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Cover band set-list conflicts.

I guess I just have a different way of looking at things. My first band was a cover band and we all picked our top 5 favorite songs we wanted to cover. It worked out great because if we didn't like a song we canned it and picked another one until we all agreed. I'm not even gonna bother with it anymore. I'll focus on my originals. I don't see how changing the set can be seen as a negative thing.

You still missing the point. You were auditioning. Nobody wants someone they are auditioning to start trying to run the band before they are even in it.
 
Did your first band have you changing songs before you joined? I honestly don't see how you keep missing this basic point. You're not a band member yet.

As such, you may be right that you should just stick to something else.
Actually yeah, I kinda of came in and took over the whole thing. How can I be a band member if the band doesn't exist yet? Is the point I'm trying to get across.
 
You still missing the point. You were auditioning. Nobody wants someone they are auditioning to start trying to run the band before they are even in it.
I wasn't trying to run anything, and mind you there was no band. Just a guitarist/singer looking for people to jam. When it comes to covers I believe personally it should be democratic where everyone has a say in the set. If I'm joining your originals band and you have a bass-line you want me to play I'll play it no questions asked because it's your songs and your vision.
 
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This has been on my mind lately because it tends to happen a lot especially in cover bands. I was gonna audition for this cover band and the leader sent me some songs to practice. I wasn't particularly fond of his song choices and voiced my opinion about it. He then proceeded to mock my reading abilities saying I didn't read the bands he had listed in the ad. The bands weren't the issue the song choices were. I've had conflicts in the past with other cover bands I've been in where one of the members and I didn't see eye to eye on the song choices. Needless to say I don't think I got the gig haha. How do you guys deal with that? Do you just play what you're told? or do you speak up if you're not gelling with a song?

You are not even in the band and are complaining about the set list???
If i was BL, i would have told you dont bother to show up. Quit frankly, that was bit of a douche move.

If i dont like the setlist, i don't audition.
 
Honestly, @TjMetalhead it's best that you aired it all out up front.

I'm in the opposite position and it's no fun. I agreed to join a fun casual band with one of my oldest friends on drums (as in known him a long time, not that he's a geezer). We had gotten together and jammed ine time (three piece with a guitar player and we all sing). We seemed to be in the same page musically at first. And recently he has gone off the rails wanting to do a bunch of songs that a power trio has no business even trying. Plus, he's picking songs for all three of us to sing that are not suited to our vouces. I'm having to deal with it on the back end and it sucks. He was talked it out in detail to begin with, I wouldn't be in this mess. Either we would have realized we weren't on the same page and we would have parted as pals not forming a band together, or he would have known where I stood and chosen songs accordingly.

As it stands now, I have wandered into this grey area of trying to honor my word to a friend and despising the songs he is choosing.
 
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If you're playing in a cover band, you're gonna end up playing stuff you don't like. Even if you're the leader and are choosing the songs, you're going to have to choose stuff that will get you gigs. Playing covers is all compromise all the time. My old cover bands have played full on bar band dreck, and I didn't like it, but the stuff I did like playing made it worth it.

Jeez, dude, I've done a rock cover of "Sweet Caroline." I'd rather get a root canal than play that song again, but if it rolled around I had to play it twice a month for anotherwise fun gig, I'd probably suck it up.

If you're looking to join a cover band, or you're dealing with someone who's looking to start one, you may very well jsut have to gut it out until you get enough pull to start making suggestions. And I mean suggestions...not criticism of a proposed setlist by the guy coordinating the band. Coming in with that attitude obviously didn't win you any points with the guy. So I'd suggest move on, or maybe try starting your own project playing what you want to play.

...I really don't miss playing covers.
 
see that would be a blast doing a hard rock version of the chicken dance. This guy wanted to do turbo lover, round and round songs that the local radio plays to death.

There is a reason those songs are played to death.

Ask any TBer what the top cover bands in their area play. At least a handful of them, in any given market, are just covering the songs that played to death on the radio. It is the same reason the DJ at the radio station plays the same songs over and over.
 
I wasn't trying to run anything, and mind you there was no band. Just a guitarist/singer looking for people to jam. When it comes to covers I believe personally it should be democratic where everyone has a say in the set. If I'm joining your originals band and you have a bass-line you want me to play I'll play it no questions asked because it's your songs and your vision.

Your OP said the band leader was auditioning you. Just because you were the first potential additional ember, it was still an audition. Go and play what he wants and if y'all click, then maybe suggest some other songs.

