Most Successful Cover Band Formula???

::::BASSIST:::: · #1 06-09-2008, 01:59 AM

What is the most successful cover band formula? Another words, if you were starting a new band who's sole goal was to make money in bars (etc) what kind of music would be best?

IE what genre is the most popular with the general public?

Classic rock?

80s rock?

Makeup and Tight pants 'glam' rock?

Country?

Tribute act?

Something else?

chuckjones93 · #2 06-09-2008, 02:06 AM

This is a very good question. I'm looking forward to reading replies from experienced pros. I would think your geographic region would come into play.

emils · #3 06-09-2008, 02:13 AM

This is like asking:"How do I write a hit song?".

You would have to find out what your potential customers want and then adjust your set list acordingly I guess.

bongomania · #4 06-09-2008, 02:20 AM

I have done a fair number of big-money corporate gigs. Well, my band didn't make big money necessarily, but we're talking large corporations with big party budgets, and I can tell you for sure which bands were raking in the top dollars: the ones that play the "top hits of the '80s", and which feature a selection of band members (and costume changes) in order to actually resemble the artists in the hit bands. So e.g. they would have a skinny light-skinned black man who can play guitar and sing, and a variety of other stereotype or impersonation players. Often all they needed for a costume change was a different wig, but they needed to be able to be the B-52's one minute, Prince the next, Springsteen right after that, then Devo, then Chaka Khan, etc. down the line. The larger their repetoire and the closer they could mimic the original MTV videos, the better they got paid and the more gigs they got. At the upper level there were bands working these gigs two shows a day, five days a week, year-round.

jimulate · #5 06-09-2008, 02:27 AM

In my experience, the most successful bands are those playing the usual mix of Top 40 songs - a few modern ones alongside Brown Eyed Girl and Mustang Sally.

It's been done to death, and it can be really dull to play, but unfortunately that what a lot of the paying public want to hear.

There's also the added benefit that these sorts of bands get a lot of weddings and function gigs, which tend to pay a lot better money than bar gigs.

Just my opinion,
Jim

Cosmo_Smallpiece · #6 06-09-2008, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimulate

In my experience, the most successful bands are those playing the usual mix of Top 40 songs - a few modern ones alongside Brown Eyed Girl and Mustang Sally.

It's been done to death, and it can be really dull to play, but unfortunately that what a lot of the paying public want to hear.

There's also the added benefit that these sorts of bands get a lot of weddings and function gigs, which tend to pay a lot better money than bar gigs.

Just my opinion,
Jim

+1

Never underestimate the taste of your average audience.

IME people also like stuff they can dance to. 1970s disco/funk like Chic, Sister Sledge etc. There are a lot of bands making good money playing that sort of material.

Also tribute bands are big business. I can't speak for the scene in the USA but there are a lot of very successful tributes over here. Thin LIzzy, THe Clash, The Jam, The Beatles, Queen and Pink Floyd tributes are just a few that I've seen who can fill decent sized venues.

Tommy Hagen · #7 06-09-2008, 02:43 AM

I do mostly corporate gigs with my cover band. Our success is based on playing hits from the '70s and '80s that people can dance to. It's all about giving people what they want.

Tommy

KrispyJones · #8 06-09-2008, 04:46 AM

dont play stuff you hate... they will notice that !

make th people dance and have fun on stage ! that will get almost every crowd moving !

(50s rocknroll or "skacovers" do work great too)

namraj · #9 06-09-2008, 04:50 AM

You want to get hired by people with money, so tribute bands are good but choose a band that are popular locally with people aged between 25 and 50 because they're the people organising the gigs. Weddings are also high money, but you have to be very tight to get those gig's, for weddings people want to dance to songs they no, so classic up beat songs are the best such as Johny B Goode, and twist and shout with a few popular chart songs like Jenny Don't Be Hasty by Paulo Nutini.

