Keeping Band Mates Happy

p90fool

Fair enough @thegummy , I think that applies to most of us.

I think the stick some of us may have got the wrong end of was the implication that there wasn't much point in live music if you could just put the record on instead. 

I think on the whole my band is fairly lax about accurately reproducing recordings, but I'd say we get a packed, drunken crowd yelling for more at maybe six out of ten of our gigs. 

Most of the others are more restrained affairs even though people enjoy them, and the occasional one would've been better off with a DJ. 

I'm getting a good nose at the comms stage for sussing out the gigs where they're just not going to be into live music no matter who it is, and I turn those down.  

stickyfiddle

tony99 said:

stickyfiddle said:

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

I'm quite surprised there's a lot of paid work for cover bands. People preferring to have amateurs cover songs than just play the record.

For some reason a lot of people just like the idea of the people making the music being in the room even though it's just coming through a PA like the record would be.

I can understand people wanting some live entertainment and human interaction, what baffles me is the uninspiring set list that every cover band plays. At least round here, if you've played in one you've played in them all. I get that it's for a reason and they're crowd pleasers, I just don't get why nobody wants to hear anything different and the sets are largely unchanged since I was first in my cover band almost 10 years ago now.

I really want to do something that's heavy on the 90s-00s stuff (grunge, alt, punk rock, nu metal), guitar based versions of current pop songs etc but nobody else seems interested. Maybe for good reason for people around my age (late 20s-early 30s) it's all the nostalgia tunes from when we were teenagers that I thought would go down well. Maybe too niche.

FWIW I was at a small wedding about 8 weeks ago. No band for the evening, just a DJ. The 2 moments where every fucker was on the dance floor were a) when the DJ played about 8 pop-punk songs in a row (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, Offspring etc - all either from the American Pie soundtrack or could have easily been), and b) the end of the night which consisted of 3 Oasis songs and a massive singalong. 

That shit is going to be the next "big thing" in cover bands, mark my words

Which Oasis songs please?

Wonderwall, Don't Look Back in Anger, Champagne Supernova (good one for end of boozy night when everyone is getting "huggy" and winding down, less good if it looks like the party is going to move on to a club!)

thegummy

p90fool said:

Fair enough @thegummy , I think that applies to most of us.

I think the stick some of us may have got the wrong end of was the implication that there wasn't much point in live music if you could just put the record on instead. 

I think on the whole my band is fairly lax about accurately reproducing recordings, but I'd say we get a packed, drunken crowd yelling for more at maybe six out of ten of our gigs. 

Most of the others are more restrained affairs even though people enjoy them, and the occasional one would've been better off with a DJ. 

I'm getting a good nose at the comms stage for sussing out the gigs where they're just not going to be into live music no matter who it is, and I turn those down.  

Appreciate the reply. It might have been a bad idea to pose such a question when people who see it could feel very defensive, I was just thinking that if they're secure in what they do they'd possibly give me some reasons I hadn't thought of myself.

I think in general no one thinks about it like this because they get to their teens, find out there's a thing called gigs, go to some and really enjoy the night so go to more. They have no reason to think about whether or not the music being live matters.

The reason I've thought about it is because since I stopped drinking I don't enjoy the social aspects really, being around a crowd of drunk people can actually be terrible when sober. And the waiting involved in most gigs between bands or just waiting for the main band - no problem if you're just having a good time in general but I'd be going specifically to see the band.

So I had reason to ask myself what I'm actually getting out of going to the gig compared to if I just stayed at home and listened to a record. Then I realised that it's hard to say if there is a benefit and what it is.

Still looking forward to Govt Mule next month mind!

TimmyO

thegummy said:

p90fool said:

Fair enough @thegummy , I think that applies to most of us.

I think the stick some of us may have got the wrong end of was the implication that there wasn't much point in live music if you could just put the record on instead. 

I think on the whole my band is fairly lax about accurately reproducing recordings, but I'd say we get a packed, drunken crowd yelling for more at maybe six out of ten of our gigs. 

Most of the others are more restrained affairs even though people enjoy them, and the occasional one would've been better off with a DJ. 

I'm getting a good nose at the comms stage for sussing out the gigs where they're just not going to be into live music no matter who it is, and I turn those down.  

