An interesting perspective theory on Music Performance....

[scorpionldr]

So I just came home from the gym, and thinking about music I always remembered I used to hear a theory of my father's (since the days I was driving myself mad working with my old garage band).

He would always stake to the claim that for a performing band (something that I was NOT in at the time) to gain attention, that they would have to play covers first to gain status (this is part one). The next piece of theory was this: "if you get on stage to perform and introduce more than 10% of original material, you'll never get noticed. After a certain amount of originals, a crowd can't be bothered to pay attention because its unfamiliar."

Has anyone else heard this before? It sounded strange when I first heard it, it still sounds strange. I play in a cover band now (pretty dedicated), so I guess I changed my mind about what I wanted to play (originals back then, now anything that can get me noticed), but I just don't get it. Especially given the fact that in this day and age its hard for just about any band to find any venue thats open to play. On the other hand, I do find with most new bands I see wherever I go, unless its one that I know, I don't really care that much about what their playing, so long as it sounds decent. anyways, let me know what you guys think.

[Kwesi]

Makes perfect sense. The general population isn't fond of "discovering new things" just enjoying what's already there. However if the crowd was mostly musicians then an original set would likely go over much better.

[scorpionldr]

on the other hand I've heard multitudes of bands that got signed simply by doing what they wanted.

[BassChuck]

I'm not sure why musicians are so slow to grasp this idea. People will tolerate new things, if they are given something they can hold on to.

There is wisdom in "Something OLD something NEW, something BORROWED, Something BLUE.

If you get a chance to research what musicians play in public you'll see that they usually do cover music that the audience knows, sometimes borrowing from other genres. Orchestras as far back as the 1700's played arrangements of Opera arias, popular tunes and other musical offerings. Religious music often used popular tunes (and that idea goes back 1000 years. Nearly every Orchestra today will balance new music with 'old chestnuts'. It's just good programing.

People like to hear things they know. Also they like to be sure that the musicians they are supporting aren't feeding them BS. When John Cage was composer in residence at Antioch College in 1968, the concerts usually ended with a ragtime piece by Scott Joplin. The beauty was in the contrast. (as so was the art)

If you don't want people to be afraid of new things, don't be afraid of the old.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by scorpionldr

on the other hand I've heard multitudes of bands that got signed simply by doing what they wanted.

Quite true but consider these points 1) Bands that get signed are often doing something that is already popular 2) Signage doesn't necessarily mean success 3) The vast majority of bands don't get signed.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by BassChuck

I'm not sure why musicians are so slow to grasp this idea. People will tolerate new things, if they are given something they can hold on to.

There is wisdom in "Something OLD something NEW, something BORROWED, Something BLUE.

If you get a chance to research what musicians play in public you'll see that they usually do cover music that the audience knows, sometimes borrowing from other genres. Orchestras as far back as the 1700's played arrangements of Opera arias, popular tunes and other musical offerings. Religious music often used popular tunes (and that idea goes back 1000 years. Nearly every Orchestra today will balance new music with 'old chestnuts'. It's just good programing.

People like to hear things they know. Also they like to be sure that the musicians they are supporting aren't feeding them BS. When John Cage was composer in residence at Antioch College in 1968, the concerts usually ended with a ragtime piece by Scott Joplin. The beauty was in the contrast. (as so was the art)

If you don't want people to be afraid of new things, don't be afraid of the old.

I agree with you to an extent but I think you give "people" too much credit. I'm not being cynical but people now seem to really stick to the music they already know until a band they like releases a new CD. If you go into a club (like an urban club) and have some unknown hip-hop artist playing his original stuff even after the entire set had been top 40s stuff, I guarantee you that the crowd would boo. If you go to a typical small-scale concert by a band that isn't huge and they play a set of mostly originals the crowd would probably be upset.

[Deluge Of Sound]

I've heard that advice, too. I think it really depends on the scenes in your area.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by scorpionldr

So I just came home from the gym, and thinking about music I always remembered I used to hear a theory of my father's (since the days I was driving myself mad working with my old garage band).

