TV Backdrops

A great idea for anyone with some extra cash in their pocket, looking for a great backdrop idea for their band is using tvs.
With the right connection cords and a great program you can link them together and create moving background scenes, your band name, clips from movies and more!

Although this may be pricy for some, it is a great goal to work towards. Bringing a whole new level to your performance, and giving your fans something great to view while enjoying your music.

Save your pennies... This would make even the most amatuer band appear right on top of their game!

Dressing the Part and Cover Band Stage Performance

OK, So there is alot to be said about being "different but the same", as our ol friend Chong would say. No matter what genre of cover band you have found yourself in, you need to all fit the part. If your in a modern punk band, you don't want your bass player dressing like he just got off the polka train. You'll need to discuss a dynamic that your shooting for, and generally stick in that range.




!!!!!!!!!!!!CLICK ABOVE TO HEAR BORN THIS WAY!!!!!!!!

 

Some bands find that a theme or dress gimmick might work best for them, and that's all fine and good. Just make sure that its working to your best ability, and that you haven't become the county's biggest joke. Be creative, but never look like your trying to hard.

         We touched on stage performance a bit in a prior post, but I just want to clarify a few things that were brought to my attention per that post.

Being yourself is the most important thing on stage, but you may also want to challenge yourself to try new things. If your playing your guitar like a bump on a log, how can you expect your audience to get pumped up and excited? Maybe try some moving around, (cordless guitar jacks work great for this), perhaps you have a wireless mic and you want to step off stage and sing to the pretty lady's out front? Anything you can do to engage your audience, and keep their attention will work to your advantage. Be creative, but don't be fake and soon you'll have them eating out of the palm of your hand!

$$$Cover Band Cash$$$

Don't let money be your sole motivator. Unfortunately, many talent buyers have limited budgets. Sometimes, it's just shrewd business. Sometimes, it's just a really cheap club owner calling the shots. Often, it's both. The business in the club scene isn't what is used to be. Bands are rarely booked solely as entertainment any more. Bands are most often booked, and usually priced, based upon their ability to bring business to the club. If you have to play for less to "get your foot in the door," do it. If you don't take that initial shot for less money, you may never have the opportunity to prove your self and secure the gig. However, make it absolutely clear that you will expect more pay down the road once you have proven that your band can put asses in the seats. If you don't talk about it up front, you may pigeon hole yourself into a price.

Once you've proven yourself, then you should ask for more money. Rarely will a club owner say, "Hey, you guys are doing really well, you deserve a raise." If you are doing well, don't worry too much about losing the gig for renegotiating your price. The fact is, a club owner is not going to get rid of a band that is making the club money.

Things a Cover Band Should Never Ever Do

   Well, I had to post this after seeing this terribly horrible cover band last weekend. They violently violated many of the pet peeves i have with cover bands. There are just some common sense unwritten rules about what to do and not to do when on stage. Well..apparently some of these things need to be the written rule.. so I will take it upon myself to inform you all on the violations. . So here we go,

1.  Do not holler into a mic. No matter what. For any reason what so ever. Just don't do it, and I wont have to break your legs!

2.  If you are setting up your gear when there are people in the venue.. do NOT check your drum set for 15 minutes or strum your guitar for twenty. Have your gear just about show ready when you get there. Nobody wants to hear you check for that amount of time. Chances are people will leave before you even start. For a better experience arrange to have your gear set up prior to the venue opening, or before the evenings crowd shows up.

3.  Under no circumstance should you wear your own merch during your performance. Why don't you just wear a shirt with your own face on it that says I THINK I'M HOT SH!T. It projects arrogance and nobody likes a bragger. Get over yourself and leave the merch on the merch table where it belongs.

