Newer music for a cover band

[GuitarPlayerFL]

playing new songs. He wants to cut expenses.

 

 

I think this is more the reason.

 

The owner doesn't want to have a bunch of (possibly) over weight, old guys with white goatees on stage. He thinks a younger band will draw the younger crowd.

[rhat]

I think this is more the reason. The owner doesn't want to have a bunch of (possibly) over weight, old guys with white goatees on stage. He thinks a younger band will draw the younger crowd.

 

 

 

Its what bars do when they are on their last legs doing the death dance. they make wild ass changes and then go belly up.

[wheresgrant3]

Its what bars do when they are on their last legs doing the death dance. they make wild ass changes and then go belly up.

 

 

 

It's funny... I'm not sure what code or warning you would read in the tea leaves to determine that a bar that wants a younger crowd is not looking to make more money by doing so. Maybe the bar is having problems... or maybe his competition is making a killing catering to younger crowds. In a tight economy you may have decent, dependable regulars during Happy hour, but what do you do between 9pm and 2am... when bands are only drawing 20-30 people. Choosing younger bands is not as extreme as cutting live music and hosting raves on Saturday night. Younger crowds in my market spend substantially more money with more volume.

 

In my market booking younger bands means bars have to increase their gig pay and budget. Good bands are getting paid $600-1200 depending on the band, reputation and draw. Bar bands make less than $400. Depends on the style and level of experience the bands, he'll have to compete with other rooms for the best bands and calendar dates. Not too many younger bands in my market that are actively looking to book $100 per man gigs. They usually strive for more than that. Again, I know nothing about this room, but it sounds like it's a decent room (the OP said it was one of the best... not a corner dive bar) it sounds like they want to make more money after 9pm... not less.

[rhat]

It's funny... I'm not sure what code or warning you would read in the tea leaves to determine that a bar that wants a younger crowd is not looking to make more money by doing so. Maybe the bar is having problems... or maybe his competition is making a killing catering to younger crowds. In a tight economy you may have decent, dependable regulars during Happy hour, but what do you do between 9pm and 2am... when bands are only drawing 20-30 people. Choosing younger bands is not as extreme as cutting live music and hosting raves on Saturday night. Younger crowds in my market spend substantially more money with more volume. In my market booking younger bands means bars have to increase their gig pay and budget. Good bands are getting paid $600-1200 depending on the band, reputation and draw. Bar bands make less than $400. Depends on the style and level of experience the bands, he'll have to compete with other rooms for the best bands and calendar dates. Not too many younger bands in my market that are actively looking to book $100 per man gigs. They usually strive for more than that. Again, I know nothing about this room, but it sounds like it's a decent room (the OP said it was one of the best... not a corner dive bar) it sounds like they want to make more money after 9pm... not less.

 

 

 

NY is a different market.

 

I see it all the time. Bar with too much floor space and not enough customers gets in a bind , and does a complete 180 on their marketing as a last ditch effort before the doors close. They see the guy across town drawing a crowd with a young crowd, or a country crowd or a jam night or whatever.., so they try to jump on the wagon. Typically its way too late and they go under. trying to play catch up by playing copy cat typically ends in failure. Hell I just saw a failing bar try a 6.96 all you can eat pasta deal because the guy across the street does well at it. its not going to fix the problem that he has a couple million dollar building ,, and the guy he is trying to copy rents his space. people do all kinds of stupid things in business espeically when they get in trouble. I dont see a young crowd as a big producer... hell I live in a college town in michigan too ,, and the meat markets are running DJs and bands that will play for nothing. I am sure the bar makes money but its not because of the bands. its because guys are looking for girls... I see young people as a very fickled customer base. I dont doubt what you say is true about NY ,,, I just dont think you can compare po dunk to NY.

[S.L.B.]

The tricky thing with new songs is picking songs that have legs, unless your the type of top 40 band that is continually playing the latest top 40, and adding new songs all the time.

Here is one song though that I can picture fitting with a classic rock crowd or the younger top 40 crowd....

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Anyone play this song or have experience with it?

[rhat]

Anyone play this song or have experience with it?

 

 

 

 

 

To be honest , it sounds like a song that could clear a bar. nasty scratchy ass guitar that sounds like nails on a chalk board and a lousy beat to dance to with rappy type lyccs.. Young people might like it , but my geezer meeter says time for a new bar.

[S.L.B.]

To be honest , it sounds like a song that could clear a bar. nasty scratchy ass guitar that sounds like nails on a chalk board and a lousy beat to dance to with rappy type lyccs.. Young people might like it , but my geezer meeter says time for a new bar.

 

 

lol. Be honest....... Did you make to the chorus?

[rhat]

lol. Be honest....... Did you make to the chorus?

 

 

 

Yup and went back and listened to the whole thing just now to make sure i stuck around for the chorus. Another annoying thing was that there was pretty much a total lack of bottom end. good dance music has a solid bass line. This song was pretty well totally void of it. Sorry no love for that song.

[Kramerguy]

Haha, we dropped Kryptonite - Song is more beat than a sub-par stripper celebrating her 25th anniversary on stage.

[S.L.B.]

Yup and went back and listened to the whole thing just now to make sure i stuck around for the chorus. Another annoying thing was that there was pretty much a total lack of bottom end. good dance music has a solid bass line. This song was pretty well totally void of it. Sorry no love for that song.

 

 

Truth be told, I'm not sure I would stick to there arrangement either. But I think it could work very well for the right band. Bars like "tough" lyrics in most cases.

[jeff42]

I haven't heard this tune on mainstream radio much (if at all) but I have heard the tune somewhere before.

