The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Didn't you post up a heap of videos of you doing covers at the end of last year or this year? I cannot say i have ever gone through the motions playing a gig with my cover band, if i did, it would be pointless being there, id be cheating my band and the people who are there to watch. Its not just a money making scheme, learning and playing covers can be a lot of fun, and very satisfying when you finally get the full song nailed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 FFS. Some of you guys are a right bunch of snobs. Most original bands I've seen lately get on stage, moan about the sound in the monitors and then play 10-12 songs (45mins) and then that's it. The last band I played in picked for quite a number of songs and ended up play 45 songs per night.not everyone likes 'art' some prefer waching repeats of Friends or Cheers on the TV. Don't like the bit in bold, sorry, a rather unfair criticism if you ask me. There's a good reason why they moan about the sound in the monitors - it's because it's shit and they're not in control of them. Do you really think people complain about monitor levels for fun? Most cover bands I've seen have their own PA and set it up themselves, are in control of it themselves so just adjust it as they see fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroopy121 Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Don't like the bit in bold, sorry, a rather unfair criticism if you ask me. There's a good reason why they moan about the sound in the monitors - it's because it's shit and they're not in control of them. Do you really think people complain about monitor levels for fun? Most cover bands I've seen have their own PA and set it up themselves, are in control of it themselves so just adjust it as they see fit. I agree with this post. Particularly the bit in bold, which is the main reason why I've seen so many cover bands with fucking horrible sound. xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I played a covers gig once and didn't enjoy it at all. When I try and start a band, sure, we'll jam a few covers, but that's just to get some sort of thing going. Also, a cover in a set of originals is fine. Loads of bands do it. Just so long as you're not relying on that cover. And if the cover in your set is the best song in your set, you should probably leave it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Don't like the bit in bold, sorry, a rather unfair criticism if you ask me. There's a good reason why they moan about the sound in the monitors - it's because it's shit and they're not in control of them. Do you really think people complain about monitor levels for fun? Most cover bands I've seen have their own PA and set it up themselves, are in control of it themselves so just adjust it as they see fit. I do believe a good number use them as an excuse for them not being properly prepared for a gig, same as a sound check, at the level of gigs we are playing, they are not hugely required, the only person in the band who should ever need one, at local level, is the singer, just to make sure he/she can hear themselves. So many bands use the "oh we were shit because of no sound check/bad engineering/poor monitors" excuses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I do believe a good number use them as an excuse for them not being properly prepared for a gig, same as a sound check, at the level of gigs we are playing, they are not hugely required, the only person in the band who should ever need one, at local level, is the singer, just to make sure he/she can hear themselves. So many bands use the "oh we were shit because of no sound check/bad engineering/poor monitors" excuses. Respectfully, I disagree. All musicians need to hear themselves, and each other. Just because I can do a gig by feel, doesn't mean I want to, and while I'll get by and it won't be awful it won't be the best I can do. The best, tightest gigs I've played have always been ones when the onstage sound is clear and I can hear most of what's going on around me. If the sound engineer can't deliver this to a band then either the equipment is insufficient, or they themselves need some extra sound engineering lessons. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Again i would respectfully disagree. You should be able to play your songs without needing monitors, at a local level of gigs. I've played plenty of gigs with and without monitors, whilst monitors can help, they are not vital at this level of gigs. I did 6 years with the cover band with no monitors, being a singing drummer, with no issues at all, if you cannot hear the rest of the band then the band is playing too loud, or you have a shit set up where everything sounds muddy and crap anyway. Which brings us to the sound engineer, he wont be able to give you a good clear sound, if your equipment is set up crap and everything your putting to him sounds muddy, the sound guy doesnt know your band, or what you want sound wise, its up to you to make sure you know what your doing before presenting your sound to him, otherwise your asking him to polish a turd during your live 30 minute set. There are very few gigs ive played where monitors have been involved and the sound guy has not delivered something acceptable, and most of them have been gigs where my band has not delivered anything acceptable for him to work with in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 The absolute necessity of monitors really does depend on just how much of the sound is coming from the front of house, and how much is remaining on stage. If everything is getting mic'd up, then you're expected to run your amplifiers quite low, therefore you really do need monitors, so you can hear yourself, and the rest of your band. There's a difference between not being able to pay your songs and not being able to hear everyone. If you're playing a floor show at a DIY gig, then it's just about making sure the levels are right, as what you hear from the audience is pretty much what you'll hear on stage. That's a totally different situation though In an extreme case, if you're playing an amplified acoustic gig, where your guitars are going straight into a DI, and you're doing vocal harmonies, then that would certainly need monitors, otherwise you won't be able to hear a thing. Time keeping and delivering harmonies in key would mostly depend on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Again i would respectfully disagree. You should be able to play your songs without needing monitors, at a local level of gigs. I've played plenty of gigs with and without monitors, whilst monitors can help, they are not vital at this level of gigs. I did 6 years with the cover band with no monitors, being a singing drummer, with no issues at all, if you cannot hear the rest of the band then the band is playing too loud, or you have a shit set up where everything sounds muddy and crap anyway. Which brings us to the sound engineer, he wont be able to give you a good clear sound, if your equipment is set up crap and everything your putting to him sounds muddy, the sound guy doesnt know your band, or what you want sound wise, its up to you to make sure you know what your doing before presenting your sound to him, otherwise your asking him to polish a turd during your live 30 minute set. There are very few gigs ive played where monitors have been involved and the sound guy has not delivered something acceptable, and most of them have been gigs where my band has not delivered anything acceptable for him to work with in the first place. I don't appreciate you telling me how it is when I doubt you know much of my work, what I do or what equipment I use. Do you think I came down in the last shower of rain? Speaking purely from a bassist's point of view, I know how to EQ my sound for live work versus solo noodling at home. Most of the time, the sound engineer takes a raw feed from the bass anyway with a DI box. While this means I can use the bass amp as my own personal monitor so I can hear myself, this doesn't help me hear the others