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Hey Cover Band Players - Crazy Bands & Stage Antics?

ChrisB2

ChrisB2

Bass... in your fass
Supporting Member
Feb 27, 2008
2,791
3,015
TalkBass > Off Topic
#1
Please, let's keep the responses on topic, no "covers suck" posts are necessary nor desired. Thanks.

So. Lots of bands in my area dress up in crazy costumes, clown suits or drag, jump around and do other goofy antics, play flutes, keytars, kazoos, etc., and generally take any and all measures to stand out and be different.

I'm interested in any cover musicians' experiences and general opinions of these efforts, whether mild or extreme. This thread is not about what the general public or anyone else thinks, just those who "have played" or "currently play" in cover bands.

My band is wanting to buff up our show, although nothing extreme, more like better dress, more movement, and better setlist flow. The craziest we get is throwing out beach balls during outdoor festival shows. Woo hoo! :eyebrow:

I would love to hear what other guys like me think about the matter...

Do you play or have you played in one of these bands?
If so, how did/does the experience compare to more traditional bands in your experience?
Did you see a difference in income +/- ?
How crazy did/do you get? Please describe your band.
Mild or extreme, can you see a relationship between level of craziness and audience response/following/booking/income?
Whether you played in such a band or not, what is your opinion of this approach? (Cover band players)
How do such bands fare in your area/opinion?
Please add any comments.

Tanks!
clown.gif
 
#2
We regularly do bunny ears in one band. I don't always wear a shirt but when I do it's so loud I don't need an amp. Have also done medieval gigs in costume, and one themed party gig painted green to look like Shrek. Sometimes I won't shave my head for like two weeks before a gig just so I can have a small mohawk on gig day. I've got Louis Vuitton and Burberry basses.

I think that stuff helps but to be honest I just do it because it's fun and I love attention. It's not really a calculated way to get more popularity or get paid better. So, don't go that far unless you're the kind of person who just happens to be like that. But I think the milder levels of antics really do make a big difference. Move around, dress well, match your clothes to your bass or vice versa.

One singer I worked with quite a bit in the past decided she liked how she looked in a particular live photo, and decided she'd always wear red tights for gigs and make that a trademark look. For the band that uses bunny ears I also try to find shirts with pictures of rabbits or hares on them. That kind of subtler thing is a very good idea.
 
#5
I don't do any of the antics you mentioned so I can't speak to that.

And my band is a hobby band and not a full time business, so there's that.

With that said, we do very well for what we are, and I will say the two biggest contributing factors to my cover band's ability to make good money and have more gig offers than we can play are the following:

1. We play good, we enjoy playing, and although we are a "Blues band" we have A LOT of songs outside our genre (mainly speaking of songs that folks can dance to, but we span MANY genres across many decades).

2. We can play at low volumes. We use electric drums, and that has opened MANY good paying gigs at locations that otherwise wouldn't even consider a live electric blues/rock band.

Just something to consider.
 
#6
bassgod0dmw said:
Short of a Halloween or costume party type of gig I'm not a fan of it. Most bands around here don't do it either, we just play well.
Click to expand...

+1

I think it looks ridiculous, I hate it, won't go see bands that do it and I won't do it either. If the musicianship is good enough you don't need gimmicks.
 
#7
ChrisB2 said:
Please, let's keep the responses on topic, no "covers suck" posts are necessary nor desired. Thanks.

So. Lots of bands in my area dress up in crazy costumes, clown suits or drag, jump around and do other goofy antics, play flutes, keytars, kazoos, etc., and generally take any and all measures to stand out and be different.

I'm interested in any cover musicians' experiences and general opinions of these efforts, whether mild or extreme. This thread is not about what the general public or anyone else thinks, just those who "have played" or "currently play" in cover bands.

My band is wanting to buff up our show, although nothing extreme, more like better dress, more movement, and better setlist flow. The craziest we get is throwing out beach balls during outdoor festival shows. Woo hoo! :eyebrow:

I would love to hear what other guys like me think about the matter...

Do you play or have you played in one of these bands?
I do currently.
If so, how did/does the experience compare to more traditional bands in your experience?
It's a blast. It really makes the whole cover scene more enjoyable. It makes "Mustang Sally" enjoyable again.
Did you see a difference in income +/- ?
Yes. At our last gig the owner tipped us an extra $50 because he said we were one of the most entertaining live bands he's seen. And we already were hitting the ceiling for what local cover bands get, as far as money. We have multiple bookings there now.
How crazy did/do you get? Please describe your band.
We do not get extremely crazy. Everyone except our drummer is wireless, so we spend a lot of time out in the crowd mingling with the audience. We will dance, let people (certain ones) play notes on our instruments, etc. We sometimes will join people at their tables while we play, hand off a microphone, and go into some conversations and pre-planned comic routines between songs. We have some different costumes we don at times, like when we do ZZTop we have fake beards we put on. If we crank out a country tune we announce that we have to change our wardrobe and put on cowboy hats, when we do tee shirt giveaways we always come up with some sort of audience challenge (like a scavenger hunt) to determine who will win. So nothing really wild, but in a sea of cover bands who act like living jukeboxes, we kinda stand out in our local area.
Mild or extreme, can you see a relationship between level of craziness and audience response/following/booking/income?
Yes. The more fun and entertaining you are to watch, the more you can charge, the more you work, the more people like you. We've had people travel well over an hour just to see us based on our show. Because our music is nothing special, really. Again....we play "Mustang Sally". It's really about how you entertain, not necessarily your musicianship IMO.
Whether you played in such a band or not, what is your opinion of this approach? (Cover band players)
I wouldn't do it any other way, after the results I've seen with Aftermath. Plus I have a lot more fun personally, as well.
How do such bands fare in your area/opinion?
Very well. We actually decided to do this after seeing another local band, who has decided to hang it up after a long run, using this formula. Our timing was good and we were able to target the venues they went to, and these places were looking for a "replacement band". And honestly, in the area I play the bands that seem to last the longest are the ones who provide an unusual show, because it's popular. Standard run-of-the-mill cover bands sprout up and dry up just as quickly.
Please add any comments.

I think the key is to find something that sets you apart, without going too over the top. Things that create enjoyment. Nobody wants to see you drink a pint of goat's blood after you just played "Living After Midnight", but they get a big kick out of seeing our guitarist jumping around in the audience with cat ears and costume tail when we do "Cat Scratch Fever".

Tanks!
clown.gif
Click to expand...

Just my take on it. Here's the thing, it isn't for everyone. You can't take yourself too seriously if you do what we do. And you have to have it in your personality to essentially whore yourself out, to a point. So it's just not the right gig for everyone. I've seen so many fantastic musicians who could not, or would not, do what we do. For example, saw this band comprised mostly of music school grads that we were being showcased with. Amazing musicianship. Totally blew us away on every level music-wise. No personality, no crowd interaction, and they had the typical attitude of "we play what we like, we do what we like, it's about us, you should be happy we're here". We followed them on stage with our mediocre music, mediocre talent, and high energy antics. Audience response was overwhelmingly positive in our favor. Our thought was that if people just wanted to hear good music, played well, they'd listen to the radio. But they came out to see a live band, so there's more to it than just hearing good music played well, because they can do that without ever leaving their homes or cars. But again, you have to have that element in your personality to do it or enjoy it.
 
#8
One band I worked with had comedy going on by changing a few
key words in a tune, dirty drinking songs. Always went over well.
Another had comedy by bumping into each other and dancing
completely out of sync. Always got attention.
Never know till you try it.
 
#12
My cover band does a few things that sets us apart from other local bands. First, we all dress the part - and that's not a small thing. We *really* go for it.

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Our image has definitely gotten us better pay that other bands I play with. On top of that, we've added lights, lasers, and a projector/screen combo:

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It's a new band, but we're already pulling $4-5k for weddings and corporate events, and $1.5-1.7 for clubs. We're already known for bringing the party, keeping people dancing and having a good time. If you think just playing well is enough, you're in for an awakening....
 
#13
Being entertaining is important for all bands, not just cover bands. That's my opinion, and as a result, I wear shiny polyester most times I'm on stage. The cover band doesn't generally share my opinions, although they do jump around. The R&B/jazz/blues/whatever it is band gets dressed up and really puts on a show. We play out a whole lot more. We are all day job types, but there's no reason not to put on a good show, whether you are making a living doing it or not.
 
#14
Pacman said:
My cover band does a few things that sets us apart from other local bands. First, we all dress the part - and that's not a small thing. We *really* go for it.

Invalid Link Removed

Our image has definitely gotten us better pay that other bands I play with. On top of that, we've added lights, lasers, and a projector/screen combo:

Invalid Link Removed

Link Removed

It's a new band, but we're already pulling $4-5k for weddings and corporate events, and $1.5-1.7 for clubs. We're already known for bringing the party, keeping people dancing and having a good time. If you think just playing well is enough, you're in for an awakening....
Click to expand...

Great looking group you have there.
 
#15
Pacman's crew looks very sharp. I'm not sure it's the kind of corniness the OP meant to ask about, but it's a great example of investing in your image and dressing the part.

I didn't join them, but I auditioned for an 80's cover band that was committed to looking the part. At their gigs, everyone dressed in some kind of over-the-top 80's look; Devo hats and teased hair and mullet wigs and all that. They seem to be doing very well, 3-5 gigs a month. Not bad for weekend warriors.
 
#18
Twobass said:
Pacman, I love the look of your band. I'm trying to get a new look, I'm trying to move away from the jeans and tee shirt look. This gives me some inspiration.
Click to expand...

These guys *all* care about it. They definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, from an image perspective. But I'm a believer more and more - this stuff works.
 

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