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Some guy was recording our gig Saturday night.

invader3k

invader3k

Feb 12, 2004
2,851
51
46
Fort Atkinson, WI
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#1
Title basically says it all. Our cover band was playing a standard bar gig this past Saturday night. My wife and the guitarist's girlfriend were sitting at the corner of the bar, and my wife was using my new Zoom recorder to get some video of us. Some dude sat down next to them and was having a drink. I didn't really think much of it since he looked pretty harmless.

After the first set, my wife asked me "Do you know that guy?" I said, "Nope, why?" "He's recording you guys," she said.

Sure enough, he had a small handheld recording propped on the bar rail and was audio taping our performance. I really didn't bother thinking much of it at the time, but should I? Just seemed weird that some random guy was recording our cover band.
 
#2
Maybe he's seen you before and likes your set? Maybe he bought a new handheld recorder and is practicing / experimenting with it.

Or maybe he's looking to start a cover band too, and wants to steal your set list :D Do you have special arrangements?

I record shows occasionally but only if I know the people who are performing. Some buddies of mine opened for Larry Miller so I recorded their show. When they were done and Larry Miller's set was about to start, I stopped recording.
 
#6
In this day and age of nearly everyone having a video camera on their phone and the proliferation of low-cost digital recorders, it's hard to find just about any performance that isn't recorded in some way. Not sure I would look too much into it.
 
#8
We have seen this happening quite often lately where people will audio or video record us playing certain songs just for their own personal enjoyment later on. With all the high tech recording gadgets out now, it's easy for people to do that. I have even spoken to somebody at a gig who recorded us and immediately sent it to their friend and said they had to come see us that night. I figure if somebody likes us that much record us, so be it. If I see it, I usually joke from the stage that they are going to put us on You Tube the next day.
 
#10
i think unless the club has a policy against it and or it can be enforced by security. i dont think u can do anything about that, everyone has a toy plus your a cover band so he might really like dig the covers. i usually always have a gadget when i see bands, ill try and record one song and hope its a good one main reason is i dont want to bother the band and i go on the vibe of the gig too.
 
#11
If you're doing covers, don't sweat it. Maybe they like your sound or your stage presence. Either way you're the one on stage and they're in the crowd which means they're a few steps behind you.

If they want to steal your set list, just learn a couple new tunes and change your set list.

If you were doing originals, that would be a different kettle of fish.
 
#12
I would be nothing but happy about it! For me I would ask for a copy of it. it's always nice to have a recording of a show for reference. It is understandable that you might have a bad performance end up on youtube, but that might make you want to play better next time too. Youtube can really help to expose a band.
 
#13
I wouldn't read too much into it, unless one of your band mates is on disability.

Since the jackass era there has always been some douche with a camera filming everyone and everything, the cell phone camera make that brand of d bag 10x more prevalent... I would just assume this is that guy...

Heck he could've needed stock footage for a snuff film he is making, there could be countless responses... you probably should've asked...
 
#16
Jim Nazium said:
That's what I thought too.
Click to expand...

I actually did think of that, but this bar has been around for a couple years and has live music almost every weekend. I assune they pay up to the necessary groups or they already would have been called out on it.

Again, he was only recording audio. I don't get why he'd want to record some random band covering Brown Eyed Girl for the millionth time, but whatever.
 
#17
I wouldn't read into it too much unless you believe you have reason to. My band gets recorded fairly often by people we don't know. I figure it's because they're drunk and they want a way to remember the band they saw.
 
#20
Saw a cover band playing on Beale St on a trip to Memphis. Thought they were great. Took my phone out to record a little bit and possibly put it up on Facebook.

Several band members start saying on the mic in the middle of the song to stop videoing, and all pointing at me. Mind you, i was in the back corner of this dark bar. Not sure how they ever saw me. I quickly stopped cause that is what they wanted, but found it incredibly stupid.

My band loves to have people video us, put it on youtube, facebook, or anything.....it helps spread your band out there.

These guys were all older guys, probably 60 years old, they were the house band, doing covers at some dive bar. I couldn't figure out any reason that they would be upset about someone videoing about a minute of one of there songs.

Anyways, I wasn't pissed or anything, and did as they wished, just found it very strange.
 

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