covers in gigs

[Ibanex0110]

so my band has it's first gig this friday. We only have 3 of our own songs completely done and down. We have a 25-30 minute slot, and unfortunately, our songs aren't 10 minutes long. Assuming we'll have time for one more song, i guess it'll have to be a cover, what is your opinion on playing covers at a show? I've never seen another band do it. Would it be best to play it at the beginning, the middle, or the end? what should we say before, "so...were gonna play a cover song for you"? is it possible with 4-5 minute songs to be able to cover 30 minutes with just 3 songs?

[A_Guy]

Covers aren't bad, I'd suggest playing them at the end. It's good for the audience to know a song that they can sing along too.

[Apocalyptic Raids]

I think you should play it at the end or start. Preferably the end.

[Drunken Viking]

Play a cover, then your own song, a few covers, your own song, a few covers your own song. And when you're introducing the cover just be like, "this song is called Whatever by Whomever".

[Ibanex0110]

ok, sounds good. I guess we'll play it at the end.

[PepsiMetal]

Just play metallica's enter sandman. Maybe open it up with that so that crowd gets excited and stuff since they probably wont know your songs. Any other well known song is good too.

[A_Guy]

Just play metallica's enter sandman. Maybe open it up with that so that crowd gets excited and stuff since they probably wont know your songs. Any other well known song is good too.
Easy to play and crowd pleasing :thumb:

[dUSK]

I'd go with the cover at the end. Pending that your only going to be playing one.

What kind of stuff do you normally play? If you know a heap songs by one particular band, try mentioning that name and get someone to make a request. I've seen local bands do it a few times around here. It always seems to work well, except for one time I saw a rhythm guitarist forget a riff to The Trooper.

[Seafroggys]

people can't get it through their heads that covers are where its at.

Everybody's so obsessed with playing originals, they play a bunch of these amateur 40-minute shows for little or no pay, and hope they will get 'noticed' or 'signed.'

Personally, I get much more satisifaction from playing a 3 hour gig at a bar doing mostly covers. Thats the only way to get anywhere.

[Sleepy]

I am fine with covers in gigs, in fact, I full-on support them. However, I am not a huge fan of bands playing 85% covers, even if their gigs are long. If they book enough time, they should have enough of their own original content to fill it.

If it's a 30-minute timeslot, however, go ahead and throw a cover or three in, especially if you only have 3 of your own original works. I'd say open with one, play your song, one more cover, one more song, one more cover, one more song, and then end with one or two covers, depending on time. They, unlike original songs, will be very easy for your band to practice and nail (most of the time) and you'll probably be able to play them easily enough for your gig (therefore lessening the possible screwup level).

Good luck to you!

[notjester589]

I'm going to have to disagree with some of you. Most audiences don't want to hear your original stuff. Especially if its a starter show for your band. Once you work your way up and get some popularity doing covers you can sneak more and more of your material into the set. I see nothing wrong with doing 3 of your originals, but I would try to get in as many covers as you can to fit in your half hour time slot. FACT People love to hear songs they already know.

[deadinholywood]

Also my suggestion is to do a cover, but rework it so that its different to the origional it. (Tori Amos is the master of doing this!) I just think that it makes a song that everyone has heard a million times much more memorable. :cool:

[Noyana]

do the cover at the end, only if you can pull it off with the caliber of your own music - otherwise people will go away on a bad note and it won't do anything for you.

if you can do it- go for it
if you can plug out a couple, throw them in the middle and end with a bang of your own song.

[Lord Abortion]

I'm going to have to disagree with some of you. Most audiences don't want to hear your original stuff. Especially if its a starter show for your band. Once you work your way up and get some popularity doing covers you can sneak more and more of your material into the set. I see nothing wrong with doing 3 of your originals, but I would try to get in as many covers as you can to fit in your half hour time slot. FACT People love to hear songs they already know.
Good man.

