So we recently had a thread about "set killers" and that got me to thinking. What about songs you NEVER thought would go over and they KILLED (in a good way)? I played in a band a bunch of years ago and I had joined well after they were established. As I was learning the set, I came across a few songs that made me think that they had lost their minds. BUT after a few shows, they turned out to be the crowd pleasers.

Cowboy Song - Thin Lizzy (very cool bass and guitar harmonies)

Dreams I'll Never See - Molly Hatchet version (who knew?)

And Later....

Good Time - Arch Angels (which I LOVE)


How bout you? What are your dark horse crowd pleasers? What gets the crowd going more often than not even though you never thought it would?

Nobody???

War Pigs, we initially played it for ourselves - but it's become a sing along. lol

So we recently had a thread about "set killers" and that got me to thinking. What about songs you NEVER thought would go over and they KILLED (in a good way)? I played in a band a bunch of years ago and I had joined well after they were established. As I was learning the set, I came across a few songs that made me think that they had lost their minds. BUT after a few shows, they turned out to be the crowd pleasers.

Cowboy Song - Thin Lizzy (very cool bass and guitar harmonies)

Dreams I'll Never See - Molly Hatchet version (who knew?)

And Later....

Good Time - Arch Angels (which I LOVE)


How bout you? What are your dark horse crowd pleasers? What gets the crowd going more often than not even though you never thought it would?

Those songs are *always* hits down here. The Arc Angels are from here, so everyone knows "Good Time". We do "Cowboy Song" often at the jam, as well as "Jail Break". Anything by Molly Hatchet flies well in the South. "Dreams..." is a big favorite of mine, and I'm actually learning it so we can bring it into our set.

"Squeezebox" was my big surprise. The guys got me to sing and play it, but the first time I did it, no one got up. They just stared! I think they were stunned. LOL!

But it has become a big crowd hit, and everyone dances to it. I raunch the song up a bit, using vocal expression, and we put a lot of energy into it. They love it, and I really didn't they would!

Cherie :bassist:

War Pigs, we initially played it for ourselves - but it's become a sing along. lol

I've been trying to bring that tune in, 'cause I can sing/play it, and when we do it at the jam, the crowd goes nuts. Truly, a sing-a-long!

My guitarist thinks its too much of a "showcase song" (whatever that means) and won't let me do it with our band. He's not been there when we've done it at the jam, so I think I will have to make certain I do it next time he shows up. LOL!

I know for a fact the crowds in our venues would dig it a lot! I'd also like to do "Sweet Leaf", for the same reason. May have to road-test that at the jam, too.

Cherie

Squeezebox and War Pigs! NOYCE!

Squeezebox and War Pigs! NOYCE!

Right? I love doing "War Pigs"...all those people singing along and pumping their fists, like so many Vikings in a meadhall. GOD, what a rush!!! I can't understand why Guitar thinks it won't fly. We could replace "Come To Papa" with it. :D

Really must finish working up Sweet Leaf over the weekend...we can use the two Sabbath songs like bookends!

I'm itching to do Joan Jett's cover of Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog", but Guitar thinks that won't fly, either. We shall see on jam night, soon.

Cherie :hyper:

3rd Rate Romance - by the Amazing Rythm Aces.

I didn't want to do it, thought it was too slow and not well known enough. But it's turned out to be one of the most requested songs we do.

Killin Floor. You can't dance to it, but some people try. We didn't play it once, and had to answer a lot of questions from the fans in attendance.

The Sky is Crying - serious laid back blues

They went crazy for it, we normally play it at home for a warm up.
It gave the drummer a bit of a rest, bless him, not as young as he once was but best we have had.

30 days in the Hole,Never Been any Reason,and White Room.For some reason,every time we play these,the audience always sings along,and the dance floor usually fills up.Lot's of fun to play too!

We do a cover of Jamiroquai's "High Times" that either packs the floor or clears the room, and I have not been able to determine why it goes in either direction.

We also do a long medley of Eb Oakland style funk tunes, always including Curtis Mayfield's "Check Out Your Mind" and varyingly including some old Headhunters tunes and occasionally "Pawn Shop" by Sublime. It clears the floor 90% of the time, and clears the whole place for an additional 5%. I do not know why we still play it, but I am not the music director in the band.

