Do you play originals or covers and why??

[Pandemonium]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

Both.

[papersoul]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

I guess I thought I would never do well in a cover band because I tend to like heavy, high energy hard rock and metal. Most people want to hear the top 40 hits of which most make me nautious.
This took me down the original path rather quickly only to find out that it is like pulling teeth trying to get friends out to shows. Especially when you hit your mid thirties. Guys looks at you like you are nuts for being in a band at this age! Give me a break.....music is in my blood and I don't know what I'd do without it.

We are slowly starting to network with clubs and bands and getting name recognition but it is still tough. The trick is to get people who are not your friends, to come to a show because they want to see your band perform because they have heard your music and like what they have heard. It get's real old asking friends to come out and see you.

Would it be easier to compromise and play covers, both the songs I'd prefer to play (heavier material) and throw in the usual top 40 tunes? Tough call and this is something I ask myself every night.
People tell me I play covers very well and I think I could do it, but I feel like I'd be giving up on my erge to create and perform for others. Nothing feels better than when someone walks up to you after a show and compliments you on a tune.......and I am not talking about a friend.

Example, we played a gig for about 15-20 on a recent Saturday night as the opener. The headline act walked up to me and said he was nervous to follow our set because we did such a great joband had cool tunes that got the place moving. That made me feel great and I must have thanked him 20 times that night. That's what this is all about. That is a bigger compliment in my opinion than telling me how well I pulled off Crazy Train. But, why I am I still frustrated? The bottom line is nobody knows whowe are. That's the problem.....self promotion. I think that is how a lot of well know bands come into their own or become nationally known. They write catchy tunes and or gain a huge following through self promotion.

The key is getting people interested in your music other than your spouse and close friends.

[I Rock So Hard]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

I'm older so my story goes, ages 15-18 :high school cover bands; ages 19-38 : original bands and trying to "make it"; ages 39-present : cover bands. To be completely honest I began to find it really hard to write anymore. The last song I wrote was 3 years ago. In my 20's I was so inspired. I just am not anymore, except to play the guitar. Another thing is, I can say this now that I never liked the songs I wrote as much as songs by my favorite bands or artists. Of course at the time I thought they were great. When you are in original bands you kind of brainwash yourself into thinking the songs are great, as good as anything out there, and that you could make it. You have to think that way or you wouldn't go through with it. You can't be objective until you get the distance of years and say, "What was I thinking?" Some friend of mine said that your odds of making it big in music are worse than if you were to try to be a professional athlete - without ever having played sports in your life!
I'm just out for fun now. Like in high school.

[Mike M.]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

I guess I'm learning in reverse from a lot of people. Years ago I use to be a full time bass player playing mostly in cover bands. I quit that gig around 1983 and pretty much stopped playing all together until 1994. Played bass again in an all cover band for 2 years until that band broke up in 1996. Thats when I decided I wanted to learn guitar. Bought a Strat and thought I'd do what I did with bass: Learn some covers to find my way around. That lasted for about a week because I was so burned out on playing other people's music. So I just started jamming to play-along CD's to find my way around and eventually started to write some things. It's just been fairly recentley that I've been learning to play some things by other people. And even more recentley some friends of mine and I have been writing together.

[Wattage]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

Thinking a bit more about this and reading some fo the posts, I hope I didn't come off putting down someone playing covers. I think it is best to do what you aspire to and enjoy. I do have fun playing other people's music but for the long haul I need to write and perform my own stuff. That may change as I go forward but for the foreseeable future I can't imagine anything different.

A good friend of mine is a great singer and has always sounded like a cross between Bon and Brian. He stopped playing a few years back but some guys dragged him back and now he does an AC/DC trib thing that he loves plus he is making some good money doing it. He's happy and he's playing that is great, he asked me if I was interested in being in the band and as much fun as they are and as much as I love AC/DC I just couldn't do it, to each his own do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.

[txrob779]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

Well what can be added to whats already been said. I have been playing guitar to 24 years, I am 40 years old, my time for writing and pushing my own product is long passed me bye. I have played in a cover band for 10 years, 3 of the 4 of us anyway. We are all seasoned veteran live musicians, and we/I love to rock a crowded room with stuff they all know, played like they remember hearing it. I get off on showwing people I/we can play a Toby Keith song with twangy leads and all with my Strat, then strap on my Schecter C1+ dropped D and do some Godsmack, then pull off some Thin Lizzy dualing harmonies and all, then whip out Brickhouse with mouth trumpets and see the honeys dancing with me in the crowd.. Now I do wite my own stuff, record it for my own listening pleasure, and dabble in home recording some, but the stage is where I love to be more than anything. Fortunatley here in Dallas/Ftworth there is a ton of work for cover bands, it just depends on how MUCH you wanna work.

[yes-fan]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

my band is to uncordinated to write our own music so we just cover led zep,hendrix, and of cource YES tunes. but whats weird is we are really good at playing the songs but we suck at writing music. or not good enough music to my ears. i wish i could tell them what to do and they would do it. life isnt fair.

[Wattage]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

my band is to uncordinated to write our own music so we just cover led zep,hendrix, and of cource YES tunes. but whats weird is we are really good at playing the songs but we suck at writing music. or not good enough music to my ears. i wish i could tell them what to do and they would do it. life isnt fair.

Try taking a few short interesting ideas and jam them out a bit. It usually works best when it's 2 people crunching an idea and then bring to the rest of the guys. Don't force it, make something fun or a warm-up.

[Biu]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

I keep a pretty good mix of 30% covers, 70% originals.

[Guitarist]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

Both! There's no other way around it!

If you don't play origionals, then I don't think you can ever have that one special feeling when someone puts up horns and yells, "Fukk yeah!" to your stuff.

On the other hand, there's also nothing like laying the smackdown on one of your favorite band's song and having the crowd yell every line back at you.

[Guitarsmasher911]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

the first time my band and I got together....we played covers at first. Then once we started to see and hear each others styles and playing abilities...we started writing our own stuff. We play mostly originals now, but a couple covers here and there. The good thing about originals is that if you mess up nobody knows it. I enjoy playing my own stuff more...because it is mine and somebody else didn't write it.....and it feels like when i play covers i am placed in a box....but if i do my own stuff i am free to do what i want. I can do more of my style of playing and not somebody elses. Yes it is fun to do covers, but i enjoy doing originals much more...especially if somebody else likes it or gets something out of it. Makes it a great experience.

[strat_master]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

Well i wantt o start a band too, but I know brekaing into the scene is hard work. Myf rined who is in a fairly good position as far being alocal abnd goes, often plays those battle of the bands type gigs. From there his abnd has gotten studio time to make a demo etc. Try making firneds with more popular abnds and compromise with them mainly benefitting them because they obviously have mroe fans than you, and try to gain some fan base like that. IF all fails remeber music is made ot be enjoyed not a monotinous career where you are miserable. Even if its inf ront of 5 people you should enjoy yourself for the fact you are maing new music. Just a thoguht how about start a new band with different styles and talent?

[Lee_M.]

Re: Do you play originals or covers and why??

I've been doing both for a very long time. The fun thing about covers is that you can put your own spin on them and have an excuse to copy someone's solo note-for-note. To me that is a lot of fun. I also enjoy singing harmony on tunes with my lead singer. It allows us to add a unique vibe to some classic tunes.