Set list blows

[InhumanResource]

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.

Been there. It’s worth it to have a conversation to set expectations about what the band’s goals are. If the band agrees to be a party band and get people dancing, then it should be easy to point out that you need a change of strategy. If it does not want to be a party band or cannot figure out that you can’t be one while playing B sides, then YOU have to decide if you will continue to participate.

Had this problem myself. Good band but the situation slowly deteriorated into playing B sides in people’s backwards so I left for a band that plays crowd pleasers and actually gets calls.

 

[DWBass]

I cringe every time I see a new song on the song list that is not Top40, tried and proven. I can't stand obscure songs no matter how cool they may seem to be. It better have a groovy beat and a hook that will have the folks up and dancing.

 

[LBS-bass]

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 in one band where we replaced our very good drummer with my husband who was not as experienced, due to some personal issues the former drummer was having. We changed the name of the band after that but that's beside the point. What I'm going to say here will be a shock to many but it is true- musicians who are married are not joined at the hip and if they are adults they can have disagreements over musical choices and still remain committed to the project.

My husband had a long way to go to fill the shoes of the guy who preceded him and at times I was not sure he was up to the task. I've had to coach him and bring him along, and if at any point I'd had an inkling that the other two guys were losing patience with the situation to a degree at which it risked breaking up the band, I would have fired him. It would have broken my heart to do it but he needed to rise to the level we needed and if he wasn't able, at some point the problem would be fixed. He always knew that going in and he always knew he would be challenged.

Yep, that's right, I would have fired my own husband from my own band. Please stop assuming that musicians in a relationship are a fixed team. If they are adults who are there to serve the music and do a job that makes the audience happy, they are not necessarily always in agreement over what that looks like.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Always remember, if you are performing in public, your job is to entertain the audience (and the person who hired you), not yourself. If your goal is to play what you want and @#&$@ everyone else, stay in your rehearsal room.

 

[Terry Farmer]

"La Bamba" and "Brown eyed girl" gets 'em on the floor. Like it or not!

 

[bassicmike]

Please stop assuming that musicians in a relationship are a fixed team. If they are adults who are there to serve the music and do a job that makes the audience happy, they are not necessarily always in agreement over what that looks like.

That's admirable that you and your hubby can draw that line.

My experience in bands with a couple (or a linked pair) is that one often needs to walk on eggshells, and criticism of one is criticism of both. This is made even more difficult when it is the couples band.

One should always have one's antenna up.

 

[LBS-bass]

That's admirable that you and your hubby can draw that line.

My experience in bands with a couple (or a linked pair) is that one often needs to walk on eggshells, and criticism of one is criticism of both. This is made even more difficult when it is the couples band.

One should always have one's antenna up.

You can get that vibe from any two people in a band, though. I've had guitarists who I had to treat like they were made out of glass. I don't deal with that sort of vibe these days from anyone, doesn't matter if they are married to each other or not. If I feel like I have to do a delicate dance around your unpredictable nature, I am so outta there

 

[GretschWretch]

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.

Biker bars? Then you need only two songs: "Born to be Wild" and "Leader of the Pack."

 

[BazzaBass]

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.

Yes it’s called entertainment. How do you get gigs if the patrons don’t enjoy your sets?

 

[el murdoque]

Mustang Sally, Hard To Handle, Sympathy For The Devil, Sweet Jane, Fortunate Son, Down On The Corner, Hush, Born To Be Wild, Roadhouse Blues, Anything by Skynyrd, Ramblin' Man, Midnight Rider, Brown Sugar, Brown Eyed Girl, Wild Night, Some Kind Of Wonderful, Feelin' Alright, Taking Care Of Business, Maybellene, Play That Funky Music, Brick House, I Want You To Want Me etc. etc. etc.

I hate to play every single song on that list - for the same reason:
They are overplayed by cover bands - but they work every single time.

 

[TNCreature]

I'm sure that someone has already said this, and you alluded to it. The crowd reaction will tell you what they like. The BL has to believe them!

 

[Zooberwerx]

I cringe every time I see a new song on the song list that is not Top40, tried and proven. I can't stand obscure songs no matter how cool they may seem to be. It better have a groovy beat and a hook that will have the folks up and dancing.

I have a soft-spot for the "deep cuts" which fall somewhere between Top 40 and the obscure. I was raised in the 'burbs in the 70's and weaned on album rock. When you dropped the needle, every track better be kickin' because we had no skip or shuffle in the day. Sure you got the A & B tracks (...played ad nauseum by today's FM stations) but you also heard some stellar cuts which somehow eluded the mainstream.

Riis

 

[Engle]

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 !

Yup!

