The Real Reason Why Bands Play the Same Old Tired Covers

[SanDiegoHarry]

Do you really believe that in a room full of 21-35 year olds that 'Brown Eyed Girl' will get them dancing moreso than 'All About that Bass', 'Gangnam Style', or 'Happy'?

I do weddings, where people will specifically request songs. My wedding clients are around the same age as most club goers, and nobody requests those tired old covers, unless it's for one of their parents or grandparents. I'm sure they would dance to 'Mustang Sally' at a bar, but they sure don't ask for it when they are shelling out thousands for a special day.

21 year-old's do NOT do out to see live music - they prefer DJs... damn them!

 

[Downunderwonder]

True story, the I first heard of Wagon Wheel I was jamming it out with an American tourist at an open mic. I thought he'd written some cheesy lyrics to some other jingle and gave myself a pat on the back for filling the dancefloor.

 

[jive1]

When good players "wing it," they've put in the time not just to learn 30-40 songs. They've put in time to be able to hear a song's parts *and* its possibilities—what makes it unique, as well as what deeper structures it shares with bits and pieces of other songs. There are still audiences for players like that tearing it up, whether busting open antique Stevie Wonder tunes or recent rock or pop hits.

It depends on the tune and band. There's some songs that if you wing it, you'll probably train wreck. Now, I'm not one of those note-for-note folks, but you have to play the changes. I had a great bassist who once performed at a national level that played a wedding gig with me, and 'My Old School' was on the list. He thought he could wing it, and it worked until we got to the second guitar solo. He didn't go into the break, and kept on playing the verse, which totally messed up my solo. There's a horn break afterwards and with him messing it up, the horns had to figure out where in the chart to pick it back up. We recovered, but we totally missed on playing the coolest section of the song. This wasn't a bar gig on the 4th set, this was a high dollar wedding and that was a requested tune. Bass player got replaced.

 

[REMBO]

I think the reason bands play the same old tired covers is:

there is a massive generation gap!! ....and, i'm not sure if we can change this! ya see, lots of us grew up listening to classic rock .....and, where did we go to see it BESIDES concert halls? ....NIGHT CLUBS!!!
and, in the NIGHT CLUBS there was a LARGE audience that went there to be entertained!

BUT, the younger generation missed all of the CLASSIC rock era!! there is no more saturday night fever or MTV generation.....the younger generation has missed that! they don't go to the clubs to hear Classic Rock! they go to dance clubs!

WE.... as the generation of classic rock, continue to play the songs that WE wanna hear from the heyday of Rock-N-Roll to an audience that no longer exists (The Generation Gap) ......we hope by doing so that we can stimulate an audience with obscure covers or reworked covers done with a special twist! .....but, the songs have become TIRED because the crowd has all but gone away...... sorry to say!

 

[BazzTard]

The real reason why bands play the same old tired covers? Lazy musicians. Over the years, I have been surprised at how many musicians cannot put in the time to learn a tune. It could be that they don't have time, don't have the ability, don't want to learn one for whatever reason, think they can wing it, etc. But, in the end, they don't learn the tune, so we have to punt and do a tired-old cover instead because everyone already knows it.

There's lots of older, experienced musicians who still play the same stuff that they played decades ago and think that Bon Jovi is modern rock. There's guys who think they can wing it, and it can work until you get the bridge that follows a different chord progression. There's guys who think a song is just 3 chords, so they don't bother to learn the harmonies, dynamic changes, etc. because they think it's easy. Yes, it's easy, but you can still suck at it. There's players who don't even touch their instrument outside of a practice or gig. And I can go on and on about the various issues, but it still comes down to effort, and there's lots of musicians who won't put in the effort.

Luckily, in my current band through some lineup changes, we have folks who will actually learn a tune. What I've learned is that there's lots of covers that aren't being played that go over well. It's just that you need to spend a little time listening to the tune and learning it. And it's usually not a tune you learned in the garage 20 years ago. No-one specifically requests Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Sweet Home Alabama, and lots of other tired covers from my band. Although we could do those tunes, none of them go over as well as the songs that lots of cover bands don't do that we do such as 'Impression That I Get' by the Bosstones or Reel Big Fish's version of 'Take On Me'.

And outside of my band, I've seen several examples too. Although 'American Girl' and 'Free Falling' by Tom Petty go over well, so does 'Running Down a Dream', 'Don't Do Me Like That', and 'The Waiting'. The way bands cover Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Skynyrd, and other iconic Classic Rock Bands, you'd think they only had 2-3 hit songs. But they actually had a bunch of them, but too many bands gravitate towards the 1-2 easiest songs they do. And even though Steely Dan had a bunch of radio hits, very few bands play their material because it takes some effort to learn. Actually, there's lots of hit songs that would go over well that are left on the table because people won't bother learning it.

Musicians put a lot of blame on the audiences, and sure they are part of the equation, but I don't buy it that it's the majority of the problem. The tired covers are like McDonalds, people eat there because it's convenient, cheap, and they know what to expect. But, it's rarely their favorite place to eat. I've heard plenty of musicians complain about apathetic audiences, but if you're being lazy and apathetic, they will pick up on that. Expecting audiences to be passionate about your apathy is pretty narcissistic and unrealistic, IMO. Although I've seen some non-tired covers clear a floor, I've seen so many of them work out well that I feel they are worthwhile doing. A song can be a hit, recognizable, and easy to dance to without being one that every band does.