He would always stake to the claim that for a performing band (something that I was NOT in at the time) to gain attention, that they would have to play covers first to gain status (this is part one). The next piece of theory was this: "if you get on stage to perform and introduce more than 10% of original material, you'll never get noticed. After a certain amount of originals, a crowd can't be bothered to pay attention because its unfamiliar."

Has anyone else heard this before? It sounded strange when I first heard it, it still sounds strange. I play in a cover band now (pretty dedicated), so I guess I changed my mind about what I wanted to play (originals back then, now anything that can get me noticed), but I just don't get it. Especially given the fact that in this day and age its hard for just about any band to find any venue thats open to play. On the other hand, I do find with most new bands I see wherever I go, unless its one that I know, I don't really care that much about what their playing, so long as it sounds decent. anyways, let me know what you guys think.

Your dad was/is completely wrong.

You get noticed by being good and by going to the right place(s) to showcase what you do. You're not going to go and try and book a bar gig and play a set of all original music when they're looking for a cover band, but there are places for original music to be showcased, or at least there are here in Tampa.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

I agree with you to an extent but I think you give "people" too much credit. I'm not being cynical but people now seem to really stick to the music they already know until a band they like releases a new CD. If you go into a club (like an urban club) and have some unknown hip-hop artist playing his original stuff even after the entire set had been top 40s stuff, I guarantee you that the crowd would boo. If you go to a typical small-scale concert by a band that isn't huge and they play a set of mostly originals the crowd would probably be upset.

Don't take this the wrong way, but the normal crowd at a place like that will be composed of some of the most fickle people you'll ever meet in a musical sense. The song that was good enough to get everyone grindin last month won't get a rise outta the crowd next month.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by sloasdaylight

Don't take this the wrong way, but the normal crowd at a place like that will be composed of some of the most fickle people you'll ever meet in a musical sense. The song that was good enough to get everyone grindin last month won't get a rise outta the crowd next month.

Haha, that is true isn't it.

[scorpionldr]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

1) Bands that get signed are often doing something that is already popular

Musically? or elsewhere?

I'm kind of interested in drum (or music) machine performing artists, like putrid pile, etc.

[Kwesi]

Originally Posted by scorpionldr

Musically? or elsewhere?

I'm kind of interested in drum (or music) machine performing artists, like putrid pile, etc.

Mostly musically but elsewhere in some cases.

[Phalex]

My band is a cover band and is currently working on a CD on new music as well. We've played covers for around 9 years now. We've built a bit of a rabid following, and those are the folks that seem to be most receptive to our own compositions.

The last all original band I was in, the singer / songwriter wouldn't touch a cover to save his life. He had a great voice, I think the tunes were good, but he was totally inflexable when it came to doing anything but his own stuff.

4 hour bar gig? Forget it, that would involve having to do a few covers and might bruise his integrity. Soooo the guitar player and I along with the drummer and backup singer started performing covers as "fill" so the the great and talented singer / songwriter wouldn't have to stoop that low.

Clubs started asking the guitar player about the cover stuff, and we started doing cover gigs on our own... 10 years later, the core of that original band is still gigging, but the singer / sonwriter is selling used cars someplace.

This time around, the originals feel like a natural progression. What required work to sell in the all original thing, requires very little work at all these days. New clubs call us looking to hire us with some regularity.

So, IME the OP's dad was spot on. Build a following that likes your band and they will be more likely to be accepting of your music.

YMMV IMO ETC

[scorpionldr]

Originally Posted by Phalex

covers for around 9 years now.

So, IME the OP's dad was spot on. Build a following that likes your band and they will be more likely to be accepting of your music.

YMMV IMO ETC{?}

The whole 9 years part seems a little scary......

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by scorpionldr

The whole 9 years part seems a little scary......

It all depends on your motivation I guess. I really really really like to play. I like to play in front of people and I like to be able to afford a new amp or something when I need it.

I get off being up onstage and playing bass in front of a dance floor packed with girls of questionable moral standards.

Writing music is more of a PITA to me than anything else. I am definitely not the creative talent in my band. But being up in front of a packed room playing music.... and I guess here's where the cheese binds, because any music, original, cover, rock and roll, praise and worship..... I don't really care. If I'm onstage with a band, I'm gettin my jollies.

