I have a problem with cover/tribute bands.

[Relic]

my god...seriously guys... although there are a few really good posts here and good points made, the whole covers vs originals debate is friggen stupid, I see this all the time. Grow up and get over it.
Do what works best for you and stop looking down on what someone else does.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Let's correct that; people react positively to good, well performed songs. They react negatively to poorly performed songs, original or cover.

Feel like I'm going around in circles here, but while the above sounds great it is completely untrue and is one of the main points of difference between an original and cover band. People do NOT react positively to good well performed songs. They react positively to what they're familiar with and what everybody else tells them it's Ok to react positively to. I've played popular songs that are unlistenable to me with people I don't even consider musicians and watched crowds go wild, and played unfamiliar masterpieces with some of the greatest musicians and writers on the planet to absolutely no reaction. And that's not the exception. It's the rule. I've both seen and experienced it hundreds of times. If your experience is different then either all of the people coming to your shows are friends (which might very well be and is awesome), or you're just making up things that sounds totally logical but simply aren't true.

 

[baalroo]

Joe has a point.

I've only ever seen "bad" cover bands (I'm not saying there aren't "good" cover bands... just aren't any around here) that stand lifelessly and play sloppy renditions of songs with a "spotty" on again/off again vocalist. Even with that being the case, the audiences that have been at the shows I've stumbled across (almost entirely "cougars" and 30 something men in baseball caps and polo shirts) react as if the band was phenomenal (dancing, hooting, headbanging, etc etc). They most certainly were reacting positively based on familiarity of the material rather than the performance of the band. IN MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE, the audiences for cover bands I have seen have been much more forgiving and ignorant than those for original bands. I'm not sure what that means other than the comparison of "cover bands get the audience dancing better" may be more indicative to the make up of the audience than the merit of the performances themselves.

Of course around here there is very little market for cover bands and, for the most part, the same few cover bands play the same few bars ad nauseum. Thus, it's VERY possibly that I've simply witnessed a local phenomenon.

I'm still not trying to "put down" cover bands. I think there's actually an interesting conversation occuring if you can manage to slog through all the trolls interjecting their pointless subjective opinions.

What are some of your thoughts on this?:
One of the things I've been trying to express (and seems to be verified by the "discussion" in this thread) is that original bands TEND to be an exercise in ego and narcisism, whereas cover bands TEND to be more practical in application. The average "original artist" wants HIS/HER music to be heard and the reaction from the audience is secondary to the expression, whereas the average cover band wants to entertain a crowd and is less concerned with the material used to do so.

A) is there any truth to that?
and
B) where does that statement fail?

 

[PBass101]

I don't think there are any 'rules' when considering cover bands. There is one cover band near where I live, around Lemont, full of middle-aged fogies that play classic rock covers, and they aren't very good at all.

Then again, there are blues bands up in Wisconsin bar scenes that do mostly if not all covers of blues/blues-rock, and they kick ass. Great guitar players, great drummers, great bassists. They obviously play to the tastes of their crowds, but I've never had the impression that they didn't want to be playing the songs they choose to play.

I think it all depends. I think the only rule is that better musicians will attract other quality musicians and put on a better show than mediocre musicians, who will only attract other mediocre musicians and put on a not-so-great show. I think that's as true for originals bands as it is cover bands.

A better cover band will make the songs they play "theirs" and be more entertaining for a crowd while also keeping themselves engaged and interested in the songs. And, as a side-note, I tend to find that blues cover bands are often much more enthusiastic than classic rock cover bands.

 

[gdawg27]

Wow! 22 pages. It's fascinating to see the range of opinions on originals vs. covers. I'm in an original band and we play covers. We try to change them up to fit our style but they're always recognizable. We usually use a cover to start off our set when we play in a new venue. If the audience digs it, more than likely, they'll enjoy the rest of our set.


Seriously, has anyone here ever seen Mustang Sally not go over with a crowd?

 

[Phalex]

Seriously, has anyone here ever seen Mustang Sally not go over with a crowd?

Funny thing about that song....

We got so very tired of playing it that the drummer and I in the interest of self indulgence completely screw with the timing on that song. We do a sort of syncopated staccato thing just to mess with each other. It still goes over huge!

So to answer the question: No, and we've actually put some effort into it!

 

[BassyBill]

I play in a cover band. I also play in a band where we do all our own stuff. I love playing with both and I'm a better musician than I would be if I'd missed either of these experiences.

I'm still playing after more than thirty years of gigging, when almost everyone I started out with gave up years ago. And I think there's a reason for that - I've generally been willing to take on pretty much anything I get the chance to do and learn from doing it. Being open minded and flexible are essential qualities for learning how to play music.

 

[Ephminus]

How about discussing something a little less controversial like abortion?

Speaking of which, this thread needs to be aborted.

 

[Relic]

I'm still playing after more than thirty years of gigging, when almost everyone I started out with gave up years ago. And I think there's a reason for that - I've generally been willing to take on pretty much anything I get the chance to do and learn from doing it. Being open minded and flexible are essential qualities for learning how to play music.

well-said.

