HamerHokie Posted December 21, 2009 Author Posted December 21, 2009 Define "successful" cover band.My band is entering our 9th year of existence. Started as a 5 piece, and then became a 4 piece many years ago. 3 of us are original members. We don't play that often, but enough to get my jollies... once, maybe twice a month maximum.We have no following, except for cmatthes, lol, and we are thankful for him. There is the occasional band drama, but it is fairly short lived. Our song selection is classic rock, but it is high energy, and we attempt to make sure that anything new we learn (oldies, that is) contains a certain amount of sleaze to it.We use pro equipment, electronic drums, small amps, and a killer PA system. We don't wear shorts onstage... except for the one summer gig, where I got caught having to set up the headliner's PA. Once completed, their manager told me we were 5 minutes late in starting, lol... so I looked like a d'bag for that one, as they would not allow me to change. I should have just taken the shorts off.So I have no idea what makes a successful cover band. A 7 year run is pretty impressive to me. Most bands, around here, last 7 weeks to 7 months, maybe.Turdus make good points.Let me define 'unsuccessful' - when you have been playing 6 gigs a month, then it goes down to 4, then to 2, then to 1....And some of the rooms were terrible from the start, while others were going very well until boom, no more gigs...so no matter what the situation, the results were the same.But again, Turdus make good points. In our case, I have only been in the band for 7 years. The band started in '95 and the front man (former drummer) is the only original member. They went through about 5 guitarists until they got me. Up until then, they were a two-guitar band, all guitarists singers. After me, the drummer moved out front, we got a keyboardist, and the front man was the only singer. We rotated drummers, had a permanent one for a couple years, then rotated again when he didn't work out.Our current lineup has the best chops, by far, of any past lineup. But the least vocals. To me that is a huge reason. Another is, although getting the keyboardist opened things up, probably our set list didn't evolve with the times. Another is that we played a lot of different kinds of rooms but didn't have sets tailored for each. The band was at its peak in the 2000 timeframe, when they built up enough of a following to produce a CD. They were playing up to 9 gigs a month at that point. I remember the first time I saw them in 2002, each singer had lead duties on a different song, and the other two backed him up. Thought they did that very well.So this band probably ran its course, and we were lucky to keep doing it for as long as we did.
cmatthes Posted December 21, 2009 Posted December 21, 2009 Some great points in here. Write the book, guys!
atquinn Posted December 21, 2009 Posted December 21, 2009 I don't know shit about shit, but from the "audience" perspective, you must have a great song selection, great vocals and a great rhthym section. Crack all the drummer jokes you want, but if the drummer sucks, the band sucks. Instrumentally, the rest just needs to be adequate and I personally don't give a rat's ass whether the instrumentation is note-for-note, as long as the feel is maintained. Also, if it looks like you are "working" (as opposed to having fun) onstage, I'm not going to be enjoying watching you.-Austin
Punkavenger Posted December 22, 2009 Posted December 22, 2009 There are no cover bands around here anymore ... just techno dj's. Its what the chicks want to dance to ... and the guys want to go where the cute chicks are. Most guys are buying a turntable setup and learning to spin to attract the chicks as opposed to "being in a band". And its nothing new... been going on since '95 or so.My admiration going out to you guys that know a hundred or more songs. Loading /unloading equipment in the snow. Dealing with drunks etc etc etc ... Incredible!
serial Posted December 22, 2009 Posted December 22, 2009 Oh, I still love the whole thing. When it stops being fun, Ill stop, but I'm still having a blast. One more thing-don't take set breaks more than 15-20 mins.Club owners don't like it and people leave. The owner of one ofthe joints we play was railing about the band in the weekend before-three ten song sets and a $150 bar tab. Not cool-they won't be back-he gave their other date to us.
DavidE Posted December 22, 2009 Posted December 22, 2009 Oh, I still love the whole thing. When it stops being fun, Ill stop, but I'm still having a blast. One more thing-don't take set breaks more than 15-20 mins.Club owners don't like it and people leave. The owner of one ofthe joints we play was railing about the band in the weekend before-three ten song sets and a $150 bar tab. Not cool-they won't be back-he gave their other date to us.Yup, my singer insisted on 30 minute breaks. I think 20 minutes max. And I got tired of people coming up to me asking whether we were ever going to start again. I always responded that I was ready, but they'd have to find our singer. ;-) Amazing we were actually still going pretty strong after 9 years. It just goes to show you that there's really no formula. Some people didn't mind the extra talking and thought the act was fun and funny. Some people didn't mind the 30 minute breaks but others did. Ultimately, I know what I like and I like what I know. A band I used to be in did 45 on, 15 off. That worked great.
lesterpaul Posted December 22, 2009 Posted December 22, 2009 ...I long to play in a cover band with a hot chick singer,or...better yet...Allison from Chelsea Girls (ultimate cover band)as my co-guitarist: ..yep, hot chicks.....people roll out to see hot chicks
cmatthes Posted December 23, 2009 Posted December 23, 2009 Agreed about keeping set breaks short. When I was managing a bar years and years ago, the owner fired bands for taking too long. Several of the other clubs in the area did the same thing. REGULARLY.You're on their time, not yours, and they expect you to be playing if they're paying. Gotta be professional if you want to keep working good rooms. Keep the momentum going and the asses in the seats/stools.
HamerHokie Posted December 23, 2009 Author Posted December 23, 2009 Agreed about keeping set breaks short. When I was managing a bar years and years ago, the owner fired bands for taking too long. Several of the other clubs in the area did the same thing. REGULARLY.You're on their time, not yours, and they expect you to be playing if they're paying. Gotta be professional if you want to keep working good rooms. Keep the momentum going and the asses in the seats/stools.We were a half-hour break band but our sets were 75-90 minutes long. Our clients never complained, but I wonder what would have happened if we scaled it back to 1 hour play - 20 minutes break.
serial Posted December 23, 2009 Posted December 23, 2009 The problem with long set breaks is that people will leave if a band is not playing. This is not something that makes bar owners happy. They're paying you to play-not hang out.
DavidE Posted December 23, 2009 Posted December 23, 2009 The problem with long set breaks is that people will leave if a band is not playing. This is not something that makes bar owners happy. They're paying you to play-not hang out.trust me, I agree with you.
MCChris Posted December 23, 2009 Posted December 23, 2009 The problem with long set breaks is that people will leave if a band is not playing. This is not something that makes bar owners happy. They're paying you to play-not hang out.Also, speaking as a patron, the longer the band is idle, the more time I have to get used to conversing and listening to the jukebox, so when the band goes back on, I'm actually a little bit annoyed.
HamerHokie Posted December 23, 2009 Author Posted December 23, 2009 The problem with long set breaks is that people will leave if a band is not playing. This is not something that makes bar owners happy. They're paying you to play-not hang out.Most of the places we played had jukeboxes. One had a DJ that did dance trax between sets. That was an odd room.
bobbymack Posted December 24, 2009 Posted December 24, 2009 A band I used to be in did 45 on, 15 off. That worked great.Union scale.We do either 3 sets of 60 with 20 minute breaks or two sets of 90 with a 30 minute break...
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