Appreciate the reply. It might have been a bad idea to pose such a question when people who see it could feel very defensive, I was just thinking that if they're secure in what they do they'd possibly give me some reasons I hadn't thought of myself.

I think in general no one thinks about it like this because they get to their teens, find out there's a thing called gigs, go to some and really enjoy the night so go to more. They have no reason to think about whether or not the music being live matters.

The reason I've thought about it is because since I stopped drinking I don't enjoy the social aspects really, being around a crowd of drunk people can actually be terrible when sober. And the waiting involved in most gigs between bands or just waiting for the main band - no problem if you're just having a good time in general but I'd be going specifically to see the band.

So I had reason to ask myself what I'm actually getting out of going to the gig compared to if I just stayed at home and listened to a record. Then I realised that it's hard to say if there is a benefit and what it is.

Still looking forward to Govt Mule next month mind!

I've probably been guilty of wrongly lumping you in with the well-worn trope around here of originals-zealots sniping at anything that isn't originals and sealioning their way through a series of disingenuous requests to have the appeal of music-they-didn't-write explained to them :-) 

p90fool

thegummy said:

p90fool said:

Fair enough @thegummy , I think that applies to most of us.

I think the stick some of us may have got the wrong end of was the implication that there wasn't much point in live music if you could just put the record on instead. 

I think on the whole my band is fairly lax about accurately reproducing recordings, but I'd say we get a packed, drunken crowd yelling for more at maybe six out of ten of our gigs. 

Most of the others are more restrained affairs even though people enjoy them, and the occasional one would've been better off with a DJ. 

I'm getting a good nose at the comms stage for sussing out the gigs where they're just not going to be into live music no matter who it is, and I turn those down.  

Appreciate the reply. It might have been a bad idea to pose such a question when people who see it could feel very defensive, I was just thinking that if they're secure in what they do they'd possibly give me some reasons I hadn't thought of myself.

I think in general no one thinks about it like this because they get to their teens, find out there's a thing called gigs, go to some and really enjoy the night so go to more. They have no reason to think about whether or not the music being live matters.

The reason I've thought about it is because since I stopped drinking I don't enjoy the social aspects really, being around a crowd of drunk people can actually be terrible when sober. And the waiting involved in most gigs between bands or just waiting for the main band - no problem if you're just having a good time in general but I'd be going specifically to see the band.

So I had reason to ask myself what I'm actually getting out of going to the gig compared to if I just stayed at home and listened to a record. Then I realised that it's hard to say if there is a benefit and what it is.

Still looking forward to Govt Mule next month mind!

I have a confession to make, I almost never go to see other bands, and don't go to pubs unless I'm paid to. 

It sounds churlish from someone who relies on people supporting my band, but it's just not my idea of a fun time and I'm gigging almost every weekend anyway. 

monquixote

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

pintspiller

Grunfeld said:

20 discs is simply enough music for most people.  

...and they are usually 80s compilations, or a Now compilation or seven, maybe a Ministry of Sound CD. 

But when they make a request it's something they don't own like Highway to Hell or Country Roads.

Grocer_Jack

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

Yep, busman’s holiday. Unless I’m on the stage, or it’s a really good mate’s band, I just don’t want to be there. 

octatonic

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

monquixote

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

Don't be that guy!

The amount of time I've spent chaperoning female band members away from drooling drunk blokes. Worse still when it's the best man at a wedding and he's the one who booked and is paying you.

TTBZ

stickyfiddle said:

TTBZ said:

thegummy said:

I'm quite surprised there's a lot of paid work for cover bands. People preferring to have amateurs cover songs than just play the record.

For some reason a lot of people just like the idea of the people making the music being in the room even though it's just coming through a PA like the record would be.

I can understand people wanting some live entertainment and human interaction, what baffles me is the uninspiring set list that every cover band plays. At least round here, if you've played in one you've played in them all. I get that it's for a reason and they're crowd pleasers, I just don't get why nobody wants to hear anything different and the sets are largely unchanged since I was first in my cover band almost 10 years ago now.

I really want to do something that's heavy on the 90s-00s stuff (grunge, alt, punk rock, nu metal), guitar based versions of current pop songs etc but nobody else seems interested. Maybe for good reason for people around my age (late 20s-early 30s) it's all the nostalgia tunes from when we were teenagers that I thought would go down well. Maybe too niche.

