A (not so new) approach for an Original Band... your thoughts?

MatticusMania · #1 07-25-2011, 02:03 PM

Our original band has been looking for ways to increase our number of paying gigs. Its no surprise to most that paying gigs for original bands are somewhat hard to come by. As it is, we are currently using a sub drummer until our actual drummer gets back from Virginia next month, as he is away on business. We got offered a gig for this coming Thursday in which we were asked to play a 2 hour set. We'll be making $150 as a band for the 2 hours, which is $150 more than we are usually getting paid, and after paying our sub (a good friend of mine) his equal cut we're putting the rest toward studio time. Since we don't have 2 hours worth of music we all buckled down and learned enough cover songs to fill out the set (which it was requested that we play a good number of covers by the venue manager anyway). Most of the covers we are doing are well known, come from our influences, and are songs within our genre/sound.

Since we're already learning enough covers for to fill about a full set, we're kind of thinking about learning another set to set and a halfs worth of covers. The reasoning behind this is, if it isnt obvious, to spread our original band out into coverband territory, playing some of the venue that book mostly coverbands over originals. We'd, of course, where appropriate, slide our original material in between the covers. As it stands now we have slightly more than a full sets worth of original songs. We're aiming to put together a set list thats about 1/3 original material to 2/3 covers.

Im curious to hear others' thoughts on the idea, if some of you guys in coverbands are currently doing something similar, etc. What do you think?

mambo4 · #2 07-25-2011, 02:11 PM

From what I've seen around hear it's a common approach in some regions.
I suppose it makes even more sense if the covers and originals fall in the same genre...

skwee · #3 07-25-2011, 02:33 PM

I think you would only increase your marketability and flexibility. I think the 1/3 original, 2/3 covers approach is great. As long as you are creative with the covers, you will continue to be satisfied musically over the course of an evening.

Remember even the greats mix in covers judiciously on their albums. Nothing wrong with it.

MatticusMania · #4 07-25-2011, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skwee

I think you would only increase your marketability and flexibility. I think the 1/3 original, 2/3 covers approach is great. As long as you are creative with the covers, you will continue to be satisfied musically over the course of an evening.

Remember even the greats mix in covers judiciously on their albums. Nothing wrong with it.

Its actually been a long time since Ive learned cover tunes, about 6 years at least, and I found it to be a lot more fun than I remember. Perhaps that has to do with having more skill and taking to it much more quickly. We learned about 7 songs in 2 days time, keeping true to the original while still making it our own. We're doing some Beatles, some Stones, The Pixies, 2 Pink Floyd tunes, a Nirvana Cover and a few others.

Im kind of looking at it the way a lot of older bands started out playing covers of those who came before them, and rolling in their original music. We're hoping we can take our original band to some new profitable heights.

deshi00 · #5 07-25-2011, 03:09 PM

We used to do this quite often. But as of late we have been fortunate enough to make money playing originals only. Also, this at least worked for us. Play a cover show(throw some originals in too) and prove to the venue/bar you can bring a crowd. Then get a few bands that also have good followings together on one date, split the night and have all bands play all originals. This way unlike most original shows, (around here at least) there are no ticket sales, no production companies to pay. and we made upwards of $600 a band for playing a 45 min to hour all original set. And after a few succesful original shows a few venues basically let us do whatever we'd like as far as putting a show together. Lately we have been taking a pay hit.. down to around $200 a show and bringing in national acts to make the shows even bigger.

riotorgun · #6 07-25-2011, 03:09 PM

my drummer has suggested my band do the same,just the thought of doing classic rock covers makes me feel less than eager.But then again if we covered what i want no one would wanna hear it lol

aztomr · #7 07-25-2011, 04:21 PM

This is exactly what my band does, playing a mixture of covers and originals. Our plan is to increase the number of originals as we write them. It seems to work great. We play all our originals in the first set. For covers we mix lesser known songs with "bar band standards". We haven't announced whether a song is ours or not, several people have assumed we have alot more originals than we do. As time goes on, we play more originals and less covers.

Fendr1320 · #8 07-25-2011, 04:25 PM

Yeah, I've been in bands that did this. Economically a good idea, but I would make sure the covers reflect some sort of direction that's in line with your original music. I also highly recommend altering arrangements and things like that so you're still in your sound as opposed to going for the "jukebox" approach (perfectly fine and valid of course, but that's more of a generic professional bar band sort of thing)

MatticusMania · #9 07-25-2011, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fendr1320

I would make sure the covers reflect some sort of direction that's in line with your original music.

I also highly recommend altering arrangements and things like that so you're still in your sound as opposed to going for the "jukebox" approach (perfectly fine and valid of course, but that's more of a generic professional bar band sort of thing)

Yeah, we certainly discussed this. We're keeping the covers to stuff that sounds like 'Starveya' would play, songs that fall in line genre-wise. And to your second point, definitely! We're not altering arrangements too much, but just so, in order that they reflect our writing patterns. Its been fun thus far, and if it proves to be benefical economically then it will be serving its purpose!