4.  Do not plan jokes or anecdotes to tell on stage!! 99% of the time it just sounds fake and planned. Unless you took acting classes and starred in a major flick.. just say what comes naturally to you while your up there, and dont talk to often. Nobody came to hear you talk about a funny thing that happened to you at the bar the other night. They came to hear music.. So just get to the point. (On another note in this topic.. do not announce who plays this song, what year they did it, and their dogs name who helped write the song.. again, nobody cares and you look foolish. Trust me)

5.  If someone messes up, dont turn around and look at them or each other. Just keep on going, and dont stop. The more attention you attract to a mess up, the more the audience will notice. Most of the time if  you just keep on truckin thru a foul up, the audience wont even give it a second thought. But they will if you go blabbing about it after the song is over. Keep quiet about your mistakes, and they'll generally go unnoticed!

6.  Know your part, and stay consistent. Dont start adding a bunch of stuff in, just because your adrenaline is flowin during a packed crowd. The key to a good band is stickin with what you've been practicing in the basement. Adding a bunch of botched up harmonies or flighty notes is only going to make you look armature.

These are just the foul ups I saw last weekend. There are many more, and we'll get to those on another post. In the mean time.. I'm going to go see how much of my own merch I can put on at one time.

GEAR.. To rent sound, or own your own

If your lucky enough to own your own sound equipment, good for you! You probably know then that your take home pay is double what it would be if you would have to rent sound. My solid advise is to try to own your own gear if your currently playing small to medium size clubs. Once you start breaking into the festivals and large venue gigs, then you'll need to start thinking about a sound company. There is nothing worse than playing a large outdoor event, and your sound is comparable to an old school tape deck towards the back of the tent. You'll sound washed out and limp if you dont have the right power to project the mix.


A good tool for getting started is Craigslist.You can find quality used pa gear to get you rollin. Now if you have the money to go out and buy all new gear, then great. But lets face it, who the heck has that kind of cash just laying around? Another good strategy is to pool the band money together from several gigs. Be careful how you go about this tho. Be sure there is a clear written agreement between band members on what should happen if someone leaves the band, and who gets the gear. Normally you would arrange a buy out option so the leaving member can get money in exchange for the gear they helped purchase. Make sure this agreement is in place and clear for all members prior to purchase. Make sure everyone understands and agrees on paper. The last thing you need is for a salty ex member to go all crazy on you if things get sticky on his departure. But if your band gets paid 600.00 for a gig and you all agree to put it towards equipment, you can quickly come up with the cash you'll need to own your own gear.

Just remember to take good care of it. I've seen many a speaker stack take its tumble in my day.

Ever get RIPPED OFF from a venue??... We Did!

So.. you just played an amazing night, your guys are all pumped up from the killer show you just played. You wander up to the bar and tell em your ready to settle up, and thats when you hear the words.. "ummm.. we're not going to be able to pay you the full amount".

If you've been around the block with a cover band, chances are you've had some variation of the conversation above. Maybe the venue thought you didnt bring in enough people, maybe there was a lack of communicatin in how much the gig paid. Either way.. you should probably handle it differently than we did.

We were told half way thru our second set, that the venue was short on cash, and that we wouldnt be getting paid the entire amount. The kicker to this story is we were offered another gig that night that payed twice what this one did, but because we are honest blokes we stuck with our original commitment. Now the venue could have called us ahead of time, to explain their situation and let us decide wheather we wanted to go thru the trouble of setting up all our gear and driving to the venue for half pay. They unfortunaltey did not give us that opportunity. So.. in true rock and roll tradition we announced to everyone live over the mic  that the crappy venue lied to us and wasnt willing to pay us for the entire night.  Well.. it created a bit of an uproar, and we left with the remainder of the crowd who was obviously upset as well. But.. I still wouldnt recommend you handle things that way.
Do as I say.. not as I do. :)

The best way to avoid this whole scenaro is to have contracts signed prior to the gig. You can google a standard venue contract and make ajustments that you see fit. When a contract is signed it ensures you will get your pay. Be sure you and the venue sign it, and that you both have a signed copy. Bring your copy to the venue with you the day of the event, in case you will need to remind someone or show proof of what the agreed apon amount was. Many times, an owner/manager will not be pressent at the end of the night, and the bartenders are responsible to pay you. If you have your contract in hand, both parties will be better able to assess the situation. Be prepared and you'll never be put in a situation where you start a mass riot at some crappy hole in the wall bar. (Even tho it was a tad bit of fun)

Reputation On and Off Stage

An important thing to remember when trying to become a successful cover band is your reputation. This includes your on and off stage public perception. If you have a excellent cover band, the music is tight, and the song selection is off the hook, but your kind of an @ss off stage, your going to run into problems.

