Classic rock cover bands

[slinkp]

Sometimes a gig of a bunch of moldy oldies is just what the doctor ordered!

I live and work in NYC (to be more precise I live in central Brooklyn and work in lower Manhattan) ... the band scene is very competitive, dominated by young hipsters, and 99% original material. I haven't gigged in Manhattan in many years now.  I still love the music scene here but I don't have the time or energy to deal with trying to play in NY clubs anymore.

Recently, a guitar player I've been playing with for many years, who has long ago moved out to the suburbs on Long Island, asked me if I would sub on bass for his local cover band - a bunch of guys from his neighborhood.  The other players are not really up to his level, but they're enthusiastic and have developed a good group sound, and the set list sounded fun.  So, last Saturday night I went out to the venue, a local live music rock-n-roll bar of the sort that doesn't really exist in the city anymore, where covers are the norm and you go to drink and enjoy some well executed familiar hits from decades past.  The audience ranged in age from about 40 to 60 (the band fit in that demographic as well).   AND... aside from free beer I got $50 in my pocket which is more than I ever took home on most gigs playing originals, that's for sure.

IT WAS A BLAST!

We had a number of train wrecks, due to various factors (varying experience levels among the band, unfamiliar material, new bass player...)
but nobody much cared... the small crowd was very enthusiastic, and people wanted us to keep playing beyond the end of our set list, so we bashed out "The Seeker" totally unrehearsed, and "Who Are You" which we had all played before but never in the same band.

Set list:

The Waiting

Psycho Killer

Remedy

Pulling Mussels from a Shell

Can't Stand Losing You

The Weight

Interstate Love Song

Dead Flowers

You Can't Always Get What You Want

10th Ave Freeze Out

Hungry Heart

Promised Land

Prove it All Night

Rosalita

Black Dog

What is and Should Never Be

The Ocean

Folsom Prison Blues

Unrehearsed extras: The Seeker, Who Are You



I think "Rosalita" was one of the most fun things I have ever done live. What a joy.  I am told there is video of this gig, but I haven't seen it yet.

[Dave W]

That's the kind of setlist that can get a crowd moving.

[westen44]

I was once in a band that would always do "Folsom Prison Blues" when somebody would insist that we do a country song.  I would sing it, but was keenly aware that it lacked the authentic Johnny Cash vibe.  You do what you can.  Nevertheless, people did seem to appreciate the song for the most part. 

[gearHed289]

Sounds like a good time! I live JUST outside Chicago, and there's always been a good music scene here. Back in the 80s, there was kind of a line drawn - original bands in the city, cover bands in the burbs. Now, the cover scene dominates, and even that's getting tough. From age 19 to 36, I was in original bands exclusively. Then, I knew I was past my expiration date as far as the record biz (what was left of it) was concerned, but I knew I didn't want to stop performing, so I started playing covers. I've made a ton of money, and had lots of fun doing it. I'll admit, it often gets old, but honestly - seeing the joy on peoples faces and just really making their week helps keep me going. It's been all classic rock for me over the past 2 years, with a band of stellar musicians. Our guitarist Dave Uhrich landed at something like #31 in Classic Rock magazine's "100 wildest lead guitarists" back in 2007, and was one of those Ibanez endorsing guys back in the day, as well as Laney amps. A typical set list looks something like this:

HIGHWAY STAR
AIN'T TALK BOUT LOVE
SURRENDER
WALK THIS WAY
CULT OF PERSONALITY
HOT BLOODED
BOYS R BACK
SPIRIT OF RADIO
DRUM SOLO
HOT FOR TEACHER
LIFE IN FAST LN
FLIRTIN W/DISASTER
LONG TRAIN
PRIDE & JOY
BENNIE
LIVE AND LET
LET IT BE
SISTER CHRIS
LIVIN PRAYER
LIVIN MIDNITE
STRANGLEHOLD
BASS SOLO
HIGHER GROUND
BOHEMIAN
SWEET CHILD
TOM SAWYER
REBEL YELL
R&R ALL NITE
LAGRANGE
GUITAR SOLO
ROCKETMAN

[TBird1958]

Having played covers the past 10 years or so with The Nasty Habits I can echo what Tom says, it's so much fun and yes, we get paid - sometimes very well. Our last trip to Pt Angeles netted the band more than 3K for a 2 night stand, we are booked for 3 shows at the end of June as part of Seattle Pride week, look like we'll have a show at The Hard Rock Cafe soon, and we just signed off on a contract for two shows Halloween weekend. I love it! Now I gotta go shop for clothes     

[westen44]

The Hard Rock Cafe; that's impressive.  I never got the chance to go to one until I went to Amsterdam last summer.  Got an exclusive Amsterdam Hard Rock Cafe Hendrix T-shirt. 

