Interesting Article on Cover Bands

[diablo175]

Found this on Reverb. Hits on at least one or two relevant points. One minor point they don't address is a little pet peeve of mine: when patrons (sober or drunk) come up and expect you to know every/any song they request. Like when the waitress saunters up and requests the Grateful Dead from a hard rock/metal band that is clearly so far removed from doing that kind of material. In my mind I'm grumbling, "Sure, just stick a dollar in my ass crack- I'm a f-ing jukebox to you."

The Case For Cover Bands

[MCChris]

One minor point they don't address is a little pet peeve of mine: when patrons (sober or drunk) come up and expect you to know every/any song they request. Like when the waitress saunters up and requests the Grateful Dead from a hard rock/metal band that is clearly so far removed from doing that kind of material. In my mind I'm grumbling, "Sure, just stick a dollar in my ass crack- I'm a f-ing jukebox to you."

Serious question: What else are you, then?

Downloadable jukeboxes, DJs with access to almost infinite music libraries, etc. have got to be making things extremely difficult for cover bands in this age of shorter attention spans and instant gratification. And from the venue owner's perspective, if you observe a patron asking the band if they can play a song, the band saying no to that patron and that patron walking out the door, how many times do you need to see that before you start questioning your decision to have a live band as entertainment?

[Biz Prof]

"F R E E B I R D!!!!"

[coolfeel]

One minor point they don't address is a little pet peeve of mine: when patrons (sober or drunk) come up and expect you to know every/any song they request. Like when the waitress saunters up and requests the Grateful Dead from a hard rock/metal band that is clearly so far removed from doing that kind of material. In my mind I'm grumbling, "Sure, just stick a dollar in my ass crack- I'm a f-ing jukebox to you."

Serious question: What else are you, then?

Downloadable jukeboxes, DJs with access to almost infinite music libraries, etc. have got to be making things extremely difficult for cover bands in this age of shorter attention spans and instant gratification. And from the venue owner's perspective, if you observe a patron asking the band if they can play a song, the band saying no to that patron and that patron walking out the door, how many times do you need to see that before you start questioning your decision to have a live band as entertainment?

This is the musical era we are in for now. DJ's are making a killing and have largely replaced live music (local bands) in the Charlotte area. Cover bands that have 5 different setlists of music deep with different songs from different genre's tend to get the best gigs and make the most money...

[polara]

In my job running marketing, I hire cover bands for our events. They're fun, professional, get the crowd moving, and usually easier to work with than a lot of the people I've known in the college/punk/indie/original circuit.

My choice has always been to play original music, but it's just how I am. I was an art major, I write professionally, I've done photography professionally. I'm useless in lots of ways but for some reason have to go all arty-farty in any situation.

I've never dissed covers though. I'm sure it's a blast, and you have to learn a lot of styles and really push your playing to get good enough to reproduce the pros' work.

[crunchee]

Nobody got anywhere playing covers.

[diablo175]

One minor point they don't address is a little pet peeve of mine: when patrons (sober or drunk) come up and expect you to know every/any song they request. Like when the waitress saunters up and requests the Grateful Dead from a hard rock/metal band that is clearly so far removed from doing that kind of material. In my mind I'm grumbling, "Sure, just stick a dollar in my ass crack- I'm a f-ing jukebox to you."

Serious question: What else are you, then?

Downloadable jukeboxes, DJs with access to almost infinite music libraries, etc. have got to be making things extremely difficult for cover bands in this age of shorter attention spans and instant gratification. And from the venue owner's perspective, if you observe a patron asking the band if they can play a song, the band saying no to that patron and that patron walking out the door, how many times do you need to see that before you start questioning your decision to have a live band as entertainment?

In simpliest terms, I'm a musician who's fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs I like.

It just so happens we don't need to make a living from playing music and our choice of music is still popular enough to warrant the 350- 900 bucks a night we get. We make certain that prospective booking agents know, up front, what we play and it's safe to assume that we get hired because of what we play as well as how we play it. I see no reason to try and learn a song that is both unpallettable, unfamiliar and ill-fitting to our established style. I'll qualify that by saying that we've added songs that are not from the classic hard rock and heavy metal genre but we've made it ours and fitting of the band's advertised style by "heavy-ing" it up. Lots of bands have done the same thing.

[MCChris]

In simpliest terms, I'm a musician who's fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs I like.

It just so happens we don't need to make a living from playing music....

So, you're not a musician then. You're a hobbyist. We don't use the word "athlete" to describe duffers on the local golf course or guys who play hoops on the weekends.

