My band flipped on me.....????

[lbbc]

No, you're not wrong. I had a similar situation. I was in a very successful 5 piece current rock/Top 40 kind of band (guitar, bass, drums, female singer and myself on keyboards...at that time) We played corporate events, weddings, opening acts for touring bands etc.

The guitarist decided that he wanted to change our entire setlist to play blues. The bassist and drummer agreed giving me and the singer (my wife) an ultimatum...change or "move on". They lasted 6 months and we have played almost every week for the past 20+ years (until Covid-19 arrived).

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Warning. Semi-Long Post and a bit of a rant....

So I’ve been in a successful cover band here in North Florida for about 4 years. 3 weekends a month. Best venues in town. Played private cooperate gigs. Weddings ect. Not our primary job but we made some decent extra money doing it. We regularly had to turn down gigs.

We played a mixture of Rock, Pop, Older Rock (Petty ect), some Sublime. A good mix but definitely Top 40 stuff. Great party band stuff that ladies can dance to and have fun. And we were good at it.

Enter the Corona Shut Down of 2020. My singer and guitarist tell me that they have decided to re-tool the entire setlist while we have this down time. They want to play more obscure music. Stuff they like. (Our drummer is neutral and will play whatever) They want heavier or more alternative stuff. Basically stuff that will clear a dance floor and and a bar in most places. And at the end of the night that one guy will come up and say “I loved your version of (insert some weird B side). Never heard anyone play that before!”

Now I get it. And they have hinted at this before. But I never thought they would actually want to go through with it. So I gracefully left/got fired for telling them it was a bad idea and they will end up losing all the gigs we worked so hard to get and keep.

Once again so called “artistic integrity” creeps up and ruins a great band on a great run. If you want to be “different” and original, then write some songs. Have the courage to put yourself out there and play them for the world. Don’t expect everyone to like them. Play for you. But in my option playing obscure covers is still playing covers. It just different ones that most will not want to hear.

So clearly I’m a little bitter over this. And I am a solid player and I sing pretty well. Lead and harmonies. So I can find another band to join once things return to normal. But wow. Way to bulldoze me out guys. Enjoy empty bars and confused faces when they return to playing.

Am I wrong here??? Geez.

Rant over!

Like what, teenage guide to popularity, sunscreen, peaches, mmmmm, and detachable penis?

Or like, evidence in the furnace, nitro burning funny bomb, and Murmaider?

 

[Bunk McNulty]

I would think putting a new band together to gig would be a moot point right now, but I guess not.

"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation research center out of the University of Washington now projects nearly 4,000 deaths in Florida and nearly 135,000 deaths in the U.S. The numbers are more than double projections from just a week ago before several states, including Florida, lifted stay-at-home orders."

Orlando Sentinel Coronavirus Update May 6, 2020

 

[gelinas666]

I would have checked out the setlist of the new and gave it a shot.(You were with them for 4 years,shouldn't be to hard to learn). On the side ,I'd form a cover band with all the favorite songs of your Clubs you were playing and get playing "Live" with it..

 

[Susqmike]

Warning. Semi-Long Post and a bit of a rant....

So I’ve been in a successful cover band here in North Florida for about 4 years. 3 weekends a month. Best venues in town. Played private cooperate gigs. Weddings ect. Not our primary job but we made some decent extra money doing it. We regularly had to turn down gigs.

We played a mixture of Rock, Pop, Older Rock (Petty ect), some Sublime. A good mix but definitely Top 40 stuff. Great party band stuff that ladies can dance to and have fun. And we were good at it.

Enter the Corona Shut Down of 2020. My singer and guitarist tell me that they have decided to re-tool the entire setlist while we have this down time. They want to play more obscure music. Stuff they like. (Our drummer is neutral and will play whatever) They want heavier or more alternative stuff. Basically stuff that will clear a dance floor and and a bar in most places. And at the end of the night that one guy will come up and say “I loved your version of (insert some weird B side). Never heard anyone play that before!”

Now I get it. And they have hinted at this before. But I never thought they would actually want to go through with it. So I gracefully left/got fired for telling them it was a bad idea and they will end up losing all the gigs we worked so hard to get and keep.

Once again so called “artistic integrity” creeps up and ruins a great band on a great run. If you want to be “different” and original, then write some songs. Have the courage to put yourself out there and play them for the world. Don’t expect everyone to like them. Play for you. But in my option playing obscure covers is still playing covers. It just different ones that most will not want to hear.

So clearly I’m a little bitter over this. And I am a solid player and I sing pretty well. Lead and harmonies. So I can find another band to join once things return to normal. But wow. Way to bulldoze me out guys. Enjoy empty bars and confused faces when they return to playing.

Am I wrong here??? Geez.

Rant over!

Sounds like it's their loss, especially if you're talented vocally! But it's very frustrating! I've had that with an Amazing original band. We were playing large outdoor festivals..getting any gig or venue that we wanted. Then out of the blue one day the drummer and guitarist say "i think we should go in a new direction. We want to play covers." And so went one Awesome band down the toilet....

 

[Droopy_TX]

I would think putting a new band together to gig would be a moot point right now, but I guess not.

"The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation research center out of the University of Washington now projects nearly 4,000 deaths in Florida and nearly 135,000 deaths in the U.S. The numbers are more than double projections from just a week ago before several states, including Florida, lifted stay-at-home orders."