[slinkp]

A typical set list looks something like this:

That's a fun list! Between the Rush tunes and the Living Colour tune (hell yes!) you've got some tricky things to play...
I did eventually get the hang of "Cult of Personality" but they had some other songs I can't play.
LIkewise I never did figure out the intro to "Spirit of the Radio".

Bass solo eh?  I have never done one of those in my life
I figure I spend enough time noodling in my regular playing ... and I have no idea what I'd do for a bass solo that would actually be worth listening to. I like when people pull it off though.

[chromium]

Yeah I like that set list too- would love to do some Rush, Kiss, CT and the Living Colour track.  Used to play Spirit of Radio in a previous band... fun stuff.

I've been with my current band ~7 years, and while I'd rather play some newer/different stuff at times it's still a lot of fun... and its a great group of folks far more talented than I.  Not too demanding in terms of rehearsals, which is nice at this time in my life.  Just roll in and play!

This is our set list:

Rock and Roll - Zep
All I Wanna Do   - Sheryl Crow      
Knock on Wood   - Eric Clapton
Allison Road - Gin Blossoms      
LA Woman - The Doors
Rapture - Blondie
Baby I Love Your Way - Peter Frampton   
Striaght On - Heart   
Let Me Roll It - Paul McCartney and Wings
Bad Case of Lovin You - Robert Palmer      
Little Sister - Elvis Presley
Barracuda - Heart
Black Magic Woman - Santana      
Lowdown - Boz Skaggs
Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf      
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
Back in the Chain Gang - Pretenders
Born To Wander - Rare Earth      
Mainline Florida   - Eric Clapton
Brown Eyed Girl    - Van Morrison      
Money - The Beatles
Call Me - Blondie      
Mony Mony - Billy Idol
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young      
Mustang Sally - Wilson Picket
Cold Shot   - Stevie Ray Vaughn      
My Sherona - The Knack
Come On Up - The Rascals      
Nowhere To Run - Martha Reaves
Crossroads - Cream      
Oh Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Devil with the Blue Dress - Mitch Ryder      
Ridin' the Storm Out   - REO Speedwagon
The Difference - The Wallflowers      
Rockin' Down the Highway - The Doobie Brothers
Evil Ways - Santana      
Rockin' in the USA - John Couger Mellencamp
Roll Over Beethoven - The Beatles
Gimme Some Lovin'   - Spencer Davis Group      
Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty
Good Lovin' - The Rascals      
Sooner or Later   - Fastball
Good Times - Edie Brickell      
Spooky - Atlanta Rhythm Section
Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival      
Summer In the City - Lovin' Spoonful
Hang On Sloopy    - The McCoys      
Takin' Care of Business - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Hard to Handle - The Black Crows      
Tequila Sunrise   - The Eagles
Hippy Hippy Shake - Georgia Satellites      
The Difference - The Wallflowers
I Got a Line On You - Spirit      
The House Is Rockin'   - Stevie Ray Vaughn
I'll Be Around - The Spinners      
The Letter - The Box Tops
I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles      
Ticket to Ride - The Beatles
I Thank You - Bonnie Raitt      
Travelin' Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival
In the Midnight Hour   - Wilson Picket      
Twist and Shout - The Beatles
Is She Really Going Out With Him? - Joe Jackson      
What I Like About You - The Romantics
It's All Coming Back To Me Now   - Crosby, Pevar & Raymond      
Wild Night   - Van Morrison
Jumpin' Jack Flash - Rolling Stones      
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
Keep On Rockin' Me Baby - Steve Miller Band      
867-5309/Jenny - Tommy Tutone
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
      

Recent gig shot:

[gearHed289]

The Hard Rock Cafe; that's impressive.  I never got the chance to go to one until I went to Amsterdam last summer.  Got an exclusive Amsterdam Hard Rock Cafe Hendrix T-shirt.

I'm playing the one in New Buffalo, MI tonight. 

That's a fun list! Between the Rush tunes and the Living Colour tune (hell yes!) you've got some tricky things to play...
I did eventually get the hang of "Cult of Personality" but they had some other songs I can't play.
LIkewise I never did figure out the intro to "Spirit of the Radio".

Bass solo eh?  I have never done one of those in my life
I figure I spend enough time noodling in my regular playing ... and I have no idea what I'd do for a bass solo that would actually be worth listening to. I like when people pull it off though.