In addition to lazy musicians, lazy and unimaginative promoters and booking agents contribute to the phenomena I call "same band, different name". Booking agents especially tend to be more conservative in their dealings and are loathe to take risks. For example, even though Modern Country has become mainstream and audiences are craving it, most booking agents will book another 80s-90s Rock cover band over a solid Country act.

Anyway, that's my rant.

gee you're SO great!

then there are those of us who WRITE THEIR OWN SONGS !

THAT is where the talent is mate, not someone who learns new covers lol.

how you can pass judgement on another covers band like you are so much better lol. All you are doing is playing newer covers, that haven't stood the test of time.
I'm not knocking covers bands, just your attitude that your covers are 'better" coz they're newer.

So,you play Beiger and GaGa and not Stones and Beatles? yes you are better lol

And why do you think booking agents book 80s 90s bands and not the others? Because that is what the PUNTERS want to hear. You can't be snobbish about covers,you are a jukebox.

I tried to explain to them that the audience has to have at least heard the song before or they will think it's one of our originals.

You miss their point, if you do an obscure cover well, they think it's an original. they love you more. what's wrong with that? Worked for us for years, Smithereens , Smiths, Mock Turtles, Charlatans, REM-we played them a year before they broke so people thought we were playing great originals.

 

[jive1]

21 year-old's do NOT do out to see live music - they prefer DJs... damn them!

To some degree, but there's some stuff that's very live band oriented that go over well with the younger crowd. Stuff like Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers, Grace Potter, Black Keys, etc.

 

[hsech]

Time constraints cause a lot of us to recycle the same old covers. We don't need to practice and just show up and play. I haven't heard anyone in the audience at our gigs come up and want us to do something new in a genre the band does not play. The requests we get are to repeat a song from an earlier set or one of the songs we played last time we were there.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

To some degree, but there's some stuff that's very live band oriented that go over well with the younger crowd. Stuff like Mumford & Sons, the Lumineers, Grace Potter, Black Keys, etc.

Fair enough. Frankly, I'd actually be willing to do cover bands again if they played new material. I am just so sick of those old tunes that I need to get more than $50 a night to make it worth while.

 

[DWBass]

Depends on the band or the musicians. One band I was in, what we played was dependent on what the BL/Keyboardist could handle. He was not very skilled in learning and playing (and recalling) 50-100+ songs that are required for a successful cover band so we tended to play the same tired crap gig after gig. Was ok at first but by the second year in, for me, I was worn out. I quit! Band went on for another year and is currently on hiatus. BL lost members and started to have money issues and not paying cats. A lot of musicians just don't have the capacity to take on and retain a LOT of songs.

As for the lazy musicians........you don't even need to be playing with cats like that. It's annoying and unproductive and limits the band's potential!

 

[SirMjac28]

They play them because people show up and they only get tired when the crowd does.

 

[vin*tone]

The real reason why bands play the same old tired covers? Lazy musicians. ...

I play in a band that does really obscure funk tunes. The crowd enjoys it and they don't know which tunes are original.... BUT people do come up to me after a gig and complain that they didn't know any of the songs. One girl called me self-indulgent! It's not all about me apparently.

 

[DWBass]

In addition, I have played for a lot of agent booked cover bands and they require a familiar songlist to present to potential clients. They want to hear the hits.....period. Not obscure stuff YOU may think will go over well. They don't care. It is what it is. I'm personally ok with it. I do like to add new Top40 hits though and tend to learn new stuff on my own in anticipation. I'm ok with playing anything as long as it's Top40. I'm NOT ok with playing obscure stuff just because.

 

[jive1]

gee you're SO great!
how you can pass judgement on another covers band like you are so much better lol. All you are doing is playing newer covers, that haven't stood the test of time.
I'm not knocking covers bands, just your attitude that your covers are 'better" coz they're newer.

So,you play Beiger and GaGa and not Stones and Beatles? yes you are better lol

I never said that I only do newer covers. I do LOTS of older covers, and I do lots of the tired old ones depending on the band I'm playing with. But, I like to give my audience a treat of playing a song that's recognizable, a hit, and something that other bands don't do. There's lots of old hits from the Beatles and Stones that bands don't play that I will. I found that less covered songs like "Dead Flowers", "Under My Thumb" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" go over just as well as standards like 'Honky Tonk Women' and 'Jumping Jack Flash'. I've had more people buy the band a round of drinks for covering 'Rocky Raccoon' than I did for 'I Saw Her Standing There'. The main point is that there's lots of great songs that go uncovered due to lack of effort.

And why do you think booking agents book 80s 90s bands and not the others? Because that is what the PUNTERS want to hear. You can't be snobbish about covers,you are a jukebox.

