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Songs I do not want to play

#21
two fingers said:
Fine by me. Having played both at the proper tempo hundreds of times (using a drummer who clicked off every song with a metronome) I can tell you that Funky Music got them slammed up against the stage dancing and Get On Up sent them to the bar more often than not.

But that's anecdotal at best. I concede that point.

Get On Up is fun and funky to play, but (in my experience) hasn't translated to full dance floors, and even rather the opposite at times.
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I guess it depends on the crowd. I personally don't know anyone who won't "git own up!" and dance to the sound of "Sex Machine."

Also, "Play That Funky Music" was a bigger and more familiar mainstream hit.
 
#25
oldrocker said:
If I'm already in the band I never refuse to play any song the group wants to play. I'm OK with Mustang Sally, Sweet Home and even Brown Eyed Girl but as I get older and crankier when considering a new band and checking out their songlist there are a few that will cause me to automatically pass:

- No Matter What - Badfinger. Why do so many classic rock bands play this song. Who do they think wants to hear this thing. It may be easy to play but so boring to play and to listen to.

- Play That Funky Music. What's the deal with this song. If they want something funky or that people can dance to why not some James Brown, Temptations of even some Blues Brothers.

There are more that I can't remember right now. What's on you non-starter list.

As a disclaimer I have to say that I'm a non pro and play for fun so I can be selective as I don't count on music to pay the mortgage.
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See, but I would put all of those songs in the same category. I'm not sure why those are worse.
 
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#28
about 10 years ago, I decided that I would move away from focusing on cover/commercial work and focus on original music projects and see if I could still make money. 10 years later that's pretty much all I do now and I have a well booked calendar. What I really like about it is that audiences come out to see the artist and their particular style of music, and they don't have the same expectations as they often do with a cover band music (i.e if it does not sound like the original record, they don't like it so much)

Having said that, I do end up playing a cover tune here and there (maybe 1 tune in 20), but usually in the context of the original music artists I am playing with.

Like some who have already responded my view is, "if they pay, I'll play" I do it for fun, but it is a professional skill, and so I get paid to do it.
If they want to play Mustang Sally, I'm down. :thumbsup:
 
#31
two fingers said:
Play That Funky Music is ten times easier to dance to than Get On Up by James Brown. Most James Brown songs made for great entertaining shows but are too fast or too slow to dance to....regardless of how "funky" they are.

The problem with most funk songs is that we white guys always play them way too fast. :D Speed sucks the funk right out of a funky dance song.

If the hang is good, the players are good, the money is good, and the gig isn't too much travel I will play whatever.
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Isn't it amazing how volume and speed are not necessary to create catchy parts? Listen to Harvey Mason on the first HeadHunters album, or Jim Capaldi's work with Traffic. Not loud or particularly fast, but great. If drummers can do it, we can, too.
 
#33
This kinda came up at rehearsal this wekeend for a new project I'm in. It's more or less rootsy rock, but we're trying to avoid the $200 bar gigs, so we are going to need to learn a good amount of covers. While claiming that I'll be open-minded, I also said I didn't want to play any country or anything more or less exceedingly boring... My wheelhouse is funk so this is a bit outside of my comfort zone (which is good) but I'm only willing to go so far, and I will definitely draw the line at modern country...
 
#34
jamro217 said:
Isn't it amazing how volume and speed are not necessary to create catchy parts? Listen to Harvey Mason on the first HeadHunters album, or Jim Capaldi's work with Traffic. Not loud or particularly fast, but great. If drummers can do it, we can, too.
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Yeah, open space in the rhythm section is the funkiest thing ever. Couple that with playing so far back in the pocket that the drums have to DRAG you along kicking and screaming and the funk goes to another level.
 
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#37
jamro217 said:
Yeah, like you have to come up with an excuse for coming in late ("I missed my bus.") :smug:
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I'm going to start using that. "If you wanna be funky, play so far back in the pocket they think you ain't there yet." :roflmao:

(Not enough busses in my area to steal your quote word for word. :D)
 
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#38
oldrocker said:
- No Matter What - Badfinger. Why do so many classic rock bands play this song. Who do they think wants to hear this thing. It may be easy to play but so boring to play and to listen to.
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Idk, I love Badfinger and I've never heard someone do a cover of them and furthermore If I was in a bar and a band started covering Badfinger you'd have my attention for the rest of the night but thats just me.

As for the my list Id say:
Any of the Skynard hits (freeboard, sweet home, gimme 3 steps)
Anything U2
Anything Springsteen
Wagon Wheel
Run around Sue

thats a few of the big ones
 
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