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So I'm doing a complete scene transition...
- Thread starter jordy_on_bass
- Start date
People spend a lot of money on weddings. If they're willing to pay thousands for flowers and limos, they'll be willing to pay good money for live music. I've never understood why so many cover bands refuse to do weddings - so long as you're hired by either the bride or the groom (not the parents of the bride), you know they like your music and so will most of their friends. Charge them a fortune and have fun.
All true, but if you're gonna go for the 90s nostalgia market, would dance stuff like Spice Girls not work better? Especially at weddings?
I think that there are two different ways a band plays a wedding; one is where the bride and groom already know and love your band and ask you to play the reception. In that case, you play whatever your normal set list would be because the client expects to hear you be YOU.
But the more common situation is the classic "wedding band" that gets hired from a directory or by the wedding planner, which has a repertoire of hundreds of standards and the couple can request whatever list of songs they want. That's why weddings pay bigger bucks than the band in a bar. In those situations, you will usually be playing a pretty standard top-40-of-yesteryear type of set, and you can't be saying, "no, we only play X kind of songs."
@jive1's assessment of the set list - I went and looked up a few of the songs on the list that were unknowns to me, and you're right, they did chart. Maybe they would go over better than I think. I wasn't paying much attention to current music in the 90s (that was my Celtic folk phase); but the point is that SOME popular music of that era penetrated my consciousness even at the time, and some of these are not among them, so I doubt how well they would be remembered.
I wasn't panning the whole list anyway, I think songs like Kryptonite and the Middle are on their way to becoming the next generation of standards. I just had (and still have) doubts about some of the others, though.
jive1
Commercial User
Really?
I go to milwaukeerocks.com and I see tons of bands that do 80s and 90s and a bunch of venues that hire the bands that play that style of music. I click on a random weekend, and a majority of acts are covering 70s-90s. 80s is considered Classic Rock now, and it's not hip. It's standard.
jive1
Commercial User
It depends on the client and audience, I suppose. If they want Rock, I doubt that the Spice Girls or Brandi would fit the bill. From checking Billboard, it seems like the 90s had lots of cheesy R&B and Hip-Hop, poppy Alt-Rock, and leftover Arena rock from the 80s. Some of the bands that mark the 90s didn't chart as high or at all, but they were a part of the sound and a staple for bar bands now. Bands like Rage Against the Machine, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Sublime, etc. are popular in the bars, and it would be difficult to talk about Rock in the 90s without including those bands. But, those bands didn't chart either.
Interestingly, some bands and songs seem to do better in the cover band world than they did on the charts. For example, lots of cover bands will do Jimi Hendrix even though the only song that ever charted for him was All Along the Watchtower. But, you cannot say the guy wasn't an influential player and created classic songs that are still played now. In the reverse, some songs that chart won't ever be played by a cover band. Still haven't heard a cover band that does 'Pacman Fever'.
Great point's. Lot's of songs are dance faves that never charted or just made an appearane. "Blister in the Sun" and "Anything,Anything" come to mind.
I swear, the narow mindness in this thread (from mainly one source) is breath taking.
"I've never hear those songs, won't work at a wedding".
"Start ups always fail".
Sheesh. Good music did NOT stop getting made in 1975...
I don't know where you live, but a set list like that wouldn't work in Queensland (except perhaps the Gold Coast), and probably not in Sydney either. It's too narrow in terms of both taste and age. I would suggest throwing in some older stuff, even if it's just early 80's, which has a fairly broad appeal. Some classic Aussie rock tracks wouldn't go astray either - I'm sure you know what I mean. If you live in Melbourne, you might get away with it. The best live music city by a mile.
As to your question about weddings - the difference in money is huge. I play in a well established duo (we sometimes hire a band as well), and while we don't advertise to do weddings, we get asked to them quite often. As a duo, $3500 is the minimum, and we did one wedding with a band for $7500.
For all those who think weddings are completely lame - fair enough, I used to think the same thing. Funnily enough, wedding gigs are usually a lot of fun, and if you're single, they can be even more fun (woman, weddings and alcohol, a fine combination).
As to your question about weddings - the difference in money is huge. I play in a well established duo (we sometimes hire a band as well), and while we don't advertise to do weddings, we get asked to them quite often. As a duo, $3500 is the minimum, and we did one wedding with a band for $7500.
For all those who think weddings are completely lame - fair enough, I used to think the same thing. Funnily enough, wedding gigs are usually a lot of fun, and if you're single, they can be even more fun (woman, weddings and alcohol, a fine combination).
It's a good thing I live down in Melbourne then!!
Great Rock & Roll town, no doubt about it. I'm always suggesting to young bands to relocate to Melbourne. The ones that do never regret it.
jive1
Commercial User
It's just one man's experience in a metro area of over 1.5 million. You make it sound like Milwaukee is a small hick town, when the metro area is actually one of the most populated areas in the US.
Like I said, from looking around milwaukeerocks.com, the clubs listed there, the agencies in Milwaukee, etc., 80s and 90s music is popular is the thing. It's the popular thing everywhere, and it's only a matter of time till it becomes standard if it hasn't already.
80's and 90's music becoming any of sort of popular standard - not a chance. The early 80's through the 90's was the most desolate era in R&R history. 95% of it will be forgotten soon enough (and good riddance).
jive1
Commercial User
I'll make a friendly wager with you. In 10 years, if DJs and bands are still playing 80s and 90s music, you send me a pack of bass strings. If they don't, I'll send you a set. We can repeat this every 5 or 10 years if you like, until that era of music is removed from cover band and DJ playlists, or you're tired of sending me strings.
Disco was a flash in the pan, yet every wedding band knows "I Will Survive". And don't forget what the former head of Decca Records once said: "Guitar groups are on the way out…the Beatles have no future in show business."
That's a bet. While wedding bands may indeed play "I will survive", I don't hear any bands doing complete disco sets. I'm sure "Smells Like Teen Spirit" will become a standard, but it will be a lonely song in that era.
Hecks yeah! Even my folk rock/ Americana band covers I will Survive and Billy Jean...with a fiddle
jive1
Commercial User
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In addition to the disco tributes, check out the songlists of any of the corporate or wedding bands. Plenty of YMCA, Raining Men, Celebration, Le Freak, Get Down Tonight, etc. and that's just from a couple years worth of music. If a blip of music such as Disco can survive over 30 years, no doubt 2 decades worth of rock and roll will too.
50s, 60s, and 70s tributes still exist, and cover bands still play stuff from the 50s and 60s. No reason why it can't be said for the 80s and 90s. I have a pretty safe bet.
Bands Plus seems to be a decent agency that may last for another 10 years. So how about, if at least 5 bands on their roster have at least 5 80s or 90s tunes on their playlist, we'll consider it still alive. Or we can use the DJintelligence Top 200 requested songs of 2022. If there's at least 20 songs from the 80s and 90s on there, then I'll be getting some new bass strings. Or we can use both as criteria.
