Sounds like you've got a good thing going.. as my old teacher used to say.. Don't hold that Sh%t back, the world needs songs..
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Cover band or Original?
- Thread starter Cohacq
- Start date
I do think its a good thing. I won't make the claim that we're the best original band in our county (only cuz LA is pretty big with LOTS of original bands and I havent seen them all to determine so) but the music is really good, IMO. Certainly far above most of the local bands Ive seen. Hopefully we can make some success with it.
I probably gig more with my original bands but we've only been paid once so far! I put my cover band as my main band because although we don't gig much (I only accept paid gigs with this lot) I feel I am more involved. I'm not much of a songwriter, in my original bands there isn't much room for flashy basslines so I generally just plod along with the guitarists. However in my covers band I get to play some great lines! And being one of the original members and probably the most organised and driven person in the group, my boyfriend (the singer) and myself are pretty much in charge of everything. My biggest regret it letting one of our guitarists be in charge of making our website - bad idea! It'll never get done!
I can't believe the poll is almost neck and neck. There are either a whole lot of people lying about how much they make with their originals, or there are a lot of people who have never done a cover band.
Not referring to any who’ve posted in this thread, but I’ve found that “Originals band” is the refuge for so many who can’t play or don’t really know music, and couldn’t do a covers because… well, they don’t know how to play or know music…
so it’s “<insert sub-sub-sub genra> rock”, power-chords and blast beats and screamers all jumping around, and with enough volume and distortion…
Well, you get the idea.
+1000
The same people who are my cover band (most gigs) are the very same people who play my original tunes. That's why I voted carrots!!!
My band plays originals. I'd never look down on agood coverband. I spent plenty of time gigging with a coverband and the value of doing it for my skills -bass playing or other 'gig' related skills - is vast.
Please take a little time and effort to read and comprehend what I wrote.
Your response was completely unwarranted.
No need for pissing matches about who can and can't play.
You are going to see a lot of people here in favor of cover bands making more money because they are not on the road, and have more time and available internet. Ipads etc. are changing that, and most venues have free access as well, but that time is spent promoting and working as opposed to posting here. There are exceptions, of course (Jimmy M, for example).
Just gotta ad that just because some of you have failed with originals doesn't mean the world is devoid of individuals that are smart, capable, and lucky enough to have success.
You are going to see a lot of people here in favor of cover bands making more money because they are not on the road, and have more time and available internet. Ipads etc. are changing that, and most venues have free access as well, but that time is spent promoting and working as opposed to posting here. There are exceptions, of course (Jimmy M, for example).
Just gotta ad that just because some of you have failed with originals doesn't mean the world is devoid of individuals that are smart, capable, and lucky enough to have success.
A lot of these cover band guys are really more business guys, but not really very good musicians.
There is one guy here, who is sort of this know it all always shootin his mouth off, but at the end of the day is not much of a musician.
I reviewed his site and my thought was, this is a guy that I would want to manage and book my band. But as far as playing is concerned, every cover sample on his web site was a joke. And on top of that they were poor quality recordings.
Marko pay no mind to BlueWhine's overbearing and generally misguided responses. He is narcissistic and vain enough to think everything is about him.. See his thread "New Dilemma"
Read it slowly- read every word, or at least most. Its not a terribly long read with a lot of complicated words.
You should find somewhere in there a specific type of band to which I was referring.
Best of luck.
Plenty of douchebag cover bands out there for sure. Ones with douchebag, money minded "Managers". We're not all like that. I have been playing bass for 30+ years and above all else, I serve the song. We ain't getting rich and we all have regular jobs, but we have fun, we are tight and people dig what we're doing. We have a few good originals, but truth be told, I wrote most of my best songs many years ago when I was young and none of those songs are real suited to the style of music we play these days. Not to mention the fact that many of them deal with, as Mr. Tastybasslines would put it, my "Smelly, pirate, hooker, ex -wife" and really aren't lyrically suited for mass market or even the club scene.
That said, there's no reason at all a band can't do both and just because a band doesn't have a contract or even original hit songs, that doesn't mean they aren't talented musicians.
That said, there's no reason at all a band can't do both and just because a band doesn't have a contract or even original hit songs, that doesn't mean they aren't talented musicians.
Not referring to any who’ve posted in this thread, but I’ve found that “Originals band” is the refuge for so many who can’t play or don’t really know music, and couldn’t do a covers because… well, they don’t know how to play or know music…
so it’s “<insert sub-sub-sub genra> rock”, power-chords and blast beats and screamers all jumping around, and with enough volume and distortion…
Well, you get the idea.
Maybe this will help...
jive1
Commercial User
Although there are exceptions........
For making money playing live music, cover bands will typically outperform most original bands.
For making money with recordings, original bands will typically out-perform cover bands.
Recording tends not to be the realm of cover bands, so they will never make money from CDs, licensing, royalties, etc. But it is the realm of the original band. Even though the gig for an original band won't pay as much as cover band, the original band could earn enough if the performance was strong enough to create CD and merch sales.
For making money playing live music, cover bands will typically outperform most original bands.
For making money with recordings, original bands will typically out-perform cover bands.
Recording tends not to be the realm of cover bands, so they will never make money from CDs, licensing, royalties, etc. But it is the realm of the original band. Even though the gig for an original band won't pay as much as cover band, the original band could earn enough if the performance was strong enough to create CD and merch sales.
