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Guys Who Only Play Covers: What Happened?

#281
to the OP:
I took up the various instruments I play AND the music major in college in order to earn a living as a musician. It's a craft and one no different from the law or, what I do now; medicine. The creativity can be there in all these endeavors ( and others ) as much as you choose to focus on them, or not as the case may be. I now play for fun in a covers band that kicks absolute ass AND I enjoy the work of learning the various styles and techniques the book requires in order to do it well. WHile I may get paid well that is not my motivation.

As such , your original question seems to come form Mars or just extremely naive
 
#284
boristhespider9 said:
Well, there's also a huge difference between your typical bar cover band and top of the line wedding bands that work with 5 star hotels on Michigan Avenue and know the precise details of how to MC a night at a black-tie wedding or other event.
Click to expand...
Can't speak for bluewine but I've been in those types (top tier/agency booked) of bands (many years in NYC) and gigs paying even remotely close to that were few and far in between.

Having said that, I'll move my arse to Chicago or Maryland in a heartbeat if there's a bass chair open for me! Realize I'm extremely sceptical and will do some researching and detective work in order to be convinced! It's just my nature.
 
#285
DWBass said:
Can't speak for bluewine but I've been in those types (top tier/agency booked) of bands (many years in NYC) and gigs paying even remotely close to that were few and far in between.

Having said that, I'll move my arse to Chicago or Maryland in a heartbeat if there's a bass chair open for me! Realize I'm extremely sceptical and will do some researching and detective work in order to be convinced! It's just my nature.
Click to expand...

The top tier is a small group. The one I mentioned above was the most expensive band I interviewed and I hired them. But still, most of the top (but ever so slightly below the "elite") bands were still in the $8-10k range in 2007, including ceremony and cocktail reception. These were for downtown Chicago formal weddings. As you go down a tier, you get to a more moderate price point. Usually less singers/musicians and simply not the overall performance/MC work you get with the cream of the crop. Note the link above and the other groups on the roster in addition to Arlen's own group, which is the best.
 
#286
boristhespider9 said:
Well, there's also a huge difference between your typical bar cover band and top of the line wedding bands that work with 5 star hotels on Michigan Avenue and know the precise details of how to MC a night at a black-tie wedding or other event.
Click to expand...

True, however there are no top of the line wedding bands in Milwaukee getting $7,500.00 -$10,000.00

$5,000.00 is probably the closer to the top of the scale in Milwaukee.

Blue
 
#288
boristhespider9 said:
Well, there's also a huge difference between your typical bar cover band and top of the line wedding bands that work with 5 star hotels on Michigan Avenue and know the precise details of how to MC a night at a black-tie wedding or other event.
Click to expand...

I was referring to wedding bands.

Blue
 
#290
Febs said:
Have you ever played in a wedding band?
Click to expand...
Again, I can't speak for bluewine but I have and we also had an MC, Photographer and a DJ and still didn't get anywhere near that kinda coin. That entity must have an inside line to get gigs like that on the regular. And by 'regular' what are we talking about? Weekly? Monthly? 2-3 per quarter? 5-6 times per year? Those weddings are probably from well to do folks and those corporations must have expense budgets out the wazoo! If a wedding party can afford to pay a band $20k, I can't imagine what the entire wedding cost!
 
#291
Once you're doing a wedding at the Intercontinental, Park Hyatt, Peninsula, Drake, or one of the many other high-end hotels in downtown Chicago...paying $8-14k for the band who run the entire night like clockwork is pretty routine. $20k I'd guess would be for Ken Arlen's "21" piece and is probably a rare gig. The reg band is booked solid for many months in advance. Yes, there are high-end weddings EVERY weekend downtown. We're talking black-tie affairs.
 
#292
Ric5 said:
You know ... there was this guy called Elvis. He got really popular. He sold a lot of records, and played a lot of concerts. He got so big he was called "The King of Rock and Roll". He wrote only about 8 songs.

ELVIS WAS A COVER ARTIST!!

Gee what happened to him. Did he give up on his dream.
Click to expand...