Orlando Sentinel Coronavirus Update May 6, 2020

Yeah... because their projections and models have proven oh so accurate to date.

 

[RumbleBot]

I would file this under "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.". I could see maybe sticking in the occasional deep cut cover, but entirely reworking a formula that is successful? Hmmm...

 

[MisterFabulous]

Derek Smalls: "I'll tell you wot ya gonna have to do."

David St. Hubbins: "Wot?"

Derek Smalls: "Jazz Odyssey"

 

[G On Bass]

Everyone is in this for different reasons and needs different things out of it. Some need to make a living, others are in it for fun, others to get wasted and hang with friends. Sounds like te other guys are looking to scratch an itch they have had for a while. I've played in both kinds of bands. The more obscure one had far better musicians and was tighter, but was tough to book. Gigs were few and far between. The other had all the paying gigs they wanted. That being said, I agree with others that a side project could have been in order under a different name for those obscure things. Shoot, we have tribute bands out here that do the first half of the night as one act, then they go backstage, change wigs and clothes, and do the second half as a different tribute act.

 

[Pizza1988]

I feel you on this one. My one guitar player always wants to add random, dance floor-killing songs. Even worse is when I will pick a popular song and he'll go "nah we should do (other unknown song by same artist) instead, its a way better song" .. I don't care which is better, which song do people know?!

That being said, we have a really good mix of popular and rather obscure songs and everyone seems to like it. It is just keeping that balance is an ongoing battle

 

[FunkHead]

It’s not that different playing an original versus an obscure b side song. If you kick ass and it sounds great then it is great.
I’m the contrary guy that would have stuck it out.
My current band plays songs like Heaven and Hell by Black Sabbath and The Trooper by Iron Maiden.
We play what we like.....

 

[City]

Good luck. One of my groups got tired of playing "the same old covers" and went to "songs that we've always wanted to play, that no one else ever does". We were a band that would fill the dance floor and had to strategically put in songs that would clear the dance floor just to get people to buy drinks. We went to a band that was happy just to see a couple people getting on the dance floor.

Everybody knows a bar bands job isn't to play music... it's to sell booze. When the women can't dance to a song... they go home... when the women are gone, they take the guys with them. then the bar doesn't make money... when the bar doesn't make money, the band plays songs that no one else plays.... in their garage.

As you said above and I will reiterate. There is a balance that needs to be struck. Many great dance bands, around here, it's country, have the ladies dancing to every song, but the bar receipts are dismal. They dance but don't drink. Sometime a mix of dance and "take a break" songs are good for the venue. Younger crowds drink on the dance floor, but not so much classic rock and country fans. Around here anyhow.

 

[JRA]

Am I wrong here???

what difference does it make?

IME: a better question is: "what's my next move?" good luck!

 

[turf3]

I've been in more than one band where the guitar player/leader decided to change from playing dance music to playing grindy rumpty-rumpty blues. Instant dance floor clearer, takes one engagement at each of your venues for future gigs to be cancelled, band shuts down for lack of business.

If you want to take a working band and crater it fast, best way is to start playing stuff that 98% of the public hates. Remember, those people paying the money that gets you hired? Almost none of them know a thing about music but what they hear on pop radio or the 2020 equivalents.

Now if you want to start up a band specializing in oddball stuff, go right ahead, just don't expect you'll ever get any gigs.

 

[lfmn16]

Am I wrong here??? Geez.

Rant over!

Yes, you are wrong. Their goals changed.

A lot of great things about TB, but man, if you aren't playing for the money, people on here can be really snotty about it. I asked for suggestions for a harder edged band one time, about 75% of the responses were how I was wasting my time, I'd never play out, and other such comments.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

They have sealed their doom. That type of music doesn't sell. My dad, who gigged in the 40s, and was a high school band director told me 40 years ago there are two types of music. Music people like and music musicians like. He said if you want to make money, play what people like. If you want to play the music you enjoy playing, you will make no money at it. The only people that will come to see you are other musicians and they never have any money and will nurse one beer all night. So, the music business has not changed in at least 70 years.
So, spruce up your resume and start looking for another band. This band is at the end of it's run.

 

[4SG]

 

[Liam Wald]

Playing the same old top-40 keep the dance-floor-full material year after year isn't that much fun for everyone. In fact there are some musicians (myself included) who would not consider that to be successful even if there were lots of good paying gigs. Then again there are those who very much enjoy "keeping them dancing". It's just not the same for everyone.

 

[JohnnyBottom]

They are probably bored in lockup. Who does the booking ? Thats where the it will get interesting,
when dance floor is sparse, crowds diminish, calls diminish, money diminishes. Although will be easy to blame the virus for quite a while.

 

[john_g]

This has been a battle for me in my last few cover bands. First band was the most talented cover band top to bottom but our setlist stunk and never changed in over 2 years. Lots of modest hits from 30 to 40 years ago. It eventually fizzled out as we were having issues getting gigs and when we did, the attendance was dwindling. Current band is much better with the setlist, but it can still be a struggle. I find that alot of people dont want to be a human jukebox, but you have to play popular stuff. As someone else here said, contact the drummer and see if he would be interested in starting something new.