I feel so cheap and dirty... in an awesome way!

pklima · #1 06-23-2010, 02:28 PM

I just played a Britney Spears song on the stage of a symphony concert hall and got huge applause. HA! Take that, arts and culture types who hate fun pop music!

OK, we played it as a tango, but still... it's great to sneak Britney into such an inappropriate venue and get such a response. What are your stories of getting audiences to enjoy songs they're "supposed to hate"?

MatticusMania · #2 06-23-2010, 02:34 PM

Which song?

MarkusBass · #3 06-23-2010, 02:38 PM

Oops I Tangoed Again?

pklima · #4 06-23-2010, 02:40 PM

Heh. It was "Toxic". The entire lineup was DB, voice/shaker and voice. One of our singers also plays guitar, but on that song she decided it sounds better if she doesn't.

shadowtippy · #5 06-23-2010, 02:42 PM

Had a guy who wanted some "country" so we played Willie Nelson and Hank Williams,Sr. tunes. That wasn't "counrty eniugh" for him. The next song we did was "country enough" for him. It was: "Wondering Aloud," by Jethro Tull.

R. Laevinus · #6 06-23-2010, 02:46 PM

Wow, I didn't know classic prog was considered country these days!

To the OP: My buddy's band does the same sort of thing every now and then - they do originals, but at every gig they have the crowd pick out a silly pop song to be played at their next gig. Now that's a great schtick if I ever heard of one!

pklima · #7 06-23-2010, 02:54 PM

That reminds me - I used to play in an originals band where the singer would sometimes take requests and we'd play the song even if we didn't know it. She'd just make up completely different lyrics that were vaguely related and we'd try to play something built around whatever motifs from the original any of us happened to remember. She'd even do this with songs in foreign languages like English and French. Another time we got two requests at roughly the same time, put the two titles together, and improvised a song about "the girl who walked for a hundred years".

A bit crazy, but fun.

pklima · #8 06-23-2010, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowtippy

Had a guy who wanted some "country" so we played Willie Nelson and Hank Williams,Sr. tunes. That wasn't "counrty eniugh" for him. The next song we did was "country enough" for him. It was: "Wondering Aloud," by Jethro Tull.

Haha. I love country, especially Texas country, so that's just absurdly comical.

chris.gotfunk · #9 06-23-2010, 02:57 PM

One of the best things I have heard in recent days is a Go-Go Band that did a cover of an Ashley Simpson tune!!! It was sick!!!!!! I found myself laughing at first, but then my head would not stop moving... it was money!!!

I hear ya though. That is totally cool about B.S. tune going over!

DRafalske · #10 06-24-2010, 07:27 AM

I play in a classic rock bar band. We played Ice Ice Baby at a gig last weekend. In a country bar out in the country. We were the only ones not wearing boots and cowboy hats. Dance floor was packed. I couldn't believe it.

D

pklima · #11 06-24-2010, 07:39 AM

Making a country audience buy "Ice Ice Baby", that's gotta be even more impressive!

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris.gotfunk

That is totally cool about B.S. tune going over!

I wouldn't call it a BS tune, myself. It's a nice song, really. It's just one that's challenging to pass off as serious.

But I'm pretty good at turning songs into something "alien" audiences can like - Goatbomb, for example, is mostly about turning country songs into hip-hop that, at least to people who aren't familiar with the originals, won't seem any more "country" than any other fun party hip-hop.

DRafalske · #12 06-24-2010, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pklima

Making a country audience buy "Ice Ice Baby", that's gotta be even more impressive!

Some younger broad was asking us to play Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, etc. We said no, we don't know any. Every break she comes up asking us to play this or that. Finally she asks if we know any rap at all... She was hot, so we broke that out and dedicated it to her. Couldn't believe it packed the dance floor. Those folks LOVED our butchery of "Swingin'" too. You just never know.

D

derrico1 · #13 06-24-2010, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pklima

I wouldn't call it a BS tune, myself. It's a nice song, really.

I believe he meant B.S. as in Britney Spears.

lkngro · #14 06-24-2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derrico1

I believe he meant B.S. as in Britney Spears.

Meh, same thing.

Sonicfrog · #15 06-24-2010, 11:18 AM

In Chris Plays Guitar, we used to play Paula Abdul's "Hit And Run",... In double time! It rocked!!!!! I'll have to post it when I get a chance.

For RareForm, definitely the best "Shite, I can't believe we just played that song" moment?

We played, and I got to sing..... Highway To Hell.... At a very large Jewish Wedding!!!!!!!

Hey, the groom wanted it, so we played it! What, like we're going to say no at his wedding???

pklima · #16 07-24-2010, 01:39 PM

Finally got a recording of this song. Here we are doing the Britney Spears tango at last night's gig, complete with some overenthusiastic slapping:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVaBE9iz9b0

Hope to post a Lady Gaga cover soon, too. Got footage from two cameras for that one that I need to put together.

JohnMCA72 · #17 07-24-2010, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derrico1

I believe he meant B.S. as in Britney Spears.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lkngro

Meh, same thing.

When I've sold more records than Britney Spears I'll start dumping all over her. Until then, she has my utmost respect.

seanm · #18 07-24-2010, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMCA72

When I've sold more records than Britney Spears I'll start dumping all over her. Until then, she has my utmost respect.

So until you make more money than Tony Hayward, he will have your utmost respect

oniman7 · #19 07-24-2010, 09:22 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IGlURH73nw

Terrible audio quality, but it was taped with a camcorder. The vocals were nowhere near as deep.
Seriously, you won't understand the video if you try. But I just kind of put it there. lol

Basically, this metal band took 3 Lady Gaga songs, mixed them together, and played them in a metal way. They took 2nd at our battle of the bands.

xxfaux_punkxx · #20 07-24-2010, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRafalske

Some younger broad was asking us to play Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, etc. We said no, we don't know any. Every break she comes up asking us to play this or that. Finally she asks if we know any rap at all... She was hot, so we broke that out and dedicated it to her. Couldn't believe it packed the dance floor. Those folks LOVED our butchery of "Swingin'" too. You just never know.

D

Sadly I used to like Lady Gaga until they did the whole Glee episode. I still haven't forgiven my fiance' for making me watch that.