Your feeling towards bands. The covers and orignals discussion.

[greenboy]

Didn't realize you were so jaded, greenboy.

If that is what you read, it sure isn't what I wrote ; }

Just because many bands fail at being a strong creative entity in no way means no one should aspire to it. That's crazy talk.

I hope you weren't referring to my two paltry posts. Because I didn't say anything like that.

I encourage everyone posting 10 paragraph treatises to this thread to go expend just as much creative energy trying to write a song. Trust me, the world will be a better place because of it.

Agreed. Internet gasbags who spend so much time to factionalize and falsly segment the concepts of creativity probably aren't experiencing much of it themselves ; } ...Or they are frustrated, and picking a target to blame, and the wrong target at that.

I doubt many truly talented and focused originals musicians would ever bother to launch into these kinds of tirades. That's been my experience anyway.

 

[mrjer]

This is silly. Cover band musicians are not stealing money from musicians. At least it is still live-played music. Where I am, DJs are taking more gigs from original bands. I just joined a cover band after 20 years of playing songs written by my bands. I did self-promoted tours for several years. When I settled down, I got a job at the local music venue/club.....capacity of about 2,000 per show. I worked with the local booking agent and club manager and got involved in the business end of music.

Cover bands are simply a different product. In the USA, we have demand and supply...cover bands fill the demand in specific bars. I REALLY don't get the animosity that musicians have against other musicians. We all face bigger threats in this day and age.
For me, I enjoy getting paid well to play covers in venues where people want to hear covers. I am happy that I can now afford gear that I couldn't when I was pouring myself into the performance of songs I wrote......that gave me a different reward and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to do it!!!!
These days, I still write songs......but I am also proud to be part of a talented working (well-paid) cover band!
Just my two cents, but I don't get the argument!

 

[txbasschik]

Didn't realize you were so jaded, greenboy.

Just because many bands fail at being a strong creative entity in no way means no one should aspire to it. That's crazy talk. Creative energy is indeed holy, even when it misses the mark, sometimes even more-so when it whiffs completely.


I encourage everyone posting 10 paragraph treatises to this thread to go expend just as much creative energy trying to write a song. Trust me, the world will be a better place because of it.

HehHeh...not if its a song I wrote. I don't bring my songs to my band 'cause they're awful. Suck-Out-Loud crappiness. I figure there's enough bad music in the world...why litter?

I'm not a good writer. I am good, however, at taking my guits' songs and making them interesting...that's why I'm in the band.

Not everyone can write a song. Some of us are just really good interpreters.

Cherie

 

[txbasschik]

What makes you think that ASCAP even wants, or is equipped to deal with, all the thousands of set lists that could potentially be sent to them every week? Even if every single cover band in the US sent every set list, every week, do you really think that ASCAP is going to do anything other than get a bigger dumpster? I have yet to see any evidence that any PRO wants anybody's set list, let alone everybody's.

Compliance isn't the issue, since nobody is failing to comply with anything. There's clearly a very deep resentment on the part of some members of one "class" of musicians for another. To me, that's a bigger issue than whether or not Wilson Pickett's estate gets an accurate accounting of every playing of "Mustang Sally".

They don't want anyone's set list. I almost shot coffee out my nose, laughing at the suggestion that they do. They don't have time for it. That's why the blanket liscensing.

Cherie

 

[txbasschik]

Nobody said you're breaking a law.... nobody said you should ever send a check to an artist....
Its simply being said that if youre going to use someones songs in your set list you could at least submit the list so the RIGHT people get paid. Thats all.

ASCAP and BMI want my set lists like they want a hole in their collective heads. Bar doesn't want them, either. During the whole liscensing debacle at the local bar for which we had to raise funds, the idea was discussed. And dismissed. Bar owner informed us that it doesn't work like that, and he'd be stuck with a bunch of lists he's going to throw away.

I'm not stealing from anyone, and I'm not breaking any laws. We're not trying to pass off someone else's work as our own. Current law allows us to play these songs. When it no longer does, then we'll have a problem. Until then, I'll continue to cover Squeezebox and Angel from Montgomery and Rock-n-Roll and whatever else I need/want to do.

We often agree, but this time...I'm afraid we cannot.

At least you didn't call me lazy. You still get to come over for supper.

Cherie

 

[LaklandBass]

ASCAP and BMI want my set lists like they want a hole in their collective heads. Bar doesn't want them, either. During the whole liscensing debacle at the local bar for which we had to raise funds, the idea was discussed. And dismissed. Bar owner informed us that it doesn't work like that, and he'd be stuck with a bunch of lists he's going to throw away.

I'm not stealing from anyone, and I'm not breaking any laws. We're not trying to pass off someone else's work as our own. Current law allows us to play these songs. When it no longer does, then we'll have a problem. Until then, I'll continue to cover Squeezebox and Angel from Montgomery and Rock-n-Roll and whatever else I need/want to do.

We often agree, but this time...I'm afraid we cannot.

At least you didn't call me lazy. You still get to come over for supper.