Yes, I am a juke box. But, a juke box with stage presence and little more personality. Some audiences dig 80s and 90s, but around here I will get just as many requests for 'Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy' as I do for 'American Girl', but the booking agents are stuck in their thing and miss out on an opportunity because it's different. I have no qualms giving the client what they want, and I find that they often want more than the tired old covers that every band does.

 

[Johnny Crab]

This one again?
Find another band if you don't like the one you're in.
Symphony orchestras are cover bands.

 

[jive1]

I wonder what people consider obscure? To me obscure means it's something that most people have never heard of.
Just because it's not standard, doesn't mean it's obscure. For example, Motown's catalog of hit tunes probably ranges around a hundred tunes, but only about a dozen are considered standard. But, that doesn't mean the rest are obscure.

 

[mellowinman]

We have managed to find songs that people love, but aren't the same easy songs.

Aerosmith- Train Kept a'Rolling, Ten Inch Record, Sweet Emotion
Beatles - Yer Blues, While my Guitar Gently Weeps, Don't Let me Down, Oh! Darling (we used to do Revolution)
Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (we used to do The Ocean, Bring it on Home, Thank You and Babe I'm Gonna Leave You) sometimes Rock and Roll, but we actually play it right, and it's because of non-stop love from the audience
Jimi - Voodoo Child (slight return)
Pink Floyd - Money, Comfortably Numb
Lynyrd Skynyrd - I Know a Little, Freebird (no way we will ever play Sweet Home Alabama, Simple Man, Tuesday's Gone or Gimme Three Steps)
Rolling Stones - Miss You
Allman Brothers - Whipping Post
Foghat - Slow Ride
Rick Derringer - Rock and Roll Hoochie Coo
AC/DC - Kicked in the Teeth, It's a Long Way to the Top
Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way
Uriah Heep - Stealin'

What many of these songs have in common are time changes, a need for vocal harmony, difficult lead vocals, distinctive instrumental parts, and a lot of changes. For me, it's a lot more fun to play any of those than the more straightforward stuff, but we throw in some of that as well, such as Rocking in the Free World, Hate Myself for Lovin' You, One Way or Another, etc.

The biggest thing is, there is nothing on the setlist that at least one or more of us doesn't absolutely LOVE, and that enthusiasm plays a big part in selling the song.

 

[mellowinman]

I love The Ocean. A clearly recognizable Zeppelin song but everyone insists on playing Rock and Roll and Whole Lotta Love instead.

The Ocean has a beat that no one can dance to. (as does Black Dog) I rarely hear bands play Whole Lotta Love, and I almost never hear anyone do it well. That song is a huge source of pride to us. Rock and Roll is just a song that, when played well, lights up a room. It's a really great song, and it's not that easy. Most bands totally screw the pooch with that one.

If I thought I could get the vocal right, we would do "D'yer Maker," but honestly, that one's just really hard to sing.

We also did Dazed and Confused for a time, but I've never seen audiences lose interest so quickly.

 

[two fingers]

Great rant Jive!

Here'a what I always struggle with. Why so much rehearsal? I played in a band for 10 years that played the Eastern Seaboard and we had about half a dozen rehearsals a year. And most of those were in January, which we pretty much took off for vacation except high-paying private stuff. We added new songs all the time. An idea got suggested to the musical director. If he bought it, he would email everyone the song and key along with which parts everyone would cover. Our job at that point was to have our part(s) ready for sound check at the next gig. We ran the song at sound check. 99% of the time the song was dead ready for show time. Occasionally if we had time we would hash out some stuff quickly and then it was ready. If the song just didn't come together he would email us notes about it for the next gig or we would scrap the whole thing and pick something else. And we did everything from the Cars to Tower of Power. If everyone did their job, we added several new songs a month without a single rehearsal.

You get to a point in your musical career where you can either play what you hear or not. Why bands have to play a song over and over again to get it tight is beyond me. The point is, hours and hours of rehearsal aren't even needed if everyone does his job.

The vast majority of gigs I do these days are fill-ins. More than half the time I have never met the band before sound check. Rehearsals? Not an option. But most of them go off without a hitch. I did a show recently with a drummer and guitar player from Baltimore. They were just swinging through doing a two man show with acoustic and percussion. They had a friend in my area who convinced them and me to do a show with a kit and bass. Those guys borrowed an electric and a rig and a drum kit. We sounded like we had played together for a decade. Half the songs I had never played before. (Heck, about ten I had never heard before.) What a great night. Crowd dug it. We had a blast.

Quit rehearsing and practice!

 

[two fingers]

I get what you're saying, and I would agree that today's payscale makes it less motivating to put in the work, especially when your limited time conflicts with the job that puts food on the table. But, I've also seen this happen on gigs where guys are getting paid $3-400 a gig, and to me that is an amount worth putting a little time to, especially if want another gig that pays that amount again. 40-50 songs is fine for a bar band, but it won't cut it for bigger money gigs like weddings and corporates.

Well stated. Somebody cuts your band a check for $5,000+ and you better be able to do some requests.

 

[joebar]

Miracle of Miracles, Mustang Sally has fallen from grace here. But Wagon Wheel is twice as popular as 'Sally ever was.

gun to my head-sally
wagon wheel sucks and it fell off the wagon