Yeah, I went there.

[carfish7]

SImple reply to said patron?

"Get your own band".

[Boomerang~Junkie]

One minor point they don't address is a little pet peeve of mine: when patrons (sober or drunk) come up and expect you to know every/any song they request. Like when the waitress saunters up and requests the Grateful Dead from a hard rock/metal band that is clearly so far removed from doing that kind of material. In my mind I'm grumbling, "Sure, just stick a dollar in my ass crack- I'm a f-ing jukebox to you."

Serious question: What else are you, then?

Downloadable jukeboxes, DJs with access to almost infinite music libraries, etc. have got to be making things extremely difficult for cover bands in this age of shorter attention spans and instant gratification. And from the venue owner's perspective, if you observe a patron asking the band if they can play a song, the band saying no to that patron and that patron walking out the door, how many times do you need to see that before you start questioning your decision to have a live band as entertainment?

This is the musical era we are in for now. DJ's are making a killing and have largely replaced live music (local bands) in the Charlotte area. Cover bands that have 5 different setlists of music deep with different songs from different genre's tend to get the best gigs and make the most money...

I realize I'm getting older and am in the minority on this for the current generation - but in most entertainment situations where there are options, I'm going to choose the venue with the live music.

[polara]

In simpliest terms, I'm a musician who's fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs I like.

It just so happens we don't need to make a living from playing music....

So, you're not a musician then. You're a hobbyist. We don't use the word "athlete" to describe duffers on the local golf course or guys who play hoops on the weekends.

Yeah, I went there.

Is a painter not an artist until s/he has sold a painting?

John Kennedy Toole died a complete unknown yet when A Confederacy of Dunces was posthumously published he was acclaimed as a great writer.

Somewhere there is someone noodling in a basement creating music of amazing beauty, but that won't be heard by anyone.

If we want to really challenge things, I'd say those of us who play for money are less artists and more whores. Art, like sex, can be great alone or with a friend, but when you have to do it for money maybe some of the joy goes by the wayside.

(You all do realize I can't let MCC throw down one of his patented Controversial Positions and not rise to the challenge, right?)

[polara]

Also I wish it was possible to make a living WRITING covers. I'd clean up as a 50 Shades of Grey cover writer.

[diablo175]

In simpliest terms, I'm a musician who's fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs I like.

It just so happens we don't need to make a living from playing music....

So, you're not a musician then. You're a hobbyist. We don't use the word "athlete" to describe duffers on the local golf course or guys who play hoops on the weekends.

Yeah, I went there.

Fair enough, I'm a hobbyist who dabbles in music on weekends and occassional Fridays. Just like I'm not an artist because I don't earn enough to make a living doing design and illustration exclusively. And my students who play sports sans pay and only on weekdays are not athletes.

But if we move past the petty and unnecessarily argumentative addition of your qualifier ( alarmingly similar to opinion, and we know what you say about those), I don't believe the article made any such distinction about musicians doing it for a living and hobbyists doing it on weekends. Matter of fact it states:

"There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

So, while you may have a valid semantical point, it seems pretty far fucking removed from the point of the article and just a little bit like you being a condescending prick.

Yeah I went there.

[MCChris]

"There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

So, while you may have a valid semantical point, it seems pretty far fucking removed from the point of the article and just a little bit like you being a condescending prick.

Yeah I went there.

Refer to my response to your comment in the Lita Ford thread. Specifically about there being "shame" in anything. You're fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs you like. That's more than most people can say. Certainly more than most musicians, who don't have the luxury of dictating the terms of the entertainment they provide.

Guitar-centric message boards are fantasy land. The copious use of the M word when there are very, very few actual musicians among their membership is proof of that. The athlete analogy stands.

And the point of articles like these (and also your thread) is to spur a discussion. That's what's happening. Sorry it didn't become an exclusive exercise in blowing smoke up your keister.

[MCChris]

If we want to really challenge things, I'd say those of us who play for money are less artists and more whores. Art, like sex, can be great alone or with a friend, but when you have to do it for money maybe some of the joy goes by the wayside.

I agree with you there, but I think it takes longer to lose the "artist" label if you're playing original material. And that's another semantic argument between doing original material versus covers: artists create, entertainers regurgitate. Some people do both, of course, but if you're in a cover band, your job is to entertain, not regale the audience with your awesome artistry. If you can keep a cover act viable with a Soup Nazi attitude, then you've achieved the wet dream of musicians and businesspeople everywhere.

[cmatthes]

Let's take a step back and a deep inhale and exhale or two here.

