually cos some egotist is the ‘songwriter’ and the others just go with it).

    One of the baynds at BBB 2009 did loads of covers of rock tunes. Really enjoyed that, as they were relaxed and just there for a good time. Proper entertaining; everyone loves a good tune.

    But those who think they really are the next Led Zeppelin, Nirvana or Pickettywitch are often simply just deluded and will probbly eventually settle down and get jobs and mortgages and give up the hopeless dreams of stardom…

    Lifer
    Free Member

    CharlieMungus – Member
    Some covers, everyone likes the familiar

    Therein is another problem, the covers people want to do aren’t that familiar imo.

    Green Manalishi, The Danzig song from The Hangover Pt2, Emilia Tronini’s(sp?) version of White Rabbit from Suckerpunch and Left Side Bleeding by Hermano.

    flyingmonkeycorps
    Full Member

    Depends whether you want to make money playing in pubs or you’re in it for the love of playing, I’d say. You’ll probably make a lot more money a lot sooner playing popular covers, but I for one would much rather see a band playing their own songs.

    trailmonkey
    Full Member

    original material. maybe one cover in the set if you can ‘do something’ with it.

    CharlieMungus
    Free Member

    Green Manalishi,

    oooh forgotten all about that!

    Cougar
    Full Member

    The sad fact of it is, covers are crowd pleasers. If your aim is to play a few gigs and have a bit of fun, covers will get the punters in and thus will get you repeat gigs.

    the-muffin-man
    Full Member

    Depends if you can actually write good songs!

    I’ve seen many local bands who are very good musicians and play brilliantly but unfortunately there own stuff is dross. This becomes even clearer when you come to play the bands CD (which is usually bought in a drunken stupor after the gig) a few days!!!

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    original material. maybe one cover in the set if you can ‘do something’ with it.

    Yep, was going to say something like this. A cover or two will go down well I’m sure – but it needs to be more than a Karaoke version of something existing. I guess you need to judge the audience and see. If your own stuff is going down a storm, then maybe stick a cover in…

    Hmmm…hard decision 🙂

    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    The sad fact of it is, covers are crowd pleasers. If your aim is to play a few gigs and have a bit of fun, covers will get the punters in and thus will get you repeat gigs.

    Eh?

    Being able to play decent music is surely a crowd pleaser, whether its a cover or not.

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    but it needs to be more than a Karaoke version of something existing

    Ah, a good example of this is the aforementioned Emilia Tronini’s(sp?) version of White Rabbit. Ok, better than a ‘karaoke’ version maybe, but imo a diluted version which would suit a hotel bar or something; background muzak, little more. Sorry.

    No, a good cover needs to be different, have it’s own unique flavour, stand out from the original somehow:

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXqgrar7cww&feature=related[/video]
    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdKY8IzhEZI&feature=related[/video]

    Or you could just do any Bob Dylan song; it’s bound to sound better unless you really, really can’t sing…

    Three_Fish
    Free Member

    I don’t see the point in wasting time learning covers to pad out an originals set, would rather spend it getting our own songs done.

    That. I’d say it’s good to wait until your own sound is developed before doing covers, then you’ll do them with a twist that relates to the other songs you play.

    philconsequence
    Free Member

    depends on your target audience and the venue..

    pubs/older audience = covers usually go down well

    younger audience/proper venue = gotta have your own strong material

    no harm is learning a couple of covers and having them ready in case you ever feel you need to pull them out of the bag?

    EDIT – to explain to pub comment… in a pub there’s a big chance that 99% of the people there are there to drink and haven’t come along just to see your band play… all the musician’s i know hate it because you will get requests to play certain tracks from drunk people, they will expect to hear songs they know and they’re not usually that polite if they’re not keen on your sound.

    if i had paid money to come see you then unless you’ve billed yourself as a cover band then i’d be expecting original material, if you threw a cover in then i’d be hoping for your own bands style twisted into it making it sound fresh and new 🙂

    Cougar
    Full Member

    Being able to play decent music is surely a crowd pleaser, whether its a cover or not.

    Well, ok. What I mean is, it’s a quick win. It’s harder to build up a following from scratch with original material, people like songs they know. So you start off with covers, maybe a couple of of your own, and gradually shift the balance towards your own stuff as your name gets known.

    ‘s what I’d do anyway. ObDisclaimer, I Am Not In A Band.

    1freezingpenguin
    Free Member

    Depends imo how well or what take they can do the cover version. Seen a couple of local bands in the past slaughter covers while their own music was ok. A good band that does covers is Adrian Edmondson The Bad Shepherds

    Lifer
    Free Member

    Or you could just do any Bob Dylan song; it’s bound to sound better unless you really, really can’t sing…

    😆

    My view is the only covers worth doing are ones that aren’t that well known as every other f***** on a saturday night is playing the well known ones, and if I wanted to play covers I’d be in a covers band. It might be something to do with the fact that 4/5 of the songs we’ve been messing about with but never finished are ones I’ve written (which are freaking awesome btw) + 1 gig in nearly a year due to losing guitarist, getting new one up to speed then losing drummer doesn’t help.

    thebunk
    Full Member

    I’d say if your own stuff is going down well then keep playing your own stuff!

