Tribute covers bands killing originality
Post replySaturday 27 Aug 2016, 3:08pm
Ah, thought that title would get you reading...
Anyway it seems that every pub club and now live music venues are crawling with tribute this and cover band that. I take it as a lack of imagination and dare from both Bookers and especially the musicians. A local venue that's has history in introducing some great bands now has a gig list almost entirely populated by cover/ tributes.
I also believe it part of the no-risk culture we are all living in. Importantly, it crowds out the artists trying to make/ grow something original. Covers are just a quick fix for musos, They get the adulation of audiences from playing these great songs that have had decades of maturing, as it were, in a popular culture, without having put in the creative effort. Dare I say it, it's all somewhat what parasitical. I'd understand if they were doing something different (though some are) with the songs.
Saturday 27 Aug 2016, 7:52pm
If I was a landlord Id want bands that my punters could relate too, you cant look at this from a musicians point of view as the landlord holds all the cards, Last week saw a band playing "Smoke on the water" its done to death but the punters 90% Blokes were well into it, put a classy Good well rehearsed original band in front of these people and they'd walk I've seen punters cheer a totally crap 60s cover band and I mean crap, and walk to the next pub and find a professional standard original band and the venue empty. You want to win then give the people what they want, of course you could fight them and draw straws as to which band member will leave first
Sunday 28 Aug 2016, 9:30am
Been in covers bands doing the usual stuff, chasing cars Dakota sex on fire basket case alright now born to be wild teenage kicks etc etc weekend in weekend out, tried to throw original songs into the equation to a zero response and a muted audience but in raptures when we started the next song Johnnie B Goode. Yawn.
Sunday 28 Aug 2016, 11:22am
Oh how I hate "Johnnie B Goode" Have'nt seen a band that could play it well yet closest ELO "Roll over Beethoven"
Sunday 9 Oct 2016, 6:31pm
Sorry, but no. I've done my time forming, playing in original bands. Limited success but it was a good ride. I've put my 10,000 hours in already.
Now I want to play the music I love, with the people Iike, to an audience who want to listen because, at the end of the day, life's to short to be patronising.
If you've had no success - then try harder. If your good enough, someone will notice and you'll get you break.
Good luck!
Monday 10 Oct 2016, 2:49pm
It depends what type of covers band if its just the regular ugly corperate machine chugging out the same old cover dross like Brown Eyed Girl , Oasis , Green day , Let me entertain you , foxy lady , fulton prison blues , Have a nice day , Brown Sugar , CCR( always easy for any bog standard bunch of men calling themselves musican's to plounder their song book to fill up a jukebox set list. Living on a prayer , rocking all over the world and maybe if your lucky the odd Zepplin , Sabath or Purple number to really shake the foundations of suberbia or at least the fondations of some high street chain pub. Then yes these guys deserve nothing but scorn considiring their is some band of 40 something mainly white males doing this up and down the country every frigging weekend.
Also don't get me started on the blues band or the SRV tribute bands that bring nothing new to the blues apart from faitfull reverent covers of After the flood. Maybe these guys never realised that the british blusers of the 60s were trying to do something original with it more then perform circuss tricks down the local boozer for a couple of hours a week after wasted hours copying better muscians old music.
However I'm all for covers bands that promoting forgotten or little heard music or ones that make something of their own out of it like Cream.
Keep Rocking
Monday 10 Oct 2016, 4:38pm
because of comments like this I never post on social media about being a rihanna look a like/tribute (not everyones cup of tea,but i do it well, it's refreshing and i dont like alot of sh*t passed off as 'real music' so were even) . I have travelled all over the world and met some amazing people and performed at some incredible venues, I am a nice caring person who is dedicated and if i get booked then great, I don't mean harm to anyone and it is not my fault if i am booked over an original band I will never apologise for that. I have a strong powerful voice and do perform my own songs (not as popular as no one knows them), however i need to put food on the table and that is how i do it, by being a tribute. So lets spread the support and appreciation for all acts. Do you have a page i could check your stuff out on? I love discovering new music
Tuesday 11 Oct 2016, 2:00pm
Ultimately its easy doing covers as a musician. No real effort or imagination goes into the work. I believe this is a consequence of Cowell and his muppets on his tv programme. Same as the voice. Utter drivel. Glorified karaoke singers at best. I played in original bands in Lincs. All the venues that were available closed because people just were not coming to see the bands perform. I hate to say it but when people are out on a Fri/Sat evening after a hard week at work; they want to listen to familiar tracks they can dance/sing to. I also played the tourist circuit in Cyprus and its the same there. They want the same tripe performed by every other cover band on the planet. Its frustrating tbh. However i do know some of my collogues play in original bands for creativity and tribute acts for cash. Ultimately if bars want to pay for look a likes and they pay well...it comes down to economics. Are you going to hump your kit around to play in front of 10 unenthusiastic people or 200 clones? No brainer for me. Venues could perhaps look at putting on original bands once a month and have say 5 bands on the bill. Riffs Bar close to me and i'm sure there are others give the opportunity. Marketing is another avenue. Some bands rely purely on social media to advertise. Get out there with leaflets and face up to the public you're appealing to. Your personality and self belief may just win a few more over. Thoughts?
