Here we go again. Our monthly argument -cover vs. original. I went to an original restaurant last week. The menu had "Medley of Tree Bark sauted in oil of Aspen." and "Root of Cattail with Mixed Wild Bird Eggs" and "Roasted Dung Beetles and Duckweed" I asked if they had a Roast Beef Sandwich with Mashed Potatoes. They laughed and said "We are an original restaurant. We don't do classic meals. Restaurants who do classic cooking are trivial and bland. Restaurants who cook food like that have no talent and should not even be open. I asked if they had Spaghetti and Meatballs. They asked me to leave. I left. Since I was their only customer, I wondered to myself - Is it better to cook original when nobody eats, or cook classic and have lots of customers and friends and people laughing and enjoying themselves? I went to Ruth's Chris and had a Bone-In Ribeye and baked potato. I enjoyed myself. On the way home I listened to some guy named Hendrix doing a cover of an Isley Brothers tune, "Testifty". His first recording, I think. He became famous somewhere didn't he? I suppose now that the Occupy Hotel is closed on East Wash , lots of original musicians in Madtown have no place to rehearse - and no audience for their "Bush Kills and Swills with Big Oil Blues" original number. Heres a reply I agree with-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Couldn't have said it better. I have had the good fortune of seeing both side's of this world ( Cover's & Originals )..What I have found is that most musicians that complain about being in a cover band usually don't have the talent to pull it off. They find it easier and more along their skill level to play what comes easy to them...their own originals. If you want to make a living being a musician you will need the skills to cover other peoples "Popular" material. Now I know some people are going to lambast me for these comments, saying things like I don't have the talent to write my own material, etc.. Well, I've been there, done that, Even became a member of the Grammy Society...But none of that would have happened had I not studied, toured, learned and performed cover material for many years. (these came from CL not me bohemond) but I thought they summed it up very well!!!
Ehhhh...I'm not going into this again but this example is not a good one. Trust me..I'm a food guy, I like the classics but when I want to take my lady out and spend some money I pay for something I can't make at home..so it's originals for me. The last I went those "originals" restaurants were packed
You're took late! It's already been that time of the month for half a week: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f67/why-i-prefer-play-originals-band-879057/
Nice attack thread--all the usual stereotypical bashing of one side, just inviting responses in kind from the other side. What a great discussion this will be.
Can't we all just get along? I played in original bands for the first 12 years of my gigging. It was fun. I was young. Making records was awesome. Trying to make it was depressing. Now I'm old, love my day job and have no interest in "making it". I don't write my own songs but I still love to play. Now I get to play AND get paid for it! A lot more people come out to our gigs than they ever did for all but a few shows in 12 years as an original band. They dance and follow us on Facebook. I don't see how anyone could get their panties in a bunch about the other unless they haven't done both.
It is a completely stupid argument. Almost as stupid as "Pick or Fingers". Who friggin' cares? Whatever gets you through your life, it's alright.
I Love stirring things up . But its something I pasted from CL. Most threads on Talkbass are boring and lack reason. This will just spice things up a bit. Its more of a defense for people who play only covers and get bashed. I have nothing against original bands myself. Although from my neck of the woods most are terrible.
I went to an exclusive restaurant and all they had were meatballs and mashed potatoes. For $40. That for an exclusive restaurant, might have as well purchased frozen food. Or: "Honey, it's our anniversary, let's go and eat something really special, a hamburger at McDonalds."
Certainly trollish of you to start a whole new thread just so you could state some witty little story... Be in whatever band you want! If you wanna make music, or play music, just do what you want!
Im going to agree with this right here. I just dont understand the contention on either side. Put it this way... if it werent for cover bands, the original band market would be harder to get into. If it werent for original bands, there would be so many coverbands that pay would go down significantly. Just as pointless to value one artform more than another just because we belong to one camp.
Artform? No I was talking about DJ's. I keed I keed. There are only so many music gigs though and in my neck of the woods DJ's seem to do the job for less than half what any respectable band could get away with. We are in direct competition for work. I think it's fair to attack them. Some of them are artists, most of them just play records.
I like playing covers if the songs are interesting enough. My band covers some Rush, some Who, and some Led Zep. That right there keeps my interest. I have tried to play in originals bands, but I have never been very successful with it. It might be that my music sucks. Here's some right here: http://www.reverbnation.com/dbdonlon But I warned you. The thing about originals is that people have to want to hear them or that isn't any fun either. I enjoy making the audience happy. So writing originals is pretty much just a hobby for me.