So, in a cover band situation, how do you deal with ...

DulcetJones

I've been there, done that, compromised just to get on with it.  As it turns out, some of the songs I wanted to veto were among the best crowd favorites we had.  I particularly did not want to do a Bon Jovi song but once we started playing it I saw that the people loved it, they would sing along and give us big smiles and thumbs up from the dancefloor.....what do I know?   I started to look forward to playing it.

koneguitarist

fretmeister said:

koneguitarist said:

martinw said:

koneguitarist said:

No a band should have a leader.....

Why 'no'? A team might have a leader, or a band might not feel that a leader is necessary. It varies.

Honestly, I feel some people wander this forum looking for things to disagree with.

sorry if it came off a bit badly then, not my intention, but I hate it when bands say we vote on things as we are a team and all equal. The bands that work best are the bands that have leaders, ones where someone dictates what they want.

Classic example is John Hiatt when he did Bring the family, A fantastic album, where he led Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe and Jim Keltner into producing some of his and their best work. Fans demanded to see them form a band, so they came back as little Village, and it was rubbish, half baked songs where everyone had an equal voice and song input.

John Hiatt said, we would leave our ego`s at the door and work as a team, and then he said worst thing he ever done, as it became complacent, and no one stopped anyone else doing what they wanted to do so it became a free for all.

I ask my band for suggestions all the time, but I make the decisions.

That's a really good way of ending up being a solo performer.

But if you are the boss and get all the decisions, I presume you are paying the band MU rates?

Worked for the last 30 years or so. It's not a case of my way or the highway, but there have been times where two members have argued over song choice, I have the casting final vote. Also with that comes the responsibilities of running a band. I do the hiring and firing, if problem with venue or landlord etc I deal with it. As for song choice, what we tend to do is all have access to a spotify list and we add and detract from it till most are happy, then I make final decisions. Pointless being in a band if you do not like what you are playing, been there done that. Not enough money to be miserable doing stuff like sex on fire or whatever latest song audience wants. We don't gig very week but when we do it's bloody enjoyable as there is no ego's in the band. (Apart from mine)

monquixote

I don't agree that you have to dislike 50% of a set unless you are doing cruise ships, holiday camps, or old peoples homes. If you like the genre of music you are playing and you can't find 30 popular songs that you'd enjoy playing you probably shouldn't be in a covers band. 

You have to play a few painful songs like Mustang and SoF, but you just learn them and only play them if they get requested.

The songs you listed as no goes are really dependant on what your focus is. If you are a 60's Motown type band then they are, but my band would probably do some of them because we've all done so much 60's stuff over the years that we are deliberately focussed on doing some more 80s-90s stuff. The thing I have a problem with is when people come in with something like a Radiohead B Side they want to do because it means a lot to them. Balls to that, if the crowd aren't going to know it it's out no question.

In terms of the democracy thing. Bands with a band leader are great as long as everyone respects the leader, when it works it's by far the easiest type of band to be in. Democratic bands only work if everyone is of a single mind and often that isn't the case. In my band we've got so sick of wrangling over the set we tasked two band members to sit down and decide on it and though there are a few songs I wouldn't have chosen, I think better that than waste time arguing about it. 

Once you're on the road the easiest thing to do is just stick suggestions in the set without too much rehearsal and see how it goes down.

monquixote

koneguitarist said:

Worked for the last 30 years or so. It's not a case of my way or the highway, but there have been times where two members have argued over song choice, I have the casting final vote. Also with that comes the responsibilities of running a band. I do the hiring and firing, if problem with venue or landlord etc I deal with it. As for song choice, what we tend to do is all have access to a spotify list and we add and detract from it till most are happy, then I make final decisions. Pointless being in a band if you do not like what you are playing, been there done that. Not enough money to be miserable doing stuff like sex on fire or whatever latest song audience wants. We don't gig very week but when we do it's bloody enjoyable as there is no ego's in the band. (Apart from mine)

I'd be more than happy to be in your band.

A lot of people are like "OMG Fascist", but actually it's a really no stress way to be in a band if you are a busy person and respect your band leader.

Grunfeld

close2u said:

other band members making continual song suggestions for the set list that you think are inferior quality ranging to downright shite?

Echoing what several have said already, it depends what you mean by "shite".

The one thing the band should be agreed on is what you're trying to do.

For example, in the main band I play in, (it's a covers band), the main criterion for a song is:  "will it get drunk girls to dance?"

If the answer is "yes" then it does not matter at all what the song is.  We try it out and see.  If it gets drunk girls to dance then it is not shite, it's f*cking great because it's paying our wages.

