Playing tired, old, worn out songs...

Cool.
I love working with mine.
Usually with multi-layered bass patterns.

When folks come over and say "Oh, you're a musician"
or "Oh, you sold out to play in a classic trax band, got anything you did yourself?"
Put on some of that and watch their eyes spin.

I'm always listening for how nationals will approach covers, or live arrangements of their own stuff.
Gives me ideas on what to do for our own covers,
or a cool bit to put in something that I'm writing.

 

I've heard my music on internet radio (because FM is dead) and I almost wet myself. The fact that something I did, something I wrote and performed, was being played to at least a couple dozen people (I don't have any delusions about how many people listen to the station) is very fulfilling for me. Since I'm in a nobody band, if we did a cover, no one would care and that would never have happened.

I said nothing of the sort about classical musicians. You read that into it, but I didn't say that because my response to music is a little more nuanced than that (they are also just opinions, which mean as little to you as yours mean to me). I respect classical music for its technical skill, both playing and writing. There maybe composers that could write something better or similar, but because its a completely dead genre (or at least in stasis), their efforts are more or less lost unless they want to score movies. But I do favor writing over performance in this case. Mozart is wrote something 200 years ago that still inspires someone today; that's saying something. But, the performer is a conduit of that work, regardless of whether they could play it better, the composer in this very specific case played it or heard in their head well enough to create something nearly immortal. Thousands of people have played Mozart; each and every time its Mozart's name at the top of the bill, it's Mozart's name people remember, not the first chair violinist.

However, to use what you believe I said, think about this: someone in their basement may write "crappy" songs and nothing happens (but it isn't crappy to them, which makes it great if it fulfills them); someone else may write something not so "crappy" and be Bob Dylan. The thing is, Bob Dylan is Bob Dylan because he didn't just content himself with other people's stuff. He wrote something that influenced other people, he recorded Platinum records; even though I don't care for him at all, I see his influence. Someone will never get any of that playing covers, and can't even enjoy playing if they are doing songs they are sick of.

 

It doesn't happen as much these days with tabs available on the internet (I hate to sound like a grumpy old man, but kids these days don't know how easy they have it), but back in the day when you actually had to learn songs by ear, from cassette tape or even vinyl records, there were plenty of musicians that had problems with that so they just decided not to play covers for that reason.

 

Because its awesome?!?!

One time when my band played the Anti-Club (RIP) in LA the crowd wanted us to play a song we retired. The singer told them we'd only played it if "You guys @$% each other up." And they did. It was glorious.

Have you never seen a pit before? Its a physical manifestation of anger, frustration, fear and discontent. Its testosterone, sweat and blood (sometimes) and no hard feelings. It perfectly OK to throw someone to the ground as long as you pick them up again. Its commiseration and group therapy set to music and lyrics.

With the right crowd with the right vibe you don't have to say anything. Four clicks of the drumsticks and it just happens.

 

Come down off your high horse, my friend. Musician's PLAY music. that is the definition of musician. What they choose to play is irrelevant to the skill at which they play.

I will agree that hearing your music on the radio is a rush - in my case it was on FM radio in Honolulu, which is a pretty decent sized market. I've also played a one hour live radio show of all originals - which I didn't write - and that was cool too. But I would have had as much fun playing covers for that hour. I'm a musician, I PLAY music. And while I have written songs I don't consider myself a songwriter first, I consider myself a musician first.

 

Frankly, that is sick. Violence is NOT a good thing, and inciting violence is even worse.

 

Are we done here yet ? play whatever you want, its an equal opportunity business. There no right or wrong way, just do your thing and if the audience responds to it than you can feel good about it and so can they. Everyone goes home happy.

 

Yes.
Yes it is.

 

+1

Done.
Sorry.

 

Nah, it's not real violence. It's like 'Fight Club.' But even the fighting isn't real. It's just pushing and shoving. Back in my punk days we called it 'thrashing.'

 

Okay, I didn't realize you were just talking about a mosh pit, though I wouldn't call that "violence".

 

Click Click click closed.