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To cover band, or to not cover band.....

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  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    edited August 2013
    @icbm

    I'd say that karaoke, quiz nights and pub food have done more harm than covers bands.  

    From my experience a decent covers band putting on a passionate show still gets more people in enjoying themselves than sticking a few quid in the jukebox. 
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  • JayGeeJayGee Frets: 1254
    ICBM said:
    On the other hand you'll never hear a jukebox playing a Kylie song in the style of Motorhead ;).
    In our case it's Motorhead and The Ramones fighting over Britney Spears but I think the principal is broadly the same and it generally gets one of the biggest cheers and the most drunken sing-a-longing of the evening so we must be doing something right....
    Don't ask me, I just play the damned thing...
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  • mike257mike257 Frets: 374
    I'd say do it. After 10 years playing bass in originals bands I started playing lead guitar for a wedding/function band just over a year ago. It's enjoyable, challenging, forces me to learn/play songs and styles that I never previously would have and has made me an all-round better musician than I was before.

    It was also the catalyst for me picking up enough music-related work to quit my day job and pursue music full time - I do freelance sound engineering, band transport, teching, looking at a bit of teaching soon and have just started a second covers band but the wedding band is my biggest regular income. In that sense, you may find it's the catalyst for.a bigger change in your life.

    I still get my biggest kicks from creating original music and I'm currently trying to figure out how to squeeze an originals band in around my freelance work (and being a dad of four!) but to go out and play music people love to a full dancefloor every week and get decent pay for doing it is pretty damn rewarding!
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    mike257 said:
    I'd say do it. After 10 years playing bass in originals bands I started playing lead guitar for a wedding/function band just over a year ago. It's enjoyable, challenging, forces me to learn/play songs and styles that I never previously would have and has made me an all-round better musician than I was before.

    This is a very good point. 

    I've just agreed to do a dep gig which will require me to learn 35 songs. For the few quid I will get for it, it clearly wouldn't be worth the effort, but in terms of pushing me to learn a load of new songs and improving my skills it's invaluable. 
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited August 2013
    I've played in original bands but I've mainly been in cover, function and tribute bands over the last 30 years. Why? I find the latter fun, easy, varied, sometimes challenging and there's paid work and good live experience to be had there. Plus, it's probably the easier route for getting live work, if that's what you want, and if so, I don't think there's any better substitute for a player wanting to hone their skills and sound and being out there actually doing it!

    If I could also add, as someone of "a certain age" with family commitments, cover bands allow you to keep your hand in, are probably easy to start up and be gig ready, if you've got the right personnel, and in my case, justify my need to Mrs.K for new gear and keeping my sanity. An original band would be of no use to me now, and it was a hard struggle back then, so I suppose you have to think of what you want from a band? Do you want to air your creativity? Be original/different? Are you looking to make it/get signed?

    Oh, and one more thing -  function bands today have changed and don't necessarily have to knock out "the cheesy numbers". I think it's still possible to play credible, popular, crowd-pleasing stuff and not feel you're being musically compromised. Talking of compromise, you could do what a friend of mine does and that's to take popular numbers and re-arrange them.

    I hope you make the best choice for you, have fun with it and play lots!

    All the best



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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    All great advice.

    Thanks guys. 
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  • PolarityManPolarityMan Frets: 7273
    I see paid work as a big factor in some people's decision. I guess if you;re doing functions there's a reasonable amount of money to be had but splitting a pub take between 5 has got to be pretty measly I imagine? For me if I wanted to make money I could do it much more efficiently in non-music related ways.