All good songs in my mind (but what do I know, I'm a musician?) Haven't played 30 Days in YEARS! Good jam!

Ahhh---Cowboy Song!

I've been singing that one since it first came out---hasn't failed yet.
That song has something (dynamics?) that you don't see in many songs now-days.

We play an old Elvis song called "Mountain". Our singer just kills the vocal part (not in costume), and it's got good dynamics and harmonies that we do pretty well too.

I was really skeptical when we started playing it... #1 it's so old, #2 Elvis is dead, #3 it's a slow song and #4 it's in 6/8 (a la "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"). But somehow it just works every time and is one of our go-to numbers.

"Detroit Rock City" by KISS packs the floor everytime

Sultans of swing, who can resist some knopfler leads.

Sultans of Swing is ANOTHER great one!

(I'm making notes. This has really been a secret ploy to find good songs that not every band plays. You are all UNDER MY SPELL!!!!!!!!!) :hiding:

I was in a fairly heavy hard rock / metal band covering Megadeth, Metallica, Ozzy, Priest, etc., and I had to fight for this song but I had a feeling it would work well in our set if we metal-ified it, it REALLY worked and got the girls on the dance floor...and then they stayed there. Yup, "Little Willie" by Sweet.

The best I saw, was an extremely well known local METAL band (ALL GUYS) doing En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" big vox and all - it was a killer - in a good way.

The best I saw, was an extremely well known local METAL band (ALL GUYS) doing En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" big vox and all - it was a killer - in a good way.

"Never Gonna Get It" also another slammin' track by those ladies. Prolly not something you'd want a band of guys covering, though...

Re "Sultans of Swing" I've had really mixed success on that one. My current band used to do it back with our original lead guitarist who could play Knopfler style stuff all day. We played it really well but it only went over half the time at best. The other times you could practically hear the crowd checking-out.

I'm itching to do Joan Jett's cover of Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog", but Guitar thinks that won't fly, either. We shall see on jam night, soon.

Just curious... ...How's the Joan Jett version different from the Stooges?
I've never heard the Joan Jett version, but I play (on guitar) and sing a cover of Iggy's.

I play in a hard rock radio friendly band that recently covered Careless Whisper by Wham. For some reason it's all over the radio and people like it!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Seriously, it sucks.

Right? I love doing "War Pigs"...all those people singing along and pumping their fists, like so many Vikings in a meadhall. GOD, what a rush!!! I can't understand why Guitar thinks it won't fly. We could replace "Come To Papa" with it. :D

Really must finish working up Sweet Leaf over the weekend...we can use the two Sabbath songs like bookends!

I'm itching to do Joan Jett's cover of Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog", but Guitar thinks that won't fly, either. We shall see on jam night, soon.

Cherie :hyper:

Sonic Youth used to always cover "I wanna be your dog" to much acclaim, as does my girlfriends punk band. Another friends original band likes to throw "Search & Destroy" into their set from time to time.

One of my Improv band's biggest hits is a jam we based on part of the score music from 28 Days Later. They just eat it right up!

We have been consistantly amused at people actually dancing to "Badge". Pretty cool, really.

Ginny Ginny 8675309 - always always - much to my amusement - packed the Dance Floor with Women.

Anything by Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot,The Outlaws, Lynard Skynard, etc. flies down here. Got a tough crowd: play Gator Country, or Train Train.

We're a bunch of frustrated parents with really small kids. One night I started playing the Peter Gunn riff and out of nowhere the vocalist starts doing an angry '5 Monkeys' (Five little Monkeys Jumpin on the bed - One fell off, bumped his head....'). He obviously had a 'great' day with the kids.

The guitarists and drummer fell right in and we had a laugh. Over time we thought it was good enough to play live and wow, what a response. We're always asked to do it over again.

Life by SIAM SHADE.

3rd Rate Romance - by the Amazing Rythm Aces.

I didn't want to do it, thought it was too slow and not well known enough. But it's turned out to be one of the most requested songs we do.

