What if there was only original band

[SubHuman]

The secret sometimes is to subliminally tell the audience it’s a cover and they will happily dance along. We used to play originals at clubs that only hired cover bands and most of the time the dancers and audience or club owners just kept rocking when we slipped in our own tune. It’s great to see a crowd jam along with a song you’ve written!

 

[callofcthulhu]

And would people pay to hear them?

Well given the premise of this hypothetical question--that there is no other option--I have to imagine they would.

 

[LBS-bass]

The secret sometimes is to subliminally tell the audience it’s a cover and they will happily dance along. We used to play originals at clubs that only hired cover bands and most of the time the dancers and audience or club owners just kept rocking when we slipped in our own tune. It’s great to see a crowd jam along with a song you’ve written!

We used to do a two set show at a local club regularly. We'd just pepper our originals in with the covers people wanted to hear and dance to, and everyone loved it. This club does have a reputation for being a music-lover's club, so the crowd there is primed to hear music of all kinds. But we found people are very receptive to our own music when we just pepper it in.

 

[ArtechnikA]

Or create a lot of work for composers and computers.

If the members of the orchestra do not collaborate in the composition, and are only playing someone else's music, how is that different from a cover band?
Whether the person is alive or Mozart, it's always original to someone.

 

[Downunderwonder]

If the members of the orchestra do not collaborate in the composition, and are only playing someone else's music, how is that different from a cover band?
Whether the person is alive or Mozart, it's always original to someone.

Simple, in the hypothetical situation proposed the orchestras would be employing composers to stay in business. All the old stuff would be gathering dust. And pigs would fly.

 

[EchoEcho]

When I go to see an band/singer-songwriter, my sole requirement is that they are NOT a covers band/singer. I'm only interested in hearing original material, and I consider covers bands to be ten-a-penny.

I honestly don't think I would ever want to be in a covers band as it would feel very soul destroying, playing nothing but other people's songs.

 

[mcnach]

It's the difference between not loosing an audience, and having to win an audience over in the first place.

True.

Also, when you play covers, there are some clear sure hits, and others where you may take a chance... and sometimes you choose a song that for some reason doesn't really seem to go well with the audiences, so you drop it from your list. However, when it's your own song, the high and the lows are bigger. You have this song you really like, you've worked on it for a while... and people go get a beer when you play it. It's so disappointing! But conversely, when you bring in a new song and it works and people are going for it... oh yes

This particular originals band has been going on for about 10 years, we've got three albums put and many more songs that never got recorded. *NOW* it is fun. But it took a lot of effort and playing 30 minute slots to randoms for a good 2-3 years. I'm not sure I'd had it in me to go through it again. These days I just want to play in established bands. With cover bands you can do things much faster. A friend of mine started up a UB40 tribute band back in November, and by the end of January we were playing live and booking gigs left and right (based on existing contacts) [1]. With a new originals band... no chance. Unless you're famous and can call your new project a supergroup

[1] ... and then coronavirus arrived, and we never played again. It was supposed to be such a busy summer First gig in our books is in September now, and it's not certain it'll go ahead.

 

[mcnach]

My main and busiest band is originals, so... yes!

(it does take longer to get it off the ground than a covers band, but it feels much better when it works out... and nobody can tell me I play the basslines wrong )

I just remembered something, so I'll put my grandpa-telling-stories hat and share this with you whether you want to hear it or not

Late 2014, playing at one of our regular local music venues, I noticed this girl and her friend really enjoying us. She sang along to many of the songs. Cool, if not particularly unusual. This is a venue where we used to play once a month, two 45' sets late on a Friday or Saturday evening. She kept showing up, and bringing people.

September 2015. By then she was an established 'fan', had our CDs signed (well, one album only then), our t-shirt, and would show up at pretty much every show we did in this city. We were in hello-how-are-you terms but never really talked much.
I had noticed she was looking at me a lot, but didn't think anything of it. Then, during a break, she comes to talk to me and tells me that she has been paying attention to how I play, because she plays bass and she is learning the songs in our first album... but there's one song she can't figure out what I do on the album, and when she looks at me live, it doesn't make sense to her. That's when I tell her "yeah, for the recording, it was a very new song and I had a bassline that I never really loved but that's all I had at the time. Now I play something else".

So, essentially she came to talk to me because I was playing my own bassline 'wrong'

October 2015, our second album is out, big party for the launch. Two weeks later... she's my girlfriend. Been together since. So... play things 'wrong' sometimes, you never know!!!

 

[SubHuman]

True.

