"This is a Business Band, not a Party Band".

[phaeton]

I'm (hopefully, if I can make it on time) going to go pick up a CD today from a guy that's putting a band together. The CD will have 11 songs as part of the "first set", in order, exactly as they'll be played. The first set will all be covers. He describes the band as playing "dancing shows", "music that people dance to, and we'll play them EXACTLY by the recipe.".

 

I met him (he's the bassist) and his drummer at a music store about 3 weeks ago. We jammed for a little bit on one of my tunes , and a few others in the sort of funk/jazz vein. There was some "magic" there. I felt it. He must have too, because he wants me to play guitar for him.

 

"This is Business Band, not a Party Band."

 

I know exactly what he means by this, and I think I can do it:

 

It means having a stage presence which includes a "look"- in his case he mentioned "all black attire, nice shoes." A 'uniform'.

 

It means stressing professionalism over improvisationalism. "EXACTLY by the recipe." The songs are the same every time. No outrageous guitar tones, no playing feedback, no extra fill runs that change nightly.

 

It means "having our sh*t together". Period. All bands should have their sh*t together, but in this case we would have to be flawless. We go up, we play the songs mechanically. There is no screwing around between songs, no talking to the audience, it's just bam-bam-bam! One song after another, no breaks.

 

There will be originals too, in which there is some lee-way, but the covers will be indiscernible from the record. Period.

 

I'll leave it up to each individual to determine if they consider this "stifling" or not.

.....

 

So, who's been in a band like this before? Surely some of you have. I've been in "party bands" a lot. They're fun. You struggle to get gigs or get paid for your gigs, but they're a real kick in the ayse.

 

This guy is putting together a 4-piece Business Band. He wants practice to be SERIOUS. There's no screwing around, there's no drug/alcohol problems, there's no being a flake or being half-ass. It will be all professionals. He says a band of this caliber can get solid gigs in this town (Madison, Milwaukee, etc) regularly, at $1000/night.

 

 

I would be interested to hear thoughts from folks that are closer to the "Professional Musician" spectrum. What is it like to be in a Business Band, what kinds of gigs do you have, places you play, and how feasible are his claims of "$1000/night" if your band truly is a well-oiled machine.

 

I've had this carrot ($$$/night) dangled in front of me before, so I'm a little leery of anything like this. Granted, that was a different guy, a different place, and a different situation, so there. This guy might be full of sh*t too, he might cut me up into little pieces and feed me to his dogs, or he might be completely serious.

 

This sort of band situation might be a little more "formal" than what I'm used to or what I like, but I bet it avoids a lot of the problems that make other bands fall apart, and if it works out, then hey! I'm out playing again, instead of sitting around lamenting.

[philbo]

Seesh... why would anybody pay to see that? You could get a DJ to play song after song exactly like on the radio. Or, even cheaper, a jukebox.

 

How many times do you think the audience is going to get excited by hearing the same ClearChannel recipe music they hear on the radio day after day?

 

IMHO, people will pay to be entertained for:

1) personality & humor

2) singing ability

3) musical accuracy

 

But your market might be different...

 

Musically, I can't think of any better way to wipe out all traces of musical inspiration than to join a band like this. Just my 2 cents.

[Lee Knight]

I've got a good friend and bandmate that plays in a 60's Cover Band and a Steely Dan Cover Band. Both require that he play letter perfect renditions of the tunes. It pays him well, he travels quite a bit... and he's almost insane with the musical equivilent to cabin fever.

 

Still, that kind of gig can get you together on some levels. I say jump in and nail the gig to your fullest until it gets to be a drag. Then, take what you can from it and move on.

[zeronyne]

Try playing in a pit orchestra of a real musical sometime. Consistency is everything...it's simply professional courtesy to the actors and the other musicians.

 

I don't think it's stifling if you know what you are getting into beforehand. It's just another type of band. I personally appreciate bands that try to nail covers exactly as much as those who try a new spin on things. It's when they get about 70% that it's excruciating to listen to.

[Super 8]

Sounds boring. I'm not against the direction this guy is going, but I think his approach sucks.