Seriously.

If a discussion is opened, there will always be dissenting opinions and arguments posited, and everybody should strive to keep things respectful and all gentle n' peace lovin'...or this thread will get nuked.

[diablo175]

"There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

So, while you may have a valid semantical point, it seems pretty far fucking removed from the point of the article and just a little bit like you being a condescending prick.

Yeah I went there.

Refer to my response to your comment in the Lita Ford thread. Specifically about there being "shame" in anything. You're fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs you like. That's more than most people can say. Certainly more than most musicians, who don't have the luxury of dictating the terms of the entertainment they provide.

Guitar-centric message boards are fantasy land. The copious use of the M word when there are very, very few actual musicians among their membership is proof of that. The athlete analogy stands.

And the point of articles like these (and also your thread) is to spur a discussion. That's what's happening. Sorry it didn't become an exclusive exercise in blowing smoke up your keister.

Nevermind. I've been warned.

[cmatthes]

"There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

So, while you may have a valid semantical point, it seems pretty far fucking removed from the point of the article and just a little bit like you being a condescending prick.

Yeah I went there.

Refer to my response to your comment in the Lita Ford thread. Specifically about there being "shame" in anything. You're fortunate enough to be getting paid to play songs you like. That's more than most people can say. Certainly more than most musicians, who don't have the luxury of dictating the terms of the entertainment they provide.

Guitar-centric message boards are fantasy land. The copious use of the M word when there are very, very few actual musicians among their membership is proof of that. The athlete analogy stands.

And the point of articles like these (and also your thread) is to spur a discussion. That's what's happening. Sorry it didn't become an exclusive exercise in blowing smoke up your keister.

Nevermind. I've been warned.

No. EVERYBODY has been warned.

[veatch]

There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

Make a "little" extra on the side is right. Assuming i'm not buying equipment for the next gig (which is always a given - not hard to need an excuse to buy some toys...) what my share brings doesn't cover much more than the bar tab, gas, etc. If i clear $50 for the night, i'm doing good.

Of course, that's the problem of being in a 5-man band with a paid sound man...

[MCChris]

Look, the article and this thread are simply stoking the fires of the age-old clash between people in original bands and people in cover bands.

People in original bands resent people in cover bands for getting great pay for primo weekend slots in nicer clubs, not to mention easier buy-in from audiences.

People in cover bands resent people in original bands for being appreciated for something they created themselves. That's pretty much it. Not much else to envy about an original band.

[diablo175]

There’s no shame in working a career and playing out in a cover band on the weekends. It’s a wise way to hold down a steady income, make a little extra on the side, and have fun all at the same time."

Make a "little" extra on the side is right. Assuming i'm not buying equipment for the next gig (which is always a given - not hard to need an excuse to buy some toys...) what my share brings doesn't cover much more than the bar tab, gas, etc. If i clear $50 for the night, i'm doing good.

Of course, that's the problem of being in a 5-man band with a paid sound man...

That's exactly the boat I'm in- 5 piece band with sound man who, during this last two shows, was a highly qualified recording engineer who was doing us a solid filling in for our recently resigned sound guy. We kicked him a full 100 bucks (chump change compared to what he'd get in the studio) per show leaving us with 40 apiece/ per night. Enough for a tank of gas, a pack of smokes, a pitcher of beer and a couple of fast food meals.

But we do it because we love the music. It's been pointed out to me that it doesn't qualify me for musician status or to call my band a true cover band but I'm working on it. Soon as I get some other styles of music learnt and finish this musical sensativity online course, I'll get my official musican and cover band card. Then I'll really be worthy of McChris smoke up my ass.

[MCChris]

I don't believe I ever questioned anyone's cover band status, but you'll get your musician card when you can legitimately add the word to your tax return.

[coolfeel]

I love this forum... it's always hella-entertaining!

[Meatbomb]

mu·si·cian

(myo͞o-zĭsh′ən)

n.

One who composes, conducts, or performs music, especially instrumental music.

The definition says nothing about earning a living, making money, or filing tax returns.

One might draw a distinction between a musician and a professional musician, but to state categorically that not earning a living at it consigns one to hobbyist status

is the height of arrogance.

I play multiple instruments, I have had professional instruction, read music, and understand theory. I build guitars, I have a recording studio, I have written many pieces of original instrumental music, and I play in a cover band.

None are my primary source of income but I sure as hell consider myself a musician.

[MCChris]

hobby

[hob-ee]

n.

An activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

Consider yourself whatever you want, but again, the athlete analogy stands.