She offered us $420 cash to play Freebird!

[AaronMB]

Ah ha! This is like one of those ol' bar jokes about the guying pissing all over the counter and getting away with it: there was someone else paying the band more for them not to play it!

What if she wanted to hear Stairway?

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

Last weekend a gal comes up to the band and fans out $420 cash, waving it back and forth in front of us, requesting that we play Freebird.

And we turned it down! LOL!!

How noble of you.

[Justice]

I'd play it for $420.

Hell, we had someone request Brown Eyed Girl in our third set one night. We said we had played it earlier in our second set. He offered us $20 to play it again. We did. He then offered another $20 to play it again. We announced that we would continue to play it over and over until a) he quit tipping us $20 each time, or b)Someone tipped us more to stop.

We played it 3 times in a row, had dancers each time.

[tuBass]

I lol'ed.. nice story.

one time we had such an amazing crowd out on the dance floor during mony mony the lead singer yelled "LET'S DO IT AGAIN" right after it was over... and then 5 seconds into it realized that the song KILLS his voice because of the key. we made it through, but his voice was weak for the rest of the night. We still laugh about that, and somebody will always say "let's do it again" every time when we finish it.

[mmoore1]

Originally Posted by lowfreq33

This didn't happen.

+1

[yodedude2]

'there's a very thin line between clever and uh..er..."

"stupid."

[electracoyote]

My band has faked our way through song requests for much less. When someone is that desparate and possibly that intoxicated, you have to at least make a play.

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Justice

I'd play it for $420.

Hell, we had someone request Brown Eyed Girl in our third set one night. We said we had played it earlier in our second set. He offered us $20 to play it again. We did. He then offered another $20 to play it again. We announced that we would continue to play it over and over until a) he quit tipping us $20 each time, or b)Someone tipped us more to stop.

We played it 3 times in a row, had dancers each time.

Awesome.

This, and other stories like it, distinguish the entertainers from the musicians.

Some people want to be in a cover band to be a musician and play their favorite songs. Other musicians answer the higher calling to be entertainers and play the audience's favorite songs.

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

And we turned it down! LOL!!

If that was my guys, this post would be about how you lost your
job last night.

LOL!

[Steve Dallman]

This whole music thing is supposed to be entertainment. I take little of it too seriously. I never liked the song, but our last band, run by the guitar player, did it. I never liked it, but the audiences sure did. I learned many years ago that I could enjoy playing music I wouldn't want to listen to, as long as it's played well. That attitude got me through a lot of polkas (Polish, German, Mexican...) during my years with a country band.

My current band is tremendous fun...and we're damned good. We have our list of songs we will never play, but when asked, we will do those songs...and we do them well. If the audience or club owner wants it, and we can do it, we will. They pay our freight and we're there because of them...tip or (usually) not.

Better still is to make the audience think what we're playing is exactly what they want to hear. That's the fun part.

[Marial]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

Awesome.

This, and other stories like it, distinguish the entertainers from the musicians.

Some people want to be in a cover band to be a musician and play their favorite songs. Other musicians answer the higher calling to be entertainers and play the audience's favorite songs.

Higher calling? I don't know about that. I think if you're in a cover band that's simply what you're there to do, it's your job.

[AaronMB]

Originally Posted by Marial

Higher calling? I don't know about that. I think if you're in a cover band that's simply what you're there to do, it's your job.

+1.
Different strokes...

[electracoyote]

Originally Posted by Marial

Higher calling? I don't know about that. I think if you're in a cover band that's simply what you're there to do, it's your job.

Exactly.

But not all musicians would agree that entertaining and pleasing the audience is the priority for a cover band.

[Biggbass]

I guess you had to be there to 'get it'. Around here calling out "Freebird" from the audience is a cliche that isn't taken seriously to begin with. Our B3 player has a "NO MUSTANG SALLY" bumper sticker on the side of his Leslie cab...it's got the classic red circle with the line across it. People still jokingly ask us to play it, knowing that we won't. Brown Eyed Girl also got canned a while back and no one has complained yet. There are other, better songs to play that keep the entertainment value flowing. YMMV.

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by Factor88

My wife and I were once the only patrons on a rainy afternoon at a dockside bar in New England where a guitarist/singer was strumming some songs. I offred him a $20 to not play any Jimmy Buffet during the time we were there, speicifying by the way that if other customers showed up he be released from the agreement. Dude was highly offended and refused to take my money. We finished our drinks and left.

Well, it was worth a try. I might have done the same...

MM

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

Our B3 player has a "NO MUSTANG SALLY" bumper sticker on the side of his Leslie cab...it's got the classic red circle with the line across it.

Outstanding! Your B3 player is a man of principle. I admire that in a person. Thank goodness there are still people in this world like your keyboardist.

Originally Posted by Biggbass

There are other, better songs to play that keep the entertainment value flowing.

Most definitely!

[jnuts1]

"But not all musicians would agree that entertaining and pleasing the audience is the priority for a cover band."

i just don't understand this statement at all, that is the exact reason coverbands exist, get in an original project if that is not your "goal"

but anyways, 3 weeks ago a dude just starts dropping 20's in the tip jar for some skynard. guess what, i faked the hell out of it & everyone loved it

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by electracoyote

Some people want to be in a cover band to be a musician and play their favorite songs. Other musicians answer the higher calling to be entertainers and play the audience's favorite songs.

I suspect we're never going to come to an agreement about this - other than to agree to disagree - but...

I really have to advocate the POV of kozmikyak, and Wadge - who made a distinction between being an "entertainer" and being a "jukebox" - and who clearly feels that being an entertainer doesn't necessarily mean trying to be all things to all people, like "just another bar band". He has a point.

Admittedly, kozmikyak's band plays mostly originals with some cover tunes added - which is not the same model as a pure covers band. Nevertheless, to the extent they do play cover tunes, they have a right to stick to those tunes (i.e. "curate") that are consistent with their overall style & identity. To take requests - especially for songs that are wildly out of sync with their own style & identity - would actually be detrimental & destructive to the value of the show as a whole.

To some extent, even 100% cover bands have a right to define their own style and their own identity - even if they're not tribute bands. If they choose wisely, perform well, and stick to their guns - they'll find an audience. And the audience will love them - without the need to dilute the experience, by turning them into "human jukeboxes".

Musicians have both an opportunity and a responsibility to function as taste makers. That means taking charge of the set list with real aesthetic purpose in mind. That can never happen so long as they allow the audience to call all the shots.

MM

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by jnuts1

"But not all musicians would agree that entertaining and pleasing the audience is the priority for a cover band."

i just don't understand this statement at all, that is the exact reason coverbands exist

My opinion of what coyote was saying is, some players are in cover bands because they just enjoy playing that music, and audience entertainment may not be their primary priority (self entertainment and self gratification is their priority, which is fine). For others, audience entertainment is their priority, which is fine too.

It's cool if both happens.

Some bands are open to playing whatever the audience wants. If that's what a band wants to do, I say go for it and be happy. Others are in a different camp and simply refuse to play certain songs, and if that's what a band wants to do, I say go for it and be happy. I happen to fall into the latter category, but that's just me. In my opinion (and that's all it is is my opinion), just because some toothless, tank top wearin, Coors guzzlin, 6th grade educated, cousin marryin, Jerry Springer type yells out "play Freebird" doesn't mean playing it is the right thing to do. I won't play anything by LS, period. No exceptions. But again, that's just me. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, I'm just saying that is me. There are some things in life I just won't do. My response to the world??......sorry!

[DwaynieAD]

for that kind of scratch i'd play that song until my fingers bled.