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There must be less cover bands than original bands

#22
Most of the ads I see looking for musicians for original bands are unrealistic. They generally want you to drop your whole life, jam at least two to three times a week and be very serious about making it big. That and they don't have any gigs or they're the standard multi band night type of gigs and you make no money.

On the occasions that I check out the local musicians wanted classifieds, there's barely an ad that I would even consider even answering. I have always found the best way to find competent musicians is to network.
 
#23
the SECOND you join a cover band is the INSTANT any dreams you had as a musical artist die. you are now a performer and there is nothing wrong with that.

NO ONE remembers cover bands

i'd rather load in and play to a mostly empty house and affect 1 person with originals than play to 100+ people dancing to your version of someone else's music

not everyone needs or cares about money

some of us need or care about doing something that no one else has done before
 
#24
I think there's a difference between the type of area you live in... I always got the impression that

Central areas of large cities: Far more original bands (younger set of musicians/younger crowd)

Suburbs and smaller towns: More covers-playing bands (All the "inspired artists" move to the big city to "make it"/older nostalgia-seeking crowd).

Possibly.
 
#25
In my area its 50/50 for bands looking cover and originals. The cover bands are good and bad the originals the same but we have a strong originals scene with national bands having a small history here so people think they can make it. We just had a new small national original band come thru a weekly free Friday concert that packed them in. There were as many people come out for them as do for national tribute bands that normally play there weekly.
 
#26
There are a few originals bands here and a few venues and events that support them but they don't play often or make much money. One organization at a local arts center is called Songworks and provides songwriting get togethers as well as performances. I have quite a few friends who play in these acts but they also play covers as well and mix it up. I recently did a fill in gig with a band that does both covers and originals. I had fun and they got paid decently. They asked me to do some more gigs with them and I will as long as my regular band is not booked. My cover band plays about 80 gigs a year and we get paid well. So, maybe I will be doing both.
 
#29
grinx said:
the SECOND you join a cover band is the INSTANT any dreams you had as a musical artist die. you are now a performer and there is nothing wrong with that.

NO ONE remembers cover bands

i'd rather load in and play to a mostly empty house and affect 1 person with originals than play to 100+ people dancing to your version of someone else's music

not everyone needs or cares about money

some of us need or care about doing something that no one else has done before
Click to expand...

I play in a working blues rock cover band that covers all of my needs and requirements as a musical artist









I love being a performer/ entertaining people with music they want to hear.

At least 50% of our business is repeat bookings. I guess these venues remembered us and our fee.


I don't need the money. I do care about it because I want to be compensated for the service my band provides.

Not caring about money is code for, my band can't figure out how to get market value paying gigs.

Every time I play any of our material nobody including me has played it the same way before.
 
#30
Seems like lately in our area (Central MA) it's been mostly tribute bands. I'm in a Tom Petty semi-tribute (we play the music, but don't try to cop the look), and I've seen ads for Heart, Skynyrd, Stones, and a couple of other tribs I can't remember right now. I'd like to try my hand at a Rush tribute someday, but finding Alex and Neil is going to be nearly impossible!
 
#31
grinx said:
i'd rather load in and play to a mostly empty house and affect 1 person with originals than play to 100+ people dancing to your version of someone else's music
Click to expand...

You should come to Milwaukee, you would realize your dream, because you would be playing to just about your benchmark 1or 2 people.

I can't say if your music would affect them or not.
 
#32
grinx said:
the SECOND you join a cover band is the INSTANT any dreams you had as a musical artist die. you are now a performer and there is nothing wrong with that.

NO ONE remembers cover bands
Click to expand...

Hmmm... That's funny, because I play in BOTH an originals AND a cover band, and both bands do pretty well... AND people around here remember who my cover band is, hence the repeat bookings. Wrong on all counts. Not sure why there's always this snob attitude coming from both sides. Playing in a cover band doesn't make you less of an "artist", and playing in an originals band doesn't make you less of a "performer".

The originals gigs aren't about the money, though we rarely actually play for free. Normally we go in to a show with no guarantee of any pay, but because we're actually a decent band that draws a small crowd, we usually make $50 to $75 for a single 30-45 minute set. Enough to cover gas and any other expenses, and maybe some Taco Bell afterward. The cover gigs are about the money, but if I weren't still having fun doing it, I probably wouldn't be doing it. It helps me afford to be in an originals act while keeping a part time day job, and it helps me pay for the necessary things it takes to be in a legitimate originals band, such a professional recordings, merch, etc.

