United Kingdom

EGADs!... I dont hate cover bands... I'm an artist, with original material...But It takes a lot of fkn work to pull off a good rendition of other peoples work... Its a craft and a skill unto its own. I'm working on an Albert King song right now... I dare the poster to pull that off with any modicum of precision and grace !

And Albert King doesn't sing like you, either.


I forget that not every musician is a songwriter, or even a leader, but it doesn't take much effort to be oneself.

Whether anyone would like that is another question.

If only i could...

I can see it now...

Guitarist is a doctor/accountant with a PRS guitar, playing the wrong chords in the wrong key/time signature...

Pretty little female singer with as much passion as a dead hamster

Drummer playing some sort of approximation of the original, but he dont care he just wants a beer with the 20 quid hell get at the end of the night..

Yeah, covers bands...

Music played by cover bands is a matter of taste. Bitching at someone for liking a certain style of music is like yelling at someone for liking broccoli with melted cheese, (which, might I add, is awesome.) I don’t understand why you deem it necessary to force-feed your opinion to me and not help out with the question. Its all a matter of taste. If you dig it, awesome. If you don’t, awesome. Its just another plate being served at the world’s biggest, (in this case musical,) buffet. Don’t make people feel guilty for listening to what he / she enjoys. Our band plays cover music on the weekends and packs the house every time and everyone loves the songs. So, I'm not sure what your tryin' to get at. Sorry.

You can have the best of all worlds you know,i am in a Ozzy Osbourne tribute band www.ozzmaniac.co.uk,we also(the same musicians) have a covers band plus we are writing,recording and eventualy playing live our own stuff(NWOBHM#2 ).I think it's called diversification people.

World's Greatest Tribute Band!

Dread Zeppelin - Heartbreaker (At The End Of Lonely Street)
http://youtu.be/rAM1MKi7bNU

Dread Zeppelin - "My Way"
http://youtu.be/sHAiZwb03Yg

I perform both, whether you like it or not. I prefer originals, but I also prefer gettiing paid, therefore we "have" to mainly play covers. Most of the covers I play are not note-for-note copies, some (like Hey Joe on my Bandmix player) you've probably never heard covered quite this way. Bottom line for me is I play, for the most part, songs I like to play, whether it's covers or originals. I don't cater to the dancers or the drinkerrs. I'm not out to make a profit for anybody. If it happens, great, we'll get a repeat gig out of the deal. If not, we'll hopefully have some place to play soon.. I don't dress in a monkey suit, just casual. I'm not out for an "image." I'm out for MY enjoyment. Like it? Great. If not, it's all good.
I don't "hate" cover bands. If those people enjoy what they're doing more power to them. Just be yoursef. Some people aren't cut out for originals. Nothing wrong with that.

Ahhhh.... live and let live!
I know a guitarist who could sit down and play the entire Frampton Comes Alive album... note for note. He's fun to watch. You know the tunes... you can sing along with him... That's his thing. I aint mad at him... what's the point he plays has fun and people enjoy him.

Regardless of what you choose to do, are you entertaining?
That's what musicians are suppose to do.... right?
Why concern yourself with what others choose...

I, the honorable fisherman bob, now give all musicians worldwide the freedom to play whatever the fu*k you want, whichever the way you want to play it. Now don't you all feel better?

1: They take up decent musicians who could be doing something..you know..creative!!

2: They all play the same goddamn setlist..yawn

3: They mostly suck!

4: For people in covers bands the driving motivation seems to be money... is that what its really about?

So, i say to you, get out there and be creative..the world has enough bad covers bands!!

/Rant off

This is really what separates english bands from american bands. They strive for originality and creating something that speaks, while American bands tend to focus on making money and having fun.

I don't think he is saying that we should never cover a song, but a "cover band" has a plastic compass. Yes, it may be a quicker path to getting the gig at the local bar but in the long run the band who has something original to offer has a legitimate shot at making it into a career.

Regardless, not everyone has the same ambition to succeed so most are just in it for the fun of jamming. If it pays off, so be it. Nothing wrong with that approach if you're planning to work in another field anyway.

Who needs all the study and work that goes into writing good original music? We'll leave that up to the Brits and just copy it for whatever the bar owner wants to pay us.



.

Not this old "Originals vs Covers" crap again. I just love playing bass in bands. I've played in originals bands and in covers bands. They both have their challenges if you are going to do either of them well and they're both fun to do.

Why limit yourself when you can do it all.

I knew a guy in college who could play every guitar lick on the first 3 Steely Dan albums. Could he play anything else? Not sure, he never did!

At the two Open Mics I played at recently (and in tonight's), I do one original and the rest of the songs are covers.

1: They take up decent musicians who could be doing something..you know..creative!!

2: They all play the same goddamn setlist..yawn

3: They mostly suck!

4: For people in covers bands the driving motivation seems to be money... is that what its really about?

So, i say to you, get out there and be creative..the world has enough bad covers bands!!

/Rant off

Blimey so if your originals career doesn't work out and you cant get originals gigs because all of the pub and club bosses only book covers or tribute acts that keep them afloat , you'll give up? play bedroom concerts? or join a covers or tribute band and get out there keeping your hand in . i've played for years and been lucky to be in originals and covers bands , i love every minute of it, covers bands do keep 'real artist's' back catalogues in the public listening zone by cranking out classics at the local pub , there's nothing wrong with it , there's room for everyone , even the top pro's cover other muicians music

Yeah but if I have to play or hear KISS "rock and roll all night" even one more time, I may turn suicidal.

Covers may take on an original flair if you pick and choose them correctly.
An even better surprise is to play a cover and actually put your own twist on it.

I have to laugh though, most cover bands around here just struggle to play the music as written and kind of slop through it in a heated effort just to finish.

THAT I DO NOT APPRECIATE...

All the members of my Alt Rock tribute band have played in originals bands. I played bass for Entwhistles guitarist after Entwhistle died, my guitarist opened Glastonbury festival 2 years ago and my drummer was signed and toured with Reef. Loved all that stuff, but it isn't forever.

This year we are headlining decent sized outdoor festivals in front of thousands playing......COVERS! I'm NOT a rockstar and never will be, but I sure am living the dream!

It's rife with originals bands where I'm from, some good, most not. To be honest it's all about the haircut, loon pants, your "ironic" leopard-skin fender jaguar, and your shallow hipster following (if you have one) desperate to be in a scene so they like you even if you are sh*t. Best to not be too good either as you don't want to be confused with someone who tries too hard like a classic rock band or anything.

Better find a singer who tries to look and sound like Jagger without admitting that Jagger exists too, while spouting your angsty, jangly post-pubescent wankstick identikit original music (which let's face it IS original, but does try to sound quite a bit like your favourite band anyway).

Well actually I still support and applaud these people, at least they are out there doing it and are ALL about nearly to be signed and have a mate in the industry and a drummer who went to BIMM and owns 3 drums.

That's what ignorant judgement, stereotyping and prejudice sounds like my splooge-filled friend.

Who farted? lol

Yes, generally. It's the easy way out and a creative dead end, unless you make the cover totally different which none of them seem to do.