That IS a great tune... I have that album on vinyl. Wish I had it on cd. Very underated band and a fantastic recording. )-(

"Don't Lose Your Cool" by Albert Collins. It's an instrumental but we can really kick it and it ALWAYS fills the dance floor so I try to get the frontman to call it to open the second set.
Usually sets the tone for the rest of the night. )-(

3rd Rate Romance - by the Amazing Rythm Aces.

I didn't want to do it, thought it was too slow and not well known enough. But it's turned out to be one of the most requested songs we do.

The country bands I was in always played this and it always went over well.

Sultans of swing, who can resist some knopfler leads.

And yet "Money For Nothing" was our set killer :(

The classic rock band plays mainly for an older crowd. So we played "Folsom Prison Blues" knowing that the older crowd would love it. What we didn't expect was that the younger crowd packed the dance floor for this song.

suffragate city (bowie), had no clue it would go over so well

suffragate city (bowie), had no clue it would go over so well

YUP everyone knows " WHAM BAM, THANK YOU MAAM".

suffragate city (bowie), had no clue it would go over so well

Played that song in a Classic Rock band back in 1977 in Fairbanks, Alaska and it always went over well. )-(

We have lots of well known songs that go over really big like Another Brick In The Wall, All Day And All Of The NIght, anything by The Ventures, Who Says You Can't Go Home, Whip It, Down On The Corner, and many, many more.

However, we have several songs that pack the dance floor instantly for some crazy reason and are extremely popular for us such as Time Is Tight by Booker T. & The M.G.'s and Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes by Edison Lighthouse. Another song we do that people love is Mr. Spaceman by The Byrds. As we always say - Who'd A Thunk!

Just curious... ...How's the Joan Jett version different from the Stooges?
I've never heard the Joan Jett version, but I play (on guitar) and sing a cover of Iggy's.

Doesn't differ much at all, really. She just...GAWD, she does it so well! Its awesome to hear a female sing those lines, growling and aggressive.

I wanna do it tooooooo!!! LOL!

There's a live version on YouTube...lousy sound quality, but it captures Joan's raw energy with the song very well.

Cherie :bassist:

30 days in the Hole,Never Been any Reason,and White Room.For some reason,every time we play these,the audience always sings along,and the dance floor usually fills up.Lot's of fun to play too!

The first two guarantee that I will get up and dance. Those are two of my favorite songs.

Cherie

I was in a fairly heavy hard rock / metal band covering Megadeth, Metallica, Ozzy, Priest, etc., and I had to fight for this song but I had a feeling it would work well in our set if we metal-ified it, it REALLY worked and got the girls on the dance floor...and then they stayed there. Yup, "Little Willie" by Sweet.

The best I saw, was an extremely well known local METAL band (ALL GUYS) doing En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" big vox and all - it was a killer - in a good way.

:hyper: :hyper: :hyper: On both counts!!! I'd LOVE to hear either of those, metallified!!!

Cherie

Sonic Youth used to always cover "I wanna be your dog" to much acclaim, as does my girlfriends punk band. Another friends original band likes to throw "Search & Destroy" into their set from time to time.

One of my Improv band's biggest hits is a jam we based on part of the score music from 28 Days Later. They just eat it right up!

"Search & Destroy" is another great tune. Along with "Lover With An Alibi". Guitar says none of these songs are "hits" enough to let me do, so I'll have to bring them to the jam, one at a time. Oh well.

28 Days later...ewwwww, that's very cool. I'd stay around for that, definitely!

Cherie

Pretty much any Sabbath :D

Two ... three really come to mind

The old Ko Ko Taylor standard "Wang Dang Doodle" most people we play to have never heard it, but by the second chorus you can see people singing back to us "We gonna pitch a wang dang doodle all nite long"

The Steve Winwood classic "Gimme some lovin" that wanders into the old Sonny Boy Williamson tune "One way out" (most know it by the Allman brothers) Seems to work because we really kick both tunes and the words tranisition well from gimme some lovin to oh $#!P I got caught doing it get me otta here.

:) ... Nice to hear that tunes other than Mustang Sally work!

We used to hang a sign------

"Requests---$1
Mustang Sally---$100"

We used to hang a sign------

"Requests---$1
Mustang Sally---$100"

Yeah Yeah...."They call it Stormy Monday but Mustang Sally's just as bad".... :rollno: )-(