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I have a problem with cover/tribute bands.

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#81
tZer said:
If you are in the moment and serving the music, it shouldn't matter who wrote it - that's not the point. The point is serving the music for music's sake. Anything else is ego run amok.

In my opinion, if the fact that a song was written by someone else takes away your ability to enjoy playing it, you've seriously limited your opportunities for pleasure as a musician.

Once people buy into the "two different ethos" myth, all the rest is down hill leading you further from the point.

Being a musician is a singular thing. It's not broken down into "cover" vs. "original" vs. "spontaneous" vs. "classical" vs. "jazz" vs. "industrial" vs... Those are boxes. Climb in if you like, I'll stay outside and keep all opportunities for musical satisfaction wide open, thank you! ;)
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I disagree (with the singular musician thing) although it's all a matter of symantics anyhow. I believe there are artists and there are musicians. Same as there are actors and artists. Some people simply want to learn a skill and use it for monetary, ego, fun, or whatever similar purposes they might have. Others learn that skill for a desire and need to create. Perhaps it's a left brain right brain thing. I dunno. Should either affect the way one plays or performs? Of course not, and if it does then maybe I agree it's a problem - but I don't think that's what you're saying. I think you just want to argue. :) Or maybe it's me that wants to argue. :) :)

In a totally unrelated note: Hey - I just picked up from the post office a new to me used warwick fortress, and I'm going to actually wait until I get back from the gym to open the box. Has anyone else ever done anything as sick as that?





[edit] There are some musicians and actors who can also be considered artists. Others who are just musicians and actors.
 
#82
I always think it's funny when cover bands think of themselves as better than original bands.

"Who would want to be in an original band?" they say, "cover bands are where it's at." having fun, making money.

And yet... if there were no original bands... cover bands would have nothing to play! Don't you think it's ironic that all the music you play in a cover band was created by original artists? Without us, you guys would literally not exist!

Anyway, there's my standard troll in the cover bands thread. *bows out*
 
#83
Ironic.
I have a problem with people that have a problem with cover/tribute bands.

It's due to the fact that they tend to be complete and total musical dipsh***.

It's common to find that they often lack the ability to play other peoples music.
Instead they "write" their own "original" music so no one can ever compare it to anything else.
It's the cowards way out.
I have met plenty of these people in my life.

These days you are better off playing in a coverband and mixing in your own music.
Also make sure that you have CD's to offer if someone happens to like one of your tunes.

Why do people think that you can only do one or the other?
Oh that's right...they are ignorant.
 
#84
I say to each their own. I have more fun in original bands but I like to pay my bills soooo a coverband works too. I'm in a coverband now but that doesn't mean I'm not writing/recording my own music, I just play my music at home. I don't care if I play my original songs on stage or in my bedroom tbh. The OP came across in a negative way. Being happy with what you are doing is great, but being against what someone else is doing is lame.
 
#85
Joe Nerve said:
I disagree (with the singular musician thing) although it's all a matter of symantics anyhow. I believe there are artists and there are musicians. Same as there are actors and artists. Some people simply want to learn a skill and use it for monetary, ego, fun, or whatever similar purposes they might have. Others learn that skill for a desire and need to create. Perhaps it's a left brain right brain thing. I dunno. Should either affect the way one plays or performs? Of course not, and if it does then maybe I agree it's a problem - but I don't think that's what you're saying. I think you just want to argue. :) Or maybe it's me that wants to argue. :) :)

In a totally unrelated note: Hey - I just picked up from the post office a new to me used warwick fortress, and I'm going to actually wait until I get back from the gym to open the box. Has anyone else ever done anything as sick as that?


[edit] There are some musicians and actors who can also be considered artists. Others who are just musicians and actors.
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Well, you are definitely right - I do want to argue :D.

But as for artists - musicians - plumbers - all are simply names we attach to people who do stuff. The stuff we're talking about here is playing music, fundamentally. Sure, some music is written by people we don't know and other music is written by people we do know, maybe even ourselves, but it's all music when it's said and done and someone has to play it. The only person in an "original" band who is not 'covering' the tune is the guy who wrote it. The rest of his band is covering it - even if they wrote their own parts.

Being a song writer is a different animal than being a musician. It tends to require a broader scope - understanding more than one instrument - the language of music, etc... A song writer doesn't ever have to perform their songs once written. They can let the musicians out there do that. Is Elton John a musician or an artist? But we're not talking about song writers vs. musicians. We're talking about "cover" bands vs. "other" bands.

Show me a band made up entirely of artists, and I'll show you a band that's going to be breaking up next week.

Show me a band that's made up entirely of musicians, and I'll show you a band that will play anything, anywhere, and do it well and love it the entire time.
 
#88
in an ideal world people would only play what they wrote themselves, but then, bang, reality hits you and your'e hungry.

that being said, i don't play covers and i have food on the plate, but it's not music that pays for it.
 