Actually Elvis wrote exactly ZERO songs! he co-wrote 9 songs. :)
 
#294
I can beat any cover band story any of you have. I know the worst example of a cover band. This guy owns a music store, has his own band, studio, and so much high end gear. He plays at one bar in the same town. His originals are POWER CHORD POWER POP SONGS.

He rolls in the bar with 4x15" PA mains, 2x18" PA Subs a Switchcraft Switchblade 16GL, a rack, a large pedal board, and three amps.

He has Neumann mics and an LA2A compressor and other high end crap that goes in one of my ears and out the other. Hes not a wealthy guy. He is a middle class guy who spends 90% of his income on gear. He doesn't clean his house.

I have never understood it one bit. Its not a good town either, not like you can just pick up hot college chicks or make friends with other like minded musicians, if that was a possibility then it wouldn't be so stupid. The population of the town is blue collar white trash meth heads and country hicks.

People want to hear Enter Sandman and Freebird. But he plays MGMT, Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand. Thats just the kind of town it is.

Nobody dances to it. But people don't leave. They are stuck there in hell. If they go to the other bar they have to dodge the local Indian population fighting each other.

He got one gig down here at Norman (where OU is) they were so bad that the bar owner paid them and asked them to pack up early.

Hes a good singer and a good guitar player but he has no creativity.

Don't be this guy.
 
#295
Heres why....
A) Been there and done that VERY successfully I may add
B) Im 50 years old, own my own business have 2 kids in school
C) I aint going on the road
D) Im not playing for 2 people on a monday night
E) I am at the stage in my life where I ENJOY playing covers on a Saturday night in a packed house on the Jersey Shore
F) Because I can
G) nothing went wrong - its my elective
H) I actually like making a few bucks to drink beer
I) Bald guys dont get on MTV
J) I dont enjoy playing to 21 year olds
K) My last orig gig - we covered I dont need no doctor - people thought it was one of our tunes and asked why we dont record it
L) I like being home at a "reasonable" hour instead of 4am
M) At my age, you either made it or you suc*
N) I have nothing to prove
O) Im a published author and Im concentrating on my writing
P) Why am I explaining my self to you?
 
#297
First I have to say that for me, music was *always* just a hobby - I had a secure job with decent pay, and wasn't about to give that up to try and "make it". That's a different situation from someone whose goal is to get a recording contract.
I joined an original band, and discovered that the only gigs we could get were on weeknights, very little money, playing to the bartender, waitress and girlfriends - how much fun is that? Joined a cover band, and played Friday and Saturday nights to a crowded bar of people drinking, dancing and having fun. Also made enough money to buy gear - a hobby that paid for itself! Easy choice.
 
#300
I have to agree about what this thread is all about. I happen to be a bass player whose always interested in playing originals, but within the past 2 years, my brother's band has apparently been converted into a cover band all thanks to my drummer. personally, playing covers all the time can be staled and repetitive. I mean I don't mind playing a few covers, but I do want to play originals more often. anywho, for the past 2 years, my brother's band has played nothing but covers. but we've been playing covers that aren't really suitable to us and quite frankly it's making the band go soft. but lately, the band did start to redeem itself by choosing better cover songs. so that's a good start. but honestly, I want this band to do more than just play covers. even my brother is sick and tired of playing covers all the time. of course we didn't started out as a cover band. we did have some awesome originals and we did some cool covers on the side. apparently, the band was limited on originals. which is why I took some time to write new originals for my brother's band. hopefully we will be playing originals once again.

Some people likes to do originals. some people like to do covers. while other people like to do 50/50 on originals and covers. personally I like to do originals and only a few covers. I like to do originals more because I've always have different ideas and it's always a joy to play them. I do have side-project where I write and record my own tunes and quite oftenly I've been given good compliments about my band's music. I am planning on performing live with this band sometime soon. so you're not alone, matane. I am a bass player who cares more about playing originals and covers. and I'm pretty sure there are plenty of other talkbass members who are the same.
 

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