Thank you everyone for all the tips. I have taken them all to heart. Our gig that started all this is this weekend and I have gotten some.of my point across. Maybe someone said it and I missed but the luck I had was pretty much just saying can we add new song because I'm getting tried of playing the same 50. My goal is to get up to 120 for a master song list and have 2 set list to go between depending on crowd. I will let you all know how the weekend goes and thank you all again.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Set list blows
- Thread starter Xemoran
- Start date
I'd be interested to get a list of some of the songs your band plays. Would you mind doing that?
I think it's further up in the thread somewhere but I'll look and if not I'll post some things.
Thank you again for all your support. The final verdict is drunk people don't care that much. So if you are playing at a venue that gets a little more drunk than most you can play whatever you want they don't really care. However super stoked about being in this community now and seeing all the love. Thanks again
Instead of typing a bunch of stuff I'll just post our master list. This was last updated on Feb 4 (despite what the top of the list says) and things have changed a bit since then; some of the "consider" and "easy" ones we actually performed in our last show.
It's a variety, somewhat on the mellow side because of our current instrumentation, and we tweak what we're doing based on the audience we think we'll have. We tend to attract a listening audience, but we try to include stuff people can dance to in the right rooms.
Our band is strong on three part harmonies so a lot of these songs were chosen for that, and some that weren't we add our own harmony arrangements to. You'll notice there are some moldy-oldies in here, too. Our lead singer likes some of those, I'm trying to wean us away from some of them but people do like them, so we kind of have a mix of stuff.
I'd rather do "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" if we're going to do mellow early Neil Young, but that's one we have to learn, and everyone already knows the other ones. So it's a work in progress and since much of our repertoire arises from songs we jam on in rehearsals, different things kind of pop up. There's more than what's on this list, but this is the list we wanted to draw from.
Also attaching our actual set list from a show earlier this month.
Right now we're working on a three-song Crowded House Medley with two songs we already know (Something so Strong, Don't Dream it's Over) and The World Where You Live (we have to learn that one).
Last edited:
If you play tired worn out songs...
In a cover band you have to keep set lists fresh. Some older songs are alright but if everything is 20 years old it is just boring. Watch the charts to determine you set and rotate it around. Also be at least a little enthusiastic about being onstage. If the band seems bored so does the crowd. You could be playing a 12 minute version of Low Rider and if every band member is giving 100% then it will go well.
In a cover band you have to keep set lists fresh. Some older songs are alright but if everything is 20 years old it is just boring. Watch the charts to determine you set and rotate it around. Also be at least a little enthusiastic about being onstage. If the band seems bored so does the crowd. You could be playing a 12 minute version of Low Rider and if every band member is giving 100% then it will go well.
You bet. If it were a different sort of band, the songs might be different, but the idea would be the same. Stay away from the real stale stuff and try to focus on things people like that other bands don't do.
yeah definitely gave me some ideas for my newly forming cover band. We actually do a few from your list already
I approach this by what can the vox sing.
This is the most important thing because this is your connection to the audience.
Then its just a case of just keeping the choices in check or being able to be brutal and throw out favourite songs. Any singer worth their salt should know what works for them anyway...and so should the band, for that matter, so you end up with a set that is at a certain competence level already.
Then, any talent in the band can take that further.
This is the most important thing because this is your connection to the audience.
Then its just a case of just keeping the choices in check or being able to be brutal and throw out favourite songs. Any singer worth their salt should know what works for them anyway...and so should the band, for that matter, so you end up with a set that is at a certain competence level already.
Then, any talent in the band can take that further.
So true. I know a singer, he's got decent range, usually stays in key etc. Very limited musical knowledge, but he is aware of this. He is a BRILLIANT front man, really knows how to work a crowd.
I suggested we start a band together, tailored to HIS specific taste in music. All I wanted was to pick the musicians. So he went and talked to a guitar playing buddy of his to see if that buddy would be interested.
Long story short, the guitarist had a much heavier taste in music and wanted to do stuff that was outside the "vision" of the band. Which would be fine, but he was a technically limited guitarist to boot. When they talked about on onboarding a friend of theirs who'd just started learning drums, I bailed.
Still wanna build a band around that singer. Perhaps I will try and find the other musicians first ...
I agree 1000% but finding vintage players who will and/or can play anything from the current radio hits will be a challenge.
I recently suggested "Brightside" by The Lumineers and our keyboard player just laughed
Very disheartening.
This is the thing. Most players really just want to play songs they already know and don't want to be challenged to learn anything new
I find the best players around embrace putting their honed craft onto a 'classic' tune.
They are mindful not to play tunes out of context, ie, don't fit the band vibe, but they'll bring their sound and style to the song.
The trick is pick great songs and the past 50 or 60 years are rich pickings in that regard.
Granted, these aren't barnstorming friday night gigs to the young dudes dropping $100 on a night out at the bar but they aren't a discerning crowd anyway.
There are 2 gigs, populist where the set pretty much does the gig regardless of how good the band isnt, or players bands where people are happy to watch and listen..and dance when the music takes off...which it always will, just because of who is playing it, ime.
They are mindful not to play tunes out of context, ie, don't fit the band vibe, but they'll bring their sound and style to the song.
The trick is pick great songs and the past 50 or 60 years are rich pickings in that regard.
Granted, these aren't barnstorming friday night gigs to the young dudes dropping $100 on a night out at the bar but they aren't a discerning crowd anyway.
There are 2 gigs, populist where the set pretty much does the gig regardless of how good the band isnt, or players bands where people are happy to watch and listen..and dance when the music takes off...which it always will, just because of who is playing it, ime.
Yep. I strive to be in the second band. The song lists I posted earlier are from a band like that; people primarily come to listen and we get them on the dance floor, too, but we're not a dance band. I'm not sure where the idea got started that every band has to be a dance band or an originals band, there's a whole lot of other room there to explore if you want to, and audience appreciation isn't limited to what a lot of people think.
It's the chicken - egg thing. If you give audiences what you think they want based on a formula of what others do, you're limiting their experience to something narrow and "same-old, same-old." You might be really good at "same-old" but that's still what it is.
But people actually seek out experiences that are a cut above what they've learned to expect, so if you can give them that, it's going to be noticed and they'll come back for more.
I've got a couple of people emailing me this week about when that band is going to play again. We don't play that often because we don't want to erode our audience through overexposure, but I don't yet have a date to give them. It's nice to have folks asking the question.
Sunday Chills are popular gigs because Fri and Sat are premium especially for full timers and you can't always get them or afford them. Besides, if they are retained, sundays are their down days more often than not.
Its a pick up date and about who is around but some of the players are an education.
Its a pick up date and about who is around but some of the players are an education.