#89
If it weren't for cover bands there'd be a lot of hungry bass players.
Cover band = paying gigs. Original band = begging to play anywhere for free.
Besides, most of the musicians I know in cover bands do have their own stuff written so it's not a matter that they "can't" write their own stuff.......it's a matter that they like to eat :).
 
#91
I'm in a covers band and I'm telling you it's a lot easier when you're playing songs people know as opposed to an original band. The bar gets a band people know the songs of, you get free beer and you get paid.

Original music is fine if you've got the fanbase and the time.
 
#92
denhou1974 said:
No, mine makes about $600-$1K per show. But thanks for asking.
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+1

We don't do shows for less than $750. Our average is $1200 per show. We played at Harrah's in Tunica, Ms. last year for $5000 and will play for the same people this year at Talladega for $10,000-15,000. And to top it all off we're recording our second CD and get to play all of our originals during the course of a 2 1/2-3 hour show. We sell our CD's and swag at our shows and play all over a four state area. None of this would be possible without playing covers.

:bassist:
 
#95
tZer said:
Well, you are definitely right - I do want to argue :D.

But as for artists - musicians - plumbers - all are simply names we attach to people who do stuff. The stuff we're talking about here is playing music, fundamentally. Sure, some music is written by people we don't know and other music is written by people we do know, maybe even ourselves, but it's all music when it's said and done and someone has to play it. The only person in an "original" band who is not 'covering' the tune is the guy who wrote it. The rest of his band is covering it - even if they wrote their own parts.

Being a song writer is a different animal than being a musician. It tends to require a broader scope - understanding more than one instrument - the language of music, etc... A song writer doesn't ever have to perform their songs once written. They can let the musicians out there do that. Is Elton John a musician or an artist? But we're not talking about song writers vs. musicians. We're talking about "cover" bands vs. "other" bands.

Show me a band made up entirely of artists, and I'll show you a band that's going to be breaking up next week.

Show me a band that's made up entirely of musicians, and I'll show you a band that will play anything, anywhere, and do it well and love it the entire time.
Click to expand...

this is a good point. the real contention here is the difference between writing music and playing music. Playing in an "originals" band doesn't necesarily mean you are writing music.

That being said, to pretend like they are the same thing and are done with the same motivations is simply ignorant at best and dishonest at worse.
 
#96
baalroo said:
this is a good point. the real contention here is the difference between writing music and playing music. Playing in an "originals" band doesn't necesarily mean you are writing music.

That being said, to pretend like they are the same thing and are done with the same motivations is simply ignorant at best and dishonest at worse.
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It's neither ignorant nor dishonest. I do both (and more), I know. I also know people can choose to frame it in whatever way suits them. But when people start trying to elevate one over the other - as many are doing here, OP included, that's when you have to pull the curtain back and call it like it is.

To pretend like one is better or people who play in one 'type' vs. another have more integrity, are more artistically inclined or otherwise superior to others is nothing more than ego-stroking.
 
#98
Greyvagabond said:
Cover bands are for people without the balls to put yourself and your creativity on display. playing a show 8 hrs away to 4 people and the other band's girlfriends, being poor, self medicating,.
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Dude I believe you have it bass ackwards, that is the life of an all originals band. I play in a band. Please observe the period at the end of the previous statement.The band I play in plays MUSIC. Some of it was written by someone else, some of it was written by us. As long as the fans like it and will PAY to come see us play it, I really don't care either way. As for a kid placing an add for musicians wanted for a " local all originals band" I think to my self, if he already has a local all originals band, why does he need musicians? You will also usually see further requirements in such adds, like must have all top of the line brand XYZ equipment, must have own transportation, must be able to practice 40 hours a week, etc,etc,etc... This translates to a dude living at home with mommy paying his bills, buying his equipment, buying his strings etc. Anyone that has that kind of time to commit to practicing all original music, is certainly having all of their expenses paid for by someone else. Good luck.
 
#100
Kenny Allyn said:
Yes BUT ... your not giving the complete story here, 99 out of 99% of the time it's these "pay to play" you get 30 minutes deals where you get a number of tickets to sell and hawk them to your buddies and such. And all the other bands doing these multi-band shows do the same and proper etiquette is for all the bands and fans to stay for the whole show and cheer each other on.


I have nothing against new music but that's not real world, it's playing rock star for 30 minutes in a controlled environment!
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Quick question. How is is not real world if it is happening everywhere on every given weekend? That's like me saying cover gigs aren't real. Some of these shows are pay-to-play, but for the most part they are set up by bands. Maybe 15% of the time they're pay-to-play. But we avoid those ones unless they pay well.

As for etiquette, people just want their money's worth. The last band of the night is usually the local draw. They usually bring the most fans. Therefore, people stick around til the end. When we put on shows we don't ask people or bands to stick around.

For those of you who don't think you can make money...consider the following. My group put on a show last Friday in a local club. Here is how the night broke down:

Total Admissions: $785
Money made from bar: $140
Merchandise Profit: $384
Total made:$1309

All of the other bands sold tickets, and they kept every dime that they made.

I would say it isn't too shabby for a bunch of wannabe rockstars in a controlled evironment.
 
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