I will certainly agree to the fact that there are an awful lot of originals acts who just plain can't write a decent song to save their life, but on the other hand, there an awful lot of cover bands who play mediocre-at-best versions of songs.

I guess I'm getting pretty off-topic, so I'll just say, yes OP, you're right. The amount of covers acts looking for players is much smaller than originals, most likely because the working bands keep players around much longer on average. Money is a big motivator for most, but it takes heart and dedication to stick around in an originals band.
 
#33
In my experience pieple are more likely to get up and dance to songs they know. But I think the genre has a lot to do with it too. When I see an original band playing reggae or funk, my gracefully challenged dance moves are busting out big time, along with most everyone else.
 
#35
bluewine said:
You should come to Milwaukee, you would realize your dream, because you would be playing to just about your benchmark 1or 2 people.

I can't say if your music would affect them or not.
Click to expand...

My bands gig this past wekend was bad. We had very few people show up for us and the club is going thru major changes and struggling to keep the doors open. The owner has lost interest and does no advertising at all making mattere worse. We still gave 100% for those there and they really enjoyed the show. I would not of played any different if there would of been 500 people of the 10 that were there. Yes, it would of been nice to have a better crowd but to have people who enjoy what you do?...priceless.
 
#36
i don't dance and i'm not in a dance band

i played covers the first 10 years of my musical life because, my friends played covers and i played with them. or, someone needed a bass player and i played with them.

the first time i played MY songs out i opened for our 'money earnin' covers band'.......an engineer who just happened to be there at the bar trolling for trim heard me/us and came up to me afterward and said 'that was AWESOME! have you recorded these? let me do it for free just so i can have a copy?'. done. he thought it was better'n sliced bread.

i NEVER got that reaction from being in a cover band. and never will. 2 different beasts altogether.

nothing wrong with covers but i don't need or want to do them now AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH COVER BANDS. IT IS JUST NOT MY BAG ANYMORE. one of my best friends is a sick guitarist/singer in a Va. cover band (eye soar). he sings like Mick and plays like Keith. if i ever wanted to see the Stones, i'd go see him instead.

it just ain't my bag
 
#37
grinx said:
i don't dance and i'm not in a dance band

i played covers the first 10 years of my musical life because, my friends played covers and i played with them. or, someone needed a bass player and i played with them.

the first time i played MY songs out i opened for our 'money earnin' covers band'.......an engineer who just happened to be there at the bar trolling for trim heard me/us and came up to me afterward and said 'that was AWESOME! have you recorded these? let me do it for free just so i can have a copy?'. done. he thought it was better'n sliced bread.

i NEVER got that reaction from being in a cover band. and never will. 2 different beasts altogether.

nothing wrong with covers but i don't need or want to do them now AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH COVER BANDS. IT IS JUST NOT MY BAG ANYMORE. one of my best friends is a sick guitarist/singer in a Va. cover band (eye soar). he sings like Mick and plays like Keith. if i ever wanted to see the Stones, i'd go see him instead.

it just ain't my bag
Click to expand...

I feel ya. I get more from people coming up to us after a show asking about our music, tellling us how great it is and that we should be on the radio etc.
Signing a CD you recorded,produced and played on or signing a show poster is a rush although its only here it's there its great.
The rush I get from those people alone beats when we play to hundreds who just turn away and head home when we are done..hands down.
I also have nothing against covers, used to play them and still do play some here and there. Originals are my bag for like I have said allot of times it allows me to be creative,express myself and do my thing. If all musicians world wide stopped recording and writing their own music right here today? What would we have for the future?
 
#39
Just some food for thought.

If 100% of the bands played cover songs and nobody ever did any new original songs, there would never be any new songs for bands to cover.

So, somebody has to do new original tunes.
 
#40
bassbully said:
My bands gig this past wekend was bad. We had very few people show up for us and the club is going thru major changes and struggling to keep the doors open. The owner has lost interest and does no advertising at all making mattere worse. We still gave 100% for those there and they really enjoyed the show. I would not of played any different if there would of been 500 people of the 10 that were there. Yes, it would of been nice to have a better crowd but to have people who enjoy what you do?...priceless.
Click to expand...

You think you had a low turn out this past weekend
Top this :)

Fortunately we had s boat cruise gig Saturday night and the turn out was fantastic.
 

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