90's Grunge/Alternative Cover bands?

[BassNeo]

I'm in the process of finalizing a 90's alternative set list for our band. In a previous form, we played in our town that is under near total control of classic rock and country bands. With a hack drummer and little practice I have been inundated with requests for when we will be back on stage.

We're being careful with what we are choosing. It has to be recognized, and most songs must have a dance-able feel to it. Radiohead's Creep is a cool tune to play, but it's a buzzkill. We've taken some newer stuff like Silversun Pickups (Well Thought Out Twinkles) as well. We have to keep in mind that our pay depends on people sticking around. Smells Like Teen Spirit and Man In the Box are really overplayed so we're avoiding them unless someone requests them and bribes us accordingly in the tip jar..

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

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

Then what should bands base their material on?

Blue

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Then what should bands base their material on?

Blue

Well, bands who are in it for the money should base it on what goes over well ( i.e. just become a blues band). The rest of us should strive to strike a balance between what people want to hear and what makes you happy to be a gigging musician. I can't say I like EVERY song we play, but the percentage of songs that I do like continually increases and so does our pay and the number of gigs we book.

Another thing to consider is that as your fan base grows, so does your ability to add songs that typically won't do well in bars. I would guess that not a lot of bands would choose to cover "The Clincher" by Chevelle in a bar situation. However, it kills at our shows.

[Hobobob]

The last time my band did the clincher, folks ate it up. That was our first show.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by Hobobob

The last time my band did the clincher, folks ate it up. That was our first show.

If the last time you did it was at your first show and people " Ate it up", then why was the last time you did it at your first show?

[MNAirHead]

Sounds like an ACT/SAT question


Deductive conclusion = they've tested it the only time they've played

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

Sounds like an ACT/SAT question


Deductive conclusion = they've tested it the only time they've played

This was my attempt at confirmation of that fact.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

Well, bands who are in it for the money should base it on what goes over well ( i.e. just become a blues band).

I think just about everything is regional.

Were a blues/rock cover band, we like money so we try to choose material our base enjoys. I rarely focus on what I like, I have other outlets for that.

I am not sure becoming a blues band is a "catch all" for pleasing people.

We actually focus more on rock. From what I see, when a crowd walks into a bar or club and all the band's material is based in 12 bar progressions people (especially the under 30 crowd) tend to leave.

If they leave, they don't buy drinks, the owner doesn't make money and your band can't re- book.

Blue

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by bluewine

I think just about everything is regional.

Were a blues/rock cover band, we like money so we try to choose material our base enjoys. I rarely focus on what I like, I have other outlets for that.

I am not sure becoming a blues band is a "catch all" for pleasing people.

We actually focus more on rock. From what I see, when a crowd walks into a bar or club and all the band's material is based in 12 bar progressions people (especially the under 30 crowd) tend to leave.

If they leave, they don't buy drinks, the owner doesn't make money and your band can't re- book.

Blue

Yeah, classic rock goes over well here too. Not as well as blues bands, but still very well. There are A LOT of both types of bands around here. Not as many bands like mine and even fewer that pull it off as well, IMO.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

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

Not around here. It's not like Chicago or St Louis. It can be steady work, but a low ceiling.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

This is the truth

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

I'm curious what songs/bands you've tried. 90s stuff is right in the bar demographic. It goes over very well here. More and more A list bands are putting that material in their sets, if they haven't already.

[jive1]

Originally Posted by bluewine

If there is a market it's very small.

I live here and I don't know of any bands playing that time period genre that gigs anywhere near consistently.

Blue

From checking out the bands with gigs on milwaukeerocks.com, it looks like most of them are doing 80s and 90s.

[MNAirHead]

Originally Posted by jive1

I'm curious what songs/bands you've tried. 90s stuff is right in the bar demographic. It goes over very well here. More and more A list bands are putting that material in their sets, if they haven't already.

Ill have to pull lists when I return home

[PluckyThump]

I would love to play that stuff again but around here classic rock is king if you are a cover band. You can throw in some 90s and newer but they need to be dancable and popular. A few ears ago I was in a cover band that did mostly 90's and newer material, with a few classics thrown in. We had a good singer, great drummer and we were tight. Bar owners would not book us because of our set list. We got one gig on a Thursday night at a decent waterfront venue, we pulled in a decent crowd but all the bar owner could say to us was "you have any songs that people can dance to?" People did dance to many of our songs, just not all of them. The bar owner went back to his usual DJ on Thursdays.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by PluckyThump

I would love to play that stuff again but around here classic rock is king if you are a cover band. You can throw in some 90s and newer but they need to be dancable and popular. A few ears ago I was in a cover band that did mostly 90's and newer material, with a few classics thrown in. We had a good singer, great drummer and we were tight. Bar owners would not book us because of our set list. We got one gig on a Thursday night at a decent waterfront venue, we pulled in a decent crowd but all the bar owner could say to us was "you have any songs that people can dance to?" People did dance to many of our songs, just not all of them. The bar owner went back to his usual DJ on Thursdays.

It's pretty much the same in Milwaukee, my position, for the bands that want paying work, you must understand it's still a "Don't Stop Believing " city.

Blue

[richntiff]

Here's a bunch of songs I've put together that would make (I think) part of a really cool setlist - coupled with 80's and 2000's tunes to round it out...


Backwater Meat Puppets
Basket Case Green Day
Been Caught Stealing Jane's Addiction
Bound for the Floor Local H
Buddy Holly Weezer
Counting Blue Cars Dishwalla
Crackerman Stone Temple Pilots
Cumbersome Seven Mary Three
Drive Incubus
Going the Distance Cake
Good Better then Ezra
Guerilla Radio Rage Against the Machine
Hemorrage Fuel
In the Meantime Space Hog
Killing in the Name Of Rage Against the Machine
Learn To Fly Foo Fighters
Low Cracker
Lump Presidents of the USA
Machine Head Bush
Morning Glory Oasis
Mother Danzig
My Own Worst Enemy Lit
Outshined Soundgarden
Plowed Sponge
Possum Kingdom Toadies
Semi-Charmed Life Third Eye Blind
Sex Type Thing Stone Temple Pilots
Smells Like Teen Spirit Nirvana
Song 2 Blur
Spoonman Soundgarden
Stars Hum
Suck My Kiss Red Hot Chili Peppers
Testify Rage Against the Machine
The Way Fastball
Tomorrow Silverchair
Two Princes Spin Doctors
Unbelievable EMF
Vasoline Stone Temple Pilots

[MNAirHead]

Rich - this is some of the material we tested


Hunch was the issue was lack of dance beat and sing along hooks

I believe a former band mate may still be gigging under 90sMixTape.com

[AdamR]

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 what Ive been telling my band for the last year. Heres the list I came up with. To bad I cant get the drummer to learn it.

Set 1.

1. Alice in Chains Would ? 3:28

2.Better than Ezra Good 3:10

3. BuckCherry Lit up 3:36

4. Bush Machine head 4:16

5. Mother Love Bone This is Shangrila 3:43

6. Candlebox Far behind 4:56

7. Black Crowes Hard to Handle 3:10

8. Cracker Low 4:49

9. Foo Fighter My Hero 4:00

10 Green Day When I come around 2:58

11.Janes Addiction Been Caught Stealin 3:38

12. Jet Cold Hard Bitch 4:07


13. Lit My own worse Enemy 3:12

14. Local H Bound to the floor 3:44

15. Nirvana Drain you 4:28

16. Radiohead Creep 3:56

set 2

1. Soul Asylum Somebody to shove 3:16

2. Silverchair Tomorrow 4:23

3. Smashing Pumkins Cherub Rock 4:59

4. Weezer Say it Aint so 4:20


5. Sponge Plowed 3:12

6. STP Sex Type Thing 3:38

7. The Offspring come out an play 3:19

8. The toadies Possum Kingdom 5:16

9. Ugly Kid Joe Everything about you 4:14

10, The Refreshment Banditos 4:46


11. Our Lady Peace Starseed drop d 4:13

12. Blur Song 2 Drop D 2:03

13. Hum Stars Drop D 5:03

14. Pearl Jam Even Flow 1 guitar drop d 5:28

15. Rage Against the Machine Freedom drop d 5:59

16. Soundgarden spoonman drop d 4:06

17. Tool Sober drop d 5:03

[MatticusMania]

Im glad a lot of people are saying this is working for you. In another thread I mentioned 90s covers and the response seemed to tilt more ot the side of "That won't work"

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Im glad a lot of people are saying this is working for you. In another thread I mentioned 90s covers and the response seemed to tilt more ot the side of "That won't work"

It depends on how we define "working".

If theses bands are gigging every weekend getting rebooked in the clubs and getting paid at least at the $100.00 per man per show level, I'd say it's working.

Blue