Lady Vocals

D28boy

Hi Guys

my band's currently looking at extending our set list....Nothin Compares 2 you has been suggested...(Sinead version) and some of the band have queried if this is what your average pub punter would be happy to listen to....What do the more experience covers band members think? To put it in perspective we do play a quite extensive range of covers but all really twisted in a rock sort of way.

RocknRollDave

Personally, I think you'd lose people's attention, but do bear in mind I am almost always proven100% wrong on these matters in my own band!

What sort of version are you proposing - straight cover of Sinead's version? And how does it sit with the rest of your set in terms of style etc?

D28boy

Well as I said we are quite a rocky sort of band who put our own twist on some more commercial covers... Planning on just doing a keyboard and light drums version as per Sinead whilst I nip off for a pint !

Jalapeno

In lieu of a break, or as well as.

Could be cue for the iPhone torches or getting ugly up with the Blues Brothers chicken wire - who knows ?

BenSirAmos

When I used to do it about 5 years ago, it went down a storm. Drunks singing "lah lah lah lah laaaah" in between the vocal lines.

Mind you, I used to have a lookalike contest too. Pick out the baldies to come to the front and then ask the audience which one looked most like Sinead O'Conner. I like to live dangerously.

And note that when I posted my version of the song on You Tube it was removed within 24 hours and I got a desist copyright infringement notice. As if they could muddle me up with Prince or Sinead.

Great song for a blues singer to get into. Interesting lyrics open to all sorts of interpretation and twistedness.

D28boy

Jalapeno said:

In lieu of a break, or as well as.

Could be cue for the iPhone torches or getting ugly up with the Blues Brothers chicken wire - who knows ?

just an opportunity for me to have a beer as a guitarist isn't really required,,,not sure what you mean abouty chicken wire and the Blues Bros as I've never seen it !

Jalapeno

D28boy said:

not sure what you mean about chicken wire and the Blues Bros as I've never seen it !

:-O   Well fix that immediately !!!!!

Flying items and/or people

D28boy

Oh I see what you're saying could go good ...could go bad...So like most things I suppose

EricTheWeary

D28boy said:

Jalapeno said:

In lieu of a break, or as well as.

Could be cue for the iPhone torches or getting ugly up with the Blues Brothers chicken wire - who knows ?

just an opportunity for me to have a beer as a guitarist isn't really required,,,not sure what you mean abouty chicken wire and the Blues Bros as I've never seen it !

have you ever played a gig in a pub in Wales? It's much the same thing.
I think one song per set where the audience goes 'Ooh that's a bit different' works very well. I'll gaurantee that post gig it will be the song you get asked about. People tend to recall what happens first and last and anything out of the norm.

D28boy

EricTheWeary said:

 

 

have you ever played a gig in a pub in Wales? It's much the same thing.
I think one song per set where the audience goes 'Ooh that's a bit different' works very well. I'll gaurantee that post gig it will be the song you get asked about. People tend to recall what happens first and last and anything out of the norm.

Thanx Eric...we do already have one of those songs in the set  ...can you get away with two do you think or maybe just switch them and see how it goes

ESBlonde

It's the sort on number that has the girls getting moist eyes, if their boyfriends are not paying attention it can work in your favour (apparently)  ;-)

Don't forget that having the females wanting to attend your gigs can have a dramatic effect on the totals involved after a while. Playing 'rock' for middle aged blokes is one thing, but having a dance floor full of wimmins will pack a venue faster than most things.

Can't stand O'Conner personally but business is business.

EricTheWeary

D28boy said:

EricTheWeary said:

 

 

have you ever played a gig in a pub in Wales? It's much the same thing.
I think one song per set where the audience goes 'Ooh that's a bit different' works very well. I'll gaurantee that post gig it will be the song you get asked about. People tend to recall what happens first and last and anything out of the norm.

Thanx Eric...we do already have one of those songs in the set  ...can you get away with two do you think or maybe just switch them and see how it goes

well, if I really knew I'd be a rock star and not sat in an office with a view of the wheelie bins. I think generally people like to be surprised but not confused. My oft quoted example is going to see Robert Plant and he did a Kylie cover. This was surprising and memorable. I saw Van Morrison once and he didn't play any Van Morrison songs ( did a set of blues standards, fine for me as it happened) which was confusing for the audience.

ElectroDan

Personally I'd avoid playing anything like that in pubs. Unless the audience are eating out of your singers hand, they will probably just want upbeat songs to entertain them.

viz

Good female songs:

Alanis - you ought to know
Bb Queen - blueshouse (this is excellent, you MUST do it)
Commitments - Mustang sally
Blondie - picture this
Proud mary
For a nice acoustic break, janis joplin Mercedes Benz, it's a real crowd singalong.

midlifecrisis

if she can reach the highs, Weak by skunk anacie always goes down well

bossarb

If you want a challenge with good guitar parts then how about "Zombie" by the Cranberries (that would go well with a "twisted" rock set) - have to admit I've never heard anyone cover it though. Perhaps you need Dolores's voice. Probably not one to play in Northern Ireland or an Irish pub.

More prosaically, we do pop and rock covers and the female songs that go down best at the moment are "Valerie", "You've Got the Love" and "Make You Feel My Love".