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The Official Covers vs Originals Thread

Original vs. Copy

  • I rather play with an original band.

    Votes: 84 46.9%

  • I rather play with a copy/cover band.

    Votes: 42 23.5%

  • It doesn’t matter.

    Votes: 53 29.6%
  • Total voters
    179
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#441
We do both. Out average 45 minute set is about 85% originals, with some covers. We do covers in our own style.

We often get requests for specific songs for private events, and we try to include those, if it isn't last minute.

A longer set means more covers.

Here's a cover from our most recent show:

 
#442
MarkMgibson said:
I still say it's all about songwriting, and whether you (or someone in your band) is capable of writing truly good songs. I've written over a 100 songs (and those are just ones I thought good enough to write down), but there's only about 10 which I ever play live (though not all on in one gig). Out of those, maybe 3 or 4 would be good enough to put on an album (maybe), but none would be good enough to release as a single. I bet many members here fall into that same category. I'll always write songs because I enjoy it, but I don't kid myself that I have any talent.
Click to expand...

This is a strange world. I haven't heard your songs but it takes talent to write anything, and any person stating that only a handful out of a big group has any merit probably has something going on musically. I think the problem with most people who turn their back on their creative impulses is that since they don't have the universal, timeless, million selling hit in their back pocket - that's it, they're done; it isn't in the deck for them to be like their rich heroes. Guess what? Most of the top selling stuff isn't great, it isn't even good. Musicians aren't supposed to be this defeatist. Good music is good music.
 
#443
Here's a video from Yes from back in the days when they were cleverly blurring the distinction between a cover band and doing their own stuff. It's a cover of the Richie Havens song "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed":



There are a lot of so-called cover bands these days doing similar kinds of rearrangements of existing material. They're not all playing note-for-note renditions of awful singalong tunes as some of the originals purists here suggest.

Also during some of these paying gigs, some of us will sneak some of our own stuff in just to test it out and see if the crowd likes it it or not. If they can't tell it's an original then that says something.
 
#444
Of course, any musician can play whatever the heck they want to play with none to say otherwise.

For me, the whole tenor of this thread is counter to the tradition of American popular music forms. The traditional approach is to pay dues learning styles, then incorporate, integrate, and take it forward to present something new. This generally involves playing both covers and originals, both being part of the process.

What's up with the all the parochialism? Popular music is inclusive. Get in the groove.:bassist:
 
#446
The Sloth said:
This is a strange world. I haven't heard your songs but it takes talent to write anything, and any person stating that only a handful out of a big group has any merit probably has something going on musically. I think the problem with most people who turn their back on their creative impulses is that since they don't have the universal, timeless, million selling hit in their back pocket - that's it, they're done; it isn't in the deck for them to be like their rich heroes. Guess what? Most of the top selling stuff isn't great, it isn't even good. Musicians aren't supposed to be this defeatist. Good music is good music.
Click to expand...

I'm not being defeatist - I simply know that I'm no songwriter- nor am I being humble; my songs just aren't very good. True, a lot of the top selling stuff around now isn't that great, but that makes no difference to me - I wouldn't want to release bad songs even if I could. While 100 songs may sounds like a lot, that's over a 30 year period. My point was simply that you can certainly be musically creative no matter what you're playing, but very few people can write truly great songs. I record original stuff all the time for fun, but if I played it live, I'd need chicken wire in front of the stage to protect me from flying beer bottles.

I shouldn't have commented on the other members here; I certainly meant no insult and I have no idea how many people here can write songs, or how good they are. There was a thread on a popular guitar forum a while back where someone basically asked how many people here are good songwriters. Some of the younger guys said they aspired to writing good songs, but hadn't got there yet. A handful said they'd written some good songs in collaboration with others. Most of the older guys said the same things as me (they were hopeless). Only about 5 or 6 people claimed to be good songwriters, and that ratio is true of all the musicians I know (and I know a lot). I'm guessing if you asked that question here, the results would probably be much the same.