I'm amazed how seriously some people take playing in a cover band.

It's called being professional and accommodating. Not immediately sending red flags.
 
I guess I just have a different way of looking at things. My first band was a cover band and we all picked our top 5 favorite songs we wanted to cover. It worked out great because if we didn't like a song we canned it and picked another one until we all agreed. I'm not even gonna bother with it anymore. I'll focus on my originals. I don't see how changing the set can be seen as a negative thing.
I can actually understand where you are coming from. So what you're the new guy. How hard is it to change a few songs out?? Maybe there's a few that have special meaning to a certain member so you suck it up and play those few. Everyone should have a say......
Shoot, You stuck to your guns. I respect that!
 
I can actually understand where you are coming from. So what you're the new guy. How hard is it to change a few songs out?? Maybe there's a few that have special meaning to a certain member so you suck it up and play those few. Everyone should have a say......
Shoot, You stuck to your guns. I respect that!
Thank you! I feel so attacked right now haha. Oh well Tber's having strong opinions is nothing new. I've always spoken up and stood my ground if I don't agree with something. I think that's the reason why I can't be just a band member, I'm too outspoken for my own good. It's the same reason why I needed to start my own band. We're doing pretty good so that's that I guess.
 
This has been on my mind lately because it tends to happen a lot especially in cover bands. I was gonna audition for this cover band and the leader sent me some songs to practice. I wasn't particularly fond of his song choices and voiced my opinion about it. He then proceeded to mock my reading abilities saying I didn't read the bands he had listed in the ad. The bands weren't the issue the song choices were. I've had conflicts in the past with other cover bands I've been in where one of the members and I didn't see eye to eye on the song choices. Needless to say I don't think I got the gig haha. How do you guys deal with that? Do you just play what you're told? or do you speak up if you're not gelling with a song?

I won't even contact a band unless their listing specifies the type of music I want to play. Then I always ask for the set list. If the list was close I might ask if they have considered other / better songs by the same bands but if their song choice is too far off I don't even bother going down for the initial meet up. You can tell a lot about a band by its song choices.

Him mocking your reading ability would be a huge red flag for me.

I play mostly for fun and not to pay the bills so I won't play where I have so say in the songs we play. You're looking for a fun side band you can afford to be choosey.
 
I won't play a bunch of songs I don't like. I play for fun and $$ is just an added bonus. So I wouldn't even bother fighting with BL about song choices. If I don't like the list then I don't audition.

Bada bing! (And I don't care *AT ALL* about getting paid.) I play music for the sheer joy of playing music, period. If I don't like the songs, then I don't pursue that project. Life is way too short to spend it playing music you don't like.
 
...If i dont like the setlist, i don't audition.
Exactly.

If I was given a list of songs to play for an audition and I didn’t want to play the songs, I would contact the band leader and say, “I’m sorry, I don’t think this is going to work out.” I wouldn’t waste my time or theirs.
 
I won't even contact a band unless their listing specifies the type of music I want to play. Then I always ask for the set list. If the list was close I might ask if they have considered other / better songs by the same bands but if their song choice is too far off I don't even bother going down for the initial meet up. You can tell a lot about a band by its song choices.

Him mocking your reading ability would be a huge red flag for me.

You're looking for a fun side band you can afford to be choosey.
Yeah that's where this got mucky because in the ad he listed all my favorite bands (besides Kiss) and I thought hey this could be fun. We had a nice 30 min conversation on the phone a couple days ago and I thought it went great. He sends me the set and I thought a couple of songs could be changed out for more crowd pleasers, and that's where everything went to crap.
 
Thank you! I feel so attacked right now haha. Oh well Tber's having strong opinions is nothing new. I've always spoken up and stood my ground if I don't agree with something. I think that's the reason why I can't be just a band member, I'm too outspoken for my own good. It's the same reason why I needed to start my own band. We're doing pretty good so that's that I guess.

You know what they say about opinions man lol

Just remember what you experienced with this guy, and maybe be the guy who's open to suggestions when you interview prospective new recruits.

And yeah, Turbo Lover is a rad tune, but it is overplayed. And yes, there's a reason for that. But take it from someone who's been down that dusty trail: trying to stick with deep cuts and B-sides is tough. At some point you're just gonna find yourself throwing up your hands and saying, "JFC FINE! We'll play Man in the Box" lol
 
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