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My comment assumes that the band is a cover band in the general classic rock genre and the goal is to get gigs.
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The "Freebird Rule."
- Thread starter pablomago
- Start date
My comment assumes that the band is a cover band in the general classic rock genre and the goal is to get gigs.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Well, no, not really imo.. Good cover bands have to play a blend of classics & new hits to appease the crowd. That's their job. They don't have to take requests. They don't have to play songs they don't want to play either. If the audience doesn't want to hear any other of the billions of songs out there, maybe it's them that should stay in their garage. Also, I am playing for myself. I am playing to the audience. If they like it, awesome! If they don't, I tried. Just my $.02 and a different angle.
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buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
If you are getting paid, you are not playing for yourself. If everyone stayed home, you would not have a gig. No, I am not saying you have to do requests, but I get tired of the "playing for myself" attitude.
I have not played Freebird since the 1970s; however, my current band plays many of the most requested go to songs such as Gimme Three Steps for Mustang Sally the Brown Eyed Girl who lives in Margaritaville while looking Wonderful Tonight and many other songs. I am getting paid to entertain the audiences and we cover a wide variety of tunes.
The last time we were asked to play Freebird, I said, "Sorry, we don't play that song; but, we can play Gimme Three Steps and that song has some of the same notes as Freebird." The guy got a chuckle out of that and he loved the next song.
The last time we were asked to play Freebird, I said, "Sorry, we don't play that song; but, we can play Gimme Three Steps and that song has some of the same notes as Freebird." The guy got a chuckle out of that and he loved the next song.
Well, I do play for myself though. It feels good. It's a personal challenge. It's a release. It's something I can give to others to possibly enjoy. I don't look at "playing for myself" in a negative light at all. Yes, you're getting paid, but hopefully it's because you're a good entertainer who plays to the crowd. You are there to entertain them, for sure. But I'm there for myself all the same. Like said, just a different perspective.
Play songs by The Allman Brothers, the talented version of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
LOL I tease my LS loving friend about that all the time that LS dreamed that they were the Allman bros. Well the band chose the setlists not me and we cover 3-4 LS songs...no Allmans thou.
Back in the 90's, I heard a reggae version done by "The Toyes" a band out of Oregon. (remember "Smoke Two Joints"?).
My current band didn't assemble until 3 years ago, and during a jam someone suggested Freebird. I dictated that I would only play it if we reggae'd it up...and so it was born.
Not much request in So Cal for Wagon Wheel unless it's a country-oriented gig.......or a drunk gal in cowboy boots. (and I got no problem with that at all!)
If a band doesn't have the skill or the chops to play Freebird correctly they really should just stick to the stuff at their own level. Nobody wants to hear a hack version of a cool song. They're actually providing a public service by leaving the more demanding material for the higher level players.
That's probably the single biggest misconception in the music industry right there and the hardest lesson I ever had to swallow. You and I don't want to hear a hack version of anything. John Q public would MUCH rather hear a hack version of a song they ask for than the best version ever of something they didn't.
I played in a band that did a Monday night "songs we don't know night" where the audience would yell stuff and we would fake it...we did that so badly that two of the players actually started hating it to the point that they were on anti depressants ( that's no joke) to get through the torture..the worse it was, the more they wanted... it was a nightmare
Music is a whole different ball of wax--it affects our brains & our senses in ways that a joke, TV show or movie can.
There's a cool book about this & other things music related
Why You Love Music by John Powell.
Check it out--it will answer your question & others.
This is certainly one of the most intelligent and true posts about playing live I've ever read!
In Australia it's "Cold Chisel" you'll be demanded to play.
"PLAY SOME CHIZZZZELLLL!! YOU KNOW ANY BARNSEY?"
Bow River is crowd fav, just works out it's one of ours too.
P.S Cold Chisel are really good if people don't know them.
"PLAY SOME CHIZZZZELLLL!! YOU KNOW ANY BARNSEY?"
Bow River is crowd fav, just works out it's one of ours too.
P.S Cold Chisel are really good if people don't know them.
Sr. or Jr.? I'd have no qualms attempting the former, as long as the band could do any of his catalog justice, but I'd think anyone screaming for the latter is hammered and would be looking for a fight eventually.
