Cover bands, do you play anything that was not on the radio?

[rhat]

I think it's more about the particular performance. A song with the right mood and players really into playin it will go over better than guys half assing the biggest hits .

 

 

 

I dont buy that... hits are hits for a reason. when you take the stage you are up there to play the music that the crowd knows by heart in the cover biz. Go too far off the reservation and its a big chance. One should be so lucky to have the proceeds off of one of those half assed biggest hits. One of them will set you up for life if you wrote it. I will play stang every week of the year and love it every time. Its a free shot on goal and it always works. I dont care who is in the crowd. Its like trying to re invent the burger. No reason bro ,, just sell em.

[Blackbird 13]

Reel Big Fish's "Beer" seems to go over really well for a few different cover bands around here, and I hadn't heard it till I heard it from a local cover band.


With my last band, we used to play Big & Rich's "Rollin". It was never on the radio, but it seemed people knew it at the time. We also played Electric Six's "Gay Bar". Those were our two "obscure" songs.


With the current band, we've kinda weeded those songs out. The most obscure thing we've worked on is Rob Zombie's "Never Gonna Stop", and that isn't all that obscure. Like someone said before, the crowd's gotta know the songs!

[rorylawford]

In my Maiden Tribute - most of the songs never made it to radio - that's the way it went for Maiden and that syle of metal.

 

In my mix band, we pretty much stick to the heavy hits.

[bigjd]

Seems as though the ones we play that were never on the radio have become some of our best crowd movers.
Chris Rea, Workin on it.

Danko Jones, Lover Call.

and,

These are packing the floor and have never had any air play here.

[surfrockbmxer1]

The one song we play that no one ever seems to know is Freak by Silverchair. Always leaves the crowd with a confused look on they're face.

[Hegmatronicon]

The one song we play that no one ever seems to know is Freak by Silverchair. Always leaves the crowd with a confused look on they're face.

 

 

Goes over GREAT here.

Of course...they are from this town.

[Opus Antics]

I agree with those that say that the audience should know of the song.

If you're a cover band playing bars and clubs, I think you can get away with maybe a song a set if you've got a good crowd that don't know what you're playing.

But more than that, you're pushing it. My last band tried it. We set up one set that was songs that rocked and were danceable, but not commonly known. That set always died, and the response was typically, "we don't know the songs."

Other sets with more known songs, people got up and danced and had fun.

Lesson learned. After a few performances with the same results, we revamped the setlist.

[tlbonehead]

I agree with those that say that the audience should know of the song. If you're a cover band playing bars and clubs, I think you can get away with maybe a song a set if you've got a good crowd that don't know what you're playing. But more than that, you're pushing it. My last band tried it. We set up one set that was songs that rocked and were danceable, but not commonly known. That set always died, and the response was typically, "we don't know the songs." Other sets with more known songs, people got up and danced and had fun. Lesson learned. After a few performances with the same results, we revamped the setlist.

there's a big difference between songs that weren't so-called hits and songs that no one knows. For instance, in the early to late 90's the Gear Daddies were an immensely popular band in MN/Wis/SD/IA/ND, especially with the college crowd at that time. Those were people who are now in their late 20s-upper 30s and still come out and listen to live music. Some nights we play nearly a full set of their stuff and the crowd loves it. We do them fairly well, plus no other bands in the area cover them. But there are tons of songs like that. WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS was never a hit for Collective Soul (I don't think) and it gets a great response. Was SEDATED (Ramones) ever an actual hit? Everybody plays it and the crowd always likes it. DEAD FLOWERS or BITCH by the Stones? Most people know them but I don't think either of them were hits. Or anything from LIVE's Throwing Copper. I think LIGHTNING CRASHES is the only hit. Yet we've done about half of the album and every song goes over with the right crowd. RAIN KING by Counting Crows is another song that people always recognized when we played it. We used to do BACK TO GOOD when MB20 was popular and it was well received. THE ROOSTER by AIC, was that ever a real hit? YELLOW LEDBETTER, BLACK by PJ?

[V-Type]

We cover a few songs that are a little less played but are still somewhat known.

But I gotta say Im surprised how few in the audience know Lights Out by UFO though. That and Meanstreak by Y&T.

Great songs but apparently not as widely known.

Im wanting too cover We Become One and Easy Livin by Fastway but I fear the audience may not of heard much of them either.

Anyways I like throwing something different in with the obligatory Nickelback,

Buckcherry,AC/DC,etc... bar HardRock set/s.

[tlbonehead]

Anyways I like throwing something different in with the obligatory Nickelback, Buckcherry,AC/DC,etc... bar HardRock set/s.

been gigging since '75 and never heard of any of those songs.

[rhat]

we used to open with dead flowers. Ok but ,, Now we use my music by loggins and macina. It a great opening song. Up tempo with a harmony vocal intro. really sets the tone for a good night.