 

[Joe Nerve]

I wish the people who weren't interested in the topic of a thread would just stay out. It's pretty annoying and obnoxius to have to pass by a "kill this thread" every few posts. Seems very much like a way to stroke ones ego and say, "I'm above this". If that were the case it wouldn't even grab your attention. There are lots of threads here I find annoying or childish. Guess what. I don't read them.

 

[Ephminus]

I wish the people who weren't interested in the topic of a thread would just stay out. It's pretty annoying and obnoxius to have to pass by a "kill this thread" every few posts. Seems very much like a way to stroke ones ego and say, "I'm above this". If that were the case it wouldn't even grab your attention. There are lots of threads here I find annoying or childish. Guess what. I don't read them.

Actually I did respond to this thread...

Just can't believe that it's still going.

But if you could please excuse my attitude I would appreciate it.

Four days since I quit smoking....doing it cold turkey, so I'm kind of a "visicious bastard" right now.
At least that's how my wife descibes me.

 

[Joe Nerve]

Four days since I quit smoking....doing it cold turkey, so I'm kind of a "visicious bastard" right now.
At least that's how my wife descibes me.

Given those circumstances what you said then was quite sweet. I loved the insanity when I quit smoking. Felt higher than on any drugs I ever did for about a week. Actually, for about a year. Best of luck to ya.

 

[BigKahuna13]

From strictly a bassplaying perspective I don't really see much difference between playing in a coverband and playing in an original band. I've written basslines for other peoples' songs and in my current cover band we tend to make the songs "our own" so I often do my own basslines or at least do my own interpretation of the original. I can count on one hand the basslines that I do that are note-for-note like the recorded version. So I honestly don't see much of a difference for a bassist who isn't writing the melody or the lyrics.

And I also do disagree with the idea that audiences are more into cover bands because they know the songs. We play a lot of obscure covers and lots of reggae that our audiences assuredly DON'T recognize. But the dance floor is full and the crowd enthusiastic cause the songs have good dance grooves and we put alot of energy into playing them.

 

[Ephminus]

Given those circumstances what you said then was quite sweet. I loved the insanity when I quit smoking. Felt higher than on any drugs I ever did for about a week. Actually, for about a year. Best of luck to ya.

Not to get off topic on this poignant discussion......

But yeah you are right...it is insanity.
It's like being on drugs.
Almost like the brain is on standby while it re-wires itself.

.....but the bursts of anger....not cool...gotta vent it somewhere....need to break something...a bass...yeah...gonna break a bass when I get home.

 

[Beyer160]

Four days since I quit smoking....

Congratulations, brother.

 

[Beyer160]

I never dug the cover thing, but I don't have an issue with those who do. Horses for courses, live and let live, and so on.

What I find funny is the macho posturing some of the cover guys do to justify themselves- "MY band plays to huge crowds of hot chicks, drinks for free and goes home with bales of cash!!!" It's almost like you're trying to convince yourselves...

 

[Phalex]

"MY band plays to huge crowds of hot chicks, drinks for free and goes home with bales of cash!!!" It's almost like you're trying to convince yourselves...

I'm already convinced. I've done both, and in the end the money, free drinks and large crowds win out.

I like the composition part of originals, but hate the perceived lack of appreciation from a small disinterested group of people.

I still get to do the arraigning / composition type stuff in my cover band (within a set of parameters) and I not only get paid for my effort, I feel that the effort is appreciated.

I never wanted to "make it" with music, I just want to enjoy myself and have fun. From my perspective a good cover band fills those wants and needs quite nicely.

 

[sadworld]

yep, to each their own.... i've played in an all original band and currently play in a cover band.... i have noticed lots of original artists say they hate cover bands. i have never heard a cover artist say they hate original bands. interesting. its all what you want out of it i guess.

originals: Link Removed
covers: Link Removed

two completely different genres too. peace. matt.

 

[petersenbass]

Seriously, has anyone here ever seen Mustang Sally not go over with a crowd?

I was playing with a trio at Dan McGuinesses in Memphis (Spottswood Location). We were about to play Mustang Sally, and the manager walked up to us with a $20 bill. He said they don't allow that song there, but could we play Ain't No Sunshine. We gladly took the tip and rocked Ain't No Sunshine.

We did because that was our job. It's what we chose to do for a living. If someone chooses to play in the minors but can make a living at it, why criticize him for not being in the majors. It all comes down to being happy.

Can't we all just get along

 

[Rocker949]

I wish the people who weren't interested in the topic of a thread would just stay out. It's pretty annoying and obnoxius to have to pass by a "kill this thread" every few posts. Seems very much like a way to stroke ones ego and say, "I'm above this". If that were the case it wouldn't even grab your attention. There are lots of threads here I find annoying or childish. Guess what. I don't read them.

I don't think people wanting the thread to be killed necessarily means they aren't interested or that they have ego problems. I was actually wanting the thread to die myself. Then I saw a few really good posts and changed my mind. But for a while some of the posts were really getting incredibly absurd, tedious, repetitious and boring. It looked like the law of diminishing returns was in full effect for this thread. Having said that, I seriously doubt if I'll have anything to add myself but may try to keep up with what others are saying.