Coverband Players Share Your Song Secrets

dkenin

dkenin

Inspired
Since most of us are dispersed all over the world, I believe we can share this information well and successfully.

The question is:

What songs are your biggest crowd pleasers? I guess it would be pertinent to state where you are as music taste can vary regionally and by country.

In NE 'Murica, we always get a great reaction from Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams, I Want You Back - Jackson 5, Black Betty - Ram Jam, Rebel Yell - Billy Idol. What are your sure-to-please-go-to songs on your set lists?
 
There seems to be no formula in Nevada. Our biggest pleasers are currently "The Spirit of Radio", "Pour Some Sugar on Me", and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia". Try to find a pattern there.
 
Did Gene Simmons say this? nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people. Start there.
 
We play pretty varying crowds, but for some reason "Last Dance With Mary Jane" always gets people going. Also any 80's hair metal. Beyond that it's pretty crowd specific. Younger crowds go nuts for 90's early 2000's rock or modern country. Older crowds like more classic rock thrown in.
 
I have a theme based band (R&B/soul/oldies) -- two tunes that get that biggest applause consistently night after night are

1. Will you Still Love Me tomorrow - Amy Winehouse version - my singer knocks this one out of the park
2. SleepWalk - I do a Larry Carlton "lite" version of it
 
Boston peace of mind, acdc whole lotta Rosie (with female on vocals ;), journey stone in love. Collective soul shine, only a couple times lately but paranoid got a good reaction. Thin lizzy boys are back, Eric Clapton i shot the sheriff, Marvin Gaye lets get it on, all scorpions especially rock you like a hurricane.

Those are a few we get good results on.
 
In my last band... Pour Some Sugar, Don't Stop Believing, Separate Ways (heck, anything Journey), Long Time (Boston), You Shook Me (ACDC), Jessie's Girl, Sister Christian, Bon Jovi, Nothin But a Good Time...
 
I find song choice has very little to do with it, well every place is going to be different, but I can tell you my thoughts after 20yrs of covers. Don't take yourselves to seriously. Theres so many bands around here that play every song note for note, you would swear your listening to the radio. They are so boring!, musos think wow they nailed it, punters are like boring! They never get people dancing and never get asked back. We to be brutally honest take the piss, we make all the songs we play our own, we don't try and sound like the song we are playing, if people want that they can turn on the jukebox. Don't try and talk to the crowd after every song, people didn't come for a chat, or to laugh at lame lame jokes, they came to dance and have fun.

Look like your having fun and not in too much pain, play everything quicker. Songs that sound great on the radio usally fall flat because they held back, let them rip. Really accent the beat of the song, almost become percussive in your playing, people just lock into grooves. Most people love a good beat and are simple minded, they just know it goes boom boom crack boom boom boom. They don't care about drawn out solos and arpeggios and trills and flams. Strip the song back to the nuts and bolts, keep it simple!!!

This has worked for us everytime but may not work for others, just my 2 cents
 
Those are great tips and I agree with a lot of it in my own bands. Definitely keep the music going. You aren't hired to talk :)
 
Can't agree with Rotaholic more! The band I'm in does a wide range of dance music, including rock (50's to 90's), motown, British invasion, jazz, etc. But (and I smile when I write this) the go-to songs that really get people out of their seats are the disco tunes and the show tunes (think theme from Dirty Dancing). People go nuts when we play that stuff because few bands do it and it REALLY takes them back. But, you can't play that stuff like it's a chore. As Rotaholic said, you have to show them that you are having fun playing that music for them, whether it's rock or disco. If you're just standing there like it's a chore, or like playing this music is beneath you, the audience will pick up on that vibe. I also don't get too crazy about learning everything note-for-note, but I do try to get the tone of the song close, because that is what people remember. It's why I went for the Axe and why I wouldn't think of changing. What other amp can go from "Can't Buy Me Love" to "Reelin in the Years" to "Disco Inferno" to "Workin for the Weekend" and nail the tone of each song with a single click? It's amazing!
 
One of my fondest memories was one weekend we played at a 21st, a 60th and a motorcycle gang club house all on the same weekend. We didn't change the set lists and we killed it at every gig. After 20yrs we have always started every gig with CCR and finished with RATM. Man I feel like the rolling stones.

Nothing beats playing originals though
 
nobody gives a crap about the cover tunes...just have all the guys stick a cucumber down their (tight) pants, and you'll be all set. (...worked in the 70s and 80s, anyway).
 
Pubs classics here in Mauritius (with usually 50% tourists, 50 % locals) include "Wonderwall" (Oasis), "With or without you", "Sunday bloody Sunday" and "One" (U2), "Mr Jones" (forget who), "Boulevard of broken dreams" (Green Day), "Summer of 69", "To be with you"…
 
Me from Belgium, our band mainly plays new wave from the eighties. Cure, U2, simple minds, cult, the mission,
 
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