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Cover acts - whats in demand?

#41
SteveHeissner said:
Where I am (East Coast) there is no demand for originals bands - however, that's in bars, casinos, Moose Lodge and Eagles's Club type places. Not sure about other types of venues. If you don't play songs every drunk in the bar knows and can sing along with, you won't pack the house and the dance floor. If you don't pack the house and the dance floor, well then you won't be back to play again.
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Thats the scene here. Been stuck playing guitar in a cover band for 3 years now. Cant find an original band looking for a bass player any were.

We do mostly 80s and 90s rock. Pay ranges from beer and pizza to $500 for the 5 of us to split if were lucky but its better then playing rock star in my basement.
 
#42
jaywa said:
Interesting. I never found amazing musicianship (Paisley, Urban), good songwriting and excellent production (with the bass high in the mix) to be "nasty" but to each his own I guess. I don't choose to listen to a steady diet of new country and I will admit some of it is painfully derivative and formulaic, but compared to a lot of the music out there these days I don't find it half bad. And as far as the cover band scene, it is definitely a genre that's paying the bills around these parts these days.
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I'm with you.. there was a period between Garth "The Dance" and Jason Aldean that science can't measure it's suckability.

I'm a huge fan of the stuff like Randy Rodgers, Cross Canadian, Adam Hood etc.... unfortunately it would like being in an originals band to play it out.
 
#43
jaywa said:
Interesting. I never found amazing musicianship (Paisley, Urban), good songwriting and excellent production (with the bass high in the mix) to be "nasty" but to each his own I guess. I don't choose to listen to a steady diet of new country and I will admit some of it is painfully derivative and formulaic, but compared to a lot of the music out there these days I don't find it half bad. And as far as the cover band scene, it is definitely a genre that's paying the bills around these parts these days.
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Paisley is one of the few today that still has some good old school country roots in his music so I like that..the others who mix it with rock.... blah. I grew up on the old stuff and folks I know who also did can't stand nu- country and wont listen to today's radio stations since its all they play.
 
#44
70s and 80s rock goes down well around here even with the kids. Anything that's remotely danceable is going to be popular.

There also seems to be a growing call around here in coffeehouses, winebars and restaurants for acoustic work. So much so that I'm thinking of putting together an acoustic only set and shopping that around.
 
#46
bassbully said:
Paisley is one of the few today that still has some good old school country roots in his music so I like that..the others who mix it with rock.... blah. I grew up on the old stuff and folks I know who also did can't stand nu- country and wont listen to today's radio stations since its all they play.
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Paisley is a beast of a player... I would love for our band to do more of his stuff but our guitarists aren't good enough to pull it off.

We mix up the Jason Aldean, Jake Owen and Blake Shelton with some Johnny Cash, Alabama and Charlie Daniels and it's a good variety that goes over with almost every crowd. The only New Country song we've tried that totally bombed was "Brown Chicken Brown Cow" by Trade Adkins that we all thought would be a hit but cleared the floor every time so we've retired that one. When we had a chick singer we did some Shania Twain, Taylor Swift and Sugarland and those were pretty painful so when she went away, those songs did too.
 
#47
My New Wave band is booking pretty well into 2012 already, and the pay's good enough that we may well ditch our day jobs sometime next summer.

The word from some of our radio station contacts is that the hair band thing is already dying out as far as the general public is concerned, though I'm sure it'll hang around to some extent. If you can find a niche and do it well, it seems that you'll be able to get work. Some of the niches I've seen since gigging out more are pretty nutty to my mind, but they're earning a living. There's even a Renaissance Faire circuit that some musicians make a living at, much to my disbelief.

Tributes get paid more, for sure. Our show is mostly a tribute of sorts to '80s one-hit wonders, complete with costumes. It seems to be much easier to sell a focused act like a tribute than an all-around dance band. It's been a huge improvement in pay scale over our previous all-over-the-map dance music efforts.
 
#48
We do quite well with a predominately '80s setlist, very little classic rock. Here's our Halloween setlist.

1 -------------------------------
Long Way ACDC
Devil Inside INXS
The Breakup Song Kihn
Addicted To Love
I Ran
Cars
She Bop
Kids in America
Sedated
White Wedding
I Want You To Want Me

2 --------------------------------
Sin City
I Hate Myself
Hangin on the Telephone
Head Over Heels
Whip it
Walk Like An Egyptian
The Middle
Everybody Wants You
Boys Of Summer
Don't Change
Basket Case
Dirty Deeds

3 ---------------------------------
Bloodletting
Sanctuary
I Will Follow
I'll Stop The World
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
What I Like About You
Major Tom
Just Like Heaven
The Metro
Blitzkreig Bop
Spiderman

4 --------------------------------
Lets Go Crazy
Hungry Like The Wolf
Uprising
Should I Stay
Blister In The Sun
Be My Girl
I Love Rock n Roll
Ring Of Fire
Paranoid
Rebel Yell
Ballroom Blitz
----------------------
Teen Spirit
Bad Reputation
 
#50
On the modern country side, how do your crowds like Lady Antebellum, the Band Perry and Colt Ford? I want to try some songs by the latter two, Lady Antebellum even get some mainstream radio play here so that definitely works.
 
