Question for cover band members

[Bert Slide]

Do you ever go out of your way to see other cover bands? I will if I have a night off and I have friends in a band I want to support but other than that I have no desire to listen to any cover band. I'm in two mostly cover bands presently(power trio and acoustic duo) but even though I feel we do a pretty good selection of tunes I like I still wouldn't cross the street to see my own bands if I wasn't in them. If I have time and money to spend on live music I want to hear something new and different.

[Bert Slide]

I just realized I posted this in Band Management and it may not apply except maybe as a platform for discussion of how seeing other cover bands helps to improve your own. Mods please move this elsewhere if appropriate.

[miketallica315]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

Do you ever go out of your way to see other cover bands? I will if I have a night off and I have friends in a band I want to support but other than that I have no desire to listen to any cover band. I'm in two mostly cover bands presently(power trio and acoustic duo) but even though I feel we do a pretty good selection of tunes I like I still wouldn't cross the street to see my own bands if I wasn't in them. If I have time and money to spend on live music I want to hear something new and different.

I can totally see where your coming from. I actually enjoy hearing cover bands. I prefer cover bands that sneak in a few originals here and there. But if I'm going to go out to have some drinks with friends I am going to want to hear songs that I know. Up here in Toledo, the only original music that you hear is all this drop tuned screaming trash anyway. I'd rather have some Skynyrd and some Van Halen and other good classic rock tunes.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by miketallica315

I'd rather have some Skynyrd and some Van Halen and other good classic rock tunes.

That's where we differ I guess. I've been playing those songs in cover bands since high school in the early 80's. I'm so sick of them I could puke. I don't care to hear any classic rock again until maybe I'm in th old folks home and it's a nostalgia thing.

[miketallica315]

Originally Posted by Bert Slide

That's where we differ I guess. I've been playing those songs in cover bands since high school in the early 80's. I'm so sick of them I could puke. I don't care to hear any classic rock again until maybe I'm in th old folks home and it's a nostalgia thing.

Again, I understand. I am 31, obviously much younger than yourself. Two completely different people and tastes. It's cool. I hate all the new rock and metal the "kids" are listening to these days.

[fenderbassman40]

No I gig every weekend- I have 2 gigs this weekend. I'm at home trying to cultivate quiet

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by miketallica315

Again, I understand. I am 31, obviously much younger than yourself. Two completely different people and tastes. It's cool. I hate all the new rock and metal the "kids" are listening to these days.

See that's just the thing for me. Rock and metal is music for "kids". I sometimes feel ridiculous on stage when I realize I'm 47 and playing some song written 40 years ago by some drug addled kid who died at age 27.

[davidjbass]

I play in a cover band almost every weekend and it's hard to go out see other cover bands. The last thing I want to do after performing in a club for a night on the weekend
and getting home at 2 or 3 am is go see another cover band. Once in a while I do if it's a good band or a tribute band. I recently saw a friends Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band and they were good. It was worth the long drive and the late night. But normally I don't. And honestly most cover bands are all the same. Some are good. Some suck.
But usually it's all the same songs. Some of which my band does. Songs that I have played so many times I can go to sleep on stage and play them to the note.

The things I don't like when I am not performing in a club and I notice more (don't ask me why) is I don't like the smell of booze, the drunk people, the cost of booze and food and the fact that you can't carry on a conversation with someone because the music is so loud. It's very different being on a stage performing than being in the audience. I am 50 and have been playing clubs on a regular basis since I have been 16. Either in cover bands or original bands. So maybe I am just an old fart but if I am not performing with my band in a club I am more than likely home with my sweats on and a beer in hand chilling out.

[mellowinman]

I support local bands, whatever they play. I even take photos and shoot video of them. A lot of them have yet to show up at my gigs, though, and you can guess what that means.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by davidjbass

The things I don't like when I am not performing in a club and I notice more (don't ask me why) is I don't like the smell of booze, the drunk people, the cost of booze and food and the fact that you can't carry on a conversation with someone because the music is so loud. It's very different being on a stage performing than being in the audience. I am 50 and have been playing clubs on a regular basis since I have been 16. Either in cover bands or original bands. So maybe I am just an old fart but if I am not performing with my band in a club I am more than likely home with my sweats on and a beer in hand chilling out.

