There must be less cover bands than original bands

[bassbully]

You think you had a low turn out this past weekend
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Fortunately we had s boat cruise gig Saturday night and the turn out was fantastic.

Well that was about how many folks came and went all night at our gig. You know when you have say 10-12 people watching every thing you play very closely and then going nuts after you finish a song...it makes you play well and its makes you feel great.

 

[F-Clef-Jef]

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.

Summerfest?

Played there a few times, it always turned out kinda lame for us too.

 

[bluewine]

Summerfest?

Played there a few times, it always turned out kinda lame for us too.

While the crowd was thin it's still an honor to play summerfest.

I wouldn't call it lame. You get paid regardless and summerfest money is real nice.


There are many bands that can't get close to a summerfest booking.

 

[lfmn16]

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.

I don't get this animosity between cover and original bands. If I'm playing the guitar player's song, it's a cover song for me. I just want to play good songs. If we can write them, great; if not, let's play covers.

There is way too much putting other people down on TB if you don't agree with them and way too little encouraging people to follow their dreams. We all have our own goals; bravo to the man (or woman) with the stones to go after them against all odds.

 

[grinx]

amen, Brothers and Sisters

all i know is we're gonna need someone to cover our tunes when we're dead or broken-up

/ducks

 

[bluewine]

I don't get this animosity between cover and original bands. If I'm playing the guitar player's song, it's a cover song for me. I just want to play good songs. If we can write them, great; if not, let's play covers.

There is way too much putting other people down on TB if you don't agree with them and way too little encouraging people to follow their dreams. We all have our own goals; bravo to the man (or woman) with the stones to go after them against all odds.

I think there are 2 primary reasons for the animosity.

1. To be honest, some guys in originals bands think their a little better than guys in cover bands.

2. Originals guys are jealous because cover guys get paid.


Blue

 

[grinx]

you assume 'animosity' which is a broadly generalized view by some folks

original bands promote the undiscovered future
cover bands promote the already-established past

we do 20+ originals and 10+ covers for a 3-set night

i'd rather not do covers as it isn't promoting us originally, it only promotes us doing renditions of someone who has done the original before us

i'll open for anyone within an hour driving time and do it for nothing. anything more than 45 minutes of playing needs to be reimbursed in some form. that is our limit of acceptibility

you can only be jealous about being paid (more) if you are in it for the money

i'd rather play a night of originals for a bar tab than play a night of covers for $1000

sure it is fun to sometimes play someone else's music, i just don't want to do it on my personal time

there ARE two sides to this discussion and you are in a place where you don't desire to do originals and i don't wanna do covers

and yet, we both get gigs. you get paid more (i guess?) and i get a chance to reach the masses with never-before-heard songs that might even be covered one day

s'all good! there is no wrong or right.

i think the only animosity might be from cover or original bands who get ticked because Original_Band_X might lower the median income expectage for a gig if they play for next-to-nothing in the hopes of exchanging cash for the chance of affecting someone who might come see them again or tell/bring a friend about them

bring it!

who cares!

it is an argument that no side can win and yet we debate

 

[bluewine]

there ARE two sides to this discussion and you are in a place where you don't desire to do originals and i don't wanna do covers

No, I love originals and playing them. I'm 59, too old to play in most originals bands. I also charge $100.00 per show which is hard for a bass player in an originals band to get.

You, however seem to put down covers even though you wouldn't recognize one song out of our 4 sets.

 

[troy mcclure]

Of course it will depend on what's happening in your area, but I think this is a pretty good generic explanation to OP's mystery.

My cover band works pretty much all the time, playing fun energetic 4-hour gigs that people enjoy and dance to... and we make decent money. My band will NOT be looking for a bass player any time soon, if I can help it.

However, if I were in an original project that played 30-minute sets on a multi-band bill... for free... to a few other band's musicians who barely watched, THAT band would be looking for a bassist, like... yesterday!

Exactly !!!!

 

[bassbully]

I think there are 2 primary reasons for the animosity.

1. To be honest, some guys in originals bands think their a little better than guys in cover bands.

2. Originals guys are jealous because cover guys get paid.


Blue

False and false. First I have no animosity and really could care less but I don't think my band is better than any other originals covers etc. When did music become a competition? I hate that!

I am no way and never will be jealous of what a cover band makes since I don't play for money so how can I be jealous? Plus my band does get paid often as much but normally a bit under what local cover bands here make. In fact the only time I was a bit jealous was a few years back when I was in a cover band and found out what other cover bands were getting paid which was more than us.