Nobody wants to work with someone with an ego. Try to be humble. Your going to find working with promoters, owners, and agents will come much easier if you check your ego at the door.  Likewise with set breaks and off stage. You don't want to go to the bar for a drink after a great set, and hit on some guys wife or go outside for a smoke and puff out your chest to a local thats had to much to drink. Use your head and common sense. Be polite.. even if the drunks all swarm you and you find them irritating. Take it as a compliment and invite them to your next show in the area.

Take criticism with a grain of salt. Many times they will have something of relevance to say. Again, these are the people you are playing to.. your fans! If they dont like what they hear then your doing something wrong. On the other hand, don't take it to much to heart either. Analyze the comment, take it for what its worth and adjust accordingly.

Need to GIG out??

Have you been trying to find places to play with your newly formed cover band?? Well, dont be to picky in the beginning.
You'll need to play for free for awhile in order to gain some much needed stage practice and build up a beginning following of fans. Playing a few shows for free also allows you an opportunity to take some live footage to use for your promo pack we discussed in an earlier post.
Take advantage of benefits and fundraisers. These type of gigs usually draw a good crowd and although you wont get paid, the exposure will be great. Make connections and contacts with other musicians at the shows and add them to your contact book.
It also doesn't hurt to ask fellow friends who are in bands in the area if your band can "open" up for them. This allows you to take advantage of another fan base, and hopefully build some solid followers. Give out your merch, biz cards and any other advertising at these free shows as well.
Another good option is to talk to club owners and see if they have a slow night of the week, where you can come in and play for free or tips. This will help gain stage experience, as well as hopefully an opportunity for you to invite your friends and increase profits to the club owner. Remember, if they aren't making money, then chances are you wont be coming back. Bring  people to the club, and you can build a lasting relationship that will insure a steady gig for the future!

Promoting Your Band

As I mentioned in an earlier post.. be sure you have a product to promote!! Never start advertising before you know for a fact you have your stuff down to a science. Remember, you can never take back those first impressions!


With all the Internet promotion tools available these days, its easier than ever to get your name out to the masses. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter.. all great tools for free promotion. Get friends, keep them posted on your next gigs, and venues and update often!


Make sure you have music available to listen to. I prefer to have live video for promotional use. It displays your stage presence along with your musical ability's. Another great tool is using your live footage to create a promo DVD. You can add this DVD into your promo packet.
Your promo packet should include the following:

1. A band photo - Simple, clean and professional looking. You don't need to spend a fortune on a pro photographer. Just a nice clean shot on a simple background will do. You can do some editing on photo shop to add a little effect if you know how to use that sort of program or simply  make it a antique or black and white photo.
2. Your live DVD, or music examples. Make sure they are of good quality, and showcase your musical talents well.
3. Band Bio- again, simple and to the point. Don't over embellish yourself or go on forever. Just let them know who your are, and where you've been. Include big venues,and past gigs but without sounding like your bragging.
4. Contact info- ideally your contact info should be on every piece of promo you give out. Be sure to include a business card. (Again, you can make these up cheaply if you know your way around a computer)

Make sure all the above is packaged up neatly in a folder, or other type of envelope. If you want to get more pro with it all.. make it all the same style. Really try to give off the impression you have your game together, and you know what your doing. Your promo pack will stand out from the others if you tie all your promo together with same color combo, logos, and packaging.


The most important part of the promo pack, is the follow up phone call, and contact. You dont want to go to the trouble, time and money to not follow thru to make sure the venue or agent got your pack. Make sure you make human contact with a manager, owner, agent or someone. Ask their name, write it down for future contact. You will need to call. Ask anyone who's ever tried to book shows themselves and they will tell you that you need to take the initiative to get a date on the books. Don't bug the crap out of them, but rest assured you will need to be a bit persistent! Good Luck!

