Recommend two songs each please

axisus

Quo - Rockin all over the world

Tom Robinson band  - 2 4 6 8 Motorway

Jalapeno

Anything by
Stones
Beatles
TREX
Bowie


Take your pick

nickp

tiger feet

back in black (always works whatever the pub)

mr brightside and Sex on fire which is wot @moss said

i will survive (gold plated success)

monster

chelsea dagger

i love rock n roll

not_the_dj

Billy Idol, Rebel Yell 

Oasis, Cigarettes and Alcohol 

 Both go down a storm round here.

Dominic

Blame it on the Boogie and Move Your Feet are pretty much guaranteed floor fillers for us, whatever the audience.
Rock stuff at family gatherings just bores everyone except the guy with the grey ponytail at the bar.

THIS IS SO VERY TRUE...........seen exactly that sad stereotype in said situation so many times

Could be even worse tho'..........Sunshine of your love ..anybody ?

thebreeze

Need to listen to Sex on Fire.......shows how many parties I go to these days.......

I'm not sure Cream songs should be played anywhere, anytime.  Even by Cream.

RocknRollDave

Well, you're in luck with that last bit....

ICBM

Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Hit Me Baby One More Time

thomasross20

PolarityMan said:

I've always fancied doing something along these lines but with the full band, (not sure if this counts as one or like 4...but it's awesome anyways):

Man I love that!

thomasross20

Sorry to thread hi-jack but these are also awesome!

Bohemian Rhapsody is amazing:

Cookiemonster

for us sadly as I don't really like them that much, the ones that always seemed to get a big reaction were sex on fire, and la bamba.

RocknRollDave

Yup, if you're playing to a random group of strangers, you'd be daft not to learn Sex On Fire, cos someone is going to come and ask for it, almost 100% guaranteed.

ICBM

I'd make a point of not learning it, so you can say no with confidence.

RocknRollDave

ICBM said:

I'd make a point of not learning it, so you can say no with confidence.

Why would you not want to play a song that is really popular and goes down well? Ok so it's 3 or 4 minutes of your life you won't get back, but it's 3 or 4 minutes that could totally turn the gig around. If a band is serious about playing functions etc, they have to leave their personal tastes at home.

ICBM

RocknRollDave said:

Why would you not want to play a song that is really popular and goes down well? Ok so it's 3 or 4 minutes of your life you won't get back, but it's 3 or 4 minutes that could totally turn the gig around. If a band is serious about playing functions etc, they have to leave their personal tastes at home.

Because it feeds the ever-decreasing circle of playing the same boring crap that most boring covers bands play. There are tens of thousands of great, well-known songs out there - you only need to play twenty or thirty at a gig, why pick just the ones that have already been done to death? Just because it's all some punters seem to be able to remember at the end of an evening.

You can turn a gig round far more effectively with a rocked-up version of something unexpected, and you'll be remembered for that much more than for being yet another band that plays the same dull stuff everyone does. Have some imagination. You might even be remembered after they've sobered up...

There isn't much in life I find more tedious than having to listen to a covers band plodding through the same old set list at a wedding or something. If I'm in a pub I tend to leave.

EricTheWeary

ICBM said:

RocknRollDave said:

Why would you not want to play a song that is really popular and goes down well? Ok so it's 3 or 4 minutes of your life you won't get back, but it's 3 or 4 minutes that could totally turn the gig around. If a band is serious about playing functions etc, they have to leave their personal tastes at home.

Because it feeds the ever-decreasing circle of playing the same boring crap that most boring covers bands play. There are tens of thousands of great, well-known songs out there - you only need to play twenty or thirty at a gig, why pick just the ones that have already been done to death?

You can turn a gig round far more effectively with a rocked-up version of something unexpected, and you'll be remembered for that much more than for being yet another band that plays the same dull stuff everyone does. Have some imagination.

I don't disagree but if your audience is someone's family and friends most of whom never see live music from one year to the next then expectations become pretty safe. If you are playing the local circuit then something to stand out and get you remembered is a good idea but not many people want a thrash metal version of Too Sexy For My Shirt at their wedding. 

not_the_dj

RocknRollDave said:

ICBM said:

I'd make a point of not learning it, so you can say no with confidence.

Why would you not want to play a song that is really popular and goes down well? Ok so it's 3 or 4 minutes of your life you won't get back, but it's 3 or 4 minutes that could totally turn the gig around. If a band is serious about playing functions etc, they have to leave their personal tastes at home.

This. It's not high art we're doing in covers/function bands, it's playing well known songs for people to dance to and have a good time...and the majority of people at these gigs do dance and have a good time to Sex on Fire, Mr Brightside, Brown Eyed Girl etc etc.

We have a few reworked and rocked up versions of lesser known tracks, but the big hitters in the set are the obvious ones, and if we don't play them we'll get asked for them.

It's bloody good fun to play to a packed crowd all singing along.

octatonic

I'd focus on doing humorous versions of songs about age/ageing.

Dub-Reggae version of 'My Generation'.

Ska version of 'Mrs Robinson'.

Metal version of 'September of my Years'

Steely Dan's 'Hey Nineteen' done in the style on Johnny Cash.

bobblehat

Cant Explain - The Who

Last Time - The stones.

thebreeze

octatonic said:

I'd focus on doing humorous versions of songs about age/ageing.

Dub-Reggae version of 'My Generation'.

Ska version of 'Mrs Robinson'.

Metal version of 'September of my Years'

Steely Dan's 'Hey Nineteen' done in the style on Johnny Cash.

Perhaps a humorous version of Sex on Fire as a compromise?  (that's a joke)

As you've mentioned Steely Dan, Reelin' in the years may suit a 50th?

Thanks for all these suggestions - there's plenty of variety here to keep both us and the audience happy.  I can understand the requirement and consequent frustration of having to perform certain songs all the time.  It was interesting following RocknRollDave's suggestion and checking out the professional web-sites - in my naivety I never realised audiences were so standardised in their wants - but I guess the bottom line is "having a good time" whatever that really means.

Further down the line I'll let you know the set list we finalise on (could be months away) for your amusement/shock/scrutiny.  But keep suggesting if you'd like.  I was keen to do Blame it on the Boogie and three days later I'm already off it!