I can't believe my band is learning this song...

[jmattbassplaya]

My band decided that this would be an awesome song to cover. While I do believe it has the potential to go down really well in the college circuit, I can't help but laugh my butt off because I use to think these guys were the coolest thing ever when I was like 8 years old lol:

Dirty Pop ( Pop ) - N'Sync - With Lyrics and Free Download - YouTube

What you guys think if we funk this up a ton? Anyone else playing anything you think is absolutely ridiculous?

[Papa Dangerous]

I opened this up thinking it was going to be Beaver...

At least it is not that.. (So far, I managed to avoid ever hearing one of his songs )

You thought they were cool when you were 8? Damn... I thought I was bad for listening to Celine Dion...

As for something fun as a cover... I would say get people really wild up with some intro lick you can make up... and then Rick Roll them Just need a keytar player

[sohamorrohit]

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

I opened this up thinking it was going to be Beaver...

At least it is not that.. (So far, I managed to avoid ever hearing one of his songs )

I don't like Bieber AT ALL but I do think you should LISTEN to something before writing it off completely. Otherwise, it's not your own opinion. Simply borrowed.

To the OP. idk man. The song has a good groove. And has the potential to be a good cover. Also, you'll have a lot of free space to noodle around and put your mark on it.

Of course, when my "punk" band included Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance in their set list, I quit.

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by sohamorrohit

I don't like Bieber AT ALL but I do think you should LISTEN to something before writing it off completely. Otherwise, it's not your own opinion. Simply borrowed.

Point taken, and I typically do give things a listen to before I write them off. However in this case, I know there is nothing worth me listening to, and would prefer to keep my distance and hurting the cilia in my ear. He is a tool for the industry. He is like 14 years old with a book published. He is plastered all over Walmart, and from that alone is enough for me to not want to listen to it. The less I know about people like this the better. Call me foolish for it - but I call it wise.

[Papa Dangerous]

To add to the topic of odd songs in a mix, I would definitely be interested in having a band, but playing something completely and utterly different from our "style." My friend plays a Native American flute, and after a few months became very decent at it. I would enjoy grabbing another type of instrument and just playing something like a Native American Ghost Dance or some traditional Japanese music. Just something different ya know.

[sohamorrohit]

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

Point taken, and I typically do give things a listen to before I write them off. However in this case, I know there is nothing worth me listening to, and would prefer to keep my distance and hurting the cilia in my ear. He is a tool for the industry. He is like 14 years old with a book published. He is plastered all over Walmart, and from that alone is enough for me to not want to listen to it. The less I know about people like this the better. Call me foolish for it - but I call it wise.

Understood, the guy can a be a pain in the ass. Simply because he's everywhere. I don't like him any more than you do. But then, at least musically, your opinion becomes unreliable, doesn't it?
I guess, in this context it doesn't matter though i.e not what the OP is looking for.

[BBox Bass]

Pop songs can be a lot of fun. When I was in an 80s hair metal cover band a few years ago, the singer started campaigning for us to learn Lady Gaga's Poker Face. At the time I had no idea who Gaga was, but after listening to the song enough times, I decided it had potential. The guitarists and drummer said no way, but after I pointed them to a rock arrangement I found on Youtube, they grudgingly agreed. It ended up being one of the big crowd favorites. The first night we played it, we got asked to do it two more times. To the OP, I say go for it!

[pudgychef]

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

To add to the topic of odd songs in a mix, I would definitely be interested in having a band, but playing something completely and utterly different from our "style." My friend plays a Native American flute, and after a few months became very decent at it. I would enjoy grabbing another type of instrument and just playing something like a Native American Ghost Dance or some traditional Japanese music. Just something different ya know.

sure...but not at a gig that booked a fun, popular cover band - nothing worse than a band that takes a self indulgence break thus emptying the dance floor of paying customers....

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by sohamorrohit

Understood, the guy can a be a pain in the ass. Simply because he's everywhere. I don't like him any more than you do. But then, at least musically, your opinion becomes unreliable, doesn't it?
I guess, in this context it doesn't matter though i.e not what the OP is looking for.

To further push off topic, I agree with my opinion being unreliable and very unrepresentative of what "his" music is about. I guess it is less music related situation, and more of taking a stand against something that usually gets under my skin (tools). Just to listen to him on Youtube would give him an extra number in people who have listened to him. That number will work in his favor, cause no one will know my opinion of it.

However, back to topic, I do enjoy when a band can take a very popular song and put the biggest twist on it. I checked out that Nirvana thread where that band did an incredible cover... (if you can really call it a cover) of that song. The sax solo was intense, I do not know if he did a little too much playing at the end (Pad wanker?) but I would enjoy hearing something like that at a show. It got me thinking of random songs to cover for whenever I get a band going.

[Fassa Albrecht]

It's actually a pretty decent song, better than some. I used to love this song!

[pudgychef]

I have played a few GaGa tunes (telephone, poker face) as well as Pill by Pink within an evening of mostly classic rock songs - went over very well later in the night and likely Pill has been the song that generated the most post-last set commentary...

[sohamorrohit]

That Nirvana cover was sick as hell. Who would've thought you an change Heart Shaped Box into something like THAT! :O
OP, I agree with BBox. Go for it!