I think anyone can learn to play music, and if they're dedicated, can become great musicians. Writing great music is different though - it requires a certain kind of imagination that few possess. That's just my opinion of course, and you know the old saying about those. ;)

All the best,
Mark
 
#448
A PM from our champion of cover band-age "bluewine" inspired this. Questions in my mind:
1.Do original's band folk project an air of "artist superiority" that puts cover band folk down?
2. Do cover band folk project an air of "you must be a 'tard to play for free and think you're going somewhere"?
3. Is there any reason to feel superior or inferior in either situation?

My votes are yes,yes,no.
nojj said:
"I want a clean fight, no hitting below the belt,
gouged eyes must be handed back to their respective owners after the match."
Click to expand...
 
#449
I'm thinking lot of us split the difference, and play both.
In the end, it's ALL music.

There's always exceptions, like tribute bands, and those venues that don't allow covers.

"I want a clean fight, no hitting below the belt,
gouged eyes must be handed back to their respective owners after the match."
 
#450
I'm with you nojj, not sure why it has to be one or the other - seems like people spend way too much time defending their current choice/idea of a good time playing music. And yes, most originals bands/players play covers too.
 
#451
I've pretty much always played in bands that write original material (very first band in high school was covers). The only way I can explain it is that doing either covers or original material requires a fair bit of work. But for me working on original material (jamming/recording/playing gigs/merch) doesn't feel like work.

With the time and effort involved playing in any band, which ever one you're doing you have to be having a good time.
 
#453
It's all music, and it's all good. I play with three main projects ... a classic country cover band, and in separate projects with two singer songwriters. One does all originals, the other about 50/50, and both give me license to freely interpret the bass parts (acoustic bass guitar or acoustic upright bass). Then I also sing, play acoustic guitar and keys, do some recording, a little writing of my own.

The "covers vs originals" thing is something that only seems to be a hot topic here in TB, in my experience.
 
#454
edpal said:
A PM from our champion of cover band-age "bluewine" inspired this. Questions in my mind:
1.Do original's band folk project an air of "artist superiority" that puts cover band folk down?
2. Do cover band folk project an air of "you must be a 'tard to play for free and think you're going somewhere"?
3. Is there any reason to feel superior or inferior in either situation?

My votes are yes,yes,no.
Click to expand...

Based on the title "originals vs the darkside", makes me think that #1 is sposda be the correct answer.. :hmm:

(Im in a coverband btw)

I have nothing against original bands ..other than: MOST of the original music that I hear from said bands is ..less than appealing to me personally and/or (IMO) has little or no chance of "making it big".

So, in my eyes, most of it I don't want to hear.

However, we NEED originals bands because: if nobody makin music, theres no more music..and were stuck listening to classic rock til the end of days..and hey, what are "we coverbands" gonna cover if people stop makin music? ;)

If I was say 16-28 again, I'd put forth more effort into writing and whatnot, these days its a sappy acoustic song here n' there just to get me laid, not to change the face of music. ;)


anyhoo.. It seems, as mentioned above , both #1 & #2 seem to be the case..around TB anyway.

That was several topix touched on in a few sentences..sorry for the ramble.

the correct answers are: Lots of times #1, Lots of times #2, and almost always #3.
 
#455
I think some people justify their choices by putting people who don't agree with their ideology down.

Me personally, I played in cover bands in my 20's and now original bands in my 30's. I sometimes get the impression I did this backward based upon some people's opinion. "You'll never make it as an originals act in your 30's; name one that did." My response is usually "Who is trying to make it?"

So, to me a more interesting question to me is: Are Original bands a young person's game, or can anybody play? I say "run what you brung, and play what you like". You want to be in a cover band at 22, cool. You want to write originals at 70, also cool.

I don't see why it has to be one or the other or one is better than the other.
 
#460
Played in an originals band for about 2 years. We did really well, we were playing shows in the bar scene like 3 nights a week. It was too much for me at the time so I quit and started a "casual" cover band. We made more in our first paying gig than I did in 2 years playing 2-3 shows a week with my originals band.

I know I'll never make a living playing music, but I love it when random ppl you don't know are belting out the lyrics with you. Thats why I love playing covers.
 
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