 

I've played in too many bands that want to be "businesses". We get together, and practice the songs, then we go out and play them. That's it. We never see each other socially. It's not like we're friends or anything.

I find that boring.

There is a business side to performing bands, but bands should be first and foremost a creative and social outlet for it's members.

 

I don't have a big problem with nailing songs, but I find Rock/Pop styles are generally open to some improvisation and interpretation. I think bands should be encouraged to take the song in a little different direction than the record. Look what Clapton did with Layla! It was totally different than his original, and yet people ate it up.

One rule of thumb; If you're going to reinterpret a song, just make sure your version doesn't suck.

Other than that, I think bands should reserve the right to exercise creative license. In fact, I think they should feel a certain obligation to put their mark on the music.

 

Why be a "machine"? You are not a machine, you are musicians. DJ's are machines. And even DJ's are able to exercise great creativity with sound manipulation programs like Live. But still, the ability to create and interpret music on the spot, and to offer a performance is what separates musicians from DJ's.

 

The biggest problems with bands is that their sound generally sucks, and their song selection is generally awful. If you can't address those issues, nothing else is going to matter.

 

I think bands need to please audiences. But I think the first people bands need to please is themselves. There is no other reason to pick up an instrument.

 

These are just my opinions, of course.

[Lee Knight]

I don't know Super 8. I agree it sounds boring, I'm with you there, but I also don't think there's anything wrong with putting together a group of musicians for the sole purpose of making a living.

 

There are some very good bands doing the corporate thing. They've got a marketable schtick and they sell it. Fine. It's not for me, but my buddy had chosen this route along with our original project. That's his sole source of income and he does as well as me financialy and I'm a corporate goon.

 

What's the harm? Doing it doesn't restrict you from working on "your own thing". I liken it to a Jazz player who has his Bop trio he digs and plays jingles reading charts during the day. 2 different gigs.

[boosh]

Just like me,... do it just like me....

 

Be a cook for a living and cook the same meals every day,.. day in day out....

 

And when you're free cook for your friends,loved ones and relatives and be as creative with cooking as van Gogh was with painting and as Linda Lovelace was with,... well you know.....

[phaeton]

Exactly. There's always solo projects, and originals, and stuff. As long as I "did my part as the hired gun" , I bet that I could enlist these same guys to do other stuff on the side, either in the studio or whatnot. They're musicians too. If not, i doubt they would have any problem with me doing anything on the side as long as it didn't interfere with their gig.

 

I might have put it across sounding more 'formal' than it is, or maybe not. I haven't actually done it yet, so i don't know. I don't even know if these songs are stuff I would like.

 

In a way tho, i view it as something similar to say, when I saw the Trans Siberian Orchestra on the 28th. It was pretty much an entirely "scripted" performance, front to back. There was a couple of times where one of the guitarists let some feedback ring off a note or two, but maybe that was scripted too. They all dressed a certain way, they all had a 'look', some choreographed stepping, entrances, exits etc....

 

This would be on a much smaller scale, of course, but i see it as a similar type of thing. There will be some original tunes that we can have some freedoms with, but the cover tunes would be dead-nuts like the record.

 

I could learn a lot from this, and once again, it probably beats sitting at home banging on a guitar by myself.

[boosh]

Just do it,... it might suit you or you get bored in a week or two,....If you don't shoot you allways miss....

[blackpig]

You might as well go out and give it a go. Make a few shillings for yourself. In the long term though, you might be just as well off in a factory somewhere putting bits of transistors together. The guy in charge sounds a bit of a dickhead.

[phaeton]

 

Originally posted by boosh Just like me,... do it just like me.... Be a cook for a living and cook the same meals every day,.. day in day out.... And when you're free cook for your friends,loved ones and relatives and be as creative with cooking as van Gogh was with painting and as Linda Lovelace was with,... well you know.....

 

 

Oh yeah... What Booshie-Wooshie, The Funk Revivalist said...

 

Anyways, it's been postponed until tomorrow. The bassist guy owns a car detailing business as a day job. Someone stiffed the second shift so he stayed late to pick up the slack.