#51
Didgging your cure stuff.

TBird1958 said:
We do quite well with a predominately '80s setlist, very little classic rock. Here's our Halloween setlist.

1 -------------------------------
Long Way ACDC
Devil Inside INXS
The Breakup Song Kihn
Addicted To Love
I Ran
Cars
She Bop
Kids in America
Sedated
White Wedding
I Want You To Want Me

2 --------------------------------
Sin City
I Hate Myself
Hangin on the Telephone
Head Over Heels
Whip it
Walk Like An Egyptian
The Middle
Everybody Wants You
Boys Of Summer
Don't Change
Basket Case
Dirty Deeds

3 ---------------------------------
Bloodletting
Sanctuary
I Will Follow
I'll Stop The World
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
What I Like About You
Major Tom
Just Like Heaven
The Metro
Blitzkreig Bop
Spiderman

4 --------------------------------
Lets Go Crazy
Hungry Like The Wolf
Uprising
Should I Stay
Blister In The Sun
Be My Girl
I Love Rock n Roll
Ring Of Fire
Paranoid
Rebel Yell
Ballroom Blitz
----------------------
Teen Spirit
Bad Reputation
Click to expand...
 
#54
pklima said:
On the modern country side, how do your crowds like Lady Antebellum, the Band Perry and Colt Ford? I want to try some songs by the latter two, Lady Antebellum even get some mainstream radio play here so that definitely works.
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The band I'm in now did a couple of Lady Antebellum songs before I joined. The songs went over but our BL decided the male parts were too high for him so they quit doing them. And we don't have a chick singer anymore so that takes that material off the table (along with stuff like Sugarland and Little Big Town). I'd say go for it though, especially if you have male and female singers who are both good and blend well together.
 
#57
jaywa said:
T-Bird:

Now THAT's a setlist!

Fun to hear, and fun to play.
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Thanks! Part of what makes it work is the setlist order that the songs are placed in too, we don't play ballads or take requests, we just want to get the women in the crowd on the dance floor, the men always follow. The sets are each supposed to "build" towards an end and in total the whole night. I wish I could say I put them together but it's the work of our very talented guitarist.
 
#58
We do a lot of 70's and modern rock mixed with your standard tunes (Brown Eyed Girl, Sweet Child, Pour some Sugar, Cherry Pie) and its hit or miss. Even some of the modern dance tunes dont go that great. Country always does. Doesn't matter how crappy it may sound, it always flies. It's sickening some nights, and others I'm just reminded how it helps pay the bills and for that I'm thankful. Ditto on the wagon wheel thing, although the requests for that have slowed a lot for us.

In the St. Louis area, the acoustic duo and trio thing is kinda taking over. Seems like a lot of places won't even consider you unless its acoustic. Nice sometimes for the lighter gear use and setup, but still a little awkward sometimes when people are eating dinner and staring at you... theres my rant!
 
#59
I've spoken with many managers etc....

they've noted the demographic is changing... not sure if you're noticing (overall ... really don't care about YOUR exception)

When we look out, we're noticing more folks 30-50 year olds... fewer new drinkers.... venues are now relying more on food and clearing out around 10:30...

This group isn't into into your SVT with mated Plexi from your guitar.
 
#60
TBird1958 said:
We do quite well with a predominately '80s setlist, very little classic rock. Here's our Halloween setlist.

1 -------------------------------
Long Way ACDC
Devil Inside INXS
The Breakup Song Kihn
Addicted To Love
I Ran
Cars
She Bop
Kids in America
Sedated
White Wedding
I Want You To Want Me

2 --------------------------------
Sin City
I Hate Myself
Hangin on the Telephone
Head Over Heels
Whip it
Walk Like An Egyptian
The Middle
Everybody Wants You
Boys Of Summer
Don't Change
Basket Case
Dirty Deeds

3 ---------------------------------
Bloodletting
Sanctuary
I Will Follow
I'll Stop The World
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
What I Like About You
Major Tom
Just Like Heaven
The Metro
Blitzkreig Bop
Spiderman

4 --------------------------------
Lets Go Crazy
Hungry Like The Wolf
Uprising
Should I Stay
Blister In The Sun
Be My Girl
I Love Rock n Roll
Ring Of Fire
Paranoid
Rebel Yell
Ballroom Blitz
----------------------
Teen Spirit
Bad Reputation
Click to expand...

I gotta say that is one kick ass set list, minus the Duran Duran. Seriously though, on Long Island there is something for every type of band. Most can get paid as well. It all depends on who you want to play to. You have the coffee houses and vineyards out east, for acoustic sets. There are numerous fairs and outdoor events, mostly 70's and 80's rock there. Last and best are the hundreds of clubs and bars that still have live bands. These are hard to nail down to one genre as it all depends on the establishment. Only thrash, death and speed metal bands are finding it tough here on the island. The gigs are there but they are few and far between. You gotta go into NYC or if your 17 there is always Johny's keg party while his parents are away.
 

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