This is what happens, work steadily at taking covers out as you build up recognition and fans.
Use the rule "one original in, one cover out" and go from there

[BassMasterMike88]

I would suggest doing more covers then originals if your new to live preforming in your community, and add covers as you gain reputaion, and remember that almost every band that is big now began by playing covers.

[i am the robots]

so my band has it's first gig this friday. We only have 3 of our own songs completely done and down. We have a 25-30 minute slot, and unfortunately, our songs aren't 10 minutes long. Assuming we'll have time for one more song, i guess it'll have to be a cover, what is your opinion on playing covers at a show? I've never seen another band do it. Would it be best to play it at the beginning, the middle, or the end? what should we say before, "so...were gonna play a cover song for you"? is it possible with 4-5 minute songs to be able to cover 30 minutes with just 3 songs?

Play a cover in the middle of your set, not as the last song, and play one that showcases your ability, not something just so that people can sing along.

[Ibanex0110]

so I was thinking like this, if time allows:
1. seek and destroy- metallica
2. one of our songs
3. blackened by metallica, up to the middle.
4. one of our songs
5. one of our songs

[2muchket!]

^^^ Throw in a cover for the closing song and that should do for a good first gig really

[Ibanex0110]

^^^ Throw in a cover for the closing song and that should do for a good first gig really

yeah, i guess we only have a 20-25 minute set. assuming about 5 minutes a song, including intros and stuff. the drummer in my band says that playing half of a song (blackened) is stupid. when we usually play it, we just play up until after the second chorus, cause the middle is kinda boring and stuff.

[SimonCore]

It depends how big your band is. If it's just a small local one you should alternate covers and your own songs, but if your bigger then leave a few untill the end.

[MBS]

is it possible with 4-5 minute songs to be able to cover 30 minutes with just 3 songs?

Did you really have to ask, or are you that bad at math?

In all seriousness, I love covers, especially during gigs. It's kind of fun to see other artist's interpretations of songs.

[Crysiss]

Did you really have to ask, or are you that bad at math?

In all seriousness, I love covers, especially during gigs. It's kind of fun to see other artist's interpretations of songs.

yea i think you can only use 10 minutes if your playing 3 5 minute songs.:rolleyes:

[Ibanex0110]

well, to defend my idiocracy: I was wondering with talk/tune time in between songs, i've never played a show, so I don't know how this really goes, I can assume things, but I can assume things wrong too. anyway, i guess we have kinda decided on replacing the first half of orion instead of blackened, cause a kid died, and were going to dedicate that to him, plus less work for singer, learning lyrics and whatnot. another good thing is that the show got moved to next thursday, giving us this weekend to prepare for it more.

[Mambuto_O'Mally]

Orion is a great song to play, unless it sounds like crap. For time between songs, Its sort of up to you. I recommend keeping the time in between songs shorter. Just my opinion.

[flyhalf]

i reckon:

original, then straight into a
cover
-break- talk to the audience introduce your band
original
original
Play a cover at the end if they ask for an encore, OR ask the audience if they want more then play the cover...just basically if the time feels right (if the audience are really getting into your music and stuff) then just bust out a nice finishing song.

[SimonCore]

Myt band usually does covers to open with. Play some of our own. another cover. one of our ownx2 and end with a classic.

[umbilical_mind]

mmm, I've got to say (and agree with whoever said it) that covers are fine so long as you do at least change them in SOME way. Even if it's just a small thing like doing a different solo or something, just put your own twist on the song otherwise people might aswell just listen to it at home. Covers are fine but yeah, don't get too caught up in doing everything note for note becuase it's kinda dull to listen to.

[Clunge]

I've got a gig coming up soonies with my band's new lineup so we haven't got much original material at the moment. Our plan is something like...

- Cover (popular well known song, probably Summertime Blues a la Rush)
- Original/jam
- Cover (no idea here :D)
- Original/jam
- Cover (heavy song, probably Stockholm Syndrome by Muse)

We do just jam at the end of our songs for a bit in practice so we might throw some of that into our live performance.