There are places we play where there are rock snobs, and they've probably got about 4 albums between them.  The criterion for those places is, "Will it get those blokes to drink lots of beer regardless of the lack of drunk dancing girls to look at?"  Again, if the answer is yes then the song is not shite, even if it's "All Right Now"

Basically, a covers band is about the audience, not the band.  You can still have fun even if you don't actually listen recreationally to any of the material you play.  Cos you get your satisfaction from doing the job well.

Lovely example of this was last night, playing a social club and they were taking their time warming up.  Our drummer stops about three songs into the second set, comes to the front of the stage and grabs the mic and starts haranguing them but he's a very funny, witty, hairy-arsed bearded long-haired tattooed drummist from the hard rock circuit and I don't even know what he said but at the start of the next number they were all up and having a laugh and they stayed that way all night.  Job done. 

koneguitarist

monquixote said:

koneguitarist said:

Worked for the last 30 years or so. It's not a case of my way or the highway, but there have been times where two members have argued over song choice, I have the casting final vote. Also with that comes the responsibilities of running a band. I do the hiring and firing, if problem with venue or landlord etc I deal with it. As for song choice, what we tend to do is all have access to a spotify list and we add and detract from it till most are happy, then I make final decisions. Pointless being in a band if you do not like what you are playing, been there done that. Not enough money to be miserable doing stuff like sex on fire or whatever latest song audience wants. We don't gig very week but when we do it's bloody enjoyable as there is no ego's in the band. (Apart from mine)

I'd be more than happy to be in your band.

A lot of people are like "OMG Fascist", but actually it's a really no stress way to be in a band if you are a busy person and respect your band leader.

It's funny but occasionally I dep in other bands, and it's great. All I do is turn up on bass or Guitar, set my own gear up, get a pint then play. End of the night I get paid and walk away, exactly what some of my band mates do.

Every band has a do'er, someone who sorts things out and runs it, in my band that's me, as I am best suited for it.

monquixote

koneguitarist said:

It's funny but occasionally I dep in other bands, and it's great. All I do is turn up on bass or Guitar, set my own gear up, get a pint then play. End of the night I get paid and walk away, exactly what some of my band mates do.

Every band has a do'er, someone who sorts things out and runs it, in my band that's me, as I am best suited for it.

Yeah same here, I think it's the experience of playing deps and joining already gigging bands that got me into that way of thinking. You roll up, rock out, collect your cash, and piss off home. 

Fazer

dont hate me anybody .... but i quite like that black and gold song
:bz

Roland

We use a couple of techniques to weed out the better songs.  First off is getting a LONG list of everyone's suggestions.  I'm an old codger, and there are plenty of good songs that I've never heard of, so I'm pleased to get other peoples' recommendations.  It's also easier to lose crap songs when there are lots of other contenders. We've buried a few favourites at this stage.

Second is to decide which few songs we want to tackle, and check the key.  There are one or two songs where there's a prominent guitar part, and sensible fingerings don't match with the singer's range.  

Thirdly we try it, and if someone has violent objections then we drop it.  This doesn't happen very often.  The bass player and I like the jazz feel of Love Cats, and have played it with previous singers.  Our current singer "can't get his head around" the jazz feel, so we dropped it.

We also ask "does this sound right for us".  With so much good material around life is too short to play songs that the band does not bring something too. 

Then comes the audience test. Last night we piloted Echo Beach.  This is one of those songs I'd never heard of, I must have been busy having children at the time.  The guitar part works best with a couple of open string notes.  They could have been re-fingered, but thankfully didn't have to.  We all feel that the song suits our style and instrumentation.  The audience loved it.

ICBM

I really disagree with the idea that just because a song is popular, you have to play it. I would always allow any band member an absolute veto over playing any song if they can't stand it.

There are millions of popular songs, you don't have to play the blindingly obvious ones if you hate them.

That's one of the biggest things that turns me off cover bands, both as a player (I've left a band over this exact issue) and as an audience member. I don't want to hear yet another band playing the same clichéd covers that every other one does.

Handsome_Chris

ICBM said:

I really disagree with the idea that just because a song is popular, you have to play it. I would always allow any band member an absolute veto over playing any song if they can't stand it.

I used this system before.  We ended up with about 8 songs that we could all agree with.

ICBM said:

There are millions of popular songs, you don't have to play the blindingly obvious ones if you hate them.

Yeeeeaaaaahhh.  I remember refusing to play Wonderwall, but the crowd were not taking no for an answer, so we ended up playing Wonderwall.

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

I really disagree with the idea that just because a song is popular, you have to play it. I would always allow any band member an absolute veto over playing any song if they can't stand it.