[WynnD]

Without reading everyone else's responses. Most of the band's I've been in have always played some songs that weren't radio plays. In the dino age, and we learned covers off of 45s, we would always check out the B side. Always loved covering local heros. (Elderberry Jak in Morgantown WV, Sugarloaf in Denver.) Throwing in good originals works too. (As long as they're not too far from your meat and potatoes.) If you're a dance band and the music is danceable to that age group, use it. A bluegrass bassist I've worked with wrote a song about the rosewell incident from the alien's perspective. (Broke down starship blues.) Fun and funny. Don't get hung up on what the radio considers playable.

[WynnD]

One more note: I love set lists. As a keyboardist, I sometimes need a little change settings time. The set list minimizes that and the time between songs. Most dance floors will empty in 7 seconds of dead space. Not good. Our band isn't the best at keeping that to a minimum, but it continues to improve. As far as songs that generally don't go over very well, we do "Sissy Strut". I think the drummer likes his part. It does go over very well with the arts community. (And probably the gay community as well.) Everyone else generally doesn't seem to know it.

[sickman]

there's a big difference between songs that weren't so-called hits and songs that no one knows. For instance, in the early to late 90's the Gear Daddies were an immensely popular band in MN/Wis/SD/IA/ND, especially with the college crowd at that time. Those were people who are now in their late 20s-upper 30s and still come out and listen to live music. Some nights we play nearly a full set of their stuff and the crowd loves it. We do them fairly well, plus no other bands in the area cover them. But there are tons of songs like that. WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS was never a hit for Collective Soul (I don't think) and it gets a great response. Was SEDATED (Ramones) ever an actual hit? Everybody plays it and the crowd always likes it. DEAD FLOWERS or BITCH by the Stones? Most people know them but I don't think either of them were hits. Or anything from LIVE's Throwing Copper. I think LIGHTNING CRASHES is the only hit. Yet we've done about half of the album and every song goes over with the right crowd. RAIN KING by Counting Crows is another song that people always recognized when we played it. We used to do BACK TO GOOD when MB20 was popular and it was well received. THE ROOSTER by AIC, was that ever a real hit? YELLOW LEDBETTER, BLACK by PJ?

 

 

 

I "grew up" during the grunge area. Rooster, Yellow Ledbetter, Black, Where the River Flows, and I Wanna Be Sedated (was on an episode of some MTV show with Claire Danes) were all very popular with my age group. I remember some kids played Yellow Ledbetter at a talent show and Rooster and Black were staples of all middle/high school garage bands. You're saying these songs weren't hits, but are songs everyone knows... right?

[wades_keys]

We cover a few songs that are a little less played but are still somewhat known. But I gotta say Im surprised how few in the audience know Lights Out by UFO though. That and Meanstreak by Y&T. Great songs but apparently not as widely known. Im wanting too cover We Become One and Easy Livin by Fastway but I fear the audience may not of heard much of them either. Anyways I like throwing something different in with the obligatory Nickelback, Buckcherry,AC/DC,etc... bar HardRock set/s.

 

Those are C side's at best dude - you shouldn't be surprised that no one has heard of them.

 

I've heard the UFO song before but that's it.

[sorocknroll]

I can think of a number of songs on our setlist that were never on the radio. I think this is a bad idea, but it's not my call. They are cool songs, but no one seems to recognize them. For this band it's out of the question to suggest to them everything on the list should have been on the radio, but moving forward I think it's a pretty good requirement when putting together a setlist for a cover band.

 

 

Anytime a song becomes a bathroom-break or smoke-break song for your crowd, it's not a good idea. I think if you watch your crowd, they'll send you the message.

[MusicalSchizo]

WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS was never a hit for Collective Soul (I don't think) and it gets a great response.

 

It was a single and got a lot of radio play. It was #1 on the Rock chart, actually.

 

 

Was SEDATED (Ramones) ever an actual hit? Everybody plays it and the crowd always likes it.

 

I was released as a single, but I think it's just one of those songs that got a lot of MTV play (for the silly-ass video that came out 10 years later) and grew legs.

 

 

DEAD FLOWERS or BITCH by the Stones? Most people know them but I don't think either of them were hits.

 

True. But Bitch was the B-side of Brown Sugar, so I think that raised its profile.

 

 

Or anything from LIVE's Throwing Copper. I think LIGHTNING CRASHES is the only hit. Yet we've done about half of the album and every song goes over with the right crowd.

 

That's way off, actually. "Selling The Drama", "I Alone", "All Over You" and "White, Discussion" all got significant airplay on radio and MTV. That album was one of the biggest records of 94-95. It sold 8 million copies. It's just one of those albums that people have and know a lot of the songs. I think that factors in a lot...especially in the early to mid-90s. You can play album cuts off any Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, or Green Day record (especially Dookie), and people will probably know the songs even if they were never released as singles.

