General Music Chat

The last three bands I performed with were four hour R&B/Top 40 gig dance bands. You play EVERY SONG all night long as if it was your last performance. I went to the Hinckley Casino last night and watched these entertainers/musicians/performers play for five hours and they were animals all night. You approach every gig with perfection in sound, looks, command of stage presence and most importantly it is YOUR job as musicians to control the atmosphere of the crowd.

Here is a example

Rick K and the allnighters

http://tvtotal.prosieben.de/videos/Mad- ... ll--/9099/

Johnny Holm Band

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG_JE1eK0RA

All that stick work hitting the same 4 pieces and a few weak crashes. Doesn't even hit the toms once. I want to hit him. Hard. With my fist.

All that stick work hitting the same 4 pieces and a few weak crashes. Doesn't even hit the toms once. I want to hit him. Hard. With my fist.

Bad day @ work, Schmeddy??

I hate that song and most Bob Seger, but damn. Such an enemic voice on that guy. Makes me miss Bob.

$200-300 for 3-4 hours cover bands around here, too. They an sneak in an occasional original. Between-song talk to a minimum, because in the bar situation, people are talking, drinking, dancing when the music is good, not paying attention otherwise.

Tip jar at an open mic? I've said it before - Detroit is WAY different than out this way!

You'll never see a tip jar around here at a place that has a cover charge, or at the cover-band no-cover bars, either. You will see them at singer/songwriter gigs, which are usually at restaurant/bar-type places. These are the places where the performer will talk to the audience (assuming they notice people paying attention).

I can't speak for others but out west in the Golden state:
Classic rock cover band. We do this purely for fun and have no illusions of a record deal or world tour.
- We play paid gigs with a contract only, no door. Bars are $300-$600, private gigs $600 and up.
- Tip jar at the bars, sure. Sometimes we get $20, sometimes $120. You just never know.
- Audience involvement? Sure. We banter, tell stories about the songs, call out pretty girls to play percussion with us on the latin tunes, get sing-alongs going, all the stuff that keeps the night fun. We are all there to have fun so we just make the most of it.