Yeah, the LC riffs are tricky. For Spirit of Radio, I put it in Pro Tools and slowed it down to half speed to figure it out. That is a MESSED up riff! Strangely enough, our guitar wiz has a tough time with Rush tunes.  Bass solo... not really my idea, but it kind of fits the nature of the band. Up until this band, it had been 20 years since I yanked it on stage. LOL!

Chromium - Let Me Roll It?!?!   

[westen44]

@gearHed289
Sounds like a fun gig at the New Buffalo, MI Hard Rock Cafe.  Let us know how it turns out. 

[Pilgrim]

My band has its first gig in a year playing for a Real Estate firm - the guitarist's wife is one of the partners and we're mainly doing it for fun.  Here's the list...it will be a short gig, just one set...

Money
Fortunate Son
Pride & Joy
Soul Man
Sunshine of your Love
Jenny-Jenny (867-5309)
Pipeline
Wild Nights
LaGrange
Balinese
Statesboro Blues
Get A Haircut
Ohio > Rockin the Free World
Sweet Home Chicago
Pretty Woman
Giving' it up for your love
Folsom Prison Blues
Nobody Knows You
High Heel Sneakers
Brooklyn Slide
Cheap Sunglasses

We're probably going to add a version of "When the Levee Breaks" soon, and we have some other tunes we've played around with, but this is enough to get us rolling again.

[gearHed289]

Nice set Pilgrim! Have a great gig.

New Buffalo was OK. The funny thing about those places is they're not very "hard rock" at all. Amps turned inward, plexi around the drums, low stage volume. It's more of a restaurant atmosphere. Traffic was horrendous getting there too. A good two and a half hours for what should be more like one and a half. The production crew was great though, and there were some fun, enthusiastic people there. 

[westen44]

Nice set Pilgrim! Have a great gig.

New Buffalo was OK. The funny thing about those places is they're not very "hard rock" at all. Amps turned inward, plexi around the drums, low stage volume. It's more of a restaurant atmosphere. Traffic was horrendous getting there too. A good two and a half hours for what should be more like one and a half. The production crew was great though, and there were some fun, enthusiastic people there. 

I've only been to the one Hardrock Cafe---the one in Amsterdam I mentioned.  It didn't seem all that different from the one you described. 

[TBird1958]

We don't play as much "Classic Rock" I guess. This is mostly '80s with just a little deviation. ACDC is always a crowd fave, we play Billy Idol's version of LA Woman. The Ataris take on "Boys of Summer and Social Distortion's remake of "Ring of Fire. For the most part it's all about making the women dance - once you do that, everything else falls into place 



 

Set1:
----------------------
Long Way
Devil Inside
The Breakup Song
Cars
Let's Go
Surrender
I Ran
She Bop
What I Like About You
The Middle
Don't Change
Kids in America
Sedated
White Wedding
I Want You To Want Me



Set2:
----------------------
Sin City
I Hate Myself
Hangin on the Telephone
Sanctuary
Head Over Heels
Whip it
Major Tom
I Will Follow
Walk Like An Egyptian
Everybody Wants You
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
L.A. Woman
Boys Of Summer
Basket Case
Song 2
Dirty Deeds



Set3:
----------------------
Lets Go Crazy
Hungry Like The Wolf
Uprising
Should I Stay
Blister In The Sun
Just Like Heaven
The Metro
Be My Girl
Fight For Your Right
Blitzkreig Bop
I Love Rock n Roll
Ring Of Fire
Paranoid
Rebel Yell
Ballroom Blitz



Encore:
----------------------
Bad Reputation and/or Teen Spirit




       

[Pilgrim]

Interesting to look at Mark's set.  There probably aren't more than a handful of songs that my classic rock and blues band would play.  Definitely a difference in genre selections! But we don't have the wigs or wardrobe for it anyway.  The one tune I'd REALLY like to pick up from his sets is LA Woman - but we don't have the keyboard player it takes to put that across.

I was in Vegas for the Infocomm trade show this week - managed to get my calendar confused and missed a private party at the Hard Rock there on Wednesday night.  One of my biz partners who is an ex-touring bassist told me I hadn't missed a thing.  He said the sound guys came up with the worst mix he'd ever heard - all bass, sounded like a giant boom box and you couldn't make out much of the music at all.

I find this to be a distressing trend in music.  Seems like bass is now defined as nothing but "woof woof" with no definition at all, and if it doesn't punch you in the chest and hurt your ears, it's not right.  That's a terrible way to mix music, and I suspect it springs from their mixing all the low end stuff in rap.