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"I don't wanna play that song"

H

Haysoochreesto

Dec 30, 2007
309
2
57
Riverside, Ca.
#1
One gig in with a great start and our drummer is already whining about not wanting to play certain songs. "I don't like Poison, I don't wanna do Brown Eyed Girl, I'd rather do Obscure X".

Dammit. When we brought him in we told him the deal. We play to the crowd so that chicks get on the floor so that the bar makes money. We're one of the highest bar tab grossing bands in our immediate area and our last band split largely because those 'tards wanted to do songs by Obscure X too, yet remain a viable cover band.

Everyone in the band is considered an equal. Each week two of us pick one song each; we all learn it, and it goes in the set while something that's not working gets the boot.

In our last band the singer wanted to do "I'm a Man" by Spencer Davis Group. I didn't like it and my guitarist didn't like it but we did it anyway.

Worst response ever.

Every time we played it, it was like the band didn't exist. But hey, it was his song and if that's his pick that's his pick.

So the new drummer knew the deal coming in. We told him the Spencer Davis story, what the band wanted to accomplish, and how. Now we're hearing this sarcastic crap like "I'm gonna go watch Fried Green Tomatoes because chicks dig it".

He's a cool dude and he can play. But when one of us picks a song it's not up for debate. Someone might pick a certain song and the most I'll say at all is to maybe suggest a different song by the same band. But I do it without pressure and it's purely a suggestion. If the guy digs the song, we do it.

"I don't want to play the same old songs I played in other cover bands". Then why the hell did you join?!


If the guy wants to do obscure sh*t that no one wants to hear he didn't have to join. Hell, the dude approached us after our last gig with our last band that very night.

What is there to not get about playing to the crowd? That's THE GIG!!!

Many times I've driven many miles to get paid nothing and even paid to play so that on a Wednesday night in a Hollywood sh!thole, we could be ignored by all 9 people in the club (12 if you count the bartender, busboy, and waitress). Even worse was the occassional guy who was so drunk or f'd up on something so badly that he didn't know where or who he was; but he'd be up in front of the stage banging his head and flailing around. That was even worse than being ignored.

I told my buddy when we started this thing; I only want to do popular rock songs that people dig and don't qualify as dinosaur rock. And no 7 minute long blues jams that so many musicians think are cool but send people fleeing out of the bar as if a roaming pack of Ex-lax eating Great Danes had just bolted through the back entrance.

A couple of the guys want to do originals and I'll tolerate that. But I don't like it.

Anyway, I just needed to let off some steam, I'm sure things will be fine. Thanks.
 
#3
To put it directly and succinctly say this:

The is how we did it before, this is how we told you we were gonna do it, and this is how we ARE going to do it. And if you don't like it then there's the door, and if you decide to stay and still keep bitching then we will show you the door. Understand?

That will either make him leave or shut up...
 
#4
My usual response: If You Aren't Appearing, You're Disappearing.

People will come out in droves to see a good cover band do all the usual tunes with a few unusual ones sprinkled here and there. Once you start doing every thing in 7/8 time and think you're really cool because you're band is super technical, the gigs dry up. You'll get other bands that will come out and see you if they aren't gigging, but that'll be your core audiance. At least that used to be what happened to me before we got all cheesy.....
 
#6
find a new drummer.....yesterday.....

You told him the gig and he agreed to do it. To be an entertainer, you have to play what the audience is there to see. If they wanna dance, play what gets that to happen. If they wanna sit back and listen to tunes, play what makes that happen. It doesn't really matter what anyone in the band wants to play. Figure out what brings money to the bar you wanna play, and play it. If any member of the band doesn't wanna play what brings cash to the bar, replace that person. Don't waste time. It doesn't take but a couple of misfires in the bars today to get booted from the rotation.
 
