General Music Chat

I have previous experience in a band that did this. We used the same name, got in good with a bar, built a small fan base, and started having other bands open (leaving more time to focus on originals instead of covers). We eventually built a small "community" of all original bands. I don't know how realistic this is to your situation. We were lucky, and we worked hard!

Keith,
I concur with SkoobaSteve.

Most all good original bands that I've known, or played in, performed covers. Ain't no shame in it, especially if ya do them good! Never had a bad attitude toward them.
HJ

How about this scenario: You book your "cover" band and you've got a good crowd all having a great time. Half way throuhg the third or fourth set you announce to the crowd "Hey we're going to play a short unplugged set, hope you don't mind." Then you play three or four of your originals in a row. You don't even say they're originals, you just play some good music unplugged for half a set. Then you go back and finish the gig with some of your best covers. This way you make everybody happy. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to play an entire night of originals when the bar owner expects you to play all covers. That might backfire, regardless of how many people show up for the gig. But I think you can easily get away with a change of pace for a number of tunes. I think most people appreciate a band's ability to be versatile. i know I would probably enjoy it.

yes you probably would, but with all do respect potential president fisherman bob aren't you a bit of an eclectic individual with more tastes and styles then most people have brain cells (myself included just to throw it out there) but that does seem like a half decent idea...I mean by that point in the night the bar has made their money and you've gotten your exposure...if I wasn't feeling acoustic music and a band did that while I was at the bar I'd get some air or see how life was going at the other bar across the street but probably come back

Hey Krammer Man!
Haven't checked out your site for a while.
You sound pretty good jammin' with Peart and the boys!
I like your instrumental too.

Back on topic,
Ted brings up a good point.
But then, so does Bob.

Just play the gig as you feel it and don't worry so much. If an acoustic mini set feels right, then Go For It.
(by the way, Ya been back on TV lately?)

Howlin'

Hey guys,
To expand further-

The originals is split into many small one person (valerie) acoustic shows, many of which are play-for-free coffee houses and smaller venues, and then the band does the larger venues, and obviously some paid (and some not), all of which is done for exposure. Our cd release party we brought in about 80 people, and could have been closer to 100 if the weather was not foul that night. However, that was a highly advertised and anticipated gig.. whereas the regular gigs bring in lower turnouts and rely on the pull from the venues themselves.

This act already included some covers, although, most of them are acoustic and folksy stuff that won't translate to bars well.

We've realized that we cannot go anwhere from there. Booking agents want bigger fanbases, and bigger venues want booking agents, so we decided that we need to rock out, do bars, do covers, etc.. to expand our fanbase and hopefully cross-contaminate our existing one.

Add that to trips into Philly now to do open mics and try to expand the fanbase there as well.

So what we're trying to do really is just expand the fanbase, and at the same time gain more mass appeal. The originals are nice, and folksy and stuff... but they can't carry us simply because there isn't a market for it (at least not around here) like there is for genres like metal and underground alternative.

The decision was made yesterday to be "new band name - featuring Valerie" .. I have to agree, seems like the best approach.

Now.. back to that song list...

Good move Kramerdude. It's easier to market a distinct product. Most serious musicians I know are in two or three projects at a time. It helps (for me anyway) to keep them seperate; I'm in an original punk band (The Farleys), I have an acoustic solo act (Jules Lochland), I'm in a punk "cover" band (called Drunken Circus Monkey, we do Clash, Social D, etc) and I'm putting together a metal/hard rock band (Rui). My only question would be why does the name have to have "featuring Valerie"? I would think just the new band name would suffice.

My only question would be why does the name have to have "featuring Valerie"? I would think just the new band name would suffice.

To try to keep the fanbase of both intertwined. We never really wanted to split into two different acts, as much as we are doing it out of necessity, so why not intermix the potential total fans, rather than try to garner and maintain two different fanbases?

Hey Krammer Man!
Haven't checked out your site for a while.
You sound pretty good jammin' with Peart and the boys!
I like your instrumental too.

(by the way, Ya been back on TV lately?)