If we would do this tune it would just be the chorus in the middle of a VERY crowd pleasing medley. then it would work I think... maybe...

But what do I know? in a few months the stations here in NorthEast PA maybe playing the HELL out of it. Then we add it to our set.

[qcb79]

Jeff, they arent playing the hell out of "aint no rest for the wicked"? really? man they've been playing that here every 10 mins for at least the past 6 months. I cant stand hearing it anymore

 

funny thing is that song sounds nothing like anything else by the band

[jeff42]

Jeff, they arent playing the hell out of "aint no rest for the wicked"? really? man they've been playing that here every 10 mins for at least the past 6 months. I cant stand hearing it anymore funny thing is that song sounds nothing like anything else by the band

Maybe I have just been blocking it out. I have heard it before but it doesn't hit me like something I've heard 1000X... but again maybe I'm just blocking it out of my memory.

While I am at work during the day I try to switch between the pop stations and the modern rock stations to see what is in heavy rotation and then try and fit it into our set.

[jeff42]

Haha, we dropped Kryptonite - Song is more beat than a sub-par stripper celebrating her 25th anniversary on stage.

 

 

I agree. We picked it up about awhile ago for whatever reason I am not sure but I was sick of playing it when it came out... what like 10 years ago?

 

It is not in our set now and I hope no one ever requests it again.

[mineame]

NY is a different market. I see it all the time. Bar with too much floor space and not enough customers gets in a bind , and does a complete 180 on their marketing as a last ditch effort before the doors close. They see the guy across town drawing a crowd with a young crowd, or a country crowd or a jam night or whatever.., so they try to jump on the wagon. Typically its way too late and they go under. trying to play catch up by playing copy cat typically ends in failure. Hell I just saw a failing bar try a 6.96 all you can eat pasta deal because the guy across the street does well at it. its not going to fix the problem that he has a couple million dollar building ,, and the guy he is trying to copy rents his space. people do all kinds of stupid things in business espeically when they get in trouble. I dont see a young crowd as a big producer... hell I live in a college town in michigan too ,, and the meat markets are running DJs and bands that will play for nothing. I am sure the bar makes money but its not because of the bands. its because guys are looking for girls... I see young people as a very fickled customer base. I dont doubt what you say is true about NY ,,, I just dont think you can compare po dunk to NY.

 

 

 

Apparently this just happened here in Spokane. We have/had a bar here with a good sized stage, its own PA. Decent sized dance floor. Pool tables and games off to the side that didn't in any way interfere with the band or dancers. Enough seating for around 150 people.

 

They started out with the rock cover band scene. That lasted for a solid 6 months. Then tried a battle of the bands contest in October, then back to rock cover bands for a couple months, then tried country for a weekend in December. A couple weeks ago they announced that they were going to have Rockabilly night the first Friday night of every month.

 

As of last night, the news is they have shut their doors. Makes me sad, the owners are nice people, the staff was real good too.

[rhat]

The bar business is a bitch. Alot of bar owners ingore the basics and get all caught up in decor , stages , entertainment, sound systems etc. They spend a {censored} load on that stuff and never really get the basics of making the food and drinks work.

the band isnt the big deal alot of club owners think it is. Give me a phone , I will find you a band. Learn to fill the bar ,, all the band does is keep them there longer.

[John Bartus]

I think this is more the reason. The owner doesn't want to have a bunch of (possibly) over weight, old guys with white goatees on stage. He thinks a younger band will draw the younger crowd.

:mad:

The St. Johns River is one of the few on the continent that flow north. Scientists were puzzled by this phenomenon for years, until they realized one day the real reason for the northward flow...

Jacksonville sucks.

[John Bartus]

This overweight guy with a white goatee probably won't be working in Jacksonville anytime soon...

 

[dk123123dk]

does this still work? or should I say Will it work again? I figured this novelty song over stayed its welcome a long time ago. when it was new every band closed with it... yeah original huh? But is it time again for this song? I don't know... I'm askin'

 

 

It works at the end of the night, but we don't play it everytime.

 

dk

[jeff42]

for the first time EVER with this band, last night someone in the crowd started singing the closing time song when we said "this will be our last song."

...and then when he figured out that we weren't going to be playing THAT song he started yelling "awe! cmon! why not?!?!?! you HAVE TO!"

heheh.

[Rob_Rocks]

Many thanks for all the song ideas (although I notice most do not include keyboard/piano). I'll give a listen to some of these and try to pick out a few I think would work for us.

By the way - we played this same club last weekend and it was a near sell-out. We must be doing something right. The "younger" crowd seemed to enjoy the Journey, Styx, Bon Jovi, Def Lep we threw at them.

PS. None in the band are overweight (even though we are all over 40) and my goatee is brown thanks to "Just For Men"

[qcb79]

:mad: The St. Johns River is one of the few on the continent that flow north. Scientists were puzzled by this phenomenon for years, until they realized one day the real reason for the northward flow... Jacksonville sucks.

LMAO.... pretty much

[Blackbird 13]

I'm a bit late on this.. but both my group, Broke By Sunday, and two of the local top shelf cover bands are all doing "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked", and it's getting pretty good results. People sing along to it, nod their heads, and occasionally dance. Course, we add some distortion to the guitar, and make the vocals a little more melodic.. but it works!

[jeff42]

By the way - we played this same club last weekend and it was a near sell-out. We must be doing something right. The "younger" crowd seemed to enjoy the Journey, Styx, Bon Jovi, Def Lep we threw at them.

 

 

They usually work well for us. especially Journey & Def Leppard

[Geno_xl]

My Own Worst Enemy - Lit

 

 

uh, doesn't every band already play this song already. It's gotten old quick.