5andFretless · #10 06-09-2008, 05:53 AM

We play bars all summer. Are we sucessful? From reading TB we seem to be more active than most cover bands. Things that have gotten us in the door:

- We are fronted by a MILF. She knows how to play that part on stage.
- We play the standards, but we also play the stuff that was heard on the radio that day. (IE - The night after Carrie Underwood did Last Name on Idol we did it in a bar)
- We don't think of ourselves as the band - we act like part of the patronage, we are just playing the instruments.
- We show up with everything - all we need are a couple of outlets and a place to setup.
- When the crowd isn't rowdy we back down. When they are we make sure the cops show up to complain about us.

In my experience AndyMartin has it backwards: Never overestimate the taste of your average audience.

slyderhodge · #11 06-09-2008, 06:12 AM

Locally the only bands that make money are either the really bad southern gospel bands that sing to tracks and think that harmony is Lead + 3rd Up (slightly flat) + Octave + Same Octave + Lead (by opposite sex than real lead).

Also any bluegrass band that has a hard driving banjo and an extremely slutty lead singer that shows at a minimum 3 feet of cleavage (chest or rear).

I've talked to many bands in my area that are going to "make a living of it" they normally end up living at home and calling a weekend trip to Charlotte their "North Carolina Leg of their tour"

Moral of the Story ... it all really depends on what area you are in and how far are you willing to travel. Because every region of the country has a niche that will make it easier to earn some good cash.

lawsonman · #12 06-09-2008, 06:16 AM

Around here Classic Rock still rules.Beatles,Stones.Cheap Trick,and so on.

DWBass · #13 06-09-2008, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

What is the most successful cover band formula? Another words, if you were starting a new band who's sole goal was to make money in bars (etc) what kind of music would be best?

IE what genre is the most popular with the general public?

Classic rock?

80s rock?

Makeup and Tight pants 'glam' rock?

Country?

Tribute act?

Something else?

IME, Top40/Dance/Pop/Disco/Funk!

Phalex · #14 06-09-2008, 07:28 AM

We do mostly the first three genre's you mentioned with a small dose of blues and a smidgen of 70's funk thrown in for flavor. We're booked into March or April of next year, so I guess it's going over OK.

Visirale · #15 06-09-2008, 07:40 AM

Around here it's all top 40 and 80's/90's music. We have a very big demographic of 20-40 year old successful yuppie types and they go to a few high end restaurants that have live music.

Deacon_Blues · #16 06-09-2008, 08:02 AM

Of course the music you play is important, but even more important is to gain a fan base. If you're good musicians but can't attract a crowd to come and listen to you, you won't get many gigs. The bar owners care about how much money they earn when you're there playing. If they earn more than normally, they'll let you come back. If less, chances are small you'll get more gigs there.

Then how to get a fan base? I'm probably not the right person to answer that, but I have some ideas: Have a good frontman that can sing well and handle a crowd, pay attention to how you sound and how you look on stage - how you move on stage, how much eye contact you have with the crowd, what you wear, the look on your faces (show you're there to rock the audience!), how you communicate with each other on stage, how much fun it looks like you're having while playing.

I guess most of this would apply for originals bands as well...

ctbass · #17 06-09-2008, 08:20 AM

As on offshoot of a regular gig, we just started playing late 70's-80's "Arena Rock". We play once a month and I tell you what, people are losing their minds. We play with in ear monitors and the crowds singing the words our louder than my in-ears. I don't really do formulas, but this deal is pretty funny.....and a lot of fun I must say

Bridge Cables · #18 06-09-2008, 08:59 AM

Slyder, have they forgotten there is mo money in the “Raleigh Leg of the Tour!!

Eh, maybe north to DC!

But please, hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more!

LMAO!

BC

fishtx · #19 06-09-2008, 09:17 AM

Hot chick singers that can shake it...thats the winning formula...

modulusman · #20 06-09-2008, 09:26 AM

You need to look around your area and see what everybody else is doing,then do something different. If there are a dozen classic rock bands in your area and only a couple of country bands then it would make more sense to play country. Less bands fighting for the same gigs. Of course if there is no market in your area for country bands then this might not work. If you can play alot of styles and do them well that would help also.