Playing with a lot of good musicians. Everyone is very talented and been playing for a while. However, the singer is picking the songs and most fall flat to the crowd. I understand not wanting to play the same as everyone else but you have to play songs that the crowd will know. I have tried hinting at it with no avail. How do I tell her these songs suck wile keeping my spot in the band.
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Set list blows
- Thread starter Xemoran
- Start date
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Time for band discussion. Bring up your concerns. Not "these songs suck", but you think the band should be playing more well known tunes.
Something I was told by an experienced muso many years ago has always run true for me at gigs.
"People don't know what they like. They like what they know."
Like most others on this forum, I'd love to do cool unknown tunes and have the crowd go wild each time. But it usually doesn't happen.
So we crank up "Uptown Funk," and it does.
"People don't know what they like. They like what they know."
Like most others on this forum, I'd love to do cool unknown tunes and have the crowd go wild each time. But it usually doesn't happen.
So we crank up "Uptown Funk," and it does.
change the band name top the B sides !! lol and use this line
"People don't know what they like. They like what they know."
"People don't know what they like. They like what they know."
It always amazes me that, out of the many thousands of hit songs out there through the years, bands seem to opt for the two extremes of either:
- playing the same 45 tired songs that every band had been playing since 1979 or,
- playing songs that nobody has ever heard.
Tell your singer that there are many well-known tunes that aren't on the list of 45 overdone songs, and that the band will have better success if you attempt to draw from that pool of tunes rather than doing obscure B sides.
If that doesn't work, either fire the singer, get someone else to pick tunes, or poach the other players and start your own band.
- playing the same 45 tired songs that every band had been playing since 1979 or,
- playing songs that nobody has ever heard.
Tell your singer that there are many well-known tunes that aren't on the list of 45 overdone songs, and that the band will have better success if you attempt to draw from that pool of tunes rather than doing obscure B sides.
If that doesn't work, either fire the singer, get someone else to pick tunes, or poach the other players and start your own band.
A great way to vote on songs -
Ask each band member to score each song
1 = love it,
2 = don’t mind it,
3 = hate it, want to drop it from the list.
Offer to tally up all of their scores and put them in order from love it (lowest score) to hate it (highest score).
Now you have leverage to throw out the worst songs and replace them with songs that everyone likes/works with the crowd better.
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If your audiences think your songs suck, you won't have that problem very long...
(Welcome to TalkBass)
(Welcome to TalkBass)
The 75% Rule works for my cover band: at least 3/4 of the crowd has to know the tune, and 3 of the 4 of us have to want to play it. As @LBS-bass suggested, there are plenty of songs a crowd will want to hear and you will want to play.
Can you list some of the songs you hate the most?
Can you list which songs you think would work a lot better (and suit the singers voice)?
Can you list which songs you think would work a lot better (and suit the singers voice)?
I will give two good examples
There is bloodletting by concert blonde which was a big band but had the best success in Australia (we in the US)
The way you make me feel by MJ
MJ is huge but majority of people know Billie jean and thriller and one other. Never the way you make me feel.
There are good songs but never like the radio hits or the singles
I agree majority of people are shallow with music. They don't understand everything and they just want something catchy which is ok. They way I feel if it wasn't in the top 20 it doesn't need to be played out.
That singer is performing for herself, not the audience. The band meeting needs to start with, “The audience is sitting on their hands. We need to get ‘em on their feet, but how?”
The Bloodletting song is real poop. Can’t dance to it, can’t sing to it. Swim beat so Replace it with Ex’s & O’s (Elle King) or Call Me (Blondie).
The MJ song is boring to play - definitely not a dance floor song.
One angle to take is to say we need to put more dance floor songs in the set for the crowd & to get asked back to that venue. That way it’s not about you & songs you don’t like.
Some singers just need a really good talking to before they up their game/attitude and become a better team player. BTW Singers are replaceable.
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Ok. I know probably 3 people who would know any Concrete Blonde song in 2022 and they are over 40 with kids. Who is your target audience? If it’s a divorced hookup bar A) both those examples will have the place nodding their heads in their stools and B) those songs weren’t Floor jammers EVER.
But you already know that.
So…
You could be confrontational or you can be crafty.
Are other members aware of the problem? Let’s assume so.
Pick 2 songs to learn that you know will have the place stomping. Someone said Uptown Funk, that’s a solid example.
Video the gig and call a meeting for the entire band to watch it. And accidentally aim the camera at the dance floor instead of the stage.
Good luck.
But you already know that.
So…
You could be confrontational or you can be crafty.
Are other members aware of the problem? Let’s assume so.
Pick 2 songs to learn that you know will have the place stomping. Someone said Uptown Funk, that’s a solid example.
Video the gig and call a meeting for the entire band to watch it. And accidentally aim the camera at the dance floor instead of the stage.
Good luck.
Honestly, this one is easier than most. You don't have to pick on her terrible list. Next band rehearsal, simply say "Guys, what are we gonna hafta do to get more people on the dance floor? If we don't start making that happen, I don't think we're gonna get asked back to some of these venues."
You haven't pointed a finger. And you've left the door open for someone else to pick on the horrible set list.
Good luck with it. I've worked with people who insist on NOT playing smash hits. They're some of the most unaware people in the local band biz.
You haven't pointed a finger. And you've left the door open for someone else to pick on the horrible set list.
Good luck with it. I've worked with people who insist on NOT playing smash hits. They're some of the most unaware people in the local band biz.
The curse of playing in cover bands... Ugh, it is Purgatory !!!!!
A lot of good suggestion and I appreciate all the input. I'm gonna try to answer as many as possible with one post. Drummer and singer married so can't replace the singer. It's the singer and guitar plays band. I'm the newest one also the youngest. Mostly playing in biker bar to an older crowd 50+. We are playing at a new venue which is 21 - 30. I'm 29, I use to work at this venue for a year. I told her our songs will not work there. She is oblivious. I think I'm just gonna let them not ask us back and then fix it then.
Many musicians do this. They pick songs for themselves or other musicians. Some are completely unaware.
In the covers world it's about the party not the music
I don't understand why a group of people allows themselves to be held hostage to the choices of one.
Yes, the songs need to be in the singer's range. A good singer has a large range but that might be beside the point. The point is that there are probably many songs the singer can sing that aren't so obscure. I think the singer should have veto rights, but not necessarily the right to choose repertoire. Especially not when it works out like this.
Yes, the songs need to be in the singer's range. A good singer has a large range but that might be beside the point. The point is that there are probably many songs the singer can sing that aren't so obscure. I think the singer should have veto rights, but not necessarily the right to choose repertoire. Especially not when it works out like this.
bring in any good Motown ( hard to find bad Motown ) and watch the crowd !! my band does Motown/funk/soul all ages LOVE IT ! just a thought .
BTW even Bikers love it !
BTW even Bikers love it !
