90's Grunge/Alternative Cover bands?

[Hobobob]

Yes, a total lull in music. Guess Soundgarden will never reach the dizzying artistic heights of groups like Warrant and Danger Danger, right?

[richntiff]

A lull in Music? Sorry - IMHO some of the best music of the last 40+ years came out of the post hair metal era. AIC, RATM, STP - some SERIOUSLY great acronyms here :-)

Warrant did have some SERIOUS chops for an 80'd hair band, right? LOL - no wait, they were the guys that didn't even PLAY on their debut record...

Still trying to dig out my jumpdrive and put my list of songs that I would LOVE to do from this time period...

[Floyd Eye]

I went last night to a very popular local venue, specifically geared towards this type of music. The place is always packed. Last night there was a RATM tribute band there. The dance floor was packed. Absolutely packed. The band wasn't even that good. My band does those songs better. We will be playing that venue very soon.
As I said, there is a market for it, but don't try to sell it to rednecks. Go to where your intended audience is. That's all there is to it.

[cableguy]

Around here there are rednecks who like to rock too. But we're 30 miles from Seattle so they were force fed it from birth.......Go figure, music like that goes over well in Seattle.....

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

Wow! This little anectdote is not only one of the funniest things you have penned but also a pretty telling


into the depths of your qualifications as self-appointed mentor for aspiring musicians.

I don't think I'm a mentor at all, I may give opinions based on my experience in bands. But that's about it.

Blue

[richntiff]

Ah - the redneck factor. Tough for me to escape - I live in northern Wisconsin, and around here they like both types of music - Country AND Western!

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by richntiff

Ah - the redneck factor. Tough for me to escape - I live in northern Wisconsin, and around here they like both types of music - Country AND Western!

And that my friend is the tough part. Finding the people that don't and getting them to your shows. We have had continued success in one redneck bar. We play there about once a month. The first 5 or 6 times we made sure to bring at least 30 of our own people with us. Gradually a lot of the regulars got used to us and started digging us. When we played there 2 weeks ago we might have brought 12-15 of our own regulars with us. We counted a total of 70 people during the 3rd set. This is a redneck bar in a small town. I think it is also the exception rather than the rule.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

I went last night to a very popular local venue, specifically geared towards this type of music. The place is always packed. Last night there was a RATM tribute band there. The dance floor was packed. Absolutely packed. The band wasn't even that good. My band does those songs better. We will be playing that venue very soon.
As I said, there is a market for it, but don't try to sell it to rednecks. Go to where your intended audience is. That's all there is to it.

Agreed.

My band actually covered Rage's first album front to back for a Halloween gig this past year. The venue (albeit a small one; around 200 patrons max in the music area) was completely packed and dangerously energetic. I had never seen people go that wild for a band in my area. Ever. I wouldn't expect this kind of reaction once a week, every week, for an entire year, but I could see a band being able to do this same gig 4-6 times a year, pack out a place, and be able to demand some serious money for it, too.

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by bluewine

It might be that I don't recognize the name but would know the song if I heard it.

While I'm a product of the 60s & 70s I don't consider myself stuck in those decades.

Funny story , growing up with Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Cream, Zeppelin and all the icons of my generation.

I remember in the early 2000s a friend who is a music lover and 20 years younger than me raved about this band called Metallica that I had never heard.

I thought it was a cool name so I was excited about hearing them. Finally one day he put on their cd during a lunch break.

I didn't get it.

Blue

Metallica got their start in the early 80's and were a household name by 1991. I don't know how you managed to escape hearing one of the biggest rock bands of all time over the first 20 years of their career.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Metallica got their start in the early 80's and were a household name by 1991. I don't know how you managed to escape hearing one of the biggest rock bands of all time over the first 20 years of their career.

I probably didn't, maybe I am stuck in the 70s.

It's not the worse place to be stuck.

Blue

Actually I think I had seen them on SNL.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

It's painful to admit it but these bands now qualify as classic rock and are played on radio as such.
Too old to be hip, too new to have hords of devot followers.
So unless you're heading at people in their late 20s to early 40s, there won't be much a crowd.

The thing is,
that late 20's to early 40's crowd is what packs the bars now.
They do not want to hear their parents or grand parents music.
They want to hear what they grew up with.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I probably didn't, maybe I am stuck in the 70s.

It's not the worse place to be stuck.

Blue

Actually I think I had seen them on SNL.

I was a 70s rock guy too. When Metallica became popular I couldn't stand them ( still don't like them), When Nirvana came out I couldn't stand them. I was convinced nothing would ever be as good as The Beatles or Black Sabbath. Then I got so sick of hearing the same old crap on the radio over and over that I simply turned it off. For about 6 months I listened to NO music. When I turned the music back on the first thing I heard was the "Dirt" CD by Alice in Chains. This would have been the early 90s. Now, well, you know.

[4001]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Depends on your local market. Definitely not in Milwaukee.

Blue

I guess Super-Unknown won't be welcomed in beertown then?
Too bad. I like beer.

[4001]

Originally Posted by mattbass6945

i am 33 and play bass in an all 90's cover band, clintons cigar.

I'd see that band just because of the name!

[MNAirHead]

Originally Posted by hdracer

The thing is,
that late 20's to early 40's crowd is what packs the bars now.
They do not want to hear their parents or grand parents music.
They want to hear what they grew up with.

This is the truth

I've tested 90s material ---- still doesn't go over as well as other eras & genres

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

This is the truth

I've tested 90s material ---- still doesn't go over as well as other eras & genres

If every cover band based their material simply on what goes over best, we'd all be in blues bands.

[MNAirHead]

The best way to command a higher rate from a blues band is to add "Rock" to the name.

Seriously -- was asked to "straighten up" a band... the single change was adding "classic rock" to their materials...

Their bookings went up... their nightly pay rate went up...

[tycobb73]

It can be done but you have to pick carefully. And any band should have 2 singers. One can do most of the leads, but if you have another to trade off now and then it brings a different demension.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

I was a 70s rock guy too. When Metallica became popular I couldn't stand them ( still don't like them), When Nirvana came out I couldn't stand them. I was convinced nothing would ever be as good as The Beatles or Black Sabbath. Then I got so sick of hearing the same old crap on the radio over and over that I simply turned it off. For about 6 months I listened to NO music. When I turned the music back on the first thing I heard was the "Dirt" CD by Alice in Chains. This would have been the early 90s. Now, well, you know.

I am a big Alice In Chains fan.

Blue

[Not yet]

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