 

Bummer, but oh well.

[*Satan*]

I'm starting a band like this in spring, with a few mates of mine (good practice for me cause I'm going pro, and hopefully they'll learn enough to keep it going when I bugger off). We're going to write a few originals, but concentrating on covers done accurately & to the original recording.

[Jeff da Weasel]

 

Originally posted by Super 8 Sounds boring. I'm not against the direction this guy is going, but I think his approach sucks.

 

 

Jeez, Super. Haven't you ever played in a working band?

 

This guy is being totally up front with Phaeton. He's not telling him any bull{censored}. Some bands are not set up to have guys noodling and showing off their aWsUm ShReD sKiLlzzzz.

 

On the contrary, I think this rules. Phaeton has the choice of not joining the band if it's not something he wants to do. Perhaps the idea of getting his share of $1000/night gigs is tempting enough to do this type of gig.

 

And for most corporate events, weddings, and other high $$$ gigs, the audience just wants to hear the music the way they are comfortable hearing it, i.e., just like the record.

 

There's a difference between being a musician and being an entertainer. In this case, he's taking a gig as an entertainer... nothing wrong with that.

 

- Jeff

[MarkGifford-1]

The bands that really go over well are bands that entertain the audience...

 

A strong frontman (or woman) is key in these types of bands - someone who's not afraid to wear a stupid hat and run around like a nut. Also, good stage patter is a must - it brings the audience in, and it can't be forced. "Hey, how ya'll doin tonight, and make sure to try the veal!" is not the right way to do it.

 

Standing there in black clothes, w/o talking between songs, playing note-perfect renditions of the tunes is not going to be very entertaining, IMHO.

 

Also, you'd have to be insane to think that you could play any originals at corporate/wedding functions. Do a search for "favorite wedding/party songs" and learn the Top 30. If you do anything different, it won't work. You can take some liberties with the arragements, as long as all the important parts are there.

 

MG

[Marcus Dahl]

Been there done that. It can be very rewarding, and tire some. The bands that do well at this has a very chrismatic frontman or mc, play the songs to the letter except they my extend the songs longer if the audience is dancing. Monkey suits are a must unless you have flamboiant outfits. You'd be playing for corperations, weddings, barmitsfas, etc... Baisically a wedding band, but the jey to one of these is a chrismatic person doing the jive talk.

[Doctorx]

I've met people like this through the years, and played in a couple of bands like this. Two words: Bore. Ing.

 

Yeah you make money but they are not democratic, and the bandleaders usually rule with an iron fist. I almost got fired from the band once because I didn't wear a button down shirt to a gig. I was continually bitched at for playing too loud, even with a Fender Princeton.

 

If you're a footloose type of player, and most of us are, it will be restrictive and difficult even if you want to do it. Someone mentioned orchestra musicians but they are trained to do that and casual players are not.

 

Sure, go ahead and give it a try. But I would have another set of guys on the side to jam like you like, and to have some fun.

[dougb415]

Originally posted by Super 8 Sounds boring. I'm not against the direction this guy is going, but I think his approach sucks.

 

Then it's probably best for YOU not to try out for one of those bands. For others who don't think that approach sucks, go out and try it. More stuff to add to the resume

 

I've been in 'party' bands, 'original' bands, and 'serious' bands. Each have their plusses and minuses. I learned a lot by playing in a serious band for a couple years.

[CloseEnoughRocks]

Sounds boring...Boring...Bore.Ing is what some are saying.

 

Bull{censored}.

 

I've been in a band just like this for a bit over a year now. My take on it? The crowd loves us, almost every gig is like a great party, PA is provided, only three sets, no scrounging for gigs, and the money is very good.

 

Yes, I have to wear a black shirt at our main venue - I don't like it, but it's not a deal breaker. Yes, the band leaders (mostly) make all the decisions, audition new players as needed, deal with the management, deal with the finances, print off the song lists, etc. - thank god, less for me to worry about.

 

A couple of weeks ago, the keyboardist observed that after a year of playing mostly the same songs, I still seemed to "get into it" every night. He's right. I just like playing. As long as there's a crowd getting off on the wall of sound I'm helping to create, I'm having fun.

