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80s coverband suggestions?

If there are 20 of them in Los Angeles I can only say Ive ever heard of one...

Come to Chicago...I could name ten right off the top of my head. They all play the same basic sets and they play every week. I think that it's overkill to say the least. How many versions of Jessies Girl does one need to hear in a month? And then the same thing the next month and on and on...
 
Haven't seen this one here yet: T'pau - China in your hand


more a ballad than new wave, and does require a female singer with confidence and ability. It really brings that 80s vibe - for me.

All the other ones I had lined up in my head were already mentioned.
 
80s are oldies now. Oldies radio station now play songs up through 1989 too. It used to be there were lots of 50s, 60s, 70s "oldies" bands around but now the nostalgia has pushed into the 80s and people who were born in the mid 60s to mid 70s, that is the music they grew up listening to; so, there is a huge market for 80s bands. Around here, if you don't play some 80s stuff, you get lost. Even the most popular classic rock, oldies, and new rock bands play 80s tunes. The bands that play mostly 80s songs work steadily.

Hey, Jessie's Girl is now 32 years old.
 
I thought you said there were 20 in every city? But you can only name 10?

I said "off the top of my head", dosent mean I can remember (like I want to) the name of every 80's cover band here.

Here's 20....
Invalid Link Removed

And a few more....
7th Heaven
Sixteen Candles
Wedding Banned
Dot Dot Dot
Evolution
Hi Infedelity
Trash Martini
X Factor
Partyhardagains
Almost Famous
ARRA
Rod Tuffcurls


That is 32

And there are more.
 
Thats a lot of 80s coverbands in your area. Ive gotten to 60 in 6 pages in my area. Oddly enough, Ive never heard of a single one.

I wasn't talking "new wave". Jessies Girl is just bad 80's music.

I agree, Jessies Girl sucks. Though, if you read the OP, you'd have seen where I mentioned I wanted to put together and 80s New Wave band.
 
I had started a band like that a few months back, but the keyboardist flaked out, so we abandoned the idea. Anyway, here on Long Island, the big New Wave station was WLIR (also known as WDRE). Here's a list of their top 200 songs of the 80's straight from their website:

1. PRIDE - U2
2. I'LL MELT WITH YOU - MODERN ENGLISH
3. JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH - DEPECHE MODE
4. BLUE MONDAY - NEW ORDER
5. BAD - U2
6. TAINTED LOVE - SOFT CELL
7. WHITE WEDDING - BILLY IDOL
8. BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE - NEW ORDER
9. I WILL FOLLOW - U2
10. SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? - THE CLASH
11. DON'T YOU - SIMPLE MINDS
12. OH L'AMOUR - ERASURE
13. NEW YEAR'S DAY - U2
14. PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE - DEPECHE MODE
15. IN BETWEEN DAYS - THE CURE
16. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU - THE ROMANTICS
17. BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE - TALKING HEADS
18. DANCING WITH MYSELF - BILLY IDOL
19. DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME - THE POLICE
20. FOREVER YOUNG - ALPHAVILLE
21. TWO HEARTS - U2
22. IT'S MY LIFE - TALK TALK
23. ROUTE 66 - DEPECHE MODE
24. ROCK THE CASBAH - THE CLASH
25. IN YOUR EYES - PETER GABRIEL
26. SUNDAY, BLOODY SUNDAY - U2
27. A LITTLE RESPECT - ERASURE
28. JUST LIKE HEAVEN - THE CURE
29. IT'S THE END OF THB WORLD AS WE KNOW IT - REM
30. IF YOU LEAVE - OMD
31. ONCE IN A LIFETIME - TALKING HEADS
32. BEDS ARE BURNING - MIDNIGHT OIL
33. WHAT YOU NEED - INXS
34. HOW SOON IS NOW? - THE SMITHS
35. MODERN LOVE - DAVID BOWIE
36. WITH OR WITHOUT YOU - U2
37. BLASPHEMOUS RUMORS - DEPECHE MODE
38. LOVE CATS - THE CURE
39. CALL ME - BLONDIE
40. HEAD OVER HEELS - TEARS FOR FEARS
41. LIPS LIKE SUGAR - ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
42. PULLING MUSSELS FROM A SHELL - SQUEEZE
43. BIG TIME - PETER GABRIEL
44. EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE - THE POLICE
45. SITUATION - YAZ
46. STRANGE LOVE - DEPECHE MODE
47. BRASS IN POCKET - THE PRETENDERS
48. UNFORGETTABLE FIRE - U2
49. LET'S GO TO BED - THE CURE
50. SHOUT - TEARS FOR FEARS
51. OUR HOUSE - MADNESS
52. LET'S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE
53. LOVE SHACK - THE B52'S
54. DON'T YOU WANT ME? - HUMAN LEAGUE
55. ALIVE AND KICKING - SIMPLE MINDS
56. I RAN - A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
57. THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER - HOWARD JONES
58. EVERYTHING COUNTS - DEPECHE MODE
59. TEMPTED - SQUEEZE
60. EVERLASTING LOVE - U2
61. SWEET DREAMS - EURYTHMICS
62. HEARTBEAT - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
63. ORIGINAL SIN - INXS
64. LIFE DURING WARTIME - TALKING HEADS
65. THE ONE I LOVE - REM
66. TRUE FAITH - NEW ORDER
67. KING OF PAIN - THE POLICE
68. LOVE SONG - THE CURE
69. I GO CRAZY - FLESH FOR LULU
70. KISS ME - TIN TIN
71. PRFTTY IN PINK - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
72. EVERLASTING LOVE - HOWARD JONES
73. WE GOT THE BEAT - THE GO GO'S
74. I STILL HAVEN'T FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR - U2
75. WHIP IT - DEVO
76. STEPPING OUT - JOE JACKSON
77. SHE DRIVES ME CRAZY - FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS
78. BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG - THE PRETENDERS
79. SHOCK THE MONKEY - PETER GABRIEL
80. TENDERNESS - GENERAL PUBLIC
81. NEW SENSATION - INXS
82. GOODY TWO SHOES - ADAM ANT
83. WHAT IS LOVE? - HOWARD JONES
84. RELAX - FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD
85. CLOSE TO ME - THE CURE
86. COME ON EILEEN - DEXY'S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
87. BAD REPUTATION - JOAN JETT
88. BE NEAR ME - ABC
89. WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME - U2
90. RED RED WINE - UB40
91. PARTY OUT OF BOUNDS - B52'S
92. SO ALIVE - LOVE AND ROCKETS
93. EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC - THE POLICE
94. RAPTURE - BLONDIE
95. DESIRE - U2
96. MAJOR TOM - PETER SCHILLING
97. LIES - THE THOMPSON TWINS
98. ASHES TO ASHES - DAVID BOWIE
99. DANCING IN HEAVEN - Q-FEEL
100. MIDDLE OF THE ROAD - THE PRETENDERS

