More dumb questions about cover bands

[hrodbert696]

I say, "Sorry, don't know that one." when the band doesn't know it. As a member of the band or the audience I'd rather that a band skip a song they don't know than butcher it. I think that bands don't do nearly as good a job playing something that most of the band doesn't know as they think they do.

Or sometimes you say it when you just don't want to play it...

One band I was in, the singer and I were chatting with a lady between sets, and asking if she had any requests. She said (surprise surprise), "How about Mustang Sally?" The singer looked at her blankly and said, "Sorry, we don't know that one." Well, it was true we had never played it together in that particular group - but all of us had experience in other groups and I'm sure all must have played it before, we easily could have pulled it off. I had even sung it in a demo track for another band. I'm sure she just didn't want to.

I told him my plans to learn a bunch of covers, and that I played through Mustang Sally and Brown Eyed Girl yesterday. He was excited that I knew them, so we worked on them a bit. I think it's hysterical that we're excited to learn these, since they tend to be every cover band's recurring nightmare LOL

Honestly, I don't see the big deal with it. It's a popular tune, it gets played too much... whatever. I like entertaining people. I like people up and dancing and having a good time. If Sally gets them up, no problem. I hated Summer of 69 the minute I heard it, never liked that song. Last summer I was on a party gig, and we started it, and the crowd got up and danced and sang along, and it struck me - I'm ENJOYING this. Even Summer of 69.

Can people learn that soul/gospel scream? Or are people just born to do it? LOL I so wish I could sing like that.

You mean the blues "shouter" voice. It does take technique to do it correctly. Most people just shout, and wind up straining their vocal cords - in fact you can do permanent damage if you do it too much. The aforementioned singer (who refused to sing Mustang Sally) has a permanent rasp in her voice because she damaged her vocal cords singing blues wrong when she was younger. She's still a great singer but she can't do a "sweet" clean voice. She explained that the right way to do it entails actually loosening up your throat more than usual to let it vibrate, whereas most people tense up and constrict to do it, which is what does the harm.

This is her now (bassist isn't me, it's their previous guy):

 

[Muttleybass]

My questions:

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

Anything you don't do will limit your prospects. However you should have no problem finding a typical cover band situation. Lots (way too many) of bands play blues, country, classic rock, rockabilly, 50's, 60's and stay simple. I would suggest trying to learn as much newer stuff as a band as possible.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

WAY too broad of a question. We will play wherever they will hire us to play... One of my favourite was a pirate themed lesbian wedding. I've done birthdays, show & shines, flower festivals, grand openings, city park events, sports dances, boat cruises, corporate parties, back yard barbecues, camp grounds...

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

Don't do anything you don't do well. It's not about limiting your genre or knowing every song that's ever been written, it's about playing a set of what people like to hear. A country band will get a helluva lot more work and money than a metal band.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

We're lucky if we happen to know ANY request.... I've been in all male trios that have had requests for Madonna. I wouldn't say "That's not really our thing" because that's kinda rude... I usually say "Wow! That's a great idea! We should learn it for next time!"

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

I'm gonna go out on a limb and just give you my opinion, here... There's been a ton of threads on this subject and IMO charts make you look lazy. Memorize your set. LISTEN TO THE SONGS AND PLAY THEM LIKE THE RECORD!! I tells ya... if I hear one more band play the wrong bass line to Brown Eyed Girl I will chuck a pitcher of beer at them. Okay, maybe not, but I do find it frustrating when the guy makes up his own lines and completely misses the feel of a song. It doesn't have to be note for note, but capture the song, dammit.

You're over thinking it... Every cover band is different. Every single person has a vision of what the perfect cover band should be and they're usually always wrong. It's a simple matter of finding some people you get along with, learning 40 songs that you think people will like (remember, it's not about YOU), rehearsing until you're tight, getting a Facebook page, along with some pics, maybe a video, then banging on a few doors until you get a gig. When stuff doesn't go over, drop it and learn other stuff. Stick to your "A" material. Dress better than your audience, and try and look like a unit. Be nice to the crowd because they are your customers and try and build a following. Keep them happy and the bar owner will be happy.

