My band doesn't do covers

[Omega Monkey]

Remember this place loves to dance and drink and listen to music.

What does that have to do with covers vs originals?

EVERY SINGLE "GREAT" BAND EVER STARTED AS A BUNCH OF NOBODIES. And nobody knew who Mozart and Bach were until they were Mozart and Bach. The idea that an original band can't write music to dance to is ludicrous and stems from a severe lack of imagination on the part of the audience and a lot of the commenters here.

The PROBLEM is that there isn't really any structure or culture any more to promote good new bands and suppress bad ones, PRECISELY because venues think like this. "Oh, people just want to hear music they know". You mean like U2? One of the biggest bands in the world the last 40 years? Yeah, they started playing in dingy Irish pubs, etc... at some point "I will Follow" was a song nobody had ever heard before, and what's with this weird delay stuff on the guitar?

Open minded adventurous people beget the great music that the rest of you are listening to while looking down your noses at "originals bands".

 

[DWBass]

I personally don't have a problem with originals bands. Just be a good band. Same with cover bands. If you suck, no gigs for you. If I was a venue owner, I would never hire a band that just wasn't very good. If I felt your band had something to offer, I'd hire you but at the same time, I'd be gauging the crowd to see if they were engaged. If not, sorry....no more gigs for you. Spending money and not getting something back is not a good look. Playing for free or drinks still doesn't guarantee the venue any income.

To all bands, original and cover........be GOOD bands. Be good musicians who know what they're doing.

 

[lfmn16]

Beautifully put!

Thanks. These originals vs covers arguments are so silly. Playing original music doesn't make you special, a chimpanzee could make original music. Playing original music that millions of people want to listen to makes you special. Playing covers doesn't make you special either. This whole argument is just about people feeling good about themselves by putting other people down.

 

[Texican]

+1

It's like saying brain surgery is easy; just open up the skull, take out the bad piece and sew it back up. See how simple??

Nope... he was replying directly to me. And I never said it was easy. I addressed his complaint that there were way more cover bands than original bands being booked at venues. Yes it’s easier to perform a well written song than it is to write a well written song ( assuming the cover isn’t a highly technical piece). But if you want to get booked ahead of bands that are playing well written songs that audiences like and recognize, you’re going to have to write some pretty great songs. It’s not easy, but it’s the truth.

 

[Texican]

I personally don't have a problem with originals bands. Just be a good band. Same with cover bands. If you suck, no gigs for you. If I was a venue owner, I would never hire a band that just wasn't very good. If I felt your band had something to offer, I'd hire you but at the same time, I'd be gauging the crowd to see if they were engaged. If not, sorry....no more gigs for you. Spending money and not getting something back is not a good look. Playing for free or drinks still doesn't guarantee the venue any income.

To all bands, original and cover........be GOOD bands. Be good musicians who know what they're doing.

Perfect

 

[Texican]

Thanks. These originals vs covers arguments are so silly. Playing original music doesn't make you special, a chimpanzee could make original music. Playing original music that millions of people want to listen to makes you special. Playing covers doesn't make you special either. This whole argument is just about people feeling good about themselves by putting other people down.

Well said

 

[lfmn16]

Nope... he was replying directly to me. And I never said it was easy. I addressed his complaint that there were way more cover bands than original bands being booked at venues. Yes it’s easier to perform a well written song than it is to write a well written song ( assuming the cover isn’t a highly technical piece). But if you want to get booked ahead of bands that are playing well written songs that audiences like and recognize, you’re going to have to write some pretty great songs. It’s not easy, but it’s the truth.

My apologies for misreading what you wrote.

 

[Texican]

I feel we have taken a lot of time and energy discussing the merits of covers vs originals. We’ve also placed the blame on venues, audiences, and “how hard it is” to be an original musician.

But I have yet to see one person in this thread bring up the fact that most original musicians don’t take the time to perfect their craft. To really explore music and improve their skill set. To study great songs and songwriters and dissect what it was that set them apart from the rest. How many original musicians really take the time to become the best they can be at their instrument, or take vocal lessons to improve their singing? Are they studying poetry and great lyricists while taking note of the importance of timing? Are they aware of how certain words/sounds affect the relationship between your mouth and vocal cords and adjust their lyrics accordingly? ........Or is it simply easier to blame the venue, the audience, the internet, cover bands, and everyone else that simply “doesn’t get” your “genius”?

 

[Yango]

If you can't make music playing someone else's song, that's your shortcoming, not the song's.

I can, do, and get paid quite well for it, thank you very much. But it’s nowhere near as satisfying as writing, recording and performing my own material.

 

[Texican]

My apologies for misreading what you wrote.

No need to apologize! This is the Internet, a place for grown-ups to childishly spar with each other over things that don’t really matter all that much LOL.

 

[lfmn16]

I can, do, and get paid quite well for it, thank you very much.

Yup, everybody's a 10 foot tall creative genius, bulletproof, dates a super model, drives a Lamborghini, makes 6 figures on the internet.

 

[Yango]

Yup, everybody's a 10 foot tall creative genius, bulletproof, dates a super model, drives a Lamborghini, makes 6 figures on the internet.

Hey, I found your picture on the net!

 

[Texican]

Hey, I found your picture on the net!
View attachment 3418858

See! It’s almost impossible to write great originals when all your time is dedicated to sculpting your abs and greasing your bangs

 

[Novarocker]

This! Honestly about the 3rd time I saw Rush I was over it, because as good as it was, it sounded EXACTLY like the first two times, and some of their songs get on your nerves after a while. 30 songs from an up and coming original band? Hell no. 5-6 is pushing it, and that is if they are GREAT.
In my cover band experience, the 3 songs that got the best reaction were also the 3 easiest- Funky Music, 7 Nation Army and Talk Dirty to Me. YMMV.

Finally someone who feels the same way about Rush. Love em or hate em I just can't listen to em for a real long time.

I don't have much to add otherwise. Finding a scene that you fit in to will be the most beneficial. May not pay well or at all, but there will be people there that appreciate your music.

 

[Charlzm]

The solution is simple: write at least an hours worth of original music that people actually want to hear and would pay to see live. I guarantee you you’ll get booked over a cover band or tribute band. Sounds like people in your area aren’t writing enough good songs.

Check out my sig.

 

[Charlzm]

Finally someone who feels the same way about Rush. Love em or hate em I just can't listen to em for a real long time.

I don't have much to add otherwise. Finding a scene that you fit in to will be the most beneficial. May not pay well or at all, but there will be people there that appreciate your music.

Rush sounded different on every tour to me, but I am a super fan, so...

 

[DWBass]

Check out my sig.

Nice.

 

[Texican]

Check out my sig.

The link doesn't show up on my mobile device and my stupid work computer wont let me check it out!... and I work at a music store lol.

For the record, I was speaking in a kind of "in general" or "overall" kind of way throughout this thread. I never meant to imply that any one individual was or was not producing good original music. I look forward to hearing your stuff.

 

[Cliff Colton]

When I see the album cover for Johnny Winter And/Live, I see a set list of 90% covers, plenty of individual musicianship and band satisfaction, a gratified and appreciative audience, a bit of healthy promoter greed, and a happy venue owner.

Maybe it’s more about how you play it and not so much about what you play.

Go Johnny Go!

 

[MrLenny1]

At 50/50 or 60/40 the band might work more often, make more dough and
stay together and keep on writing original material.
Good luck.