FWIW I was at a small wedding about 8 weeks ago. No band for the evening, just a DJ. The 2 moments where every fucker was on the dance floor were a) when the DJ played about 8 pop-punk songs in a row (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World, Green Day, Offspring etc - all either from the American Pie soundtrack or could have easily been), and b) the end of the night which consisted of 3 Oasis songs and a massive singalong. 

That shit is going to be the next "big thing" in cover bands, mark my words

Well that's reassuring maybe I just need to wait a few years then!

p90fool

monquixote said:

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

Don't be that guy!

The amount of time I've spent chaperoning female band members away from drooling drunk blokes. Worse still when it's the best man at a wedding and he's the one who booked and is paying you.

Seconded. We've had to physically attack a few punters in the last couple of years to protect our singer. 

TTBZ

Bloody hell, was just chatting to a friend about the wedding band he sometimes fills in for, didn't realise how much they can get paid for 2 hours worth of material! I take back what I said about the tired set lists, I'll sell my soul and join a function band to help pay the bills!

Dan_Halen

Fuckin hell some of you are jaded!

Been gigging over 20 years but I love seeing a live band in a pub/wedding/bar on holiday etc. Wouldn’t necessarily go just for the band but if I’m out somewhere a bit of live music is great.

Danny1969

I do around 100 gigs a year now but still go and watch a band every Tuesday at my local and any Friday or Sat I'm not gig'ing plus I go to a jam nigh every couple weeks and a Shadows night every 3 weeks. I'm only actually home about 3 nights a week which is more than enough for me and the wife as she loves loud live music ... we have a lot of friends who like it too so we generally go as a crowd. Kids are all grown up so these are the golden years as far as I'm concerned

octatonic

monquixote said:

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

Don't be that guy!

The amount of time I've spent chaperoning female band members away from drooling drunk blokes. Worse still when it's the best man at a wedding and he's the one who booked and is paying you.

I’m not that guy.
it was a comment on what seems to happen, rather than what I do.
I’ve also chaperoned female band members in similar situations.

monquixote

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

Don't be that guy!

The amount of time I've spent chaperoning female band members away from drooling drunk blokes. Worse still when it's the best man at a wedding and he's the one who booked and is paying you.

I’m not that guy.
it was a comment on what seems to happen, rather than what I do.
I’ve also chaperoned female band members in similar situations.

Yeah it was more of a general observation.

You don't really seem the sleezy barfly type.

octatonic

monquixote said:

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

octatonic said:

monquixote said:

Agree totally.

I've been in loads of pub cover bands but I have zero interest in going to see them unless I know the band.

*unless there is a very hot band member of the lady persuasion.

Don't be that guy!

The amount of time I've spent chaperoning female band members away from drooling drunk blokes. Worse still when it's the best man at a wedding and he's the one who booked and is paying you.

I’m not that guy.
it was a comment on what seems to happen, rather than what I do.
I’ve also chaperoned female band members in similar situations.

Yeah it was more of a general observation.

You don't really seem the sleezy barfly type.

I’m really not.
Apologies if my point was inexpertly expressed.

This topic might be worthy of its own thread.

SNAKEBITE

Money seems to be a big issue with keeping bandmates happy.

The main bands I have been in, we were playing originals, not covers, were pretty poorly paid. Now this wasn't a problem, we knew we were doing it for love and not financial gain.

In each case the band "leader" used to keep the money and it was kept away for things like recording costs etc. Again, this wasn't an issue as it was stated before I joined that this was the score.

One band however did push the boundaries, the guitarist, who ran his own business and used his van to ferry us around for gigs asked to borrow money from the fund to replace his van when it blew up. We agreed, but that's the last we saw of that money!

Some money was invested in t-shirts, which when sold went into the pot. That's the last we saw of that money.

To be honest I wasn't really that bothered, I knew nothing was ever going to be made financially from it, and I wasn't disappointed, but it did niggle that it was done so obviously.

I left before it started to cost me more money!

TheBigDipper

With best will in the world, if you want to join a band then you'll probably make compromises in order to get in. Or, if you want to form a band, other people will make compromises to join you. Or you'll make compromises to get them in. 

The trick is being able to live with those compromises and keep the unit running. That means you'll need to keep on reminding yourselves what it is you're trying to be and how you're trying to do it. That means talking to each other and being honest when you do. 

I can't even get that to work as a solo act! :-)