 

[whatizitman]

Honestly, I don't see the big deal with it. It's a popular tune, it gets played too much... whatever. I like entertaining people. I like people up and dancing and having a good time. If Sally gets them up, no problem. I hated Summer of 69 the minute I heard it, never liked that song. Last summer I was on a party gig, and we started it, and the crowd got up and danced and sang along, and it struck me - I'm ENJOYING this. Even Summer of 69.

I'm not ashamed to say I actually like Summer of '69. I always thought the bridge was brilliantly composed. I also really liked Bryan Adams' early 80 stuff - Run to You, This Time, etc... The guy could write a catchy song. The cheese factor just got too much by the '90s, though. I'm sure if I ever get to the point that I'm playing Summer of '69 every weekend, I might change my mind on it.

One thing that is becoming clearer and clearer to me the more I peruse this forum is that cover bands are not going away any time soon, even if bars and clubs are getting harder to deal with. It's the original bands that are up against increasing odds. It's funny that for so long I just sort of dismissed the idea of focusing on covers, but it wasn't like my own music was getting any exposure beyond friends and family. I realized long ago that the ROI was not worth the amount of money, time, and marketing I would have had to do to even get a hint of a chance of moving my songs to a larger audience. I guess I just worried that committing to any covers projects would eat into my time creating/writing. That, and I just figured I was not good enough to play covers well enough to give the songs the performances they deserve, or whatever. I for one am rarely excited to see a favorite song of mine butchered by a fellow musician. In the end I think I just wasted a lot of time not having fun just playing for people.

 

[troy mcclure]

To the OP, there is an excellent PDF Book called Cover Band 101 and it really sheds light on how to improve your band to consistently make money. I wish I could get my band to follow the guidelines a bit more but musicians are funny people. I know starting out, I would go see bands and think of all the reasons they were doing well but the truth is many bands are all asking the same questions. How do I get better, higher paying gigs.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Covr bands are like any other business. You have to find your niche and market. I've seen bands who were all over the map music-wise, and others that limited themselves to one style of music. Some play requests, others not. Check the local venues that have live music and see what goes over there.

Your goal is to entertain the customers, and bring in more.

 

[Downunderwonder]

A lot of guitarist vocalists will think they have a number down near enough note for note on the rhythm part and in fact be nothing of the sort. This can cause a great deal of strife. You can often end up playing a modified bassline to make their bit fit and nobody but the bassists in the audience will know why it sounds a bit odd to the ear.

 

[Munjibunga]

My questions:

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?

No, not at all. Seriously.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?

That pretty much sums it up. Some of the good ones around here play at some of the higher-end clubs, but the real money is in weddings and corporate.

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?

The higher paid bands in my area play '50s to now. They pull from a repertoire of maybe 400 songs, but may use iPads as cheat sheets for the more obscure ones. I'd say they may have 200 songs ready to go without crutches. Tribute bands can do well, too. There's an Elvis tribute here that seems to be doing well. If you limit your genre, you will limit your audience. My semi-acoustic group has about 60 we can do offhand and another 50 or so with help.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?

You can't be expected to know every song some drunk chick is going to wander up and obnoxiously demand. I was in a country band once, and some drunk old codger came up and said, "Do you guys do any Dixieland?" I said, "Do you see any banjos or tubas up here?"

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?

In every cover band I've been in (maybe 10), I've learned my parts by ear. No one ever used charts, but some used cheat sheets, even on stage. You won't see too much of that in the professional bands - maybe the occasional iPad.

Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks!

 

[Brian_DowntownChameleons]

My questions:

(1) I will never play jazz, classical, or prog in a band situation. I will never be that proficient, and don't really plan on trying. And I can't slap well at all - so funk/disco with slap is out, too. at least for a while. Does that limit my prospects too much?
No. I used to slap/tap/etc a lot in my "progressive metal" days as a teenager. Now I strictly play fingerstyle and to be honest I think it is the most tonally variable sound, if you have a bass with good pickups and you are willing to experiment with hand placement. Dexterity is the most important thing. Some weekends you will play for 6-10 hours on stage.