Also, when you play covers, there are some clear sure hits, and others where you may take a chance... and sometimes you choose a song that for some reason doesn't really seem to go well with the audiences, so you drop it from your list. However, when it's your own song, the high and the lows are bigger. You have this song you really like, you've worked on it for a while... and people go get a beer when you play it. It's so disappointing! But conversely, when you bring in a new song and it works and people are going for it... oh yes

This particular originals band has been going on for about 10 years, we've got three albums put and many more songs that never got recorded. *NOW* it is fun. But it took a lot of effort and playing 30 minute slots to randoms for a good 2-3 years. I'm not sure I'd had it in me to go through it again. These days I just want to play in established bands. With cover bands you can do things much faster. A friend of mine started up a UB40 tribute band back in November, and by the end of January we were playing live and booking gigs left and right (based on existing contacts) [1]. With a new originals band... no chance. Unless you're famous and can call your new project a supergroup

[1] ... and then coronavirus arrived, and we never played again. It was supposed to be such a busy summer First gig in our books is in September now, and it's not certain it'll go ahead.

I hear ya man! This virus has definitely ruined music for local bands whether they’re a cover band or originals. I am finally, slowly getting back together with my gang. Solo is OK but I need my band mates to feed my creative energy!
Let’s hope this dang virus blows out of here by 2021! Best of luck and Keep on Rockin’ in the free world!

 

[fdeck]

Like any arbitrary rule that limits music, it would have its pro's and con's. I love playing in bands with well written original material, but it's hard to write. I don't know how to do it myself. For jazz and "legit" music, pretty much the only people who can develop any sizable body of work have music degrees and are extremely dedicated to the craft. But even those people gain a lot of their inspiration from borrowing, sharing, and stealing.

I was in an experimental trio for a while, with a guitarist who had about an inch thick of originals. He went to North Texas State, then got his Master's at Indiana U. And he wrote some really imaginative material. For one concert, we played all original jazz in odd meters. It took us months to rehearse, much of the time just learning how to groove in the meter of each piece. That was a blast. Then he moved away.

 

[MichelD]

Like any arbitrary rule that limits music, it would have its pro's and con's. I love playing in bands with well written original material, but it's hard to write. I don't know how to do it myself. For jazz and "legit" music, pretty much the only people who can develop any sizable body of work have music degrees and are extremely dedicated to the craft. But even those people gain a lot of their inspiration from borrowing, sharing, and stealing.

I was in an experimental trio for a while, with a guitarist who had about an inch thick of originals. He went to North Texas State, then got his Master's at Indiana U. And he wrote some really imaginative material. For one concert, we played all original jazz in odd meters. It took us months to rehearse, much of the time just learning how to groove in the meter of each piece. That was a blast. Then he moved away.

Some people are just naturals. A very good friend of mine has over 200 original songs in his repertoire. It's not about education. He's a self-taught musician, and yes, he has an English degree, but that is not where the songs come from. There is inspiration and talent. Some songs have complex chord progressions, some are based on blues changes, but his lyrics are always funny or thoughtful and clever.

 

[Xyth]

I would happily never play covers again. Composing, arranging, performing, and recording your own songs is so much more satisfying.

 

[QORC]

Thank goodness for all the original bands that did the hard work of creating material for the cover bands to play!

and the songs actually worth covering came from perhaps .0000001% of every original band that ever was. So no, thanking original bands in general is simply not appropriate.

I would say thank God for cover bands, or most live music venues that original also get to play in would not survive.

 

[Lowbrow]

and the songs actually worth covering came from perhaps .0000001% of every original band that ever was. So no, thanking original bands in general is simply not appropriate.

I would say thank God for cover bands, or most live music venues that original also get to play in would not survive.

Well, I did specify that I was talking about bands that created original material that cover bands play ... but if you choose to overlook that then I guess you're right: original bands suck and cover bands are great. The Fly-By-Night Experience band is better than Rush; Firehouse is better than Kiss; The Sticky Fingers are better than the Rolling Stones. Why, you ask? Cause they bring it on home to the people NIGHT after sweaty NIGHT, providing the lifeblood of the live music venue for original bands to simply leech off of while pleasing no one.

 

[Texican]

I haven’t read all seven pages, but I’m guessing that the typical “covers vs originals” arguments have been made already.

I’ll just say this:

1.) Great originals bands beat great cover bands all day long... *at least for the fulfillment of musicians in the band and in the audience*... but most original bands aren’t great, or even good really. Don’t believe me? Hit your local Craigslist for a year and jam with every band you can. If you aren’t convinced that most of them sucked, maybe you are one of them. Tough pill to swallow.

2.) Remember how I said “for the fulfillment of musicians”? Well in the unlikely event that you’re in a great original band, YOU STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT BAR PATRONS WANT TO HEAR COVERS. Sorry. It is what it is. Which leads me to:

3.) To answer the OP, if all live acts were only allowed to play originals, most bars would start booking DJ’s. The market is cruel, but it doesn’t lie. Obviously there would still be dedicated “listening room” venues for the few people that go out specifically to hear new music. But supply and demand would dictate that you’d have to be a great band to get stage time... and you’d probably have to pay to play.



In most US cities and towns, if you want to hear good original music, you’re going to have to go to YouTube, not your local bar.

 

[Downunderwonder]

The Rolling Stones got traction as a cover band before switching lanes. They still do a mean cover.