x factor music Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 my quick two cents on this. i think as a musician you do what makes you happy. if you are unhappy creating original music because no one likes it, or you can't sell your cds or you can't find a bass player who won't play your songs for less than $100/night, or if you are frustrated because you are finding yourself on the other side of 18 and you haven't been signed to a major label yet, then stop! if you write original music because that's what you enjoy doing, then keep freakin' doing it...i think what the music industry has become in the past 5 years has ruined the potential careers of many talented and otherwise marketable songwriters/bands. i also think the home recording industry has really hurt good, talented musicians who write original material. i say this only because it is much easier to produce music now, where as before those who produced music invested so much more time and money into it than sitting down with cakewalk home studio and acid. i write music for me, and my wife, and my friends and fans who dig what i do, but not to "make it" in this business. for me, making it is doing what makes you happy...can't raise a family on coffee house gigs and selling cds out of the back of the car, unless you are one of the three artists who strikes lightning this year. so i play in 2 cover bands and also a tribute band. i do it because i love music, i am a fan of music, and it makes me happy to pretend to be a rock star for a couple of nights a week. people really love what we do. and we take the approach that there are bunches of other cover bands out there doing the same jukebox thing night after night, and each band that i am in offers something different. i personally would not be happy playing freebird or mony mony every weekend. luckily, i don't need to pay the bills. so we can do the police, foo fighters, and U2 and find our own audience. but to sum up a long winded post, i think you do what makes you happy as a musician. it's laughable to think someone is going to look down at me because i play cover music. you do what you want, i do what i want...the one thing we should all share is a love for music and (hopefully) the ability to share it. and lastly, just to stir shit up, i think if you are serious about being an original musician and making a living as an original "artist" and you are not living in a music town, or at least a town with a population of over 100,000 people, you are fooling yourself. you've got to get in front of people. i don't care what anyone says, if you want to make the commitment and stand by your guns, put your money where your mouth is and move out of Frogpond, AL. jeremeyhunsicker.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Keelan Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 I guess in a perfect world the thing would be to do both. Around here original bands play 45 minutes a night vs. the 4-5 hours a coverband gets in. John Lennon said playing those long nights in Hamburg is what made the Beatles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbognar Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Just a couple of points: We do covers of mostly old school R/B pop tunes, and it's never the same - on any given night there are different breakdowns, solos, alt-endings, etc. And the band interaction is great. People love the tunes and we're having fun playing in a band of great musicians... None of us has a desire to be an originals band - (We all have jobs and no talent or time to write originals). I'm 41 and happy to be playing with the people I'm playing with. SECOND: Listen to the lyrics on "Sultans of Swing" - I'm captivated by them everytime I hear the tune... It really captures the essence of the whole part-time / cover band mentality. Peace, Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBBPaul Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 Pete, What's the name of your band? Our new and improved website Today's sample tune: Lonesome One Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbognar Posted February 17, 2003 Share Posted February 17, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by PBBPaul: [b]Pete, What's the name of your band?[/b][/quote]Pocketchange - we'll be at Monreal's on 92nd and Bluemound on Saturday - if you stop by please introduce yourself - you can tell me how much I suck and we'll have you sit in for a tune ;-) Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mstreck Posted February 23, 2003 Share Posted February 23, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by tnb: [b]I have problems with so called bands that only play originals because they don't play well enough to play covers. [/b][/quote]You mean like the Ramones? :) Mike Petting Hendrix Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked in the head by an iron boot? Of course you don't--no one does--that never happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. Ratte Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 There was a cover band in Lubbock, TX called Studebaker Pickup that was really something. The players were all seasoned bar-band guys and didn't need to practice together, they'd just get up and play. But their schtick was to do all the usual covers in a polka, ska, or reggae style with changed-up lyrics. It worked on several levels because their material was familiar and strong, but at the same time it was fresh and not tired because of the presentation. Some crazy goofiness, and it went over really well. G. Ratte' http://www.cultdeadcow.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phaeton Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Aside from all the other great points made here... I'll have to concur with Sylver also. Man, that post you did hit ME like a ton of bricks. Been there, done that. Not so much orignal vs. cover, but just in that i made some bad choices and threw my musical dream aside. (this is partly the root of my whole Avril Jealosy thread) Interestingly, i'm in the same boat as you right now, musically. Working up the abilities, trying to catch up 10 years in a year and a half, so that i can possibly *maybe* find some people to start playing out with by the end of this summer. It's hard, but i want to do it. I wish you much great fortune :) Dr. Seuss: The Original White Rapper . WWND? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.