#7
in my band it can be a push and pull scenario, as a matter of fact our singer just sent and email saying she wants to add more danceable songs because "people have requested it". We do primarily classic rock with some pop/country/angry chick songs thrown in. Our guitarist, and to a lesser extent, our drummer, got pissed because we have added alot of stuff the rest of us dont like but the singer does.

For me its a real struggle, I want the place to be packed and people to come out, but I still like playing some cool stuff that mostly only musicians are into (and we do throw a couple of those types of songs in) but I think the others are mad because they are worried it will become ALL dance songs.
 
#8
lowfreq33 said:
If you guys are making money you'll have no problem finding a replacement. Maybe you can clue the drummer in to that fact in a subtle way.
Click to expand...

Perhaps by saying: "We are making money and will have no trouble finding a replacement. Are you in with our way of doing things or not?"

What is the old line from the Electric Kool-AId Acid Test: "You are either on the bus or off the bus."
 
#9
Sorry! Unfortunately, when playing in a cover band, you MUST play songs that WANT to be heard and danced to! If you don't like it, step! I tell my band leader all the time! Stop picking songs that YOU like and choose good top40 charting dance hits that everyone knows and can dance and sing along to! Cover bands work 2 ways. You make money and the establishment makes money! Period! If folks aren't dancing and not digging you, they leave! Establishments do not like when patrons leave due to the band! Either your drummer gets with the program or fire him! Sorry! It's business!
 
#11
It's all about the money and it's a little about the music.

If you cannot hold money over the guy's head, then it's about the vision for the band. If he can't get with that, and the rest of the band has bought in, he has to go. No hard feelings, but this is the program.

Tactfully point out to him that he should either stay and play what this band plays or leave and start his own band that plays everything he likes.

At any rate, as the newcomer in the fold, he is not entitled to remake the band.

Get it settled now.
 
#12
Phalex said:
You'll get other bands that will come out and see you if they aren't gigging, but that'll be your core audiance. At least that used to be what happened to me before we got all cheesy.....
Click to expand...

This.

He's mentioned that some guys from a couple of other bands we know have said that we should be doing this or that, but when it comes to the band I'm in and when we're experiencing relative success compared to those other bands, I have less than a little interest in their opinions.

My opinion is that when those guys are getting 20 people to come out and see them on a Thursday night and when 1/4 of those people consist of our band, that maybe they're the ones who could use a little advice. Even on weekends those guys draw at the very best, 60% of our crowd.
 
#13
hrodbert696 said:
I'm the kind of guy who likes to find a win-win. Can you tell him that when the band is playing for a crowd you'll play the crowd-pleasers, but if he wants to play obscure X you can do it for fun in practice or some smaller artsier venue? Just wondering if that's a viable option.
Click to expand...

Whatever song he picks, we're gonna play it. But it's going in the first set, maybe early in the second. I hate throwing a clunker in the middle of the third set when the place is really hoppin'.

As far as doing it in practice but not playing it live, I don't dig that. We're pretty organized when it comes to practice and there's always something that needs to get worked on for the live show.
 
#14
jgroh said:
in my band it can be a push and pull scenario, as a matter of fact our singer just sent and email saying she wants to add more danceable songs because "people have requested it". We do primarily classic rock with some pop/country/angry chick songs thrown in. Our guitarist, and to a lesser extent, our drummer, got pissed because we have added alot of stuff the rest of us dont like but the singer does.

For me its a real struggle, I want the place to be packed and people to come out, but I still like playing some cool stuff that mostly only musicians are into (and we do throw a couple of those types of songs in) but I think the others are mad because they are worried it will become ALL dance songs.
Click to expand...

My advice on this one is to defuse the situation before it becomes bitter*. For me, in my current band, it's business first, second, and third. We try and find songs that we like to play but first priority is crowd pleasers. But really, I've never picked a song to play that I don't like but the crowd does. There's so many songs to choose from and just because it's Top 40 it doesn't mean it's bad.

Depending on where you're playing and your primary crowd demographic, there's a few things you can do. Throw the lesser known and less popular stuff in the first set or at the very beginning of the second or toward the latter half of the 4th set.