Im glad to hear all your comments! Keep 'em coming!

bluewine · #10 07-25-2011, 09:26 PM

Matt, I know where your coming from, however I can't agree with your approach.

Your either an originals band or a cover band, theres nothing in between.

blue

Joe Nerve · #11 07-25-2011, 09:36 PM

When we used to hit the road with the nerve, we'd book 1 cover gig to every 2 or 3 original shows. It paid (or helped lots) for hotels, gas, and meals, and we sold more cds at the cover gigs than at the original shows. Totally worth it in my experience.

Joe Nerve · #12 07-25-2011, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Matt, I know where your coming from, however I can't agree with your approach.

Your either an originals band or a cover band, theres nothing in between.

blue

awww blue... come on. the black and white stuff is what gets ya in trouble here.

hrodbert696 · #13 07-26-2011, 05:19 AM

From what I see and hear it seems perfectly common. All those classic 60s bands - the Who, the Stones, even the Beatles -- started by playing covers, mostly Motown, and shifted over to playing originals over time. Isn't there an interview, I think with McCartney, where he says that he basically started writing songs because they often had to go on last when they were starting out and the other bands had already played all the covers they knew, so they had to come up with something else?

We get too worked up over the covers-v-originals thing. Go play music.

bassbully · #14 07-26-2011, 06:51 AM

I think its cool and I'm in an originals band that only plays a few covers each show. We are not going that route thou and stick to being an original band wirth few covers v.s an originals band that plays mostly covers and ads originals in between.

Its is up to your market and what type of venues you have to sell the band too. We have turned down paying gigs where we wont play covers since we are an originals band. We search for venues that book original bands and play those and are always paid. If this is what it takes to get you guys gigs and paid go for it and have fun.

modulusman · #15 07-26-2011, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Matt, I know where your coming from, however I can't agree with your approach.

Your either an originals band or a cover band, theres nothing in between.

blue

Well that is the most ignorant thing I have read so far today.

Of course it is still early.

Phalex · #16 07-26-2011, 07:02 AM

My cover band throws in a few originals. We do OK. I don't see why it wouldn't work out the other way around.

A word of caution: My cover band grew out of a guitarist's and my own frustration with an originals band. The original thing was always a challenge from a marketing stand point, and once we added a bunch of covers, the offers started rolling in. The singer/songwriter found this to be offensive to his artistic integrity, so the guitar player and myself split off to do the cover thing. It ended up completely eclipsing the original band, and we left to do our own thing.

bassbully · #17 07-26-2011, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phalex

My cover band throws in a few originals. We do OK. I don't see why it wouldn't work out the other way around.

A word of caution: My cover band grew out of a guitarist's and my own frustration with an originals band. The original thing was always a challenge from a marketing stand point, and once we added a bunch of covers, the offers started rolling in. The singer/songwriter found this to be offensive to his artistic integrity, so the guitar player and myself split off to do the cover thing. It ended up completely eclipsing the original band, and we left to do our own thing.

No surprise there at all. In my band there is some very talented players and we do covers very well. We twist them around and folks tell us all the time they love our covers. We would do really well as a cover band but we have all been there done that and like doing original music today. If it was for the money? We would be a cover band. Since its not, and it's for the love of writing, recording, and producing our own music we are happy being what we are. As long as you are happy and everyone is on the same ship its all good, if not jump off and do something you enjoy.

nvd · #18 07-26-2011, 09:16 AM

I was in a band that did this, for the sake of earning the band some extra income and it worked out rather well. He played about half covers, half originals. The venues we did this at never conflicted with original act venues, so there was no challenge to artistic integrity, nor did we alienate any fans by doing this. We didn't get greedy with it and only did the gigs when we needed the cash for something specific and it fit the schedule. In the end doing so allowed us to pay for for some very quality studio time, mastering and CD pressing with out any one have to pay out of pocket.

agreatheight · #19 07-26-2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Your either an originals band or a cover band, theres nothing in between.

Every thread is an opportunity for Blue to say something awesome/ridiculous.

Here are some of the bands that are originals bands that do covers regularly. The Stones, Nirvana, Dream Theater, Rush, the Foo Fighters, Metallica, do I need to go on? And before you say, oh no, those guys only do covers once in a while, Dream Theater, Rush, and Metallica all have done entire albums of covers.

I win.

bassbully · #20 07-26-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluewine

Matt, I know where your coming from, however I can't agree with your approach.

Your either an originals band or a cover band, theres nothing in between.

blue

Again, I am in an original's band and enjoy writing, recording and producing our music, but I do not agree or support this statement.