The Watering Hole

Sorry Spai...but the grass isn't always greener ;)

My area has, in the last 4 years or so, lost it's interest in original music. Most clubs just want cover dance stuff. There is a small handfull of venues that take bands that do original stuff.....but only if there is a heavy amount of cover material in the setlist.

And we were one of those bands. Till last night.

It was a packed venue. And we probably played the tightest show any of us have ever played. The wheels were ON from a musician's standpoint.

Thing is....after every original tune we played in the first set, we got heckled. It was either a shout saying 'play something we know' ( I myself heard that 3 different times), or just cricketts chirping.

So for the second and third sets, we brought back some covers we haven't played in a while. Just trying to appease the audience. But to fill in 4 hours, we still had to play a bunch more of our original stuff as well.

And I have never in my life been so ready to get off of a stage, go crawl in a hole, and die.

Our original CD we released last year was 'ok'  (Some of you heard that CD). The newer stuff we have written is SOOOO much better. More mainstream sounding and upbeat. Very 3 Doors Down-ish.

But that didn't matter. We didn't play enough dance covers.....so we bombed. While playing ridiculously good.

You might say....'that was just one gig'. Truth be told....this has been a downhill slope for some time. We are a good, tight band. And our covers are strong covers. But we haven't had a good show in a long time.

So we are calling it quits.

I'm not going to try to find a band for now. I'm burned out. Maybe down the road.....but it will have to be a cover band. Something very similar to what I had in Dallas.

Be careful Johnny. "Down the road" can turn into forever if you leave it too long 'cos folks forget you are out there.

Remember that I speak from experience about this :(.

Johnny — Dec 21, 2008Sorry Spai...but the grass isn't always greener ;)

My area has, in the last 4 years or so, lost it's interest in original music. Most clubs just want cover dance stuff. There is a small handfull of venues that take bands that do original stuff.....but only if there is a heavy amount of cover material in the setlist.

And we were one of those bands. Till last night.

It was a packed venue. And we probably played the tightest show any of us have ever played. The wheels were ON from a musician's standpoint.

Thing is....after every original tune we played in the first set, we got heckled. It was either a shout saying 'play something we know' ( I myself heard that 3 different times), or just cricketts chirping.

So for the second and third sets, we brought back some covers we haven't played in a while. Just trying to appease the audience. But to fill in 4 hours, we still had to play a bunch more of our original stuff as well.

And I have never in my life been so ready to get off of a stage, go crawl in a hole, and die.

Our original CD we released last year was 'ok'  (Some of you heard that CD). The newer stuff we have written is SOOOO much better. More mainstream sounding and upbeat. Very 3 Doors Down-ish.

But that didn't matter. We didn't play enough dance covers.....so we bombed. While playing ridiculously good.

You might say....'that was just one gig'. Truth be told....this has been a downhill slope for some time. We are a good, tight band. And our covers are strong covers. But we haven't had a good show in a long time.

So we are calling it quits.

I'm not going to try to find a band for now. I'm burned out. Maybe down the road.....but it will have to be a cover band. Something very similar to what I had in Dallas.

Dude I can relate to this.  

I fucking HATE playing cover band shit.  Do originals and go for broke.

Several years ago now.....we had a hot shit band that was doing really well and taking over the town.....which unfortunately only really gives a shit about cover bands.

Our GIMMICK was to take the cover song and do it in a completely different style.  So the crowd got the song they wanted and WE got to be creative and put lipstick on the pig.

I remember what prompted this in our band.  We had a gig at a place that was paying us really well.  Bout the third show in the owner tells us the patrons are complaining because we don't play enough dance tunes or that the songs weren't upbeat enough.  

No problem.  We went and learned a whole new set of list of upbeat dance tunes....to appeal to the crowd.  We had evened asked about what they wanted to here.  After all we had a bowl on the front of the stage that you could put a dollar in and get a request played.  (This was also a gimmick we really just pulled out a sheet of paper and played whatever the fuck we wanted and acted like it was a request)

Now everywhere else that we played we never had that issue.  But this bar was a country/southern rock/older people crowd.