Originals was never my reason for forming, or playing with my band of 9 years. I'm just gettin my rocks off, and buying a new bass, or a night out with my sweety on occasion because of it.

Build a following. I guess that's rule #1. No matter what you want to do, or where you want to go, a bunch of people that dig you is a big first step. If you can get 100 people to follow you into a club and buy drinks, you can play originals, or covers, or broadway show tunes (technically still covers..) get gigs.

[scorpionldr]

Originally Posted by Phalex

It all depends on your motivation I guess. I really really really like to play. I like to play in front of people and I like to be able to afford a new amp or something when I need it.

I get off being up onstage and playing bass in front of a dance floor packed with girls of questionable moral standards.

Writing music is more of a PITA to me than anything else. I am definitely not the creative talent in my band. But being up in front of a packed room playing music.... and I guess here's where the cheese binds, because any music, original, cover, rock and roll, praise and worship..... I don't really care. If I'm onstage with a band, I'm gettin my jollies.

Originals was never my reason for forming, or playing with my band of 9 years. I'm just gettin my rocks off, and buying a new bass, or a night out with my sweety on occasion because of it.

Build a following. I guess that's rule #1. No matter what you want to do, or where you want to go, a bunch of people that dig you is a big first step. If you can get 100 people to follow you into a club and buy drinks, you can play originals, or covers, or broadway show tunes (technically still covers..) get gigs.

I get that. Call me narcissistic tho, but I just want to be able to look back on things and say that people actually saw me as a guy who wasn't just playing other people's songs. There's an identity element in music that I think is forgotten.

[blendermassacre]

My band plays a few covers of songs we really like (breakin' the law as a swing song, brand new cadillac, and naked girl falling down the stairs by the cramps) these songs set the tone for our set, and you kind of know where we're going to go with it.

That being said, we'd rather make no or little money and play our songs for 10 people who like what we do and / or the bands we're playing with than ever play freebird or led zep covers for more money

[LiquidMidnight]

A few thoughts:

- As has already been mentioned, the scene you're in really has a lot to do with what's expected. There probably aren't a lot of hardcore punk bands that focus exclusively on cover material. However, there are many classic rock, modern rock, blues, country, and polka bands that play covers.

- While this may bruise some egos, a lot of original music sucks. It's badly written, badly arranged, badly produced, and badly executed. All of the regional all-original bands I can think of who have done well have exceptional material (i.e., it's as good or almost good as you'd hear from a signed, national band).

- With that said, in my experience, the musicians who write good original material have spent an ample amount of time cutting their teeth on covers. The cats who picked up instruments and went straight to writing usually have weak material. They weren't forced to develop their chops and writing skills by learning other people's material. Bono said that U2 wrote original material right away because they didn't have the chops to play other's material. Bands like U2 are the exception in my experience.

- When it comes down to it, you have to play what's in your heart, as hokey as that sounds. However, you have to realize that you can't always have your cake and eat it to. You may get off on playing your avant-garde shoegazer rock, but you realize that you're not going to be a rock star. Likewise, you may love the attention and thrill from jamming some Zepplin covers, but it may be a lot harder to make an artistic statement.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by blendermassacre

That being said, we'd rather make no or little money and play our songs for 10 people who like what we do and / or the bands we're playing with than ever play freebird or led zep covers for more money

And you know what's wrong with that?!?!?


Nuthin.

I really dug the video of your band Blender. Keep it low!

[blendermassacre]

Originally Posted by Phalex

And you know what's wrong with that?!?!?


Nuthin.

I really dug the video of your band Blender. Keep it low!

thanks man. We've got a few more up of POOR sound quality.

I was also thinking about something that matters a lot, IMO:

Song Content. We play fun, catchy, punk-a-billy with songs everyone with a semi functional brain can sing along to after hearing the first chorus.

Song topics include: Drinking, The dmv, kicking your girlfriend out of your place, not having money, white trash people, etc. We have a lot of fun, and everyone that sees us seems to have a lot of fun, and I think that is a major key to band success.