If you can get hooked up with a 'special event' promoter, that's great - around here those kinds of events are not looking for 70s classic rock. Either 'tribute' or a danceable pop and/or (real) oldies or a mix is what they want.
The clubs/bars where all the 'classic rock' bands (like mine in the 80s) used to play are pretty much gone, and any cover bands need to do 80s 'hair band' music, or a good mix including stuff up through the last few years - because the people who are going out to these places were born in the 70s or 80s, and they don't want to hear the music their parents listened to (and least not too much of it!)
Haley - I watched/listened to all the videos, playing was all good, although I think the bass player needs to step up his game a little more - because with a 3-piece (+ singer) band, when you take a lead, the sound just kind of falls away. His sound was fairly clean, too, does he use any stompboxes?
But that's not just your band, I hear it all the time with bands around here. I understand that bands don't want to add another player - because all of a sudden you're making 75% or 80% of what you were making. So I see bands 'making do' or choosing songs that don't really have much for lead guitar parts in them (more 'flourishes' added in places than real leads). And if you listen to current indie rock (not pop!), you will rarely hear a guitar lead from a band, only from solo players (like John Mayer).
For myself, the last thing I want to be doing at my age is playing those same loud 70s songs I played 30 years ago (my tinnitus gets worse just thinking about it!) There's a fair share of 70s songs I still play - acoustically, but I also mix in songs from the 60s through current stuff - plus I can throw a few originals into the set list at a cover gig, too, which is not so easy with a classic rock 70s-style band.
So if you can keep doing this in Houston (and Cajundaddy out on the coast, too), and you enjoy it, keep on rockin'. When its all work and no fun... time to find something else to do.
The clubs/bars where all the 'classic rock' bands (like mine in the 80s) used to play are pretty much gone, and any cover bands need to do 80s 'hair band' music, or a good mix including stuff up through the last few years - because the people who are going out to these places were born in the 70s or 80s, and they don't want to hear the music their parents listened to (and least not too much of it!)
Haley - I watched/listened to all the videos, playing was all good, although I think the bass player needs to step up his game a little more - because with a 3-piece (+ singer) band, when you take a lead, the sound just kind of falls away. His sound was fairly clean, too, does he use any stompboxes?
But that's not just your band, I hear it all the time with bands around here. I understand that bands don't want to add another player - because all of a sudden you're making 75% or 80% of what you were making. So I see bands 'making do' or choosing songs that don't really have much for lead guitar parts in them (more 'flourishes' added in places than real leads). And if you listen to current indie rock (not pop!), you will rarely hear a guitar lead from a band, only from solo players (like John Mayer).
For myself, the last thing I want to be doing at my age is playing those same loud 70s songs I played 30 years ago (my tinnitus gets worse just thinking about it!) There's a fair share of 70s songs I still play - acoustically, but I also mix in songs from the 60s through current stuff - plus I can throw a few originals into the set list at a cover gig, too, which is not so easy with a classic rock 70s-style band.
So if you can keep doing this in Houston (and Cajundaddy out on the coast, too), and you enjoy it, keep on rockin'. When its all work and no fun... time to find something else to do.
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Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/mikebirchmusic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mikebirchmusic