Tuesday 11 Oct 2016, 3:57pm
Jamman. What you say in the last half of your post i entirely agree with. If you have something you think counts then you will/must push through and kick the walls in to make people hear what you have to offer. THERE AINT A BAND FAIRIE. I don't blame Cowell.....it's the way the business as a whole has gone. There were Cowell's in the business before that one was hatched ( remember that word....business....i didn't think about that when i was banging three chords together as a kid....it was the sheer joy of discovery). Go out and EARN it............look out for Cowell though.....
Wednesday 12 Oct 2016, 8:26am
Like it Quaid. What I worry about is who is going to replace the likes of DC, Maiden, U2, Foos. Legends have already gone and no one is coming in to fill the gaps. Young people want instant fame and fortune without having to put the effort in. This is where Cowell comes in. He gives them that hope whilst making a few million for himself. Yes I wish I'd thought of it but ultimately it is ruining the music industry. Yes I am rock/metal biased but there are other acts/bands from different genres that will suffer the same fate. Maybe that big ol wheel that keeps turning will eventually spark some life back into live music again. People performing together, making magic instead of to a backing track of someone else work.
Wednesday 12 Oct 2016, 3:51pm
There is no investment anymore and has not been for years. The business is killing the very thing it once nurtured. I used to shake my head in disbelief back in the 1980's. It seemed half of London was full of blondes in catsuits ( or were they just OUR auditions?). Hair, teeth and clothes paid for by 'A' label that they were retained to. Lovely lasses in the main and brimming with confidence bolstered by Mr X at 'A' label. Just a shame the money was being invested in IMAGE.......someone forgot the vocal tuition........
Friday 14 Oct 2016, 8:50am
IMAGE.....back in the 80's there was Rock, Metal.......Thrash. Today there are a hundred sub genres of genres. Everyone feels the need to fit into a label as you say. When I get asked, 'what am into' and give my answer I'm usually met with contorted, confused faces. We played a gig in Retford some years ago and some kid (about 19) told me our band couldn't be metal as we weren't dressed in black!! You can imagine my response to that. Image is everything these days as its that that sells first....not the music. If it wasn't for image the likes of Busted, Britney, West, McFly, Lordy would never have made it past the bars!!
Sunday 6 Nov 2016, 2:42pm
It's because there are no great bands coming through like there was 20 years ago, so no one to replace them. Rock/punk/alternative whatever used to be pretty mainstream with high chart positions. Everyone used to know what was in the charts and you could see these bands on TV regularly. Now there is only one music programme on TV (Jools Holland) and nobody watches it because it's so dull. The charts and commercial radio are full of pop pap.
People have to trawl the net to find non pop music now and most people can't be bothered so just want to hear what's familiar.
Sunday 6 Nov 2016, 6:55pm
To Last 20/30/40yrs you have to be good at your job your whole being has to be professional sadly in twenty years all the big bands will have gone and all thats left is disposable sound I wont say music because nowdays someone hitting a dustbin is classed as music, just how many of todays musicians will be around in ten years bet not many, Last week I watched the MOBOS, I watch in the off chance of someone performing live instead I found a better performance from from an X Factor wanna be "Honey G" I'm not into Rap well maybe a few artist but the over inflated egos at the MOBOS tell us that the Artist thinks he/she is more important than the music. EGO is king
Monday 7 Nov 2016, 6:17pm
covers are harder, they are outside of your own comfort zone you have to be diverse with playing styles plus there is a high bar of reference from the original artist for an audience to compare you against, with originals you can do what you like and just blame the audience for not getting it.
people will take notice if something new is good enough
Tuesday 8 Nov 2016, 1:03pm
I think there is a tendency now for people to wallow in older music what ever record shops are left in a town they tend to be full of over priced vinyl from decades gone.
New music is seen as something more disposible something you don't have to spend a penny on even if you wanna spend a penny while listenting to it.
Venues expect bands to play for free and most bands are so skint they have to do their own promotion and marketting which is not always a good idea (jack of all trades master of < )
Your average pub audience expects to hear covers or music by a band who are set to one genre.
Aslo can you imagine any band singing a song like Peaches or I feel like w;;';';'g by the stranglers in todays society chances are they'd be hauled off down the local copshop for a night on detention.
I think this has something to do with bands failing to come up with inspired original material since the main crux is not too offend only to gently entertain .
Nuff bands doing crap cover versions of songs they probally hated having to learn in the first place and as long as they are not completly terible most will be indulged by the audiance as long as the beer keeps flowing.
Tuesday 8 Nov 2016, 10:42pm
Used to be in an 'originals' band. Most of the material was pretty good.
Imagine that after months and months in back rooms and rehearsal studios, you're pestered with "Can you play Sweet Home Alabama?"
After two and a half years of sweat, THAT'S why we knocked it on the head.
"Play something we know".
Tuesday 8 Nov 2016, 10:43pm
Used to be in an 'originals' band. Most of the material was pretty good.
Imagine that after months and months in back rooms and rehearsal studios, you're pestered with "Can you play Sweet Home Alabama?"
After two and a half years of sweat, THAT'S why we knocked it on the head.
"Play something we know".
Monday 5 Dec 2016, 7:36pm
Most songwriters delude themselves that their songs are high quality. They are usually drivel.
the reason tribute bands go down well is because their material is usually classic songs. And classics songs are classics for a reason.
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