[Papa Dangerous]

Originally Posted by pudgychef

sure...but not at a gig that booked a fun, popular cover band - nothing worse than a band that takes a self indulgence break thus emptying the dance floor of paying customers....

Very true, I was considering that as I wrote it, but I do not see myself as a cover band to make people dance. I imagine it at some smaller venue that only has people there because they want a drink or a meal. My friend became friends with this person who works at a bar/restaurant, and ended up playing there every Tuesday for a few months. The bar/restaurant never had a band there, nor was it a place that would really have one. In between sets, the guitarist jumped on drums while our friend sang (like 1920s-1940s style). Soon they became an unofficial band known as the Ungulates. (Which is possibly from Latin meaning "Hooves" - they speak to each other with a Russian accent and say stereotypical Russian things.)

I suppose that would be more of an appropriate setting.

[pklima]

I wouldn't necessarily try to funk it up a lot. I'd first try to keep the feel of the original (which is pretty funky already), and try something different only if I can't pull it off with the band, vocals and instrumentation I have. With these lyrics, though, you'll have to keep the style commercial or it would become nonsense.

Doing cheesy stuff (OK, I haven't played any boy band covers, but plenty of Britney, Gaga, Beyonce, Cheryl Cole etc.) always gets a great reception, and even the musicians in the audience won't hate you for it. Just have fun and avoid hiding behind comedy or irony. Act like you're completely convinced that it's a great song and you're trying to play the hell out of it.

Respect the cheese and the cheese will respect you. Just like Stilton.

SONNET TO A STILTON CHEESE by G.K. Chesterton

Stilton, thou shouldst be living at this hour
And so thou art. Nor losest grace thereby;
England has need of thee, and so have I--
She is a Fen. Far as the eye can scour,
League after grassy league from Lincoln tower
To Stilton in the fields, she is a Fen.
Yet this high cheese, by choice of fenland men,
Like a tall green volcano rose in power.

Plain living and long drinking are no more,
And pure religion reading 'Household Words',
And sturdy manhood sitting still all day
Shrink, like this cheese that crumbles to its core;
While my digestion, like the House of Lords,
The heaviest burdens on herself doth lay.

[droo46]

Pop covers are always fun IME. I'm in a similar situation being a college band and all and we usually play one in our set of originals. We've played Dynamite, Secrets, and most recently the infamous Baby.

[bolophonic]

LOL @ the idea of adults listening to Justin Bieber.

[fhm555]

Originally Posted by Papa Dangerous

...or some traditional Japanese music...

I do an ancient Japanese folk song every time I play. it's called "Tu-Ning"

Back on point, I once threatened to quit a band because they wanted to play some skin-nerd.

Granted I was as burnt out on three steps and sweet home as I was on stairway, but if it's what the band boss wants and I'm able to at least fake it, it's just a song so why not? it was the total inability for the singer and guitar player to pull off these selections which prompted my threat in this case.

For starters we were a traditional country band and the only reason the guitar player (he was the band boss) wanted to add something outside that genre was we had been turned down for a job because we didn't have any "southern rock" in our set list.

I threw out some Barefoot Jerry, Captain Beyond, and Grinderswitch selections for consideration, but they were met with the same reception I would imagine a smoking pile of fresh excrement would have received had I thrown that out instead. I figured as long as we were going to break out of our little trad country box, we might as well do something less pedestrian than the usual.

It was my first real lesson in the general fear of change most hardcore country pickers live in.

[The Lurker]

Originally Posted by pklima

I wouldn't necessarily try to funk it up a lot. I'd first try to keep the feel of the original (which is pretty funky already), and try something different only if I can't pull it off with the band, vocals and instrumentation I have. With these lyrics, though, you'll have to keep the style commercial or it would become nonsense.

Doing cheesy stuff (OK, I haven't played any boy band covers, but plenty of Britney, Gaga, Beyonce, Cheryl Cole etc.) always gets a great reception, and even the musicians in the audience won't hate you for it. Just have fun and avoid hiding behind comedy or irony. Act like you're completely convinced that it's a great song and you're trying to play the hell out of it.

Respect the cheese and the cheese will respect you. Just like Stilton.

SONNET TO A STILTON CHEESE by G.K. Chesterton

Stilton, thou shouldst be living at this hour
And so thou art. Nor losest grace thereby;
England has need of thee, and so have I--
She is a Fen. Far as the eye can scour,
League after grassy league from Lincoln tower
To Stilton in the fields, she is a Fen.
Yet this high cheese, by choice of fenland men,
Like a tall green volcano rose in power.

Plain living and long drinking are no more,
And pure religion reading 'Household Words',
And sturdy manhood sitting still all day
Shrink, like this cheese that crumbles to its core;
While my digestion, like the House of Lords,
The heaviest burdens on herself doth lay.

Burns ripoff

[ronaldpdbrandt]

I don't think anything is off limits when it comes to covers. Say you're in a punk band, and you cover "Mandy" by Barry Manilow. People who hate the Manilow will assume you are being ironic and think it's hilarious. People who love the Manilow (why are they at a punk show, BTW?) will think it's awesome that you and they have the same taste. Everybody wins!

[TolerancEJ]

Ok, this has nothing to do with pop, but one unexpected tune that my old band played and worked very well with the crowd was... Demolition's theme from the 80's WWF days. We just sort of played it on a whim. Couldn't believe how much the crowd was into it.