 

Being successful in a band like this is not easy. You have to be a good "band member" as well as a good guitarist. It's not all about you - it's about the band. Most musicians I've known couldn't pull this off, mostly due to immaturity, partly due to lack of the ability to convincingly recreate famous solos, tones, sing exact harmonies, etc.

 

Before this band, I was in two projects concurrently for a couple of years. One was a classic rock/southern rock outfit that gave me tons of room to stretch out and improvise. I miss some of that, but not enough to bail on this gig - yet.

 

Having said all that, I know I'll go back to playing rock some day. Or an acoustic duo. Or a Beatles tribute band. Or a metal band. Whatever - I like challenges.

 

It's like any gig (or relationship for that matter). There are plus and minuses.

 

sr

[Lee Knight]

I just had a thought regarding this. How different would it be to join Cyndi Lauper's touring band. Or Janet Jackson's, or Billy Joel

[Marcus Dahl]

I have no quames with that sort of thing, but nowa a days I'm the frontman to a 3 piece band. All I really ask of anybody playing with me is know your role, know the situation we are going into, be prepared for anything, and do your job. We play rock-n-roll mainly at redneck bars. We don't play country, and have played biker parties, bike events, charities, large club venues, and corperate events. To me the key to any good band is being able to go into any situation and show the people a good time.

[phaeton]

Great responses everyone. And thanks Jeff. For some reason, your post was just what I needed to read at that time.

 

And that's just it- I love writing songs and rearranging songs into something new and exciting, but going up and playing a string of covers, if that's what people want to hear, is still going up and playing music in my book. We'd be entertainers. It beats doing nothing, and yeah it's kind of a 'job', but I've done other jobs that i've liked a whole lot less for less money.

 

Music is music, mmkay?

 

P.S.... Marcus... how'd yer Si Rangemaster turn out? You seem to have dissapeared from the um... 'other' place...

[Marcus Dahl]

 

Originally posted by phaeton P.S.... Marcus ... how'd yer Si Rangemaster turn out? You seem to have dissapeared from the um... 'other' place...

 

 

Sorry about that. The holidays have had me very busy. The Si Rangemaster turned out awesome. I'm doing another prototype for another customer and I might release it after I get done with this other project. I have another project in the works. It's a Vox AC30 styled pedal. You can read about the goings on about it here.

http://p208.ezboard.com/ftonefactorforumsfrm11.showMessage?topicID=438.topic

[HCarlH]

 

Originally posted by philbo Seesh... why would anybody pay to see that? You could get a DJ to play song after song exactly like on the radio. Or, even cheaper, a jukebox.

 

 

The first thought that popped into my head.

Sounds just like another J-O-B to me.

[tiktok]

Hey, if you've got the skills and discipline, sounds great. Playing the classics to the recipe *will* make you a better player, and anything that pays people for actually playing music is good in my book.

[The Soundman]

I did sound for a cover band for years. They did the tunes as faithfully to the original as they were able to and didn't "showboat" often. Variations were gradually and purposefully incorporated into the show, and remained consistent.

 

Audiences loved it! They had a great range, and did new stuff, classic rock, funk and even some show tunes. As their soundman, it was my job to mix them as closely as possible to the original recordings. Had they not taken a serious approach to doing covers, I think my job would have been impossible. As a matter of fact, one of my first gigs was mixing a cover band that just kinda farted through the songs and I hated it. If your gonna do it, at least do it right.

 

Sure, it sucks some of the creative juices out of a musician to play the same thing the same way every time, but you are adding the excitement of a live performance to songs many people have only heard on the radio before. And if you go to a Stones concert, you expect to hear the Rolling Stones playing Rolling Stones songs the way you've heard them on the radio or on a record. OK, you're in a cover band. The least you can do is be in a GOOD cover band.

 

Finally, having that level of discipline isn't going to hurt you musically. You could atrophy musically in a band that plays all originals every night just as easily if you aren't exercising your creativity as an individual. I say go for it and best of luck!