(2) In what situations do cover bands play? Anything beyond bar/house bands, parties, weddings, or promotional thingies?
My band plays bars, military events, private parties, charity events. Never count out charity events, as the occasional "freebie" has hooked us up with better paying gigs than we had previously encountered. [But don't be taken advantage of. I'd say a ratio of 8:1 pay:no pay shows or 10:1 even is fair. This is a job at this point, once you begin to cover other peopls material it is your responsibility to enjoy it and make it enjoyable for other people...and that takes a certain amount of work beyond just being in some sloppy garage band.]

(3) I picture the typical professional cover band to play all the crowd favs from the 50s to now, between top 40, rock, and country. And should be able to pull anything from that stack at any request, and play it well. Right? Do bands that do limited genre or eras play as much as typical bands? Not talking about tribute bands, necessarily. More like, 80s bands or seattle grunge, or whatever. Is that considered novelty at that point?
Know your strengths. I think being in a band where every member is proficient and has several years of experience behind their instrument is extremely helpful. Having a "human jukebox" in the band is helpful who knows a little bit of everything. I'm the guy in the band who listens to every damn song on the radio and chooses which Taylor Swift/Fetty Wap song we will attempt to cover. We basically play songs people have heard. That sounds vague, but we don't limit genres.

(4) Is there any time or place where NOT knowing every request is ok? When can you say "sorry, don't know that one", or "that's not really our bag, baby."?
Yes. If it would sound bad, don't do it. If everyone is crap-house drunk at the bar and you can pull off the chorus but not the verses, maybe point at the tip jar before giving it a shot. That's my 2 cents. I'd never reject someone. We always encourage people to like our social media and send requests. We generally learn 80-90 percent of requests that we get (which aren't that many)....but if someone likes us enough to see a show, like our media, send us a message, and come to the next show to see if we'll stick to our word and we actually do that....then we've made a few fans that way. Even with ridiculous requests such as Gin and Juice or Taylor Swift's Shake it Off. Being in a cover band is not always about playing what YOU like most. you're building an audience and building alcohol sales in an establishment.

(5) In what situations are charts typical? I have a good ear and can pick up lines/progressions fairly quickly, but I also don't tend to play very complex music. Am I gonna have to step up my game with charts for most cover situations?
I don't use/need charts any more, but it's acceptible in a 3.5hr show setting I'd say. We use a lyric book to access 6 hrs of material, in case someone shouts a request we haven't recently rehearsed but they want to hear it. A happy crowd sticks around, pays for more alcohol, brings in better revenue, and brings back the band. If the crowd leaves early, chances are the owner might try and find another band. I wouldn't stress over this issue as often times there are issues that you can't control with crowds (other shows/weather/over-saturating the block that week or something) but if you can keep them drinking, do it. Anything to make you sound better is OK. Just have a discrete little music stand to the side and you'll be ok.

Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks!

 

[EastCoastThump]

4. Apparently my band should learn "Enter Sandman" from Metallica, as a lady keeps asking us to play it (we've been to the same venue a bunch of times). We haven't other than I know it on vocals, guitar and bass. Apparently no one else cares to learn it.

Try it this way:

 

[delta7fred]

General cover band guidelines that work for my band (but of course YMMV).

1. Play songs that get the ladies dancing, it keeps the men in the venue and pretty much guarantees you a return booking.
2. Play at a suitable volume, you don't want to drive punters out (see 1).
3. Smile and look as though you are enjoying playing even if it is Brown Eyed Girl or Mustang Sally for the 10,000th time (see also 1).
4. Wear something appropriate that sets you apart from the punters.
5. Don't waste time between songs, nothing kills a vibe quicker.
6. Be courteous to the punters and staff (no matter what you might think of them).
7. Sing backing vocals, it fills the sound out and adds variety.
8. Hustle for gigs, very few are going to come to you.

We are a (UK) 60s cover band but do stray into the 50s and 70s, we and have about 150 songs that we have officially learned, arranged and rehearsed but will wing more if needed.

