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Cover band or Original?

Cover or Original band?

  • Cover band

    Votes: 75 53.6%

  • Original Band

    Votes: 63 45.0%

  • Carrot Band

    Votes: 2 1.4%
  • Total voters
    140
#21
I am an an originals band guy, I am a rock guy.I know what I am and that will never change.

It's no secret that I learned a hard lesson when I recently auditioned for a cover band.Some know the story.

I won the gig, then wanted to bail on it after I acepted their offer. Out of the blue the band changed their mind after they made the offer to me and went with another cat. No big deal, it was a win/win scenario.

The point here, this cover band was working 6 times a month. What I learned, the money was not important to me. I think when I saw the set list and saw "Evil Ways" my stomache turned. "No way am I going to play that kind of stuff to the Mariott Hotel crowd." Am I being a snob, yes!

Also cover bands are like originals bands in one way. IMHO, there are very few really good cover bands and same goes for originals bands.

I happen to be in the cities best originals band and we struggle for decent shows just like any other originals band.It doesn't matter how good we are.

We have a decent June lined up but not much else. We are at the point where we should be opening for national acts.But there are complications on why that will be hard for us.

I am not sure where I'm going with this post. I guess my point is I am an originals guy and I support originals bands.
 
#27
...plugging in cuz I can tell this is going to get fun. :)

But back on topic, the OPs request to check which makes more money if ya play in both IMO makes the poll kinda senseless. It's rare that an original band makes more money than a cover band, and if someone is in both and the original band is making more, I'm gonna guess the band is doing pretty well and that person wouldn't be doing any cover gigs.

I've played in both most of my life. Been in some incredibly successful original bands, done some decent tours, and still have made waaaaaaaaay more money doing covers.

My love lies in doing originals however and if I had to for some reason give one up, the cover gigs would be gone in a heartbeat.

Bluewine, I have to ask. How can you self proclaim your band as being the best in the city? That's kind of a subjective thing, don't you think?
 
#30
AfroCubanFunkMa said:
You play someone else's originals, right?
Click to expand...

If someone in your band writes said original songs then you are playing original music, not covers.

The guitarist/singer in my band writes the songs. I provide input in regards to everything - style, sound, melody, lyrics - and write my basslines accordingly. Ive been asked to bring my original ideas to the band, which as of yet I have not wanted to do, as I'd prefer to focus on developing the bandleaders original ideas.
 
#31
To me going through the writing process and finishing a song is much more fulfilling than playing a song that has already been written.. don't get me wrong i like to hear a good cover band, but i like it when the band puts their own twist on it and makes it different.. Lets be real here, the cover songs that you are playing was written by an original band, so my respect and my money goes to seeing the original play live.
 
#32
Good original band = $1500 a gig at colleges, Bars you only get like $300-400 mixing in covers, but you only play an hour and a half to two hours

Cover Band - Nevers gets a good college gig, and only makes $400-500 playing 3 hours...

You can absolutely make money playing in a original band, your originals just need not to suck...or be a complete rip off of some other band, so much that you sound like a cover band.

Definetely more work goes into the original band, i play more with the cover band.
 
#33
I wonder about the age/experience factor- IME/IMO, originals are a young man's thing, due to the need to bang out a lot of gigs to build a following & get your stuff familiar w/the crowds. I no longer have the time or energy to do this. Further, getting old/tired & then finding out covers are easy, effective & get you called back, for me, means more fun. No dis toward either side of the coin- just stating my experience/thoughts. BTW, I'm 47, and only started doing covers a couple of years ago- wish I'd done it years ago.
 
#34
dpbass613 said:
Good original band = $1500 a gig at colleges, Bars you only get like $300-400 mixing in covers, but you only play an hour and a half to two hours

Cover Band - Nevers gets a good college gig, and only makes $400-500 playing 3 hours...

You can absolutely make money playing in a original band, your originals just need not to suck...or be a complete rip off of some other band, so much that you sound like a cover band.

Definetely more work goes into the original band, i play more with the cover band.
Click to expand...


I agree, we are trying to break into that 1500 to 2000 market.

Right know it cost more to bring the band and crew into a venue than what we get paid.
 
#35
MatticusMania said:
If someone in your band writes said original songs then you are playing original music, not covers.

