Original bands and covers

[CixWicked]

So this question has popped up in every musical project I've ever worked in:

Do we, as an originals band, play covers?

As musicians, why should you (or shouldn't you) play covers?

What are your requirements for doing a cover song? Is there an age requirement, or a popularity requirement? What about covers of songs from another genera of music?

As a listener, how do you feel about bands doing covers? Have you ever become more enthralled with a band that did a cover? Ever been disenchanted by a band because they've done covers?

We should talk about this... GO NOW!!!

Cix wicked

[Simon Bar Sinister]

Covers are cool. I'll expand on this later; I have to get a move on right now. Just noticed the time!

#@!

[Scary Guy]

Depends on the cover, depends on the bands

There's a shirt I like that says...

So covering it is like saying that the original band that did it didn't do a good enough job and you can do better. So you BETTER do better if you do. Unless you're a punk band in which case it's expected to suck (that's what punk is though, and it doesn't care if it sounds like shit, I'm down with that).

I mean it's great if you like the song and it's your favorite and you want to cover it... however if you know you can't do it justice don't even attempt it. Some label might think it's "cool" or "hip" and throw it on a comp (Cleopatra Records can die in a fire for some of the crap they've churned out but they're trying to redeem themselves at least).

I like covers that cross genres because someone who really likes the original might hear it and discover they like another genre of music. Even stuff like Paul Anka, Richard Cheese, Pat Boone, Black Velvet Flag, Señor Coconut, Nouvelle Vague, and a few other bands that escape my memory are great. Hell Señor Coconut has an album of all Kraftwerk covers done in a mambo tropical style which I think is brilliant.

One of my favorite sites used to be the now defunct http://www.coversproject.com (holy fuck it's back up um... ok) which lists all the bands that have covered an artist and all the covers that artist has done. Seriously play with that site, it is cool as hell. I've found some great covers (and some terrible ones) of songs I've really liked for YEARS.

Hell there are some covers I like better than the original (for example, Hot Rod Lincoln originally by Charlie Ryan covered by Commander Cody and His Lost Airmen).

Also the origins of the term cover are interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_version#History

Although it doesn't state the original term coined by a disk jockey back in the early 50's I believe.

[candyman]

Out of all the big name concert I have gone to here there have been at least five opening bands for each. Now, it seems Michigan lacks those certian people who screen opening bands for opening positions...I don't see how some hippy band show be able to open for Dope...ever. Also, all of these opening bands do covers. I do like covers, but they are usually of good songs that are older and were done by bands that are either finished or are winding down. All of these opening acts have done about THREE covers each, way too many, and all of the covers were of brands new songs by hit bands. WTF?!?!

[CixWicked]

I'm of mixed opinion about this, but mainly... I'm all for playing covers.

I understand that a band should be all about their own music, but from a logistical stand point there are so many reasons for a fledgling band to get a good list of covers ready to play in case the unthinkable happens... Like you have 40 minutes of origenel stuff, and the venue asks you to play an hour... or an hour and a half.

For me, the only covers I -want- to do are older tunes, that people know, but probably havne't thought about in a while. Covers that are not over done, or are still in circulation. Also I don't really like playing obscure covers, cause they kind of defeat the purpose of playing covers in the first place. Like why be that band that no body knows playing a song that nobody knows by a band that everyone knows with much better tunes that everyone knows?

We've done tunes like

'Clean my wounds' (COC) and Cemetery Gates (Pantera).

In other bands we've done state of love and trust by pearl jam, and Magdalina by APC.

Generally speaking we get really good responses from covers, but then again, at a typical show there's people out there mouthing the words to our origenals too.

Cix

[phee]

In a word..... YES

[CixWicked]

Out of all the big name concert I have gone to here there have been at least five opening bands for each. Now, it seems Michigan lacks those certian people who screen opening bands for opening positions...I don't see how some hippy band show be able to open for Dope...ever. Also, all of these opening bands do covers. I do like covers, but they are usually of good songs that are older and were done by bands that are either finished or are winding down. All of these opening acts have done about THREE covers each, way too many, and all of the covers were of brands new songs by hit bands. WTF?!?!

Hey Candyman, Where did you see dope?

Was it at Harpos like about 18 or 19 months ago? We were one of the bands that opend for them. Just wondering if that's when you saw em.

The thing about opening bands, and shows is that many venues look at opening bands as seat fillers. Basically they give out 50 to 100 tickets to each of 6 to 20 opening bands, saying they must sell at least 20 to play the show. It's shady, but the way local music has been in detroit lately, it's really not suprising that they do this. And it's actually a really big break from the way it's done in other areas.

In LA we were told to show up the day before the local showcase (No Regional main stage acts, this is just a local show.) stand in line for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, with countless other bands... Oh and bring about $1200... buy the tickets you are to sell in advanced.

THEN you go out, sell these tickets... THEN on the day of the Venue know that there will be only 3 or 4 bands playing, so of the 6 of you that made it half you wont get to play. Furthermore... they ask everyone who comes through the door who they are there to see. If you didn't bring in 50 bodies to that show... YOU DON"T GET TO PLAY.

Do you get your money back? Hell no.

So yeah, some of these crap bands get on to do some really great shows, but you can always tell when a good band plays cause the crowd get's hyped and get's into them.

As a member of what's been dubbed 'Detroit VCore, VoCore, or Vocal Metal' band I don't allow my band mates to boo bands who aren't very good... I don't want the band to come off that way, but I -do- see a lot of crowds who -do- boo some really bad bands... or worse... they clear out and don't pay attention any more.

CixWicked

[Slogo]

I was in a band that actually planned on doing a medley.

[CixWicked]

I was in a band that actually planned on doing a medley.

What kind of medley? Wierd Al does -AWESOME- medleys. My old band (Which is actually rekindling right now) used to do a Cure Medley (Facination Street, Lullaby, Why can't I be you), and a mesh up of Candlebox's Far behind and Hindirx's Voodoo Child. Oh yeah and a blending of The Who's Baba O'Reily/Beetles One after 909.

[pleasurekatzen]

I think it really depends on the band and what cover they choose. I've heard some a-maz-ing covers done by by local and national/international acts. I've also heard some covers done that have had fail written all over them due to multiple reasons. (Plain lack of talent, poor adaptation, etc.)

[candyman]

Hey Candyman, Where did you see dope?

Was it at Harpos like about 18 or 19 months ago? We were one of the bands that opend for them. Just wondering if that's when you saw em.

The thing about opening bands, and shows is that many venues look at opening bands as seat fillers. Basically they give out 50 to 100 tickets to each of 6 to 20 opening bands, saying they must sell at least 20 to play the show. It's shady, but the way local music has been in detroit lately, it's really not suprising that they do this. And it's actually a really big break from the way it's done in other areas.

In LA we were told to show up the day before the local showcase (No Regional main stage acts, this is just a local show.) stand in line for anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, with countless other bands... Oh and bring about $1200... buy the tickets you are to sell in advanced.

THEN you go out, sell these tickets... THEN on the day of the Venue know that there will be only 3 or 4 bands playing, so of the 6 of you that made it half you wont get to play. Furthermore... they ask everyone who comes through the door who they are there to see. If you didn't bring in 50 bodies to that show... YOU DON"T GET TO PLAY.

Do you get your money back? Hell no.

So yeah, some of these crap bands get on to do some really great shows, but you can always tell when a good band plays cause the crowd get's hyped and get's into them.

As a member of what's been dubbed 'Detroit VCore, VoCore, or Vocal Metal' band I don't allow my band mates to boo bands who aren't very good... I don't want the band to come off that way, but I -do- see a lot of crowds who -do- boo some really bad bands... or worse... they clear out and don't pay attention any more.

CixWicked

I saw Dope at the Intersection in Grand Rapids...they get some decent acts but they really need help filling the opener positions. I am actually getting a few bands from Wisconsin to come up here to open because, well, they fit with these bands better than what the intersection can come up with. There was one "decent" opener for Dope...but the type of music was the biggest problem, not skill.

Booing is a bad thing to do...most of the bands are really good its just that they get shoved up next to some big bands playing a different type of music...

[anametamystik]

Every band should cover some of their inspiration's works just to see if they're on the level. Naturally, they shouldn't publicly perform said covers unless said covers are better than before in some way and in their own style.

I want to cover Darude "Sandstorm" on accordion with a good Doktor and my laptop backing me up one of these days a la Zoe Keating. Seriously, Techno Polka or Industrial Polka can't possibly be anywhere near saturation.

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

I don't mind covers for origional bands....I just don't want to hear a cover that like...20 other bands have done.

I would love to hear a Detroit local band pull off "Helena" by the misfits...or a metal version of "She's not There" by the Zombies. Even "99 luft balloons" would be awesome to hear if done right.

my thing is that you don't have to play it BETTER then the origional artist...but you DO need to make it your own. If your doing it note for note...on everything...then shame on you....leave that for the COVER BANDS.....your an origional....add YOURSELF to the song. Change a few lines maybe...change the speed and beat....do something to make it YOU.

[MALCOMXBLISS]

Nothing wrong with doing covers. As has been mentioned, when you're in a punk band it's fun to cover songs you don't like just to destroy them. Done some really great destruction to stuff by Brittney and all the "boy bands".

I was in a band that released half a dozen covers over about a ten year period. We always did them our way. We did a really interesting version of THE WHO's "I Can See For Miles" and THE ZOMBIES "Time Of The Season".

As for obsure covers, we did one, (maybe not obscure to the people on this board THE RESIDENT'S "Semolina" ), that most people thought was an original. But I don't think that's such a big deal. since we only did one.

There are lots of songs, that are really cool tunes, with really cool lyrics, that I think were done all wrong by the original band. Always wanted to do "Magic" by Oliva Newton John.

[jynxxxedangel]

Covers are great, as long as they remain raw-- not overly-produced (and not overly-hyped). I also enjoy hearing bands cross genres, by covering music of another style, or era. Many of the greatest punk bands have achieved this successfully.

I also love when bands "cover" their own songs, with acoustic versions/different arrangements of their hits.

[detroitrequiem]

We're covering a few tunes. We are planning on first doing Gary Numen's Cars and Master and Servant DM. We will also be doing Push by The Cure, maybe a Killers tune, and something from Siouxsie and Alien Sex Fiend. We'll probably just play 1-2 per show. If you have suggestions, let me know:)

[Simon Bar Sinister]

remember Caelum Bliss? I saw one of their last gigs (at AscensionUK before the band's name change), and they covered Donna Summer's "I Feel Love". Soooooooooo awesome!

[d:konstruct]

We just added the following covers to our live set:

The Cure The Walk

Siouxsie Kiss them for me

Duran Duran Planet Earth

Gary Numan Cars