There are millions of popular songs, you don't have to play the blindingly obvious ones if you hate them.

That's one of the biggest things that turns me off cover bands, both as a player (I've left a band over this exact issue) and as an audience member. I don't want to hear yet another band playing the same clichéd covers that every other one does.

As I said before audiences can find the blindingly obvious songs to be really, really boring because, well, they are the blindingly obvious songs.

When I was doing the ska band we did a gig with a bunch of women who danced to everything for 90 minutes. At the end I had a chat and asked if they had always been big ska fans. They said they hadn't recognised a single song but everything we did could be danced to and they really liked that we were giving it some welly. They may have been a bit drunk as well. A boring band is a boring band and an exciting band is an exciting band. Performance trumps song choice.

Grunfeld

ICBM said:

That's one of the biggest things that turns me off cover bands, both as a player (I've left a band over this exact issue) and as an audience member. I don't want to hear yet another band playing the same clichéd covers that every other one does.

But that's cos you are a muso, and you've got taste.  And you are woefully under-represented in the average audience who go for a night out and they genuinely have a good time if they hear what they know and like -- which is only a fraction, musically speaking, of what you and I, and probably most other musos know. 

It is very, very difficult being in a covers band and taking on the job of educating your audience:  they don't want it, and soon you don't have an audience or a landlord who will book you. 

You have to give them what they want, and to be fair, they don't want very much.  They always say they want something different but they don't -- the dance floor proves it. 

Handsome_Chris

ICBM said:

That's one of the biggest things that turns me off cover bands, both as a player (I've left a band over this exact issue) and as an audience member. I don't want to hear yet another band playing the same clichéd covers that every other one does.

Handsome_Chris said:

I think the point to remember is that being in a cover band is not for everyone.  Some people may be better off in a tribute or originals band.

close2u

I'm enjoying reading this...

 

I should add in some further info about us ...

 

We have not gigged (I've already said this) yet our aim is to be a party / function / wedding band so we said at the outset what our 'style' will be so we are marketing ourelves quite spcifically rather than as a general purpose covers band.

Handsome_Chris

Do you know who were the best party band I saw last year were?  Chic, I'm sure @monquixote will agree with me on this?

I'd never really paid that much attention to them until I saw the TV coverage of them at Glastonbury, and then again on X Factor.

I believe it was Jim Morrison who said something about your music having to get the ladies moving.

EricTheWeary

Handsome_Chris said:

Do you know who were the best party band I saw last year were?  Chic, I'm sure @monquixote will agree with me on this?

They were superb when I saw them last year. Bought the compilation album after. Doesn't do much for me. Again, song choice trumped by performance.

Grunfeld

close2u said:

We have not gigged... our aim is to be a party / function / wedding band so we said at the outset what our 'style' will be so we are marketing ourelves quite spcifically rather than as a general purpose covers band.

Ah, so the title of your thread "So, in a cover band situation..." might be the reason we're all thinking that you're talking about covers bands, haha

But a lot of the same considerations apply:
Audience is king; they dictate what you play.
The point about getting the girls up and dancing -- which is as much about working a room as playing
And with weddings/ functions/ there are extra non-musical issues which are essential.

Btw, I think what kone and others said about band leadership is important.  My current band is the only one I've ever had where it's a democracy.  And that took time to get the latest member on board with the necessary mind set.

Handsome_Chris

close2u said:

I'm enjoying reading this...

 

I should add in some further info about us ...

 

We have not gigged (I've already said this) yet our aim is to be a party / function / wedding band so we said at the outset what our 'style' will be so we are marketing ourelves quite spcifically rather than as a general purpose covers band.

If you are doing functions, you may get requests that you are not happy about.  eg If the groom wants 99 Problems, then you have to do a version if 99 Problems, although he'll probably have another problem if you play that request.

martinw

It's not the songs, it's how you put them across.

Much dance music doesn't consist of much more than a beat. Get on the one and have fun!

Grunfeld said:

ICBM said:

That's one of the biggest things that turns me off cover bands, both as a player (I've left a band over this exact issue) and as an audience member. I don't want to hear yet another band playing the same clichéd covers that every other one does.

But that's cos you are a muso, and you've got taste.  And you are woefully under-represented in the average audience who go for a night out and they genuinely have a good time if they hear what they know and like -- which is only a fraction, musically speaking, of what you and I, and probably most other musos know. 

It is very, very difficult being in a covers band and taking on the job of educating your audience:  they don't want it, and soon you don't have an audience or a landlord who will book you. 

You have to give them what they want, and to be fair, they don't want very much.  They always say they want something different but they don't -- the dance floor proves it. 

Big +1