Howlin'

Thanks for the kudos HJ - although those demos are old now - I've been trying to work on new ones, I've learned SO much since recording those (playing techniques, styles), but I can't seem to find the time anymore, always learning or practicing for the next gig or rehearsal when I pick up the git at home. I'm working on writing a new instrumental in my spare time that will be all of interesting, progressive, and a little wankery for the guitar enthusiasts in one song. Probably be months before I finish it at this rate.

Ain't had a TV spot since the release party, been doing some exercising reps daily though, and learned to never wear a white shirt in front of a camera

Being an original artist I dont have the best insider info on this, but I did play Bass & lead vox in 3 cover bands, and one of em did a set (last set) with 2 originals for each cover. Now of course most everyone was drunk by then but it was by far the most popular set.

www.myspace.com/blunderingeye
www.myspace.com/445175001
http://ezfolk.com/audio/bands/6039/
http://bandmix.com/hayden-king/
hayden_king2000 on yahoo messenger

*

Be careful about doing too many unpaid gigs, especially if you have to haul a PA and lots of other equipment. Doing a few (few being the operative word) open mics is good IF you play a short songlist and LEAVE. I hate the idea of playing too much for FREE. I haven't been to very many open mics in years. Being there's so few paid gigs any more I might have to show up at a few. I plan on playing three or four tunes max and LEAVE. They're going to want me to play all night but it ain't happening. Give them a taste, a few of your best songs, and LEAVE. Make them want you to come back. Show up a few times, get the venue owner interested in you. Start talking MONEY. Yeah I'll come back. Show me the money and I'll stick around longer next time. Later...

Stix And Floyd don't do no mo' freebies. We went along with a few 'cause the band was new and trying to break in. Bottom line is 'do it once and they'll try to get you to do it again'. If you suck, they won't even ask. If they do ask, it means they like you. Show me the money!

I'm usually at the front of the line to chastise musicians for playing free gigs, but I found in these parts there are 3 types of venues-

1. Bars / clubs - which I would never, ever, play for free

2. Coffee houses / Cafe's - These places book bands but offer no pay. There's a whole circuit of them around here. You could bring in 100 fans, and still they won't pay you a dime. Sadly, it's how most bands around here try out material (originals and covers) or break into live performances.

3. open mic - Goes without saying I guess

For #2 - we play them mostly to hone our playing out, get exposure, etc. The no-pay sucks, yes, but in reality, I know one of the coffee shop owners personally, and his take on it is pretty straight-forward- He barely stays in business as it is. They don't make a lot of money, and musician-crowds usually don't buy a whole lot of coffee / food. He does it because he loves music and wants to help support the local (music) scene, give bands a chance to get out of the garage, especially originals bands that have no venues to play in.

We're trying to break into the bar scene (not hard really, just grappling with the questions like this topic), and obviously learning a lot of new (covers) material that's more bar-friendly. The originals are not going to be terribly bar-friendly just because of the nature of their genre. We're working on jazzing them up a bit (or rocking them out, for a better term).

The decisions on where we play and for how much are not mine, so I'd be presumptuous to try and dictate what I will and won't do. I'm really just going with the flow and adding input and suggestions where I can.


In a thread on HC, someone asked a good question:

If no gigs, no matter what size or exposure paid, would you change what you are doing now?

I thought about that, and honestly, I'm really happy right where I am, even with no pay, I'd still be musically ambitious and continue on the road I've been. I'm in two totally different bands, best of both worlds, and having a lot of fun with everything

It would be MUCH BETTER if you record a CD before you play full gigs for free, then at the show you announce you've got a CD for sale and we've got some with us. I know a musician around here who does a lot of free shows and sells his CD's at the venues and makes pretty decent money. Sure it's nice to get exposure and add some fans but it's NICER to at least pay some of your ongoing expenses.

It would be MUCH BETTER if you record a CD before you play full gigs for free, then at the show you announce you've got a CD for sale and we've got some with us. I know a musician around here who does a lot of free shows and sells his CD's at the venues and makes pretty decent money. Sure it's nice to get exposure and add some fans but it's NICER to at least pay some of your ongoing expenses.

Just had the CD release party on Jan 9th! Got an earlier EP and then the recent full length CD for sale at all shows