Pub covers

midiglitch

Hi folks,

I'm just wondering what those of you in function /wedding covers bands are finding to be the most popular songs at the moment?  Maybe list your top 3.

My band currently focuses on our own original material, but we're thinking of playing covers in pubs to fund for the originals project.  Some of the suggestions from the guys have been a bit wide of the mark in my view.  Tracks like running up that hill by kate bush, which is a lovely pieces of music, but i think we need to be looking at the current 'sex on fire' (or is that still a mainstay!?)

Cheers for any insight you can offer!

RocknRollDave

Mr Brightside, Sex On Fire, Valerie

not_the_dj

Rebel Yell, Sex on Fire, Don't Look Back in Anger (drunken singalong last number).

bigjon

Happy, Get Lucky, Roar

Danny1969

Depending on the crowd  3 from Mr Brightside , Sex on Fire, Don't stop Believing, Place your hands, Dekota, Parklife, Superstition, Town called Malice

vasselmeyer

We play classic rock stuff. Best received are Rebel Yell, Dakota, Whole Lotta Rosie. Also depends on the crowd where White Wedding and Brown Sugar do well and a rocked up full-on version of Fortunate Son goes down a storm.

midiglitch

Brilliant, thanks guys, that is really helpful and much appreciated.

Handsome_Chris

Sweet Child Of Mine.  I'm surprised that @RocknRollDave hasn't beaten me to the punch on that one.

capo4th

Can't beat a bit of Daytripper....

RocknRollDave

We had a request for Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat once....

vasselmeyer

RocknRollDave said:

We had a request for Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat once....

Actually, I'm looking at joining another project for which the rules are strictly British pop between 1980 and end of 1989. There are a few keyboard-only songs which we're going to have a go at which might sound pretty good on guitars.

monquixote

When starting a covers band one member will want to play some obscure b side which "means a lot to them" and to that person you must say this:

Should some dark magic result in Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, John Bonham and John Entwistle rising from the dead, going into the Dog and Duck and getting on stage it would still be the case that if the first number that they decide to play isn't something that the crowd know then 70% of them will go outside for a cigarette.

Lots of good suggestions so far. 

JayGee

Oooh... Tough one!

For good or ill people *really* want to hear Sex on Fire, and if we ask people what they want for the very last song, no, we really mean it this time 'cos the landlord's trying to close up then that's what they'll ask for.

Other than that Dakota goes well, Play that Funky Music goes well, and Superstition goes well. We did Let Me Entertain You for the first time last time out and that looks quite promising too.

Biggest surprise for me so far has been Harder to Breathe (Maroon 5) which I thought was a bit feeble and would bomb but has actually turned out pretty good and goes over Pretty Damned Well!

Handsome_Chris

Is there no love for Ace Of Spades?

Danny1969

Handsome_Chris said:

Is there no love for Ace Of Spades?

There was 20 years ago

David5150

Add Hard to handle, chelsea dagger, teenage kicks and all day and all of the night to the list

We're also getting a great reaction to We will rock you and I predict a riot

lustycourtier

RocknRollDave said:

We had a request for Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat once....

We do that week in weekout.  Here it is

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4emZ1Apc4w

maltingsaudio

My festival experience this summer has led me to believe cover bands only know Dakota Sex on Fire and Fulsom Prison Blues! 

bigjon

The classic rock covers I do that consistently get the best reaction are Another Brick, Baker Street and Purple Rain

PolarityMan

What genre are your originals and do you want this to be a totally separate project with it's own identity or will you be playing out as your originals band?

The reason I ask is that if it's a totally separate deal with the only aim of making money you want the sort of set recommended by everyone already, and you can find various threads on here with full set lists from loads of people.

On the other hand if this is a way to increase exposure of your originals project then I think you need to do covers that fit with your genre. For example in my band we play the usual 4/5 band lineup dedicated music venue type gigs. But we also do paid 3 hour pub gigs where we play a mixture of covers and originals.

The covers we play fit our style (so lots of metal, grunge etc). It's worked for us and helped contribute towards our recording costs etc.

Grunfeld

Handsome_Chris said:

Is there no love for Ace Of Spades?

Even though Lemmy will probably outlive us all it's a good number to have at the ready...