The guitarist/singer in my band writes the songs. I provide input in regards to everything - style, sound, melody, lyrics - and write my basslines accordingly. Ive been asked to bring my original ideas to the band, which as of yet I have not wanted to do, as I'd prefer to focus on developing the bandleaders original ideas.
Click to expand...

We are on the same page. Afro gets it too.

He's just trying to have fun:)
 
#36
KRYPLRbass said:
Really? No original band makes money? Wow that unbeliveable.

We have both. But to tell you the truth, if you're in it just for the money, you're in it fir the wrong reasons.
Click to expand...

That last statement is too subjective to blanket over everyone.

For the vast majority of us, money simply represents that we get hired because we play music that people want to hear at a business function, party, wedding, etc. Overwhelmingly, that happens to be playing cover music.

Apart from that, most of us are playing because we love the hobby. And like most hobbies, one wants to do it as much as possible. That's far more likely to happen playing music people are familiar with.
 
#37
if you're in it just for the money, you're in it fir the wrong reasons.
Click to expand...
Of course were not in it for the money. There's very little money in music anymore. But Gas prices are high, strings break, and equipment isn't free. Merch can make a little money but you got to spend money to make it on Merch. So while I play my heart out entertaining a crowd so the local bar can sell more beer, it would be nice to get a little something for the effort. (besides free beer, as I don't drink anymore)
 
#38
MatticusMania said:
If someone in your band writes said original songs then you are playing original music, not covers.
Click to expand...

No argument with this at all Matticus, in fact I agree the band is playing an original, but I wouldn't consider those songs to be MY originals.. if I contributed enough in the writing process to get some points on the publishing, then an only then is there cause for taking the opinion Blue espouses. Unfortunately as he has stated, he has no say in the song or arrangement and is even told what to play. I just don't see how one can take a hard-line fundamentalist stance of only being "an originals guy", yet not being a writer of originals or actually writing one's own parts even... seems a bit hypocritical IMO...

Plus, all that denigration of people who play covers really gets under my skin.. It seems very elitist and usually the source is esteem/ego issues.. I do both, I enjoy the different aspects and challenges of writing and arranging as well as maintaining a few hundred songs in a repertoire.
 
#39
Our band is mainly original music. We do play cover shows here and there to pick up some extra cash to hit the studio. But we make do make decent money from orignal shows and thats what we love to do. We just try not to play them too often so the crowd doesnt get burned out. Just get in good with a venue, then they will let you do what you want. They let us put together our own shows now, so we gave up most of our pay and are bringing Ivoryline in to headline so we get the exposure.
 
#40
AfroCubanFunkMa said:
No argument with this at all Matticus, in fact I agree the band is playing an original, but I wouldn't consider those songs to be MY originals.. if I contributed enough in the writing process to get some points on the publishing, then an only then is there cause for taking the opinion Blue espouses. Unfortunately as he has stated, he has no say in the song or arrangement and is even told what to play. I just don't see how one can take a hard-line fundamentalist stance of only being "an originals guy", yet not being a writer of originals or actually writing one's own parts even... seems a bit hypocritical IMO...

Plus, all that denigration of people who play covers really gets under my skin.. It seems very elitist and usually the source is esteem/ego issues.. I do both, I enjoy the different aspects and challenges of writing and arranging as well as maintaining a few hundred songs in a repertoire.
Click to expand...

Right, I get ya. The part I bolded above, thats the reason Ive held back on introducing any of my original material to the band Im in. When I do so, I would prefer it to be in my band, which I dont have right now. I find it awesome that the songwriter in our band appreciates my input, and I get to write my own parts. I even write my own backup vocals where there were none previously (so long as it suits the song). Even cooler, I find that while our songwriter has a big ego (Ive known him over 10 years) he is actually very open to constructive criticism, so if there is something about a song that someone doesnt like, he doesnt get defensive, but rather discusses the merits of hic choices and is open to listening to alternative perspectives. I dont consider it my original music, but I am happy playing his original music.

As for coverbands, I dont have anything against them. I havent played in one (yet) but I consider it from time to time. Ive decided that should this band Im in fall apart, my next move would be to find a coverband while I develop an original band of my own.
 

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