Music Industry Discussion

I am the lead vocalist / guitarist / songwriter for a new but experienced metal band (technically will be a "band" once we find the right drummer), and for the last three years prior to forming said outfit I have been refining my songwriting, mainly re-writing lyrics and melodies. I am confident when stating that we have our own unique sound, very original just as Alice In Chains was compared to say, Stone Temple Pilots although I dig both bands. I now have 12 songs that I recorded by myself in my home studio using a drum & bass machine, played all guitars, sang all vocals. But it don't mean jack until you get out there and work 'em in the clubs - now I've seen my share of decent cover bands but most of the time it seems like a trap. In fact many cover bands, even good metal ones, are pro's at doing other's material but I would guess probably couldn't write their own and if they actually found the time to do so, how hot would that song/s be? I feel like you gotta believe in your own stuff and have five song demos in hand for sale, or give aways wherever you play, and other promotionals like marquee posters and all that. To me a cover band with great original material is prostituting themselves, just pumping up the groups who have already made it big, made millions...............I dunno, its been a while out of the local scene for me so I guess that's the problem. But intuition is telling me I've got something here, and learning three-four sets of covers may just be the biggest mistake I could make. Uh, a little help here? Thanks! Dean. [/b]

Kudos for being a non-screamo type scenario.

Yeah - hey, after all - why be a 2nd rate copy of someone else, when you can be a first rate version of yourself?

I'm with you.
But I think you'll find that most people can't write a song, without just copying someone else and altering it slightly.
. . . and then calling it an 'original song.' Yeah, right . . .
.
Not many people are composers.
I think most musicians hear a song that they like, and just want to play it..
S'ok.
There's just something about making the song come out of your own fingers, eh?
.
Now the real trick is to write a truly original song, which other people like enough to want to play.
Then they'll be covering you.
How do you feel about that?

Eh...I have no problem with using the covers to get MY songs heard.

I do both pretty well, so it isn't really an issue for me. i've done 'concerts' using all originals, & they go over as well as the covers do, but I'm a solo act, when I do this. It's different for band work, I know.

In bands, I often do 2-3 covers & then an original or two. It always works well.

I don't see anything wrong with going any route, if the audience is enjoying themselves. Even big original artists drop in a cover now & then, & it works very well.

Remember April Wine's cover of 21st Century Schizoid Man? A note for note cover, yet it still got kudos all around. Phish, Beatles, Peter Gabriel...the list goes on of top acts doing cover material. Nothing at all wrong with doing covers, even note for note, if you do it well, & the audience is wowed.

I do enjoy hearing GOOD original stuff, but if ya can't produce it, you can still play, ya know? I don't poo-poo cover bands. Musicians should be able to play.

In my opinion a band should NEVER be cover or original (if they have originals). A band should be playing the tunes they WANT to play, whether it's cover and/or originals. Are you a live jukebox? Are you a DJ? Are you hosting a karaoke contest? Sounds to me like you're an ARTIST, so perform as an ARTIST, create whatever you want, play whatever you want, and let the chips fall where they may...