Allot of people assume what people in originals bands think and do...most are wrong. I play with quite a few and know quite a few. We never talk about cover bands or put them down...ever. We talk about a few original bands in the area mostly positive since we support each other. We do play music people want to hear know why? They tell us, come see us, support us, buy our albums all over the world, send us emails from all over the world, get interviews and reviews on our albums from critics who like us and our music and get promoted by local events that also do to. So in a nutshell jealous? Please Blue you know that's a reach. We all can play covers and have but we all can't write material people will like enough to do what I just listed on here. Again, I don't really care but this is stupid and getting crazy..enough! Play what you like and quit all this covers v.s. originals crap.You know... Maybe there are those who are jealous of us?

 

[ChrisB2]

False and false. First I have no animosity and really could care less but I don't think my band is better than any other originals covers etc. When did music become a competition? I hate that!

I am no way and never will be jealous of what a cover band makes since I don't play for money so how can I be jealous? Plus my band does get paid often as much but normally a bit under what local cover bands here make. In fact the only time I was a bit jealous was a few years back when I was in a cover band and found out what other cover bands were getting paid which was more than us.

Allot of people assume what people in originals bands think and do...most are wrong. I play with quite a few and know quite a few. We never talk about cover bands or put them down...ever. We talk about a few original bands in the area mostly positive since we support each other. We do play music people want to hear know why? They tell us, come see us, support us, buy our albums all over the world, send us emails from all over the world, get interviews and reviews on our albums from critics who like us and our music and get promoted by local events that also do to. So in a nutshell jealous? Please Blue you know that's a reach. We all can play covers and have but we all can't write material people will like enough to do what I just listed on here. Again, I don't really care but this is stupid and getting crazy..enough! Play what you like and quit all this covers v.s. originals crap.You know... Maybe there are those who are jealous of us?

LOL. I was buying it until I got to the bolded part.

Just a bit lofty. Looks like Blue is right.

Then the last line just seals it. How do you criticize Blue in one sentence then turn around and say the exact same thing that you're criticizing him for? Too funny...

The only original band I would be jealous of would be one that has hit the big time and gets their "Money for nuthin'." LOL.

"Can't we all just get along???"

 

[Richland123]

I have never had animosity for musicians playing anything and I wholeheartedly encourage both cover and original acts of all types. I have always been in cover bands and occasionally did original songs with some of them. Just yesterday, I was in a studio producing a solo female guitarist and singer who recorded some of her versions of cover songs and her own original songs as well. I have written songs that were received well and it feels great when people like them. I have also been making money for 42 years playing cover songs.

 

[bassbully]

LOL. I was buying it until I got to the bolded part.

Just a bit lofty. Looks like Blue is right.

Then the last line just seals it. How do you criticize Blue in one sentence then turn around and say the exact same thing that you're criticizing him for? Too funny...

The only original band I would be jealous of would be one that has hit the big time and gets their "Money for nuthin'." LOL.

"Can't we all just get along???"

Its just the way you took it no big deal. What I was trying to say was anyone can do either covers or originals we all can and most do start with covers first at least in my experience. I don't know anyone who first picked up a guitar and just started writing songs right off the bat, most start playing other peoples songs. So we all can do it for the most part but we all can't write music music we can stand up to and go out to play to maybe judging crowds with confidence .I know guys who have told me to my face I don't have the guts to do what you do or spend the energy chasing original music gigs, playing for low pay,small crowds etc.
I can go out and join a cover band today and get paid, originals take allot of me where covers were auto pilot, sorry that's the way I feel from my personal experiences. That's all I was trying to say. Again, I really don't care and no jealousy or animosity..trust me.

 

[ChrisB2]

Its just the way you took it no big deal. What I was trying to say was anyone can do either covers or originals we all can and most do start with covers first at least in my experience. I don't know anyone who first picked up a guitar and just started writing songs right off the bat, most start playing other peoples songs. So we all can do it for the most part but we all can't write music music we can stand up to and go out to play to maybe judging crowds with confidence .I know guys who have told me to my face I don't have the guts to do what you do or spend the energy chasing original music gigs, playing for low pay,small crowds etc.
I can go out and join a cover band today and get paid, originals take allot of me where covers were auto pilot, sorry that's the way I feel from my personal experiences. That's all I was trying to say. Again, I really don't care and no jealousy or animosity..trust me.