 

[sean_on_bass]

Drummer and singer married so can't replace the singer. It's the singer and guitar plays band.

Sorry to say, but this puts you into a tough position when it comes to having any pull in what the band plays. If the drummer/guitarist haven't tried to steer things to a better position, it's like you are trying to convince a 3 person brick wall. My personal advice is to either just be happy playing bass with them in a supportive role or search for another project doing the stuff you want to do.

Here's a test. Have they ever asked you what you want to play? Or do they always come in with the chosen songs? I'd bet money on the latter, which tells me they don't want your input.

 

[grizzly59]

Google around with youtube for approp playlists, take notes. In high school, guys in town thought Foghat was cool. Girls from the air base laughed and cranked up KC & the Sunshine Band. Guess who got people dancing? Self isolating = bad.

 

[Stock]

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.

Great discussion. The ability to build an act is a wonderful skill not many have. Instead bands rely on unworkable options like voting on songs or people wanting to do their vanity songs because they think they sound good at them or they worked and worked to copy note for note guitar solos. I wont tolerate much of that. The act exists to get bookings and give the audience what they want. So you are stuck with a useless diva and a band with no vision at the moment. What I would do is work up a great song and what that means is have it cold yourself, bring cut charts and step the band through producing that one song. Know what you want the start and end to be, know when to hand off the solos, have the vocals worked out and be able to teach the phrasing, harmonies, etc. Have a place in your set figured out where it fits and express how it leads to the next song. Bands are crying for leadership, especially a wandering ship like the one you are in. I absolutely guarantee if you have the goods and bring the heat they will respond positively and surprise you with their energy and enthusiasm. Good luck!

 

[InhumanResource]

I cringe every time I see a new song on the song list that is not Top40, tried and proven. I can't stand obscure songs no matter how cool they may seem to be. It better have a groovy beat and a hook that will have the folks up and dancing.

Totally. If the job is getting asses on the dance floor you better be playing something people know and love.

 

[Wesley R]

In a band for a short while way back when. Five gigs in a row the BL would say "This isn't a dance crowd, we better slow it down."
My snarly response was "we would have to play a song they could dance to, to no for sure." I would have fired me by the end of the night.

 

[Ric5]

The curse of playing in cover bands... Ugh, it is Purgatory !!!!!

many times original bands have setlists that also suck

 

[juancaminos]

So...there was a guy who specialized in advice to bars and bar bands. This was before that now famous bar saver guy came along. I don't remember his name (let's call him Joe) but he had articles on the internet maybe 15 years ago.

Joe started off with what he called a typical call for help. A bar owner says that after going thru several cheap bands he finally started hiring the best in town bands at almost double the cost. These bands brought in their own crowd and kept his regulars and their own followers on the dance floor all night long. Yet he is losing even more money on some nights. On good nights things aren't much different than when he had the cheap bands with less people in the bar. What gives?

Joe replied that keeping people on the dance floor is not the answer. In fact it is a big money loser. He implored the bar owner to step back and define how he makes money. What is the bottom line money maker in his business? The answer...selling alcohol and, in some cases food. Live music, karaoke, pool, darts, sports events and such are only draws. The competition is strong, bars are everywhere. The bar average patron has to pick and choose where to go spend the money he has been working all week to earn. So you had better give them a good reason to come to your bar. But you have to make money too.

With that said, when people are on the dance floor all night they are not drinking. In fact there are people who follow "dance bands" and Karaoke to some extent who drink water or soda. They fill your tables to drink water and dance or sing a few songs.

But, back to the people who do drink...The dance all night people only have time for a few drinks. When they come back from dancing for 30-40 minutes their beer is warm or the ice is melted in their mixed drinks. Who do they blame for warm weak drinks? The bar, EVERY TIME.

Joe was selling the idea that a bar optimized for success needs entertainers. Bands who put on a show, make people happy, make people want to party, make people want to eat and drink. And yes dance too. Than band would drive the night from the stage. If food is served a first set could be a "dinner set" or at least start that way then build to more dance oriented music by set by the end. The second set would start with some interesting concert type music then get into the dance stuff with-in a few songs. By the middle of the set the band should slow it down to get people back to their drinks. Then slowly pick it back up and end with a bang. Sets three and four should follow suit. But don't forget that it is about the show which should drive people to buy drinks and food. The band should talk up the bar, waitstaff, food, drink specials, upcoming bands, events, etc. all night long.

Blah Blah Blah...I wish I could find something by this guy. I remember this band that played at my friends bar. That demanded and got top tier pay everywhere they played. Our group of friends saw them a few times and could only count two or three songs that we knew. They where kind of a kick band with wash boards and jugs and all of that. But boy did they get the crowd going! My friend said his bar always had a good night when they played.