    1 or 2 are OK, either very obscure ones that will make the people that recognise it smile, or more recognisable ones that you can put your own stamp on. Nirvarna Unplugged set has some well chosen covers.

    Or you could do an avant garde set using a violin and a loop pedal which makes most of the saturday night crowd hate you, and then cover a Mariah Carey song just to confuse them:

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O_yyEA72HE[/video]

    GlitterGary
    Free Member

    Face it, you’re never going to write Gimme Shelter, so do a few covers.

    Lifer
    Free Member

    Fair point there Gary!

    racefaceec90
    Full Member

    have you ever thought about covering classic computer game music (i know it sounds strange)you’d be surprised at the number of people who have played some of the classics (i.e pac man,out run,afterburner e.t.c) i know that if i was at a gig and they started doing their own game music cover,that would rock 😀 i’ll get my coat 😳 😉

    DezB
    Free Member

    Some covers, everyone likes the familiar

    WRONG! Not everyone. Originals only for me.

    [edit] I was in a ‘covers band’ once. But we only played parties for a laugh and were shit. Apart from our punk cover of Careless Whisper which was awesome. We did a Gary Glitter cover too 😀

    Cougar
    Full Member

    have you ever thought about covering classic computer game music

    +1. Comedy covers are always good too. There was a local band who used to do a thrash metal version cover of the Scooby Doo theme tune, without fail it always tore the roof off when they played it.

    TijuanaTaxi
    Free Member

    Saw a support band recently who did a rock stylee cover of Staying Alive, not sure whether if it was better or worse than the original

    mossimus
    Free Member

    Err that supposed Sex Pistols cover above, is that not the Anti Nowhere League?

    donsimon
    Free Member

    I’d say originals all the way.

    MSP
    Full Member

    That Sinead O’Conner streets of London cover is the most vile putrid pile of vomit I have ever had the missfortune of listening too.

    Do a few covers if you enjoy doing them, enjoying playing the music comes across whether its your own or a cover, and enjoyment is infectious.

    plumber
    Free Member

    If I turn up in a bar I expect

    1 that you can play
    2 that you are entertaining
    3 i don’t give a shit where your songs are from as long as they conform to 2
    then repeat 2

    If you don’t conform to 2 then I’ll spend a little time checking out your guitars, pedals, amps, drums and then ignore you and of to another bar if possible

    oh and by the way 2

    grum
    Free Member

    It’s much easier to get paid playing covers. 👿

    It does depend on the type of gig though – but sadly most people just want to hear stuff they know already.

    DezB
    Free Member

    mossimus – Member
    Err that supposed Sex Pistols cover above, is that not the Anti Nowhere League?

    Yep
    This is how the Pistols did covers 🙂
    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLYmWjTVjAA[/video]

    MrsToast
    Free Member

    For the love of Odin’s beard, don’t cover Mustang Sally…

    Elfinsafety
    Free Member

    Err that supposed Sex Pistols cover above, is that not the Anti Nowhere League?

    Apparently. I posted it as an example of a cover done in a unique and vastly different style though, and used the Skinhead O’Connor one as contrast.

    That Sinead O’Conner streets of London cover is the most vile putrid pile of vomit I have ever had the missfortune of listening too.

    Yeah well post some of your faves up, I’m sure someone else might feel the same about some of them.

    Whathaveisaidnow
    Free Member

    one cover, if done well/different is a nice compliment . . .

    I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it either, just play it, half of them probably won’t even know it’s a cover!
    proper job

    yunki
    Free Member

    in a pub there’s a big chance that 99% of the people there are there to drink and haven’t come along just to see your band play

    exactly..

    It depends on the venue.. as an unknown band if you’re wanting to make money you will have to be able to play at least a good sets worth of covers.. ‘cos unless you’ve got a damn good following already there aren’t enough venues with a ‘new music’ policy to make an unknown band financially viable..

    I would say even amongst places that are willing to let you play your own material.. the majority will still often want at least some of the set to be comprised of appropriate covers..

    are there many new music venues around at the moment..? Is there a vibrant new band scene with paying punters to fill the venues..? Will you get enough exposure if you restrict yourself in this way..?
    I imagine you’d have to be prepared to travel an awful lot to get away with playing solely your own stuff..

    everyone from the Stones to the Stone Roses started out playing covers..

    AlexSimon
    Full Member

    I don’t really know the answer to the question as I don’t go to gigs of bands that I don’t already know and like, but it’s definitely possible to bring a great deal to a cover – this is pure class imo…

    [video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEfDSP4g_U[/video]

    seahouse
    Free Member

    I think covers are a difficult one, if you go to see your favorite band and the only do songs from there soon to be released album the crown get bored quickly so some familial songs helps keep the crowds attention.But an obvious cover is only going to be judged again’s the original and very rarely is it going to be better. So yes a cover is a good think in an original set but a good choice of cover is essential. Good luck finding your new members.

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