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Songs or Covers To Avoid Playing?

#61
Originally posted by CJ_Marsicano


Without getting into an off-topic diversion over whether or not his death actually was a suicide or not... Nirvana were already established when Kurt died. Skynyrd's rep when they were a living breathing band wasn't as big on the northern side of the Mason-Dixie line as it became after the plane crash.
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Ok, I'm not gonna hijack this thread so I'll say this then I'll be done.

A) Courtney killed Kurt... end of story. Anyone not believe it? (Yeah right) Watch Kurt and Courtney (the movie)
B) I love Nirvana, and Punk.
C) I don't mind Skynyrd.
D) With all this being said, the death of a rockstar, if you die in your prime, you seem to live forever at your prime. Skynyrd reached their "prime" after the plane crash... regardless of when the death of the rockstar happened, it's a promotional tool of sorts. No one would talk about Kurt the way they do now if he didn't kill himself... he became a hero. Some ****ing hero, heavy drug user who killed himself... and wasn't that great of a guitarist. :rolleyes:
E) Once again, I love Nirvana... but... come on.
 
#63
Someone said:

"Brown Eyed Girl is to be avoided every time it's possible."

Oh, you mean one of the top 5 songs that will almost definitely get requested at any cover gig you ever do? The one that will make people really happy if you play it? I can see why you'd want to avoid that, wouldn't want to pander to the people paying the bill or anything.

I'll tell you what, though. I've heard some truly talented bass players be completely unable to play that song correctly. They always try to make the bass line a little hipper and totally blow the feel. They start adding all sorts of grace notes and making the groove more complex and ruin it. It's one of those incredibly simple songs that is really hard to play well.

Besides, I live right near the stadium that they were making love in the green grass behind in the lyric.
 
#66
Originally posted by corinpills
Someone said:

"Brown Eyed Girl is to be avoided every time it's possible."

Oh, you mean one of the top 5 songs that will almost definitely get requested at any cover gig you ever do? The one that will make people really happy if you play it? I can see why you'd want to avoid that, wouldn't want to pander to the people paying the bill or anything.
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Yeah, if you're going to be happy in a cover band, it's gotta be more about pleasing and connecting w/ the people. It's best when you can do that w/ your favorite songs, but your mostly supposed to be playing their favorite songs.

I played Brown Eyed Girl (yes I got the solo), Crazy Train, and Hip-Hop Medley last night, and everybody liked it, so I liked it. We got yells for Freebird but we don't know it. I think I'd like to put together a jazzy arrangement of it.
 
#67
From the responses I've seen posted if occured to me that maybe some of these songs to be avoided are to be avoided because the fans know them as well as we do and it's very hard to pull them off. If you play a lesser known cover, if you change it or miss something only a few people may notice. You screw up Freebird, Stairway, and other well known rock anthems everyone knows it.
Even when Skynyrd or Zeplin did them live they sounded different, but they where forgiven because it was their song. A cover band won't be forgiven. Just a thought.
 
#68
muddy,

very good perspective there regarding overplayed covers.

i say, instead of immediately gravitating towards the musty standards all the time, pull out some different material that will fit the set list and surprise the audience with it. you never know - someone in the audience will come to you and say, "thank you for playing that! I never expected to hear that song here!"

Originally posted by muddywaters
From the responses I've seen posted if occured to me that maybe some of these songs to be avoided are to be avoided because the fans know them as well as we do and it's very hard to pull them off. If you play a lesser known cover, if you change it or miss something only a few people may notice. You screw up Freebird, Stairway, and other well known rock anthems everyone knows it.
Even when Skynyrd or Zeplin did them live they sounded different, but they where forgiven because it was their song. A cover band won't be forgiven. Just a thought.
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#71
New guy in my band comes at me with a list of tunes that he'll never do and started giving me the crap about prostituting himself. He's gone.

The crowd wants it, you play it, end of story.

Whether you like it or not you are there to entertain. I don't like to listen to a lot of the music selections posted here and I agree with your feelings but I will play it hard for the crowd with a smile on my face and I will enjoy it as much as they are.:bassist:
 
#73
When I was coming up in bands years ago, there were songs that you just shouldn't do. "Stairway", "Comfortably Numb", and "Freebird" come to mind.

But after all these years....does the cover rule still apply?

i am sure someone will reply to this and say "play whatever you want", but thats not the point....

im just wondering if there is that silly little list of NO NO covers out there...have any songs been added to it since the 70s?
 

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