Members Gizzyboo Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 Hi, just had a successful weekend with our classic rock cover band. The oldies went over well as usual but what really blew them away was the newer tunes we tried for the first time. "Wagon Wheel" and "I Gotta Feeling" (played each twice, by request). So what else can we try thats upbeat, modern, and really working well? We're all male, 4-piece with drums,bass, 2 guitars and occasional keys. I'm not following todays music scene so i need some help. So, what got the young folks by the ear today and still within our boundaries (musicians with real time instrumenmts)? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 If you've found a working arrangement for "I Gotta Feeling" also try "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz and just about anything by Lady Gaga that your male vocalists can sing. A lot of bands on the forum with all males are doing Gaga songs and have no problem making the gender-switch work with their audiences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rezrover Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 It's true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 If you've found a working arrangement for "I Gotta Feeling" also try "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz and just about anything by Lady Gaga that your male vocalists can sing. A lot of bands on the forum with all males are doing Gaga songs and have no problem making the gender-switch work with their audiences. Perfect place to start IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MikeyParent Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 [video=youtube;HVZOeWXYzCk] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 I'm guessing this band would want to keep their arrangement more dance-y, but I like hearing stuff like this for a couple of reasons: 1) it displays the commonality that all I-IV-V-vi 4/4 songs share. "Genre" is really just a matter of arrangement and production and almost any such song can be played in ANY style. I'm sure there are country versions of this song out there too. 2) there's a certain "darkness" not always present in dance music that underlies a lot of Lady Gaga's songs, which is why so many of them work well with rock audiences. 3) metalheads and other similar rockers who say they "hate" or "despise" this and other Gaga songs make me laugh. This arrangement shows the basics of this song to be (to my ears anyway) virtually indistinguishable from much of the metal and rock these same people adore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 We do a version of Poker Face similar to what Daughtry does on YouTube...except we build it to a full band and to a sorta Long Train Running hits thing. We also throw in a couple of out there sorta shred based solos...we try to make it Epic. I want to do I Gotta Feelin', but am lost at where to start arranging it without key boards. We are also working up King of Anything, which isn't really a dance tune, but we're hoping there is some novelty. I just can't get into Dynamite enough to do it, but would cover Katy Perry because she is just that hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackbird 13 Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 "Wagon Wheel" and "I Gotta Feelin" are both good tunes that have gotten good responses from our crowd (although we only do "I Gotta Feelin" in part of a medley). Some others? "Dynamite", "Poker Face", "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked", "Like A G6" (although this one's starting to fade), "She's Country" (also starting to fade a bit), and "{censored} You/Forget You". It may not hurt to look back a ways either. Stuff like "This Is How We Do It" and "Funky Cold Medina" still seems to work great.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted April 18, 2011 Members Share Posted April 18, 2011 "Like A G6" (although this one's starting to fade) Yep. I'm seeing that too. Kinda sucks cuz we put together a pretty cool rockish cover of it. We started playing in late January and at first the reaction was HUGE. now not so much. Still OK just not huge anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Blackbird 13 Posted April 19, 2011 Members Share Posted April 19, 2011 Yep. I'm seeing that too. Kinda sucks cuz we put together a pretty cool rockish cover of it. We started playing in late January and at first the reaction was HUGE. now not so much. Still OK just not huge anymore. Dude.. that song went from like "OMGTHEY'REPLAYINGG6!##@$!!" to "Oh.. yeah.. what else have you got"... if you could give the crowd a voice, literally like overnight. There are exceptions, a few clubs have asked us for it, but they're usually more the outlying clubs that tend to be just a little behind the times anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jeff42 Posted April 19, 2011 Members Share Posted April 19, 2011 Dude.. that song went from like "OMGTHEY'REPLAYINGG6!##@$!!" to "Oh.. yeah.. what else have you got"... if you could give the crowd a voice, literally like overnight. There are exceptions, a few clubs have asked us for it, but they're usually more the outlying clubs that tend to be just a little behind the times anyways. Yep, that's pretty much what we got. It was all good until last gig when it felt like "OK G6. Meh, that's kinda clever... move on." We knew it was coming and chopped it down to chorus, verse, chorus but it may just get dropped totally next week. Sometimes I need to remind band members, Not every pop song becomes a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JonChorba Posted April 19, 2011 Members Share Posted April 19, 2011 I filled in for a band that through in "I kissed a Girl" into a Green Day Medley of "She", "longview" and "Holiday". That worked pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members n9ne Posted April 19, 2011 Members Share Posted April 19, 2011 Anybody picked up Jessie J's Price Tag yet? My 21-year old son (who is much more tuned in to modern music than I am) tells me