Advice Please: Originals in a covers set

cj73

Is it acceptable to play originals in pubs/clubs when you're booked as a covers band?  We're all fortyish and looking for a bit of fun but the singist was a bit of a small town hero back in the day and he likes his songs.

We've got nothing in the book at the moment but played a few "showcase" type things before Christmas where a band we knew booked a function room and we supported.  We did well at them and got decent feedback but he thinks this means we'll get away with it in pubs.  I don't think we should.

Thoughts?  

DesVegas

Yeah, go for it .. i'm sure they'll be in the same style as the other songs you play .. i would say this is one of ours, or, we wrote this one then start it straight away .. obviously if the pub clears, maybe not do it again for a while

EricTheWeary

It's funny how bands have diverged into originals and covers ( and then tributes), once upon a time this wouldn't have been much of a question. As a punter and as someone who has been in bands I'd say go for it. I have, however, seen bands fall a bit flat doing this. I'd generally suggest just playing the original and skipping the five minute introductory monologue about how it was written.

Danny1969

Yeah doing originals is fine ...... that's how everybody started out originally from the Beatles to Van Halen. It;s a nice buzz too when punters get to know your songs and request em as well 

PolarityMan

For our long pub gigs we play a 50/50 mix of originals and covers and we often get a lot of compliments about our originals. If we can go at it from the originals end adding covers i dont see why a covers band couldnt approach it from the other direction.

Maynehead

If you're really good they'll be asking you who that awesome song that they've never heard was by after the gig! 

lloyd

Yeah just do it, and like above no need for an introduction "this is one we wrote ourselves" just play it, you'll know if people think it's any good.

monquixote

lloyd said:

Yeah just do it, and like above no need for an introduction "this is one we wrote ourselves" just play it, you'll know if people think it's any good.

Wisdom.

I did a band which did a couple of originals in a mostly covers set and if you say "This is one we wrote" everyone pisses off to the bar or for a fag, but if you just launch into it most people assume it's a famous song they don't know and then are impressed when you back announce it it at the end.

cj73

Wisdoms all round then…the originals are pretty similar to a lot of the set so could be slipped in without much ado……just need to avoid the long origins story from the singer.

Fez

Yeah that's what we do.

Grunfeld

cj73 said:

the originals are pretty similar to a lot of the set so could be slipped in without much ado……

It is worth keeping an eye on the audience too.

Treat the original just like any other song -- check to see that it works or not with the punters -- don't get emotionally attached to any song.

Your audience will let you know if it's any good.  If it's a hit with them, you win.  If not, it probably has to go.  (Unless you don't mind alienating your audience which, to be fair, many bands don't give a shit about.)

I saw a covers band a month ago who were new to the circuit but they were of a certain age and could obviously play.  In the break I got chatting and they'd been an originals band for years and years, toured all over but never made it (I heard the standard, "We came so close" story too).  Think of a version of "Anvil."  After decades of this they decided to do the covers thing and see if they could get regular work, and they loved playing live, and earn a bit of lunch money too.

In the second set they added in a few of their original songs:
1)  It was really quite interesting to see these guys totally come to life -- they were rocking out on these songs and loving it.  They were a good covers band and had the banter and the chops but THIS is clearly what they loved.

2)  The songs were instantly forgettable.  They just were not that well written.  (Harsh but true.)  My only interest in them was seeing how much they loved playing them.