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I have a problem with cover/tribute bands.

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#541
Ok, now that Ive read all 27 pages I feel apt to comment. In the 8 years Ive been playing bass Ive pretty much been in all original bands, with the exception of my first gig ever which was solely covers. That being said, I didnt pick up my bass to play other peoples music, though, I realize that some may have. And thats alright with me.

Ive seen both really good and really bad cover bands. Ive seen some really good and lots more really bad original bands. I've dabbled with the thought of joining a cover band to make some extra cash, I'm not dumb, and I know where the money lays, but Ive never been able to bring myself to do it. Im a busy guy, I work fulltime, Ive got a great girlfriend who I love to spend my time with. I dont have time to be in more than one band, and if I could be in only one band then (at least at this moment, and while I'm young) I want to be writing my own material. Does it make me money? Hardly. Do I care? Not at all. I do appreciate the people who come out to see us, and of all the original bands Ive been in this one seems to be doing the best in such a short period of time. Does this make me better than someone in a cover band? By no means. There are people that want to see cover bands, just as there are people who want to see original bands, and in the long haul, they all have their place.
 
#542
TheBigO said:
Always love your posts Cherie, probably because you and I seem to think along the same lines a lot of times.

I've played in a number of bands, and at this point my only criteria are (1) Are we gigging (and hopefully making some money)? (2) Do I have fun playing the music? and (3) Do I get along with the other musicians? That's are what matter to me and I can get that from covers, originals or ideally a combination of both.

Anyway, as far as our original project, we put this band together to do a Red Hot Chili Pepper tribute band, so slipping in originals doesn't really work in that context. Since John Frusciante generally does a solo song or two my guitarist and I will slip in some Wilco, Beatles, White Stripes etc when he and I step forward to do a guitar/vocals song or two, but otherwise it's all RHCP stuff.

But again, that's my gigging, paid band and we do really well from that standpoint and have some pretty high profile/lucrative gigs lined up from now until September.

But I'm also trying to find another creative outlet and have a jam/audition with a guitarist and drummer that do dub/punk/ambient stuff. Seems really interesting.

And that's what it's all about - doing something you love and enjoying it. In the past I've been in a punk/ska band, an indie/funk/soul band, a couple hard rock bands, sang for an old school R&B band with a full horn section, been in jam bands, blues bands, a couple different cover bands. I still get together with a singer/songwriter/pianist to do her songs as a trio and every once and a while I still drive to Oakland to play hip-hop with a loose collection of turntablists and MCs.

It's nice to make money and I hope every project I'm involved in at least makes enough to cover my expenses, but really there's just nothing I love more in life than playing music in all its forms.
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I couldn't agree more!!! Your criteria for a good band are also mine. And, you know...its good to just play, no matter what we're playing.

I hope you find the right people for your original project. Let us know how it shapes up! :)

Cherie :bassist:
 
#543
Wow....over 11k views of this thread.....it's the Energizer Bunny thread of TB.....

And the beat goes on....(sorry, that's a cover phrase)....should have made up my own....creative block, I guess...
 
#547
For me, it's been almost exactly a year since I joined TB. This same thread, more or less, was up last year at this time.

Spring fever.

I almost went to look for the old thread, since the first three pages of posts seemed to be identical posts to last year's. And the thread developed so rapidly, one has to wonder if there's not cut and paste involved.

/srsly
 
#550
I think as a basis for a new band trying to see how they gel together as musicians and cutting their teeth for the first few gigs together, covers are the way to go. You can get an idea of your shared influences by the stuff you all want to play and go on to write originals from there. But surely isn't it a little stifling doing nothing but covers after that "honeymoon" peroid? Sure, it pays well...but since when has anyone been in a band for the money?!
 
#554
To me this argument is pretty irrelevant, but it may become completely irrelevant 30 or 50 years from now, when our aesthetics views change again.
Back in the day, peeps like Handel or Bach were putting out covers of tunes. To this day, their "covers" continue to be adored and "covered" everywhere around the world, not to mentioned that those guys have come to be considered some of the influentian people in the history of western music. And I just chose the first two that came to mind.
 
#556
mophead said:
T-40's are worthless. It is a well known fact that you can't take an old bass like that and do original music. That type of effort puts the planets in misalignment, interrupts the karma, and tries to put Ontario in Canada when everyone knows the real one is in California.

You are defeated from the git go. Give it up.


You need:help:
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being from Ontario, Ca(lif), (graduated for OHS in 72)I can't believe you said that.! Yes, I don't like bands that constantly have play lists that "cover" the T40, but you got to admit that a band that could do this and do it well, must be made up of good musicians (or the T40 is redundant and america isn't listening....which could be true....). But think of every band for the last fifty plus years. Elvis....raraely did he or his band do anything original...Johnny Cash? Covered Bob Dylan fer christ sakes, the Beatles, I don't think they did an album of all originals until Revolver, The Stones, hell they spent their first 5 or 6 albums doing old blues. The Doors....whenever Morrison went on a bender, they'd just do a "Blue" album, and the song that broke them into the main stream was a cover of a Jose Feliciano??? tune, Light My Fire. CCR never did an entire album of origainals, Hendrix lived with other peoples music and made it new, Janis covered the Betsy Smith thing and other blues artists so well, she made the tunes hers, and even her most commercialy sucessful tune, Boby McGee had been sucessful tunes for roughly 6 other artists before she nailed it. We could work into the 70's, 80's and even now and everyone out there is doing covers, ven if they do mix them with their own stuff. I'd love to have the luxury of playing only originals, but guess what? I ain't that great (or even mediocre) of a composer. Neither is anyone I have played with for the past 30 years.

So, play what moves ya' if its yours and it moves other people, great, but if you can take "Cross Roads" and make it your, more power to ya bro'.
 
#560
Ugh. After reading 14 pages I realized I had read enough. I had collected quotes, very good thoughts, really bad ones, and hilarious stuff, but it's too much. The "beat a dead horse" picture pretty much covers it all.

Now, having aaaalllll that said, here's a very good cover song:
 
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