Why do cover bands make money?

[beyer160]

You're playing in a club and what do you think people are there for?

They want to drink, socialize, and dance.

Do you think that the crowd is going to want to dance to original music they don't know?

If you're doing originals ( I know it'll be hard), but look for someplace that has a "Concert" setting where people want to sit and listen to your music.

What’s funny about this thread is it seems there are two groups of people from different worlds speaking different languages, but they haven’t realized it yet.

Cover band venues and original band venues exist in separate universes. They’re both governed by the same basic laws of economics, but they attract different crowds who want different things. The things that make a band successful in one universe are either useless or even detrimental in the other.

Even with the continued decline in popularity for cover bands, cover band venues are still the overwhelming majority because the audience for original bands at the club level has always been small. So, the folks who live in the cover band universe have no idea the original band universe even exists. For the original band folks, it doesn’t take long to figure out that the guy who books the local sports bar doesn’t give a crap about your 45 minute prog rock opus because it’s gonna drive his regulars out the door, but the original band venue will put you on as third opener on a Wednesday to see how you do.

 

[beyer160]

The new remastered pressings are the ones that are like that.

Sarcasm there?

I think he means ones that weren’t recorded like that in the first place.

 

[radiocaster]

I think he means ones that weren’t recorded like that in the first place.

Don't understand. Compression is usually added during mastering.

 

[beyer160]

Don't understand. Compression is usually added during mastering.

And tracking. And mixing. And when the band goes to lunch. And every other possible stage. Compressors are AWESOME tools, but like many things, best used in moderation. And like many things, often wildly abused.

I read a Mix magazine interview with Chris Lord-Algae in the '90s and he had racks upon racks of vintage compressors, each with a specific job- one for inside kick, one for outside kick, one for snare top, one for snare bottom, etc. A lot of folks in the '90s liked that sound. I thought music made in previous generations where using 40 channels of compression in your mix wasn't possible sounded more organic, but that's me.

 

[cyclopean]

The new remastered pressings are the ones that are like that.

Sarcasm there?

New as in different, not new as in the repress.

You ever listen to dead moon?

 

[cyclopean]

What’s funny about this thread is it seems there are two groups of people from different worlds speaking different languages, but they haven’t realized it yet.

Cover band venues and original band venues exist in separate universes. They’re both governed by the same basic laws of economics, but they attract different crowds who want different things. The things that make a band successful in one universe are either useless or even detrimental in the other.

Even with the continued decline in popularity for cover bands, cover band venues are still the overwhelming majority because the audience for original bands at the club level has always been small. So, the folks who live in the cover band universe have no idea the original band universe even exists. For the original band folks, it doesn’t take long to figure out that the guy who books the local sports bar doesn’t give a crap about your 45 minute prog rock opus because it’s gonna drive his regulars out the door, but the original band venue will put you on as third opener on a Wednesday to see how you do.

I used to go see this band all the time and they had the whole dance floor moving, and most of that crowd wasn’t all that familiar with 70s Ethiopian funk.

Also: fun trivia fact: a bunch of that people in that band have all been involved in noise music for a long time.

 

[cyclopean]

I think he means ones that weren’t recorded like that in the first place.

Check out any given billy childish record.

 

[cyclopean]

What’s funny about this thread is it seems there are two groups of people from different worlds speaking different languages, but they haven’t realized it yet.

Cover band venues and original band venues exist in separate universes. They’re both governed by the same basic laws of economics, but they attract different crowds who want different things. The things that make a band successful in one universe are either useless or even detrimental in the other.

Even with the continued decline in popularity for cover bands, cover band venues are still the overwhelming majority because the audience for original bands at the club level has always been small. So, the folks who live in the cover band universe have no idea the original band universe even exists. For the original band folks, it doesn’t take long to figure out that the guy who books the local sports bar doesn’t give a crap about your 45 minute prog rock opus because it’s gonna drive his regulars out the door, but the original band venue will put you on as third opener on a Wednesday to see how you do.

I live somewhere that doesn’t have enough 200-500 capacity venues but it still seems pretty do-able to find a place to play, and I’m not even sure where I’d go to watch sports. Sports is on everywhere - like seriously i went to a metal show in salem MA and they had the Winter Olympics on while an old school (not melodic, not technical, just straight up 80s style death metal) band was playing and it looked like the figure skaters were dancing to autopsy or something like that.

 

[cyclopean]

And tracking. And mixing. And when the band goes to lunch. And every other possible stage. Compressors are AWESOME tools, but like many things, best used in moderation. And like many things, often wildly abused.

I read a Mix magazine interview with Chris Lord-Algae in the '90s and he had racks upon racks of vintage compressors, each with a specific job- one for inside kick, one for outside kick, one for snare top, one for snare bottom, etc. A lot of folks in the '90s liked that sound. I thought music made in previous generations where using 40 channels of compression in your mix wasn't possible sounded more organic, but that's me.

I’m really disappointed that some of the reissues of disintegration had more compression added. I’m glad i have a vintage 80s cassette of that album.

 

[radiocaster]

New as in different, not new as in the repress.

You ever listen to dead moon?

Pretty raw stuff, I have two of their albums on vinyl. Great songs. Why do you ask?

 

[cyclopean]

Pretty raw stuff, I have two of their albums on vinyl. Great songs. Why do you ask?

They’re not overproduced or brick walled.

 

[radiocaster]

They’re not overproduced or brick walled.

I think it sounded like some clipping was there last time I listened to this one album. But yeah, underproduced.