 

 

RAIN KING by Counting Crows is another song that people always recognized when we played it.

 

Another one that probably had the "everyone owns that album" mojo going for it...and according to Wikipedia was #3 on the modern rock tracks chart, which means it got a lot of radio spins.

 

 

We used to do BACK TO GOOD when MB20 was popular and it was well received.

 

That was a big hit.

 

 

THE ROOSTER by AIC, was that ever a real hit?

 

Sort of. It had a ton of MTV play and has that "everyone owns the record" thing going for it. Plus rock stations still wear it out - it's a classic rock staple now.

 

 

YELLOW LEDBETTER, BLACK by PJ?

 

Yellow Ledbetter was the most popular obscure song of its era - it was hard to come by. I think it was on the Jeremy single or something, like anyone bought singles in the grunge era...but it did get some radio play. Black was weird because they specifically decided not to release it as a single, but it did well anyway. It was HUGE when I was in college - guaranteed female attention if you played it.

 

(As a side note, it was nice to see that Wikipedia confirmed the {censored} I already knew. But it also tells me I spend way too much brain power on pointless information.)

 

On topic, I don't think we play a single song that wasn't a hit, but we're a pop cover band, so we wouldn't, just fundamentally. It goes against our very raison d'etre...

Brian V.

[WynnD]

Velvet Elvis is a local pre-fame Elvis tribute trio. No glitter or jump suits. While they do requests, much of the material was unknown to me. I thought it was a good act. (Blue jeans, greased hair, country look.) All I could think was I didn't know the song or that Elvis did it. I found them entertaining, but not a dance group.

[jeff42]

*I did the Rooster in a band in the mid 90s. It worked well, so did Angry Chair.

*In the early 90s when PJ was huge Black got a HUGE response from our crowd.

*I would sooner play I Alone or All Over You than Lightning crashes. Lighning Crashes is a great tune, but kind of a downer don't ya think?

[tlbonehead]

*I did the Rooster in a band in the mid 90s. It worked well, so did Angry Chair. *In the early 90s when PJ was huge Black got a HUGE response from our crowd. *I would sooner play I Alone or All Over You than Lightning crashes. Lighning Crashes is a great tune, but kind of a downer don't ya think?

Not fotr us. It is easily our best "everyone to the dance floor and front of the stage" sing-along song. We also do SELLING THE DRAMA, I ALONE, and {censored} TOWN.

[ChordGirl]

Of course, we're just a duo, but yes, we play a lot of John Prine that doesn't get radio play. In Spite of Ourselves is a good example of this. Many times we'll play a random request for some old country tune I've never even heard. It'll be something from a B-side 40 years ago that my partner happens to remember the words to it and can predict the chord pattern to it.

Everything I lead, however, has been on the radio at one point in history, with the exception of the occasional original song.

[tlbonehead]

It was a single and got a lot of radio play. It was #1 on the Rock chart, actually. V.

That's odd. RIVER FLOWS was larger than DECEMBER, GEL, and THE WORLD I'VE KNOWN? I've NEVER heard it on the radio. And the four times I've seen CS live(including opening for them once) they've only played it once. Hmmm.

[Hegmatronicon]

That's odd. RIVER FLOWS was larger than DECEMBER, GEL, and THE WORLD I'VE KNOWN? I've NEVER heard it on the radio. And the four times I've seen CS live(including opening for them once) they've only played it once. Hmmm.

I know River flows....i have no clue what any of the other songs you listed by them sound like. (I've never owned an album or seen them live - or been much of a fan).

Just another perspective

[MusicalSchizo]

That's odd. RIVER FLOWS was larger than DECEMBER, GEL, and THE WORLD I'VE KNOWN? I've NEVER heard it on the radio.

Mainstream Rock chart. And it actually charted higher than "Gel" on that same chart (#1 vs #2)...I remember hearing it on the radio a lot back in 1995. My local rock station still plays it from time to time, actually. Just further evidence that people have individual perceptions of reality. "December" and "The World I Know" were much bigger hits, pop-wise, both in the Top 20.

And the four times I've seen CS live(including opening for them once) they've only played it once. Hmmm.

The one time I saw them (and was part of their local crew), they played it. And they played a kick-ass cover of "You Dropped A Bomb On Me".

My old cover band used to do "Where The River Flows" - it was a total turd, so we dumped it. "Shine" always worked much better. "Gel", too.

Jumping bands, I think it's awesome that you play "{censored} Towne" - I love that song.

Rock on, sir!
Brian V.

[jeff42]

so here's a question... does Collective Soul- Shine work well on a crowd?

I've seen Gel get a very so-so response by 2 different local bands in the last year or so (I guess they copied each other) but I haven't heard anyone do Shine in years... or River Flows.

I always liked Breathe... BTW.