#11317 by Craig Maxim
Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:45 pm
Wed Aug 15, 2007 5:45 pm
This is a question that has to be answered straight out of the box, when determining what the band's goals are.
To me, there is no middle ground on this.
You are primarily either, a cover band, or an originals band.
Typically in a cover band, you will play 80% to 90% covers
and the rest originals. An original band will do the opposite.
90% original and 10% covers (some won't do covers at all)
The question is, whether you are in this for the money or the music. Do you want to "make it" or do you just want to play for fun and make a small living doing so?
Cover bands will ALWAYS be cover bands, and the odds are highly stacked against them in "making it" with their own music.
One of the main reasons, is simply, that when you spend the majority of your time playing other's music, and therefore trying to pretty much sound like them, you don't have the time or freedom to develop your own sound fully. It is not easy to develop your own unique style, when you are spending so much time trying to sound like someone else. It overlaps. Even your originals will start sounding like someone else's music, because you spend so much time trying to sound like them for the majority of your songs.
Cover bands, may enjoy performing, but they are trying to eek out a living in music, not trying to "make it". Cover musicians want to be paid their $50 dollars to $200 dollars a night, and generally won't play without it. They often join unions (to get union scale) and play bars and weddings.
Original bands are all about the music. They will play anytime, anywhere, just to play, and expose their music to the public. A great deal of sacrifice is involved in being an original band, because you simply won't get paying gigs until you have a solid enough fan base, that you can guarantee 100 paying customers to show up for you. Also, there are fewer original oriented venues, than cover based venues.
For the club, it is ALL about the money. They ARE a business after all. You can succeed as an original band, and you can play anywhere a cover band would play, provided you are bringing paying customers, and giving the club good numbers (drink/food revenue) every time you play there.
So, you have to decide what you want out of this. If your original music is good, and you believe in it, and want to make a name for yourself with your own music, and are willing to be poor at first, then the choice is obvious. An original band.
Some cover bands on here won't like hearing this, and may not agree with it, because many of them really do think they can achieve both, i.e. play covers and spend some time on originals and balance both and still make it, while getting a small income along the way, waiting for their break.
But my experience, 30 years worth, has shown me that this almost never happens. Cover bands will usually always be cover bands. Individual's have a chance to shine in cover bands, but not the band itself. In other words, a record exec is in the audience, and sees that a female lead singer is hot and really talented, but the band is playing covers, and that exec will want to take her out of the band and develop her career as a solo artist. She appears to be the one with the talent, and he will just have his staff find the originals for her, and he would rather back her with the highest quality studio-type musicians of his own choosing.
When you are a cover band, and get a break, where there is a record exec in the audience, he likely won't be there by the time you get around to playing one of your originals. So, what he hears is "Hey, these guys play The Police just as good as the record. Well, there is already a Police, there is already a 3 Doors Down, there is already a whoever. There is no need for another one.
As a band that wants to "make it", what that exec needs to see, right from the first song of the set, is that these guys have a unique sound, good original music, and no shortage of it. You can't rely on a music execs immagination. You have to have the whole package ready to go, and prove through your performance that you do, and take any guesswork on his part, out of the equation.
If you do choose to be an original band, I recommend 1 or 2 covers per set. But if possible, make them your own. Let them be recognizable, but at that the same time, played in your own unique style.
The reason you do a few covers, is that while you are developing a fan base, it gives people new to your music, a security blanket. People feel more comfortable hearing something they recognize, even if it's only scattered here and there, and they are possibly more likely to stay around and more importantly, pay attention, to your own music, because it is less of a shock, less disorienting, when there is some familiarity involved, and they can sing along in their heads and hearts, because they know the words and melodies of those songs. Then they become your fans, and in no time, they are familiar with your music too, and mouthing the words of the songs they love, of yours. Which are now becoming favorites to them also.
To me, there is no middle ground on this.
You are primarily either, a cover band, or an originals band.
Typically in a cover band, you will play 80% to 90% covers
and the rest originals. An original band will do the opposite.
90% original and 10% covers (some won't do covers at all)
The question is, whether you are in this for the money or the music. Do you want to "make it" or do you just want to play for fun and make a small living doing so?
Cover bands will ALWAYS be cover bands, and the odds are highly stacked against them in "making it" with their own music.
One of the main reasons, is simply, that when you spend the majority of your time playing other's music, and therefore trying to pretty much sound like them, you don't have the time or freedom to develop your own sound fully. It is not easy to develop your own unique style, when you are spending so much time trying to sound like someone else. It overlaps. Even your originals will start sounding like someone else's music, because you spend so much time trying to sound like them for the majority of your songs.
Cover bands, may enjoy performing, but they are trying to eek out a living in music, not trying to "make it". Cover musicians want to be paid their $50 dollars to $200 dollars a night, and generally won't play without it. They often join unions (to get union scale) and play bars and weddings.
Original bands are all about the music. They will play anytime, anywhere, just to play, and expose their music to the public. A great deal of sacrifice is involved in being an original band, because you simply won't get paying gigs until you have a solid enough fan base, that you can guarantee 100 paying customers to show up for you. Also, there are fewer original oriented venues, than cover based venues.
For the club, it is ALL about the money. They ARE a business after all. You can succeed as an original band, and you can play anywhere a cover band would play, provided you are bringing paying customers, and giving the club good numbers (drink/food revenue) every time you play there.
So, you have to decide what you want out of this. If your original music is good, and you believe in it, and want to make a name for yourself with your own music, and are willing to be poor at first, then the choice is obvious. An original band.
Some cover bands on here won't like hearing this, and may not agree with it, because many of them really do think they can achieve both, i.e. play covers and spend some time on originals and balance both and still make it, while getting a small income along the way, waiting for their break.
But my experience, 30 years worth, has shown me that this almost never happens. Cover bands will usually always be cover bands. Individual's have a chance to shine in cover bands, but not the band itself. In other words, a record exec is in the audience, and sees that a female lead singer is hot and really talented, but the band is playing covers, and that exec will want to take her out of the band and develop her career as a solo artist. She appears to be the one with the talent, and he will just have his staff find the originals for her, and he would rather back her with the highest quality studio-type musicians of his own choosing.
When you are a cover band, and get a break, where there is a record exec in the audience, he likely won't be there by the time you get around to playing one of your originals. So, what he hears is "Hey, these guys play The Police just as good as the record. Well, there is already a Police, there is already a 3 Doors Down, there is already a whoever. There is no need for another one.
As a band that wants to "make it", what that exec needs to see, right from the first song of the set, is that these guys have a unique sound, good original music, and no shortage of it. You can't rely on a music execs immagination. You have to have the whole package ready to go, and prove through your performance that you do, and take any guesswork on his part, out of the equation.
If you do choose to be an original band, I recommend 1 or 2 covers per set. But if possible, make them your own. Let them be recognizable, but at that the same time, played in your own unique style.
The reason you do a few covers, is that while you are developing a fan base, it gives people new to your music, a security blanket. People feel more comfortable hearing something they recognize, even if it's only scattered here and there, and they are possibly more likely to stay around and more importantly, pay attention, to your own music, because it is less of a shock, less disorienting, when there is some familiarity involved, and they can sing along in their heads and hearts, because they know the words and melodies of those songs. Then they become your fans, and in no time, they are familiar with your music too, and mouthing the words of the songs they love, of yours. Which are now becoming favorites to them also.
{Sorry}, I know it breaks your heart. With all of my best of wishes, & With the best of Good Luck....VB.....PEACE OF MIND.