Personally I think the third set should be nothing but stuff that everyone in the joint knows and the last song of that set should be the best of the night so that people are motivated to stick around for the 4th set.

*Yes, I need to take my own advice. Tonight's rehearsal and it's gonna get handled.
 
#16
Haysoochreesto said:
And no 7 minute long blues jams that so many musicians think are cool but send people fleeing out of the bar as if a roaming pack of Ex-lax eating Great Danes had just bolted through the back entrance.
Click to expand...
I lol'd heartily at that one.



041_bender-applause.gif
 
#17
Is this a rock cover band you're speaking of? I guess that demographic is different from mine. I'm in a Top40 corporate/wedding/club type band which means Motown, R&B/Soul, Disco, Funk, Pop Rock, Club & Dance music! We play familiar top40 hits only! Zero obscure tunes! I don't subscribe to that! If the crowd 100% doesn't know it, we don't play it! It's nice to play obscure tune you like just because but it's not good business. Our drummer always wants to do some P-Funk stuff but we always ask him, "did it crossover?", "was it a top40 hit?" If not, no go! Sorry!
 
#18
The last drummer that wanted to make major changes to my setlist has been looking for a new band for weeks now.

But there really is another issue. You need a leader. You can't just play any song that anyone wants to. In my bnad all song suggestions go through me. Now I want my band to stay together so I take those suggestions very seriously. I often asked for help. When I asked for 90s songs the guitarist came back with Sex and Candy. When I asked for 2000s song he came back with Hey There Delilah. When I asked for a slow country song the lead singer came back with Your Love. I would have never thought of these songs on my own and I gladly added them to the setlist. When the same lead guitarist wants to do some of Fruscante's solo stuff I tell him this isn't the right vehicle for that. When adding members we don't have votes, we have discussions in which everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion and then I decide. And I truly listen to these opinons because I want everyone to be happy. But I make the call.
 
#19
tycobb73 said:
The last drummer that wanted to make major changes to my setlist has been looking for a new band for weeks now.

But there really is another issue. You need a leader. You can't just play any song that anyone wants to. In my bnad all song suggestions go through me. Now I want my band to stay together so I take those suggestions very seriously. I often asked for help. When I asked for 90s songs the guitarist came back with Sex and Candy. When I asked for 2000s song he came back with Hey There Delilah. When I asked for a slow country song the lead singer came back with Your Love. I would have never thought of these songs on my own and I gladly added them to the setlist. When the same lead guitarist wants to do some of Fruscante's solo stuff I tell him this isn't the right vehicle for that. When adding members we don't have votes, we have discussions in which everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinion and then I decide. And I truly listen to these opinons because I want everyone to be happy. But I make the call.
Click to expand...

It's funny you mention this. I talked to my guitar player last night. He and I are a combo. We've been either best or very close friends since 7th grade--that's 27+ years now. A democracy works for him and I and I think that it's still working okay for our singer and other guitar player.

Anyway, I told him that if this thing falls apart, then the next incarnation of us is going to be our band. We'll call the shots, we'll book the gigs, we'll set the playlist.

I've always resisted the band leader thing because I personally want to have a say in things. Not the biggest say but an equal part; and I've always thought that everyone else does too.

To me it's simple: decide what you want to do, work on it until you have a viable product, and then stick with it. To me, a cover band is simple. If I come up with an idea that I think is good but 3 or 4 other members are telling me it's not so hot, then I drop it and come up with something else.

But I don't whine about what other people want to do given the very clear format we've laid out: Each week two of us pick a song; we learn it, we do it live, and if it goes over well, we keep doing it until something better replaces it. But I guess it isn't that easy. Some people just need to have a role assigned to them that clearly limits their right to contribute ideas.

At any rate, it appears this thing has been taken care of for now; but with such early discontent I have to start thinking about the future.
 

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