So we ended up having to make set lists for different places to appeal to that crowds needs.

Can't say we were ever heckled.  The only heckle I remember was well deserved.  I had the Vetta back then and had tweeked a patch at home and forgot to set it up for the stage that night.  Went for the solo....and had the most ridiculous boost in volume ever.  Hit the first note and thought I was going to blow the place down.  I couldn't roll that volume off fast enough.  Some smart ass way in the back said, "We heard that!!"  All I could do was smile.

Johnny — Dec 21, 2008Sorry Spai...but the grass isn't always greener ;)

My area has, in the last 4 years or so, lost it's interest in original music. Most clubs just want cover dance stuff. There is a small handfull of venues that take bands that do original stuff.....but only if there is a heavy amount of cover material in the setlist.

And we were one of those bands. Till last night.

It was a packed venue. And we probably played the tightest show any of us have ever played. The wheels were ON from a musician's standpoint.

Thing is....after every original tune we played in the first set, we got heckled. It was either a shout saying 'play something we know' ( I myself heard that 3 different times), or just cricketts chirping.

So for the second and third sets, we brought back some covers we haven't played in a while. Just trying to appease the audience. But to fill in 4 hours, we still had to play a bunch more of our original stuff as well.

And I have never in my life been so ready to get off of a stage, go crawl in a hole, and die.

Our original CD we released last year was 'ok'  (Some of you heard that CD). The newer stuff we have written is SOOOO much better. More mainstream sounding and upbeat. Very 3 Doors Down-ish.

But that didn't matter. We didn't play enough dance covers.....so we bombed. While playing ridiculously good.

You might say....'that was just one gig'. Truth be told....this has been a downhill slope for some time. We are a good, tight band. And our covers are strong covers. But we haven't had a good show in a long time.

So we are calling it quits.

I'm not going to try to find a band for now. I'm burned out. Maybe down the road.....but it will have to be a cover band. Something very similar to what I had in Dallas.

I think this is more of a case of "wrong venue" than "break up the band". Seriously, we've all had cover gigs like that - the kind where it doesn't matter how much you KILL, no one fucking cares.

I will say that I've only ever filled in with mix bands, and the only time most of my cover bands have played originals was by request.

Don't let one dickhead ruin your band, even if you have been struggling...

I don't know how many places there are to play up there, but finding another venue might be just the ticket - and if it's a place that is fond of original music, it might not pay very well, but at least people will hear you.

Tripper

Hehe...  I remember the first time I ever saw the Buzz (Jeff Prentice's band a.k.a., "Guitar Jeff" over in Andy's forum).  It was on my birthday and I was the ONLY person in the area where the band was (well, for about 10 minutes of the second set some homeless guy came in and tried to play along with a harmonica until he got bored and left - lol!).

I must say, I felt a bit weird (like I was expected to clap or something at the end of the songs), but I must also admit that I really enjoyed it and they let me play soundman to get things just right out there.  They were very professional about it and played as if there were a 1,000 people in the crowd.  :)

  Well Johnny, to quote Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own, "If it was easy, EVERYONE would do it!" Being a "working" musician is very hard. The older you get, the harder it becomes.

  You say you have an original CD? Have you tried iTunes? Do you guys have a myspace addy? The main thing needed for an original band is MARKETING. It's also a good thing to compare your stuff to a pro band and see where THEY are selling and try to go to those places. At least as close as possible. In other words, find your target audience. Or even look on their CD's and try to contact their label or management company.

Hope this helps a little....

cgtrox  8-)

Sorry Johnny.  
I am going through a similar identity crisis musically right now.  Problem is I need cash.  So it looks like I'll be back with the cover thing again real soon.
R