You're right, no big deal, and I don't think it is either. I believe that you don't really care, and don't have animosity, or jealousy, and that you are happy in your band and could be in a cover band making more money. I buy all of that. What I don't buy is that Blue was wrong, I do think you think you're just a little bit better than cover bands. I've read a lot (not allot) of your posts and it's pretty clear that you have a slightly higher regard for original bands than cover bands. Nothing wrong with that, just own it.

I like to play in cover bands but I'm like you in this way; it's no big deal, I don't care, and I'm not jealous. But I think you deny a little truth here. Remember the disheveled drummer? I do...

No big deal though. Keep on doing your thing, I think it's great and your drummer should match your band. Just sayin'...

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I think there are 2 primary reasons for the animosity.

1. To be honest, some guys in originals bands think their a little better than guys in cover bands.

2. Originals guys are jealous because cover guys get paid.


Blue

No I think it is more about ...

When you play cover you don't create anything new because the music is already written, already created.

In original, well you make something new, you contribute to enrich the musical world instead of just regurgitate something at the best of your talent.

 

[ChrisB2]

No I think it is more about ...

When you play cover you don't create anything new because the music is already written, already created.

In original, well you make something new, you contribute to enrich the musical world instead of just regurgitate something at the best of your talent.

See, with that one word you just proved Blue right on point 1. The post would be fine if you had said "replaying" instead of "regurgitating." I don't care, but some guys simply need to accept their elitist opinions. There's nothing wrong with having it, but you look a little silly denying it and proclaiming it in the same post.

 

[bluewine]

When I hear a cover band I'm always looking and listening to a new approach to a song.

I think many of you are dumping all cover bands ginto "don't stop believing". That's where your way off.

The term "cover band" means many different things and classification of a band.

 

[ChrisB2]

I think there are 2 primary reasons for the animosity.

1. To be honest, some guys in originals bands think their a little better than guys in cover bands.

2. Originals guys are jealous because cover guys get paid.


Blue

There's a lot of truth in this. Remember, Blue said "some guys," not all guys. Obviously, it's true that some guys think this. You may not be one of the "some" but those guys are out there.

Then, when a guy who thinks he's "better" (whatever way he thinks it) than the cover bands gets less money, or no money, he may consequently feel that is somehow unfair, which may end up as "jealousy," more or less.

Blue's post wasn't wrong... but it is going to rile "some" of the original guys....

 

[Floyd Eye]

I have no animosity towards original band guys. They seem to enjoy throwing the old "We're in it for the glory" thing in your face though. MAybe it's like the guy with the Behringer UltraBass going on about how it sounds as good as an Ampeg at the fraction of the price. I don't know.

Generally, I tend to dislike most cover bands around here ( besides my own bad ass cover band that is) more than the original guys. In fact, I have brought some original bands with us to open shows so they could get some exposure. Almost no paying gigs exist here for original bands.

 

[ChrisB2]

When I hear a cover band I'm always looking and listening to a new approach to a song.

I think many of you are dumping all cover bands ginto "don't stop believing". That's where your way off.

You probably wouldn't like my bar band. We strive for matching the popular recorded version played on the radio. I'm constantly hearing parts that I don't play "correctly" and correcting them. This is a big source of pleasure for me. I get guys all the time complementing me on my ability to sound like the record, and execute some of the best and most challenging bass lines ever written.

It would be so easy for me to play my own lines; they're part of me, natural, and so much easier. I mostly play my own lines in my praise band. They're simple parts, I openly admit I can't write bass parts like Paul McCartney. But they also have much more of my personal style attached to them, which I like; and they're fun to play, because I'm playing what I want, not what someone else wrote. And they're much funkier than the classic rock/country lines in my bar band. But they're certainly not "better" or even as good as some of the cover songs I play.

I think some original guys think they're doing something harder than playing cover songs when they write their own lines. But they may not realize that they're writing something already automatically customized for their style, their sound, their preference of playing. It's actually harder to capture the essence of dozens of different styles than to play what's already comfortable for you. Sure, if you just play a dumbed-down version of the cover part, it's easy. But to actually hear, learn, remember, and execute the part... not easy.

Could I write music? Don't know, never tried. Just because I don't fly airplanes doesn't mean I'm incapable of learning how. But I don't want to write music; I want to entertain people, and the easiest way to do that is with popular cover music.

I'm perfectly happy doing what I do. I played in a cover band that didn't care about the record, and was unhappy. This is right where I want to be. And I have no bad feelings toward original bands. They should do what they want. But just because they write music does not make them better musicians-- and cover bands are no better either-- we're just on different paths.