101. NEED YOU TONIGHT - INXS
102. ONLY YOU - YAZ
103. SANCTUARY - THE CULT
104. HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF - DURAN DURAN
105. EYES WITHOUT A FACE - BILLY IDOL
106. GREAT COMMANDMENT - CAMOUFLAGE
107. A NIGHT LIKE THIS - THE CURE
108. IN A BIG COUNTRY - BIG COUNTRY
109. THIS CHARMING MAN - THE SMITHS
110. SHELL SHOCK - NEW ORDER
111. BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES - ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN
112. HOLD ME NOW - THE THOMPSON TWINS
113. LOOK OF LOVE - ABC
114. THIS TIME - INXS
115. AND SHE WAS - TALKING HEADS
116. SHE BLINDED ME WITH SCIENCE - THOMAS DOLBY
117. ANGEL OF HARLEM - U2
118. MASTER & SERVANT - DEPECHE MODE
119. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER - THE FIXX
120. EVERY DAY IS LIKE HALLOWEEN - MINISTRY
121. BALL OF CONFUSION - LOVE AND ROCKETS
122. JUMPING SOMEONE ELSE TRAIN - THE CURE
123. MONY MONY - BILLY IDOL
124. EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS
125. STAND - REM
i26. ALWAYS ON MY MIND - PET SHOP BOYS
127. FASHION - DAVID BOWIE
128. DON'T GO - YAZ
129. LISTEN LIKE THIEVES - IKXS
130. CHINA GIRL - DAVID BOWIE
131. ANT MUSIC - ADAM & THE ANTS
132. SUEDEHEAD - MORRISSEY
133. IMAGES OF HEAVEN - PETER GODWIN
134. RISE - PIL
135. DEAR GOD - XTC
136. TURNING JAPANESE - THE VAPORS
137. GHOST IN YOU - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
138. LOVE WILL TEAR US APART - JOY DIVISION
139. SOMETIMES - ERASURE
140. PLANET EARTH - DURAN DURAN
141. GLORIA - U2
142. ENOLA GAY - OMD
143. WILD WILD LIFE - TALKING HEADS
144. HAZY SHADE OF WINTER - THE BANGLES
145. NEVER TEAR US APART - INXS
146. THERE IS A LIGHT - THE SMITHS
147. PRIVATE IDAHO - THE B52'S
148. LET ME GO - HEAVEN 17
149. PERFECT KISS - NEW ORDER
150. AVALON - ROXY MUSIC