We have a policy of no music stands on stage but do have the occasional crib sheet on a monitor if we get called to play something we haven't played for ages. (Other bands vary on this and I don't intend to get into any arguments over music stands.)

This works for us and I am gigging more now than I have been since the early 70s so we must be doing something right.

 

[whatizitman]

General cover band guidelines that work for my band (but of course YMMV).

1. Play songs that get the ladies dancing, it keeps the men in the venue and pretty much guarantees you a return booking.
2. Play at a suitable volume, you don't want to drive punters out (see 1).
3. Smile and look as though you are enjoying playing even if it is Brown Eyed Girl or Mustang Sally for the 10,000th time (see also 1).
4. Wear something appropriate that sets you apart from the punters.
5. Don't waste time between songs, nothing kills a vibe quicker.
6. Be courteous to the punters and staff (no matter what you might think of them).
7. Sing backing vocals, it fills the sound out and adds variety.
8. Hustle for gigs, very few are going to come to you.

We are a (UK) 60s cover band but do stray into the 50s and 70s, we and have about 150 songs that we have officially learned, arranged and rehearsed but will wing more if needed.

We have a policy of no music stands on stage but do have the occasional crib sheet on a monitor if we get called to play something we haven't played for ages. (Other bands vary on this and I don't intend to get into any arguments over music stands.)

This works for us and I am gigging more now than I have been since the early 70s so we must be doing something right.

You'll have to excuse me, but what is a punter? I'm a yank. I assume it has nothing to do with US football?

Our current band did a little new year's party, and it was made very clear to me that anything dance-able should be the goal. We played mainly originals, but the ones with a little groove got people moving. If it were anybody else other than family and friends, I'm sure the originals wouldn't have got the response, though.

So I've been practicing playing and singing Mustang Sally and Brown Eyed Girl, and other stuff like stax, etc... Since I've never had to play them before, I'm actually finding them fun. My goal is to not only learn to play as many standards this year, but to also sing as many as are in my range. Right now I'm going over 60s/70 soul/disco, 'cuz that's what I like. It will keep me busy enough for a while. Then I will go over the rest. My guitar buddy wants to do the soul thing now, too. He's buying a bunch of steve cropper books LOL. He learns best with tabs.

Thanks for everyone's feedback! This has inspired me to try out a new direction I had rarely ever considered.

 

[delta7fred]

You'll have to excuse me, but what is a punter? I'm a yank. I assume it has nothing to do with US football?

Sorry, a punter in the UK is a member of the audience (I know absolutely nothing about American Football).

You may not have noticed but on TB there is a number of the members who claim they will not play Mustang Sally, BEG and a few other over played standards, Wagon Wheel is another I believe (although I have never played it).

but to also sing as many as are in my range.

Being all old buggers we can no longer hit the notes that we could in our teens and 20s so we hardly ever play anything in the original key and part of learning a new song is trying it in different keys to suit the singer (All 3 of us sing lead). Key switching is also frowned upon by some TB members but so far we have yet to have anyone at a gig complain that we are in the "wrong key".

 

[Jamvan]

4) same as above, but try not to respond negatively "thats not our bag" can hurt your business and the club if that person, and whoever is with them, leaves. I would advise against getting into requests unless you have a band member who's good at talking to (drunk) people.

What I've found since I've started playing again is this is my role in my current trio. BL/guitarist is usually busy singing (I just do backup vox) and the drummer is too far upstage for the drunks to get to so they come up to me, usually mid-song, and talk to me as though 1) I can hear them -and- 2) I understand what the heck they are saying. I typically give them a head nod and shout that "We'll see!" or "Possibly." I never flat-out tell them "NO" but it's a rare moment when we actually know what they are wanting us to play.

Depending on the gig and the mood in the room, we've also been known to honor their song request by acknowledging the person asked for a song, introduce said song, and then break into whatever song we were going to play anyway (e.g. request to play Alice in Chains, we acknowledge the request, then break into Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World"). Usually good for a laugh or two....I would suggest you use that one at your own risk though (if/when you start playing) as we've received the bird on a couple occasions.

Anyway, the best advice I've read here thus far is one I strongly agree with; just dive in.