The Almighty Set List

Lets talk set lists. They are important people. Dont ever try to do one of those shows where you just "wing it". and I'll tell you why.

Heres what happens. . You can never remember all the songs you know when your on stage, and the problem comes inbetween songs. The easiest way to look unproffesional and like you dont have a clue in the world is to have "dead air" or even worse, mindless babbling banter than nobody but your band understands.
Nobody wants to hear you go.. "Hey Al, what should we do next".. and Al says.. "I don't know Geff.. what do you think we should do?". Nobody cares, they didn't come there to see you try to figure out your show as you go. A solid band knows where they are going. Now that's not to say you cant do the occasional request from time to time.. but just make sure it doesnt take you ten minutes to figure it out. Realistically you should be able to go from one song to the next within a matter of seconds. Practice this, its important. Nothing like having a dance floor full of people, and they are all waiting to keep rockin, and your standing there talking to your buddy. It just doesn't go over well.

The other thing about your set list is you need to manage your tunes. In what order will they go over the best? Do you want slow songs mixed with fast ones? Which songs will go over best towards the beginning of the night, and which ones should you save for later? Which song will best start out your night and showcase your talent appropriately? All very important factors to discuss with the bandmates when planning out your list.

Have A Product To Promote

The biggest mistake a band can make is to promote yourself to early. There is no going back once you have promoted your first gig, played it, and bombed. You have just started the word of mouth train, and in a cover band it is very hard to come back from a bad word of mouth review.
It so important to make sure you are "show ready" before you attempt to get your name out to the public. Know your songs, be comfortable on stage, and have your set list down.

I'll talk more on the importance of your set list later, but more importantly is your ability to be comfortable on stage. People can tell if your uncomfortable. It stands out. Of course you may be nervous.. I still am when I get on stage. But the imperative thing is to be yourself, and have fun. Why else are you on stage right?  In live shows things will ALWAYS.. and I repeat, ALWAYS go wrong. What matters most is your ability to roll with the punches and make a good time out of a bad mistake or mishap.

If you get that "deer in the headlights" look on your face if you accidentally forget a lyric line, people will pick up on it. If you roll with it, and act like it was suppose to be that way, 9 times out of ten your general audience will never even notice. (Hell.. their probably ordering a shot, and trying to get that pretty girls number anyway). But if you stop singing, or make some big announcement how you screwed up, they will notice, and rest assure they will remember!

But the point of all this was to have a product to promote. Be prepared, Be comfortable, and have fun.. If you aren't having fun, neither will the people who came to see you. Remember.. these people took time out of there weekend to come see you. Make it worth their while, or they will never come back again, and chances are they will tell 10 of their friends about you. And we all know what happens with the word of mouth train.. It can make you or break you!

The Basics

I  beleive the basics of any successful band is to know exactly the target cover audience you wish to reach. If your looking to play rock and roll tunes, then know which tunes your audience wants to hear. I'll give you the biggest peice of advice, and as hard as it is to hear, you need to always keep it in the back of your mind when trying to become a successful cover band..... YOUR NOT THERE TO PLAY THE MUSIC YOU LIKE... YOUR THERE TO PLAY THE MUSIC YOUR AUDIENCE WANTS TO HEAR!!  We all have our favorites and everyones got their own opinions. But in order to become successful you will need to figure out which songs will capture the audience your trying to reach. If its country tunes, are you looking to attract the younger crowd? Then you may wanna stay away from the old Hank Willams and Patsy Cline tunes, and concentrate on newer artists like Dierks Bentley and Blake Shelton. If its a rockin classic rock audience your lookin to aim towards, then you may want to stick with Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones. Know your target audience, and get familiar with what they want to hear.
A good way to get an idea is to go to clubs, or karokee bars and take note of what they are requesting or singing. Ask around, and do your research. There is no bigger waste of time than learning a song, practicing it, and putting in a ton of time into it, just to play it live and watch your dance floor clear out cuz its not what people are into. RESEARCH, RESEARCH... RESEARCH!!!