151. ONE STEP BEYOND - MADNESS
152. THE PROMISE - WHEN IN ROME
153. RADIO CLASH - THE CLASH
154. DOCTOR, DOCTOR - THE THOMPSON TWINS
155. DER KOMMISAR - FALCO
156. THIS MUST BE THE PLACE - TALKING HEADS
157. HEARTBREAK BEAT - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
158. WHAT'S THE MATTER HERE - 10,000 MANIACS
159. NEVER LET ME DOWN AGAIN - DEPECHE MODE
160. THE STAND - THE ALARM
161. FORTRESS AROUND YOUR HEART - STING
162. BOY'S DON'T CRY - THE CURE
163. MAD WORLD - TEARS FOR FEARS
164. OUR LIPS ARE SEALED - THE GO GO'S
165. EVERYDAY I WRITE THE BOOK - ELVIS COSTELLO
166. GIRLS ON FILM - DURAN DURAN
167. BOY WITH THE THORN - THE SMITHS
168. SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL - THE POLICE
169. NOWHERE GIRL - B-MOVIE
170. SINCE YOU'RE GONE - THE CARS
171. WHO NEEDS LOVE LIKE THAT - ERASURE
172. UNDER PRESSURE - QUEEN/BOWIE
173. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - THE CLASH
174. MOTION OF LOVE - GENE LOVES JEZEBEL
175. BLACK COFFEE - SQUEEZE
176. DE DO DO DO, DE DA DA DA - THE POLICE
177. MANDINKA - SINEAD O'CONNOR
178. PRETTY PERSUASION - REM
179. DESTINATION UNKNOWN - MISSING PERSONS
180. ELECTRIC AVE - EDDY GRANT
181. WEST END GIRLS - PET SHOP BOYS
182. STAY UP LATE - TALKING HEADS
183. EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY - MORRISSEY
184. TALK OF THE TOWN - THE PRETENDERS
185. VOICES INSIDE MY HEAD - THE POLICE
186. SAVE A PRAYER - DURAN DURAN
187. SEX - BERLIN
188. HAPPY - PIL
189. HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE - THE CURE
190. BUT NOT TONIGHT - DEPECHE MODE
191. ALEX CHILTON - THE REPLACEMENTS
192. I WANT CANDY - BOW WOW WOW
193. LOVE MY WAY - THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS
194. EFFIGY - MINISTRY
195. I LOVE YOU SUZANNE - LOU REED
196. MORE THAN THIS - ROXY MUSIC
197. ROUND & ROUND - NEW ORDER
198. BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN - THE SMITHS
199. NEVER SAY NEVER - ROMEO VOID
200. MEXICAN RADIO - WALL OF VOODOO
 
Thats a lot of 80s coverbands in your area. Ive gotten to 60 in 6 pages in my area. Oddly enough, Ive never heard of a single one.



I agree, Jessies Girl sucks. Though, if you read the OP, you'd have seen where I mentioned I wanted to put together and 80s New Wave band.

I did read your OP. It's the M-TV 80's stuff that killed it for the bands I was into at the time. Those bands still were around but ignored and that is when I began hating the music that shoved my music away and all because of industry 'experts' . What is M-TV now? Crap. Come in, erase my music, replace it with music that M-TV execs liked and then leave town after the dust cleared. M-TV ruined the music scene in the 80's. Nobody even makes videos anymore. What for?
 
Must be a geographical anomalies.

I cant speak for DOWNTOWN Chicago, but the blues thing isn't popular surrounding the city. There is Buddy Guy's downtown, where my friend Scott Nev plays with his blues band every now and then, and there's also Kingston Mines and The Green Mill too but the majority of bands booked in this area are of the 80's, "party rock", dance bands variety.
And here I thought that blues bands would be selling more beer. I guess that is what "Blues Fest" is for.

I just wish the public and club owners were more accepting of differrent kinds of music other than the few types represented.
I guess alcohol makes digestion of 80's music easier.
 
Wow. :rollno::scowl: Really starting to wander from the OP now. Isn't this Canadian 70's Classic Rock?

Great song and all, but really?

Switching to Glide did come out in the early 80s and it was on one of the volumes of Just Can't Get Enough, Rhino Records New Wave Hits of the 80s series, so it seems like it would fit the bill.

I know my local alt rock station used to play it fairly regularly during their retro/new wave lunch hour back in the day.

Those Just Can't Get Enough compilations have some great songs on them that would probably be helpful for putting together a setlist for a new wave band. I'm guessing some of the other similar 80s compilations, Rock of the 80s, Living In Oblivion, and Sedated in the 80s, might be helpful, too.
 
I love analog synths!! I would wanna hear...

Gary Numan - Cars
Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away)

Even though these aren't new wave I would still wanna hear these too...

Alcatrazz - God Blessed Video
Blue Oyster Cult - Shooting Shark......Love that one and the slap part Randy Jackson plays.
From the Bloodsport Movie - Steal the night (yeah I know that's 1988, but still)
Van Halen 1984 - I'll Wait

LONG LIVE THE 1980's!!!!!!!!!!!!!