Making a Living as a Cover Band – 4 Important Elements
by Amy Wolter
Filed under Bands
There’s no shame in being part of a cover band or a tribute act. I’ve worked with some. The thing is, if you do that, do it well and make no apologies!
I must admit, most cover bands I’ve seen are forgettable, or painful, or worse – cheesy. This doesn’t have to be the case. When I was in Las Vegas a few months ago, I saw one of the most impressive and entertaining cover bands I’ve ever seen.
I was impressed with several elements of their show – things I don’t usually see in a club or cover band:
1. The front man was very much in control and definitely owned the stage. He played and spoke to the audience with confidence and authority. The band played up the “bad boy” image that their name evoked with lots of attitude, and the audience seemed to love it.
2. Every song on the set list was one you wanted to hear. They’d obviously done their homework on tunes from the 80’s and 90’s and picked great stuff. They mixed in a few originals which were good songs as well and fit into the set.
3. The band’s transitions were smooth and flawless. There was never any “dead air” because the front man knew what to say between songs. If he didn’t talk, the band kicked right into the next song, keeping the energy level in place.
4. Most importantly, the band cared about the audience. We were engaged in the show and they wanted to make sure we were having a good time.
Gauging from what I saw and heard, and from their YouTube following, this band makes a very good living.
Your band can have a great following too, if you spend some time on things above and beyond just learning a bunch of songs. Learn what keeps an audience’s interest, how to order your set, and how to transition well.
Here’s a link to a blog I did on speaking to your audience that should give you some ideas about what to say.
So cover bands, rise up and be proud! There are many people who want to hear their favorite songs live. The secret is to not “just play” those songs. The secret is to play the songs well, and to exceed the audience’s expectations with a great show!
Amy Wolter, Live Music Producer
I’m a bass player and a good one. There is no one around my area to form a great band. What do I do? where do I go? how do I find these guys that I’m looking for? Please help me!
Blair, sorry to hear it’s tough finding people to form a band. Obviously I can’t really help you with that other that make sure you’ve exhausted all outlets. Do you have a website you can send people to or clips on youtube? Do you go see other bands and let them know you’re looking? (Someone may be looking to get out of a current situation) Have you tried Craigs List postings? Get the word out virally – Facebook, Twitter, etc. If you still hit a wall, you may consider moving to another area where there ARE players and lots of venues to play. Make sure you study what we teach – bands are looking for not only good players but good performers who are fun to watch. Go the extra mile to put on a good show. Tom Jackson played bass in several bands and people thought he was a better player than he really was, simply because he performed well. In the meantime check out this DVD for bands…it will help you understand the different roles inside a band.