in the band, and nor does it help others to hear me. This is purely in the hands of the engineer. If you can't hear others in the band then apart from that extra tightness that you lose by not knowing if you're 100% locked into what's going on around you, you can't hear if someone makes a mistake and you lose your ability to take remedial action if necessary to react to that. BTW I've done monitorless gigs too, and I know which I prefer. I'm bowing out now. Feel free to get the last lick in, there will be no retaliation. You think you're right. I think I'm right. Agree to disagree and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Exactly, agree to disagree, no need to get into anything more than a friendly debate over it all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Easy Wishes Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 You should be able to play your songs without needing monitors, at a local level of gigs. I've played plenty of gigs with and without monitors, whilst monitors can help, they are not vital at this level of gigs. Perhaps this is true of the bands that you have played in, but to take The Deportees as an example, we would be pretty screwed without a reasonably decent monitor mix because we have so much going on. That's not to say we couldn't play our songs without it, but to give the level of performance that we want to give every time we take to the stage then it's sort of vital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyin Ryan Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Agree with the OP on this topic, a festival with cover bands??? wtf... When I stayed up in Moray,(early nineties) I got asked to play a set at a festival in Elgin, summertime in the Cooper Park, what could go wrong... Yes there were a few bands on the list, and myself doing a solo set and an Irish woman doing solo accoustic, Myself and the Irish woman were the only original performers on the day, A covers festival eh??? My dad made a living playing covers all his life, but he had me and my brothers to feed, so I dont grudge him taking the easy way out, choosing a non slave career to pay a mortgage. But he wasted his talent on that. I've played in covers bands myself, and hated myself for whoring, sometimes you need to buy food and eating nothing but tatties and eggs for two years forced me into a corner, Work at the shortbread in Aberlour, or play covers, or starve... Needs must. But its faking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatHand Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 (edited) As as saxophonist and playing in a brass section on stage next to amplified instruments I would say that a decent monitor mix is essential. Also when I play keys I generally go straight through the PA so I rely on the monitor mix to hear myself. No matter what size band you play in, the vocalist needs a decent monitor mix to help with their pitching. Instrumental Jamming in a bar or somewhere without a PA is a different matter, Edited August 7, 2013 by RockAustin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waltz Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Don't see the need.Cover bands suit people who can't really be arsed looking for new music, IMO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Don't see the need.Cover bands suit people who can't really be arsed looking for new music, IMOI agree with this. People who think "new music is shit" and won't give anything a chance. But at the same time, I was at a covers gig, it was for charity, and was aimed at mods, as the promoter loved that kind of music, loves live music, and wanted a way to try and get as much money for charity as possible, and people loved it. I enjoyed the music. Couldn't care less if it was live or not but it was for a good cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 What about people who actually do think new music is shit? Are they not allowed to enjoy live music because of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 What about people who actually do think new music is shit? Are they not allowed to enjoy live music because of that?No, they need to just hurry up and die already. srs tho, I don't believe people can actually think that without ignorance. So many new bands are taking influence from times gone past. So it's just down to being close-minded, or writing off bands without giving them a chance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Absolute bullshit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Does anyone really think all new music is shit, other than Bob Seger? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsSVcRYh8dE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Absolute bullshit.How so? I'm assuming the people who don't like new music are the same people who don't go to gigs of original bands very often, and listen to radio stations that largely play older music. I don't know how that can't be close-mindedness or ignorance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I don't like a lot of the newer genres and trends, like hardcore or crabcore or chipstep or whatever. Horse shit. But there are still new bands popping up all the time making music that I like. I'm not the music sponge I was ten years ago that's for sure, I haven't cracked a Q or an NME since about 2005, but I doubt I'll ever stop listening out for new music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Young Adolesent Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I dont like new music. I go to a lot of original band gigs. I dont listen to radio. Just because i dont like new music dosent meen im old fashioned or anything. Im just comfortable with the music i listen to just now. I play a covers band and i like it so shut up about it. Its not to play a song how everyone likes it. Its to play it how you like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 (edited) I dont like new music. I go to a lot of original band gigs. I dont listen to radio. Just because i dont like new music dosent meen im old fashioned or anything. Im just comfortable with the music i listen to just now. I play a covers band and i like it so shut up about it. Its not to play a song how everyone likes it. Its to play it how you like it.Could I come back and say I do like new music. I go to a lot of cover band gigs. I do listen to radio. Just because I do like new music doesn't mean I'm a hipster or anything. I'm just confortable with the music I listen to now. I play in an originals band and I like it so.... Seriously though, I don't understand how someone can just write off all new music. There's an amazing amount of music out there and to right it all off just seems, to me, like you're causing yourself to miss out. Edited August 7, 2013 by Jaaakkkeee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Jack Posted August 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 What about people who actually do think new music is shit? Are they not allowed to enjoy live music because of that?I really don't understand this point. How does someone think 'new music is shit'? By 'new music' do you mean music they haven't heard before? Then how did they come to like anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrr Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I've no real opinion on cover bands - I don't want to hear them, but loads of people do, so that's cool - but the idea that "new music is shit" is complete bollocks. I'm not arguing that "new music" is better than "old music," but that doesn't even make sense to me. Genres are so wide-reaching and varied and music is so easily accessible these days. There is literally something for absolutely everybody, from people who are into EDM composed entirely of sampled dolphin mating calls to people who just want to listen to AC/DC clones, and there are so many ways to get hold of it. Saying "new music is shit" is a lazy person's way of saying "I'm not interesting in putting in the five minutes worth of effort it would take to find some albums from 2013 that I'd really enjoy." 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.