That's exactly how I feel too although I do sometimes go out to see good original bands. I don't mind hanging out in original venues as much because you meet more interesting people that are actually music enthusiasts, not just there to drink and try to get lucky. Of course some of them are hopeless scenesters who are more about making the scene than the music but on average I'd rather hang out with them than the vacuous morons that fill the cover band venues.

[the yeti]

usually no, but there are some bands i like, some players i like to hear.

it can be good to see what crowds respond to or don't.

if i'm playing a lot i'm probably not going out on a night off.

[bassgod0dmw]

I also normally have a gig every weekend so it's tough to get out. When we have a weekend off I'd rather stay home or do something early in the morning the next day.

I'd like to check out some other bands just to see what they do, but I'm not too fond of the bar scene and don't particularly enjoy staying out all night any more. It would be cool if I could go get dinner at a normal time and see a live band for a few hours.

I'd much prefer to go by myself for the most part too. I can't stand having to scream and struggle with hearing others talk just to have a conversation.

But yeah, come see my band!

[sleeplessknight]

I try to see other bands whenever I can, but it's tough with the gigging schedule. I do make a point to go out of my way though - I've seen David's band (didn't know he was a TB'er though; MONSTER player!) and a couple other TB'ers bands. I don't particularly mind if the band is 'cover' or 'original', so long as the music is good. Looking back at the calendar, I get to see live music roughly every other month.

[Bert Slide]

Originally Posted by mellowinman

I support local bands, whatever they play. I even take photos and shoot video of them. A lot of them have yet to show up at my gigs, though, and you can guess what that means.

I hear you Mellow. I have a gig Sat. but tomorrow I have the rare Friday night off. If I have the energy I will go out to see one of two bands with friends playing. One is a band I have gone to see before, solely because the front is a girl I knew well in High School. She has yet to come see any of my bands and even though we are FB friends she hasn't even bothered to "like" any of my three bands.

The other band is a newer very part time band fronted by a girl I knew less well in highschool who dates an old friend of mine. She HAS come to one of my gigs AND friended my bands on the FaceSpace. Guess which of these bands I'll be supporting tomorrow if I find the energy to go out?

[funkingroovin]

I too gig nearly every Teus/Fri/Sat,so getting a weekend or night off is a treat where I can go see and support the other local acts. That being said,out of the 2 dozen-ish other bands in my immediate area there only seem to be three that don't share the same set list with everybody else,and only two that show support for any others.(Ironic,considering the amount of "support your local live music" talking between songs and sets)

I've supported the them all for years,but lately I'll only go to those two,or maybe three. As a result I often hear "Hey man! Haven't seen you lately.." to which I've started replying "I know! I saw you guys had last weekend off again,and I looked for you everywhere at my gig.." Ever have someone pay for your beer at the grocery store out of guilt? Priceless

[jive1]

Sadly, usually the only time I check out other bands is if I'm subbing for them, or run across the street during a set break. On the rare occasion that I do get to go out and check out a band, it's usually the other band of one of my bandmates.

I'd love to go out more, but between family, business, work, and gigs, there's only so much time and energy. But on the occassion that I do get to go out to see a band, I usually have a blast. I enjoy being on the other side of the stage too.

[BayStateBass]

It's "rare" that I will go out to see a cover band, but there are times I do;

1. If it's a friend's band (they always come see me, I like to see what they are doing as well, I usually have a good time when I go....sometimes I get to sit in!).

2. To check out "the competition" and see how we stack up against them.

Honestly, between my job, my wife and kids, my own band schedule (and headaches that go along with it), sometimes the only thing I want to do when I have a weekend off is to just sit home and chill.

[geoff_in_nc]

^^^^^
This.

Friends or competitive research... that's about it.

[DWBass]

Absolutely! In fact it's my mission to see what the competition is like. I have friends in several different bands so I go see them all the time. Just wish my own band would get off their @$$&$ and get with the program!

[Phalex]

I don't get out much these days, but I do enjoy seeing a good band.