Cherie

Im invited for supper?

 

[bucephylus]

When they asked Duke Ellington to define good music, he replied with the now well known quote, "If it sounds good, it is good."

Take note: no mention of originals vs covers.

 

[txbasschik]

Im invited for supper?

Homemade chicken pot pie is in the oven as we speak...

My own crust, my own recipie...an original!

But chicken pot pie has been made before, by other people. Although my recipie is not exactly like theirs...

Do they get royalities? If my pie is really good, and someone copies it, do they need a license?

{{{Smart-a$$*d Cherie runs back to the kitchen before Lakland can throw things at her...}}}

HeeeeeeHee!

{{{HUGS!}}}

Cherie

 

[Denny Coon]

If I had a nickle everytime someone asked me "who sings that song" when we played it then went and bought the cd, then I'd be taking money from the artist. If your playing it halfassed right enough for someone to ask then they like it and end up contributing to the artist.

 

[peledog]

This is silly. Cover band musicians are not stealing money from musicians. At least it is still live-played music. Where I am, DJs are taking more gigs from original bands. I just joined a cover band after 20 years of playing songs written by my bands. I did self-promoted tours for several years. When I settled down, I got a job at the local music venue/club.....capacity of about 2,000 per show. I worked with the local booking agent and club manager and got involved in the business end of music.

Cover bands are simply a different product. In the USA, we have demand and supply...cover bands fill the demand in specific bars. I REALLY don't get the animosity that musicians have against other musicians. We all face bigger threats in this day and age.
For me, I enjoy getting paid well to play covers in venues where people want to hear covers. I am happy that I can now afford gear that I couldn't when I was pouring myself into the performance of songs I wrote......that gave me a different reward and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to do it!!!!
These days, I still write songs......but I am also proud to be part of a talented working (well-paid) cover band!
Just my two cents, but I don't get the argument!

Excellent post!

 

[Joe Nerve]

This is silly. Cover band musicians are not stealing money from musicians. At least it is still live-played music. Where I am, DJs are taking more gigs from original bands. I just joined a cover band after 20 years of playing songs written by my bands. I did self-promoted tours for several years. When I settled down, I got a job at the local music venue/club.....capacity of about 2,000 per show. I worked with the local booking agent and club manager and got involved in the business end of music.

Cover bands are simply a different product. In the USA, we have demand and supply...cover bands fill the demand in specific bars. I REALLY don't get the animosity that musicians have against other musicians. We all face bigger threats in this day and age.
For me, I enjoy getting paid well to play covers in venues where people want to hear covers. I am happy that I can now afford gear that I couldn't when I was pouring myself into the performance of songs I wrote......that gave me a different reward and I am grateful that I had the opportunity to do it!!!!
These days, I still write songs......but I am also proud to be part of a talented working (well-paid) cover band!
Just my two cents, but I don't get the argument!

Ya know, for some reason this hadn't even occurred to me until now. Cover bands DO actually take gigs from original bands. Staten Island NY 20 years ago had an incredibly thriving original band scene. There were lots of popular bands doing their own thing, and a small handful of cover bands. One particular cover band started making a lot of money (for themselves and the bars), and then EVERYBODY on staten island wanted to be THAT band. everybody started doing covers, and now that's all the bars will book. Or the people will listen to.

I've always played covers and originals. I don't have a problem doing covers, but it's not all that difficult to see why each camp can have animosity towards the other. Especially people writing their own stuff vs cover players. The work they put in is boatloads more than what needs to to be put into a successful cover gig, the financial gains are 99% of the time less, and then certain cover band musicians look at the original bands as though they're idiots. Without realizing the ONLY reason they're (cover people) able to make the money they do is because of the people with the guts, creativity, energy, and stick-to-iti-veness to do originals. Original bands are leaders. Cover bands are followers. It's just the way it is. Original bands earn their own success. Cover bands have success on other people's coattails. I'm sure this has all been said countless times in this thread already. And then some cover band people get mad at us for saying stuff like I just did. Cuz they know it's true and don't wanna fess up.

 

[GZ2]

I've played in both (Cover and Original). I'm currently in an R&B cover band and play in Church (mostly other people's gospel music). I've written a few songs and actually had a couple recorded by a local Smooth Jazz Sax guy a few years ago. I played with that cat for a year after the CD came out. We did a lot of clubs and local festivals promoting the record. I've really enjoyed all of the situations. My observations of the different situations are the following:

My Original situations were very kool. One was a alternative rock bank (Unprovoked Moose attack- great name) and we did clubs in the Balto-Dc area initially, but also did
a like of club work in NYC down in the Village.

The other was the Smooth Jazz artist that recorded 2 of my songs. Both were a blast.
There just does not seem to be a lot of work for original bands in this area.

My current cover band is fun too. We have 3 clubs that we play regularly, so we are playing at least 3 times a month. Since we're pretty much playing for the same people,we are constantly trying to keep the music fresh so that's a little challenging.

So I guess my story is I really enjoy both