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#200708 by TARIFF
Sat Jan 05, 2013 3:45 pm
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

#200719 by Starfish Scott
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:00 pm
Yeah most cover bands don't sound too good either.

There's always an exception to the rule, but on the average they aren't anything I'd go out of my to experience for myself.
#200721 by RGMixProject
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:06 pm
TARIFF wrote: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

Make sure that when you put out your super CD to the masses have a disclaimer that no cover bands should ever play your songs. WTF!

#200724 by TARIFF
Sat Jan 05, 2013 4:15 pm
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...

#200770 by gbheil
Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:10 am
To me a good band is worth their weight in gold.
Or at least Budweiser.
Cover or original, if they are entertaining.

#201004 by GuitarMikeB
Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:35 pm
Tariff - you're looking at cover bands as a musician. Try looking at cover band as a typical bar/club non-musician patron.

Bar conversation:
Guy 1: "A few nice looking babes here, but this band is doing a bunch of crap I never heard that I can't dance to."
Guy 2: "Yeah, let's go some place where the band plays music we know."


It sucks, but that's life.

#201011 by gbheil
Mon Jan 07, 2013 3:59 pm
GuitarMikeB wrote:Tariff - you're looking at cover bands as a musician. Try looking at cover band as a typical bar/club non-musician patron.

Bar conversation:
Guy 1: "A few nice looking babes here, but this band is doing a bunch of crap I never heard that I can't dance to."
Guy 2: "Yeah, let's go some place where the band plays music we know."


It sucks, but that's life.





I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'd really prefer to hear good original music as opposed to the same ol tired crap over and over adnuseum.

I'd hope I'm not alone.

#201033 by Starfish Scott
Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:29 pm
A lot of people find it easier to mimic than to create.
And they say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".
Thus the cover band...

#201053 by GuitarMikeB
Mon Jan 07, 2013 7:27 pm
sanshouheil wrote:I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I'd really prefer to hear good original music as opposed to the same ol tired crap over and over adnuseum.

I'd hope I'm not alone.


Not here, you're not. Again, thinking like a musician! :wink:

#201086 by Mike Nobody
Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:50 pm
Chief Engineer Scott wrote:A lot of people find it easier to mimic than to create.
And they say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery".
Thus the cover band...


Creating is hard because just about everything has been done, at least with conventional instruments (drum, bass, guitar, vocals, etc).
Just about anything you hear today sounds like something from 20-30 years ago or more.
This used to really bother me a lot.
But, I kind of eventually accepted that you can only play what you like to play and just try to put your own twist on it.
Making hybrids kinda helps, mixing things together.

#201096 by Starfish Scott
Tue Jan 08, 2013 12:17 am
Mike N. -

Everything may have been done before but the reality of it is that no one ever does anything exactly like the example of what caught their attention.

I.e. Unless you are an outright plagiarist, your tune that is close to something you were thinking of is significantly different because it is you playing it.

"But, I kind of eventually accepted that you can only play what you like to play and just try to put your own twist on it." - MIKE N.

Just play what you like and if anyone else likes it, you're good to go.
If not, go back to square 1 and start again.

Do what you have to do to produce something you like.
Call it whatever you want...

#201493 by Guitar Guru
Wed Jan 09, 2013 10:14 pm
What do you count as a covers band? I have worked with very few jazz groups that played original material for much of the night, yet most of them sounded quite fresh & original in their approach to the music. A string quartet playing Schubert is definitely a 'covers band', but it is what the (classical) audience wants to hear.
Playing original material is over-rated unless the band has a good composer/songwriter in it. Very few of those around, consequently most original material sounds pretty dull & derivative.
Play the covers but don't copy the original recording. Put your own stamp on the music.

#202495 by AdamFin26
Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:02 pm
I agree and disagree with this topic in equal measure.

There are so many cover bands out there which are terrible. But I have seen some absolutely quality cover bands who spend hours and hours perfecting the songs they play. They are tailor made and put together with passion. And they earn a fortune.

Its not all about money some people say, but will and passion alone doesn't pay bills. Plus if you are in a great cover band, its really fun.

On the flip side, I love live original music. But as someone has already said, the average pub going punter, doesn't want to hear two hours of original material. Unless its top quality. But like someone has also said, a good song is equal parts music and good songwriting. So many bands write poor songs and label them top quality.

Hence why cover bands get more gigs. This is my opinion but the sorry truth of it. It's a lot easier to work 5 nights a week playing covers than it is playing original material.

My solution: Be in a great cover band which pays the bills which funds original material. Once original material starts paying money and fuels ambition, ditch the covers :)

#202507 by PaperDog
Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:33 pm
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 !

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