Why be in a cover band?

mudslide73

I'm in awe of anyone still plugging away at the originals thing while working full time. I did it in my 20s/30s and I no longer have the energy. I can't stomach all the promotion, multi band "gigs" and trying keep the same people interested. I really miss the feeling of playing a self written song to an audience though. I'd do originals again but it'd have to be the right project - one where I didn't have to do literally everything.

With the covers thing we just show up and play. The material gets people into it and we don't promote at all if a gig isn't super local. Punters walking past recognise tunes then come in to listen. We get paid. Sometimes we get people we don't know come back and see us. I love doing covers that were big hits but aren't expected by the audience. Steering away from Classic Rock has yielded far more work in the last couple of years. 

John_A

I used to love playing in an original band.  Great times in the van for weeks on end, recorded and album in LA, and got loads of satisfaction from writing.  Loved playing in a covers band too.

just love playing:)

thomasw88

John_A said:

I used to love playing in an original band.  Great times in the van for weeks on end, recorded and album in LA, and got loads of satisfaction from writing.  Loved playing in a covers band too.

just love playing:)

This, like both. Do more covers now days tho but still do the odd decent support gig/festival with originals music.

GuyBoden

Even playing Jazz standards is playing covers really, but I bet most Jazzers don't see themselves as a cover band.......

Roland

Face it, even the Jagger and Richards spend their lives covering Rolling Stones songs.

vasselmeyer

I played in a originals band in Manchester around the peak of the Happy Mondays and Stone Roses and we got some A&R interest but it never went anywhere. Life in the way of family and job got in the way but I just love playing music, hence playing in a covers band.

It's not often that a hobby pays for itself, so I really can't complain. Apart from having to play Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Mustang Sally now and then, it's just bloody good fun.

ICBM

GuyBoden said:

Even playing Jazz standards is playing covers really, but I bet most Jazzers don't see themselves as a cover band.......

In many ways I see what I do as playing 'standards', not 'covers' - my band play classic songs, but without much regard to anything other than the lyrics, most of the vocal melody, and an approximation of the chord progression and structure.

WiresDreamDisasters

Further to what I said before - I make music for my mental health. I'd be fucked without it tbh!

ArchtopDave

ICBM said:

GuyBoden said:

Even playing Jazz standards is playing covers really, but I bet most Jazzers don't see themselves as a cover band.......

In many ways I see what I do as playing 'standards', not 'covers' - my band play classic songs, but without much regard to anything other than the lyrics, most of the vocal melody, and an approximation of the chord progression and structure.

As per @ICBM, I view playing the songs we do in like manner - trying to inject something a bit different to reflect the band's own personality. I like the concept of thinking of these pieces as "standards", as opposed to the idea of a "cover" version, where you're slavishly trying to recreate the original recorded version of a song.. 

midlifecrisis

I love playing in my covers band. im 57 and only got back into playing about 10 years ago, I have been offered by a good singer friend of mine to form an originals band but i really dont want to start writing and performing to no one . i learn songs that people already know, perform them to pissed up punters on the weekend, get paid, and invited back to do the same. Gigs for me are the highlight of my week. we play mr brightside, sex on fire amongst others because people really like them and i enjoy playing them. 

Wazmeister

Why ?

Fun.

My band is called The Sixty Fours... we simply play the songs we love and want to; they are classics and seem to go down well.

Dopesick

Playing in originals bands is one of my main outlets for spewing out creativity. My metal band has been around for about four years now and even though we're quite niche (as in, not a traditional metal band ala Maiden, Priest, Metallica etc), we've had a few lineup changes, we've played to a few bomb scares and getting gigs can be a pain in the ass - but I fucking love it and wouldn't stop it any time soon, even past my mid 30s. Playing my own creations to a room full of strangers and seeing them go mad is just one of the best feelings ever. One of the perks of living in an area with a great live venue I think.

I'll most probably do the covers band thing when I'm approaching retirement, but I couldn't spend endless weekends covering the same old shite - it'd have to be with a twist. I know a band who do covers of songs but in a ska/punk/disco hybrid and it sounds like a right laugh (although I wouldn't play ska even if you held a gun to my head).

hollywoodrox

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Further to what I said before - I make music for my mental health. I'd be fucked without it tbh!

Good shout 

mudslide73

Dopesick said:

I'll most probably do the covers band thing when I'm approaching retirement.

This is what I thought but becoming a parent hastened the end of my tenure in my last originals band. Plus if I'm totally honest my writing wasn't as good as I thought it was. I also think there's a time where if you're ever gonna make it you'd have done it by now. Admitting this was very difficult for me personally. I still catch myself thinking about that hard drive full of demos too

LastMantra

hollywoodrox said:

WiresDreamDisasters said:

Further to what I said before - I make music for my mental health. I'd be fucked without it tbh!

Good shout 

It's an interesting point. Probably a good thread in itself.