it's catching on huge with the younger crowd right now. It's got a great hook, and it seems like it would be pretty easy to throw together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members b_f_c_99 Posted April 19, 2011 Members Share Posted April 19, 2011 We will be playing Jessie J Price tag next gig. Sounds fantastic and what a great little song Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 Bump for some more thoughts... We are working up I Gotta Feelin, F-You...just added Poker Face and a version of Beat It in the vein of Fallout Boy. I'd like to nail down 2-5 more tunes from the last couple of years to fill out the list. Interestingly enough this last weekend we played for a crowd of 20's and 30's and had Jesse's Girl and Don't Stop Believin' as requests. I can't think of anything contemporary that people wanted to hear... What about that song Mercy by Duffy? That'd be doable with male vocals. The whole band also wants to do a Sara Barallies tune like King of Anything with male vocals. Any chance something like that might score? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bnelly428 Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 We will be playing Jessie J Price tag next gig. Sounds fantastic and what a great little song I would love to see/hear this one when you or anyone else does it. Jessie J is hot right now, just not sure how it will go over in a bar format. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 What about that song Mercy by Duffy? Never say never, but I don't know of any bands who have had any luck with that song since it was actually on the charts. Too bad, I like that song a lot and would do it if I thought it would work for us. Most of that Neo-Soul (if that's the right term) stuff seems to fail, unfortunately. "Rehab" is another similar song that should work for a lot of reasons, but doesn't. But of course, your band and market may be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 Never say never, but I don't know of any bands who have had any luck with that song since it was actually on the charts. Too bad, I like that song a lot and would do it if I thought it would work for us.Most of that Neo-Soul (if that's the right term) stuff seems to fail, unfortunately. "Rehab" is another similar song that should work for a lot of reasons, but doesn't.But of course, your band and market may be different. That's kinda what I thought. Long story short, I didn't realize it was a "pop" tune until yesterday. I'd only ever heard it as a cover by an original band I sometimes play with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 Never say never, but I don't know of any bands who have had any luck with that song since it was actually on the charts. Too bad, I like that song a lot and would do it if I thought it would work for us.Most of that Neo-Soul (if that's the right term) stuff seems to fail, unfortunately. "Rehab" is another similar song that should work for a lot of reasons, but doesn't.But of course, your band and market may be different.Have you tried HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW by The Heavy? Its a couple years old but it would work pretty good for an R/B and Blues band, and a smoking harp solo would really be keen. It has gone over pretty well when we have done it. I used a fuzz-drenched guitar for an extended solo in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 Bump for some more thoughts... We are working up I Gotta Feelin, F-You...just added Poker Face and a version of Beat It in the vein of Fallout Boy. I'd like to nail down 2-5 more tunes from the last couple of years to fill out the list. Interestingly enough this last weekend we played for a crowd of 20's and 30's and had Jesse's Girl and Don't Stop Believin' as requests. I can't think of anything contemporary that people wanted to hear... What about that song Mercy by Duffy? That'd be doable with male vocals. The whole band also wants to do a Sara Barallies tune like King of Anything with male vocals. Any chance something like that might score? BTW, no more Sugar Room, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 I am giving that tune a listen now...what about the song Clutch by Electric Worry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 BTW, no more Sugar Room, huh? Did it close? That place ripped me off twice, so they've been "dead" to me for a few years now, lol. I actually have nothing lined up near Mankato...everything is between Stillwater and Belle Plaine. I used to want to play Kato all the time, but it is to the point here that, with my day job, I am better off with a low late-night profile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 Did it close? That place ripped me off twice, so they've been "dead" to me for a few years now, lol. I actually have nothing lined up near Mankato...everything is between Stillwater and Belle Plaine. I used to want to play Kato all the time, but it is to the point here that, with my day job, I am better off with a low late-night profile.Yeah, it closed a couple weeks ago, I believe. Last time we played there as a band they tried to short us as well. That was over a year ago though. Someone else was doing the booking recently and they had pretty good crowds from the word I got. I was going to do a couple solo gigs there. Not now, I guess! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 I am giving that tune a listen now...what about the song Clutch by Electric Worry? I think you've got that reversed.If not...very strange coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HarpNinjaMike Posted April 25, 2011 Members Share Posted April 25, 2011 The Wine Cafe would be similar. Midtown Tavern and Busters are good for heavier rock stuff, but I don't even try calling them. I'll gig at Pub 500, though, because you only have to play until 12am, they treat you wonderfully, and it is a "safe" place for me to play. Crazy cover band antics only work out of town for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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