    I mean it's nice on the rare occasions we get booked for paying gigs but I don't think the money up for grabs doing cover bands is sufficient to make it a factor in my decision. (Although Im kinda thinking if my current 2 originals bands fold I might be getting a bit old for that scene and would likely look at starting a tribute act).
    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    there are some folks who earn serious money ( equivalent to a decent day job type money) doing covers/tributes/functions but for many it is just enough money to pay for petrol and strings and a pint. Although that makes it a much cheaper hobby than, say, taking up golf where it is all outlay with almost no chance of earning. Based on any band I have been in if it was a means to earn money I would have been much better off doing the night shift at Asda. As someone has already said ( unless you are doing it for a living) the decision should come down to wether you enjoy it or not. If you don't then what is the point?
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    I see paid work as a big factor in some people's decision. I guess if you;re doing functions there's a reasonable amount of money to be had but splitting a pub take between 5 has got to be pretty measly I imagine? For me if I wanted to make money I could do it much more efficiently in non-music related ways.
    It depends where you are and what level you're at but you are looking at about £150-500 for pub rock bands. Private parties tend to be more and functions can be anything from £500-3000 It's not going to make you rich, but it's often cash in hand and much more enjoyable than doing a shift at asda. If you get to the point where your set is tight so you don't need to rehearse much you can be picking up £100 for four hours work a couple of times a week which isn't bad.
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  • OilCityPickupsOilCityPickups Frets: 9980
    tFB Trader
    My own band does covers of shit that nobody under 40 (and many over) has heard of ... so youngsters think we're an originals band :)

    Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
    Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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  • Play while its fun, pack up and do something else when it's not...
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  • Play while its fun, pack up and do something else when it's not...

    Wise words indeed.
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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    Cheers fellers. 
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    There are covers bands and function bands.

    Covers in a pub on a friday night for £30 each?

    Functions maybe 2 or three times a month for many times that but you wear the clothes walk the walk and talk the talk etc.

    Our function band had brass arrangements for proper musicians done by the drummer (Ex army Sgt Major bandmaster) and the arrangements were often just so and no messing by anyone. Deviate and the brass would be lost! Not the sort of band to join if you didn't have the skills and attitude, but one hell of a sound to be a part of.
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  • We've talked about orginals and cover bands but what about tribute bands? I'm kind of thinking that if my originals projects fold that I might try a tribute band. I used to play with a guy who was in a Pantera tribute band and he would play pretty decent venues every other week with them.

    Seems like a good way to play music you like, with a better crowd than originals without having to do all the pub standards.


    ဈǝᴉʇsɐoʇǝsǝǝɥɔဪቌ
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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    Was that 101%? 

    I met a South African fella once upon a time when I was down playing in that them there London who was the bass player in that one. 
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    We've talked about orginals and cover bands but what about tribute bands? I'm kind of thinking that if my originals projects fold that I might try a tribute band. I used to play with a guy who was in a Pantera tribute band and he would play pretty decent venues every other week with them.

    Seems like a good way to play music you like, with a better crowd than originals without having to do all the pub standards.
    I used to work with a guy who was in a relatively successful U2 tribute band. 
    They are like a cover band on steroids in that it's even easier to get well paying gigs, but you have no choice in set and have to play everything as close to the record as possible. 
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  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    edited September 2013
    I've got mates in ACDC tribute bands, and they do some proper big gigs. Taken them a while to get established as depending on the chosen act it can be a crowded market, but the rewards are there. 

    One of them remarked a while a go that it took him a long time to be able to actually listen to DC records for pleasure again...so pick carefully as it might just ruin your listening experience of your favourite artist. 
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  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3298
    Well, I never did have a bash at this and another good offer has come my way. Loads of gear, promotion and gigs lined up.

    I just don't like most covers band music. I hate Kings of Leon, All Right Now wore thin after the eight thousandth time I heard it, etc etc.....


    But, my originals band haven't really gigged in 3 years and struggled with line ups. I could do with the cash and to be somehow active. 
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  • Deijavoo said:
    Well, I never did have a bash at this and another good offer has come my way. Loads of gear, promotion and gigs lined up.

    I just don't like most covers band music. I hate Kings of Leon, All Right Now wore thin after the eight thousandth time I heard it, etc etc.....


    But, my originals band haven't really gigged in 3 years and struggled with line ups. I could do with the cash and to be somehow active. 


    Better to be out gigging than waiting for originals gigs to come in.

    You could always do the two. Doesn't sound like there'd be much in the way of clashes.

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