[penelope weird hands]

Performing covers is sweet if you do them them differently and in your band's own light.
Otherwise fans of music will go 'meh' and not give a shjt.

Unless you're aiming at fans who are morons and are waiting for the next Avril Lavigne album cuz she's "SlartCore". Then I would suggest you die.

EDIT: Oh, and don't make them both Metallica covers.. please.
Atleast select a different band for a second/more cover/s.

[i am the robots]

so I was thinking like this, if time allows:
1. seek and destroy- metallica
2. one of our songs
3. blackened by metallica, up to the middle.
4. one of our songs
5. one of our songs

Don't do two Metallica covers... try to switch it up a bit... maybe some Anthrax?

[SimonCore]

mmm, I've got to say (and agree with whoever said it) that covers are fine so long as you do at least change them in SOME way. Even if it's just a small thing like doing a different solo or something, just put your own twist on the song otherwise people might aswell just listen to it at home. Covers are fine but yeah, don't get too caught up in doing everything note for note becuase it's kinda dull to listen to.

When we play Chapter Four-A7X i'm not good enough singer to sing as high as shadows does so i just sing it in my own voice. It sounds different and the some of the dumbasses in the crowd say "Oh you didn't sing it right" So that's kinda proof we do it different.

[Ibanex0110]

i think the leaving a last cover as an option is a great idea. assuming the rest of the band agrees with this, i've come up with another list.
1. original
2. orion
break (tune,talk)
3. original
4. original
thanks, promote
5. optional cover.

without the cover, it is about 20 minutes or so, and with, depending on the song is 25 or so, which is good, cause our slot is 20-25 minutes. I need to think of another song to cover besides another Metallica one, cause that's a good point on not doing two metallica songs. The only problem is all the other songs we know, we don't play that often, and don't have down super good. i'd be nice to do like, the end of "domination", or "raining blood". The end of domination is fairly simple, and most people would know it, or maybe we could do walk, being as that's fairly easy too. idk, we'll figure something out

[SimonCore]

Really though, it all depends on how bigger band you are. If your small, do lots of covers, if your growing then do only one or two covers.

[i am the robots]

I've said before and I'll say it again. If you're small and you play more material by others than your own, you'll get labled as a cover band and then you'll be screwed.

[Ibanex0110]

I've said before and I'll say it again. If you're small and you play more material by others than your own, you'll get labled as a cover band and then you'll be screwed.

yeah, that's my theory as well. No one will say "man, so and so's rendition of orion was so good, i'm going to go buy their cd" The bassist and I kind of argued over this, and ended up agreeing that covers aren't the way to go, but with a shortage of material, we kinda have to play a few at this show.

[SimonCore]

Wel that's why i'm saying only do a big amount of them if your small. Then you won't be at risk to being spotted by a record label.

[Ibanex0110]

yeah, that's true...but it's also about "winning fans" as well, and you won't win fans with covers, at least not very many. I want to get what we wrote out there, not what some other bands wrote. I can see a few to kind of get the audience warmed up and stuff though, that's acceptable, but not more then half of the set.

[SimonCore]

^ Well I suppose it depends on the crowd your playing too. If it's a battle of the bands then best only do one or two covers until the very end before your closing song which should be your own.

[Thor]

I say play some Black Sabbath. People love hearing them at shows. I would know this because my band covers "NIB" and people love it.

[Arucard]

My band no longer does covers. We decided that they are officially pointless unless you are palying to an audience thats not into your kind of music, at which point you play something like The Strokes to soften them up before getting back to the pure metal of the show.

[i am the robots]

My band no longer does covers. We decided that they are officially pointless unless you are palying to an audience thats not into your kind of music, at which point you play something like The Strokes to soften them up before getting back to the pure metal of the show.

Covers are fun to play, heck I love it when a band I love covers another band I love live... example: Kill Your Idols covering Madball, or Linkin Park covering NIN.

But basing your entire set on covers is bad, you should always play more of your own stuff than other people's stuff, at like a ratio of: all your stuff : one cover.