over the last few days, i have been watching a war of words on the craigslist musicians wanted pages. it seems that 1 person advertised his cover band, another person replied with nasty comments, and the war was on.

is there really that much hatred of cover bands? having played covers most of my life, i have discovered that there are people who like to go out, and hear some of their favorite songs live. my wife and i have seen a half dozen or so pretty good 60's and classic rock bands over the last few months. the crowds liked them too!

not everyone is a songwriter- frank sinatra did other people's songs, and nobody worried about it then.

what are your thoughts- love, hate or indifferent?

My rules regarding setlists

To start a new band and not play any covers is suicide. You need em to make a point of contact with your audience. No body is going to pay to see some gang of people play a load of songs they've never heard before.

As you develop a following, by all means start bring out the originals, but pay attention to when your audience decides that going to the bar/toilet/carpark/have a chat to someone is a more enjoyable activity. That will soon tell you if your originals are any good. When you get established make the majority of your performance originals with a couple of covers.

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No no and no

personally i wouldnt join a cover band or have much interest listening to one. the only cover songs i really like are when a band covers song and plays it in a seperate genre. such as johny cash's version of hurt when it was originally done nine inch nails so the style is much different.

its just hard to respect a band that doesnt write thier own material its like a painting print or someone writing a story that has already been written.

im not trying to be an $@!, im just expressing my opinion so maybe you coud understand the apposing side.

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I like my tone like my women. Full round bottom, sweet and clean but can get as dirty as I desire.

but on the other side i do see the purpose for cover bands. some people(alot of people) like to hear and dance to songs they know and a cover band is perfect for that.

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I like my tone like my women. Full round bottom, sweet and clean but can get as dirty as I desire.

People that hate bands for doing covers are idiots. I'm a songwriter, but I play covers too. If I'm playing a showcase then I'll do originals only, but if I'm playing a club somewhere, I'll play whatever they want to hear and that usually means cover tunes. How self involved do you have to be to think playing covers is beneath you? McCartney plays covers so does Clapton. I say play what you enjoy playing and don't worry what anyone else thinks.

sage advice.

Don't know how local scenes work Statside, but here in the UK, if you want to gig out regularly locally, then it's got to be covers, & pretty well known covers from all decades (60's onwards to the present day) at that.

I live in the East Midlands, & the 6-piece band that I play bass / sing bv's with, gigs regularly 4/5 times per month in this area & into East Anglia & the Midlands. The single local venue to host "originals only" type bands, has just closed. Enough said I think.

I am lucky enough also to play with an "originals only" 6-piece band, that is able to record, engineer, produce & mix, our own songs all ourselves, but does not gig more than a couple of times a year at appropriate venues. We have an album out right now in CD or download format, & another ready for final mix / mastering (see www.myspace.com/reunion69uk & www.reunion69.co.uk) So I can get my "originals satisfaction" this way.

Definitely some snobbishness here, play covers well & there is no reason why you shouldn't have a lot of fun & create a lot of enjoyment for audiences as well.

Not necessarily, it depends on the town or city you live in. I played in quite a few original bands in my time and did just fine. If you just want to play in small local bars it may be true. You need to play covers because the locals want it. They want to dance to what they know. Also, most local bars with music in my area have no cover charge. If you don't draw, it makes no difference if it's covers or not, you won't be back.

If you start as an original opening act and you're good, you'll eventually get a following. I started out in the Phila. Pa. area so there were a lot of venues for original bands starting out. There's still a bunch. You make little to no money but get decent exposure.

Don't discount open mic nights to develop a following and try out original songs. There is also always room for covers. I just make them my own. I don't really lamely ape someone else's solos and only use parts like the intro or hook when it's needed as an integral part of the song.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

i wouldnt make a career out of being a cover band. I know there are some really good ones out there (Rain, Hammer of the Gods) but a band should come to a point and write their own stuff. After awhile it gets old, but thats how most bands start out. Idk why people despise them though, many hits by Clapton are covers

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I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk...

Everybody from Elvis to Metalica started off with and played covers right into the highpoint of their carreer and beyond.

Want to get heard, play covers. Want to sit in your bedroom, play originals. It's the way it works, people want what they know. If you're too arrogant to be a supposed entertainer but not give a audience what it wants, they will respond in a similar manner.

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No no and no

Just about every band that made it big started off as a cover band even The Beatles and Stones.I played in cover bands for years but did manage to put in some original songs.Most club patrons want to hear what comes out of their radios and it's a very rare band that can make it from playing o riginals from the start.Having said that my nephew's band-Kujo-has gained a huge local following by playing 90% original songs(all written by him)but they built up a fan base by doing about half and half first. There will always be a demand for cover bands and even tribute bands because that's what sells and that's what people want to hear.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Just about every band that made it big started off as a cover band even The Beatles and Stones.I played in cover bands for years but did manage to put in some original songs.Most club patrons want to hear what comes out of their radios and it's a very rare band that can make it from playing o riginals from the start.Having said that my nephew's band-Kujo-has gained a huge local following by playing 90% original songs(all written by him)but they built up a fan base by doing about half and half first. There will always be a demand for cover bands and even tribute bands because that's what sells and that's what people want to hear.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Just saying I've been on both sides of the fence. Doing originals just takes longer and takes a lot more work promoting yourself. The only time we sat around was when we were writing the songs. Playing covers is fine if you like hearing people trying to talk over you while watching the game. It's still fun but to say if you want to play in your bedroom do originals is not really true. Not in my neck of the woods anyway. Not everyone starts out playing covers and I'm living proof of it. You need to be original.

I know a kid in a fairly lame metal bad doing originals and opening for national acts now. They never covered anyone.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

exactly it just works for some and not for others. also genre has alot to do with it.

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I like my tone like my women. Full round bottom, sweet and clean but can get as dirty as I desire.

Sure there's lots variables, the most important being some sort of talent. I play covers, but I make music. One time I saw one of the local bands absolutely butcher Creams "Crossroads" for close to 15 minutes. Yeah, I was one of those guys who went to the bathroom, and when the band took a break, somebody put the original on the jukebox. Playing covers guarantees you nothing. Playing them well and with passion and not sounding like the jukebox is talent. I won't play covers note for note, I don't consider that entertainment or talent for that matter. My advise is if you do covers, put your own spin on it and make it yours but still keep it very recognizable. ven the musicians who write the songs usually change them live.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal