What direction?

tard

Gold Member
Been talking to a couple guys about putting something together and short of a tribute band have come up empty. We talked to a bunch of the local bars, pubs, cabarets etc and have been told that the classic rock is played to death by a million different bands ad its just not drawing any people anymore and blues bands and country bands are very limited to the venues and frequency of being booked which is about 1 or 2 clubs a couple times a year at best. I suggested taking some 70's and 80's dance hits and put an updated sound and feel to them, sort of a KC and the Sunshine band meets Evanescence type thing plus throwing in some of the newer top 40 stuff like Maroon 5 etc and the guys looked at me like I had 3 heads and woud not lower themselves to play "dance" music but do they just wanna play for themselves in the basement or actually go out an play at some clubs and make a little money. Was gonna head out do a little reconnaissance tonight see who is playing what and where and what seems to be working and called 3 clubs that were the top band bars a few years back to see what bands were playing, 1 had a dj and 2 said they had juke boxes and these were the clubs that booked bands for 2 and 3 night gigs just a couple years back. Im like WTF no bands? They said " find us some that dont play blues, country or classic rock and well sign them right up. To draw in guys to drink we need to draw in the women and the women want to dance". Now wasnt that what I was basically suggesting to the other band members to begin with ? But I guess they still dont get it. Anyone got any other Ideas that might work, Or how I might convince them to rock up some "fruity dance music" their words not mine...lol. Its either that or I got to find a frontman "CLONE" of a top recorded band to build a tribute band around.
 
Get some horn players and play music that has horn sections.

Start a salsa band. People LOVE the salsa band in my area.
 
Why rock up the fruity dance music? Fruity dance music is awesome fun to play xD

I played in a stoner-metal band (stoner like inspired by Kuyss and QOTSA, not like smoky-smoky stoner.
People have misinterpreted that before). And me and the bass player would always be kidding around
with discobeats. Now imagine having the opportunity to play discobeats for an entire evening, looking at
drunk people and/or nice girls dancing their ass off! Easy money and good fun for absolutely everyone! :D
 
How about reggae music mixed with disco and dance tunes like "I was made for loving you" and "funky town". Or how about Bee Gees and ABBA? I have always liked the Bee Gees. One time I got in a fight over it in high school. My ex got me into ABBA. Then there is always Michael Jackson music. People love MJ! There's plenty of cool songs. The hard part is finding a good singer. I guess that's what karaoke night at the bars are good for.
 
How about reggae music mixed with disco and dance tunes like "I was made for loving you" and "funky town". Or how about Bee Gees and ABBA? I have always liked the Bee Gees. One time I got in a fight over it in high school. My ex got me into ABBA. Then there is always Michael Jackson music. People love MJ! There's plenty of cool songs. The hard part is finding a good singer. I guess that's what karaoke night at the bars are good for.

I am a product of the 70's and 80's and even thou im a rocker i still enjoyed some of the dance tunes back then and I know that stuff would draw as all the local radio stations and all the commercials on tv are using that kind of stuff right now. Problem is I just cant convince other musicians to play it, they twist their faces up and roll their eyes like I must have a brain tumor to even suggest they play that stuff, and its not just a couple musicians either, ive been trying to sell this idea to 15 or 20 different guys over the last 3 years and even tho I know of another band about 6 hours away thats playing this stuff non stop and cant keep up with the bookings they still wont take me serious.
 
I am a product of the 70's and 80's and even thou im a rocker i still enjoyed some of the dance tunes back then and I know that stuff would draw as all the local radio stations and all the commercials on tv are using that kind of stuff right now. Problem is I just cant convince other musicians to play it, they twist their faces up and roll their eyes like I must have a brain tumor to even suggest they play that stuff, and its not just a couple musicians either, ive been trying to sell this idea to 15 or 20 different guys over the last 3 years and even tho I know of another band about 6 hours away thats playing this stuff non stop and cant keep up with the bookings they still wont take me serious.

Yeah, that's gotta be frustrating. I think it sounds like a cool idea myself. I'm so burned out on some classic rock if I have to play Mustang Sally or Sweet Home Alabama one more time i'm gonna have to......well, you get my point.
 
Maybe you could slowly and gradually make them play all this fun music by telling them stuff about how ToTo (I'm guessing you're at least a bit into ToTo :p ) wrote and co-wrote a lot of MJ-songs. And that it actually isn't that easy make all these hits work in front of an audience (if they think like "oh, this music is too easy. And that's why it sucks"), without bringing along a lot of samplers and stuff to hide behind and rely on.

Ofcourse, this can be tough if all the players/musicians you've been in contact with just wants to live out their boyhood dream of playing classic rock tunes in front of screaming teenagers..
 
As long as you can stay uptempo, almost anything will work. Mix some rockin' ('60s) oldies with New Wave and some newer alt-pop, and you're set. It's got to be material that people know, not anything obscure even if it sounds good. People dance to what they know. That's why songs like Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Chain Of Fools, Play That Funky Music, Rebel Rebel, etc always pack the dance floor. I'm not saying to play those songs, well, Rebel Rebel is cool. :)

But that part is easy. Finding players who want to work and 'get' what that takes (that is, not having their own musical agenda...) that's a different story. I'd say lay out the game plan to your current guys, and replace the ones who aren't on board with you.

Bermuda
 
Of course, this can be tough if all the players/musicians you've been in contact with just wants to live out their boyhood dream of playing classic rock tunes in front of screaming teenagers..

I think the problem lies partly with that plus I think they also feel that kind of music is beneath them and that other musicians will make fun of them for playing it. Kinda like " What do disco and mopeds have is common? They are both fun to play with until someone sees you." Personally I dont care because I would always play anything that gets me paid plus the only musicians that can make fun of you are ones at the gig and if their at this gig then they are not getting paid to play somewhere else and we are so who the dumb @$$ now? Hmmm? ...lol
 
People dance to what they know. That's why songs like Brown Eyed Girl, Mustang Sally, Chain Of Fools, Play That Funky Music, Rebel Rebel, etc always pack the dance floor.

Thats semms to be the stuff that all the million other bands are still playing to death and the clubs are tellin me it just doesnt draw anymore, its worn out, and not booking the bands that play it, and they are possibly quite right as over the last year or two the wife and I have gone to some of the local taverns for lunch on sunday after bands have played the saturday night leaving a copy of their set list taped to the stage floor or one of the monitors, etc, and every time no matter who was playing 80% of the songs are the same old songs week to week band to band, club to club. I have even seen people walk into a cub on a saturday night see whos playing and go " FFS, another band" and leave which is why some clubs are going to the online itune juke boxes wired into the house system playing mostly current top 40 dance. (Anyone find this oddly similar to the discos of the 70's and early 80's?) Plus I cant remember the last time any local businesses hired a band for a staff party or new years eve party, its always a dj playing current top 40. Hopefully some of the bands putting songs on the charts these days like maroon 5, pink, marianas trench etc, will record more stuff that can be replicated live without a tractor trailer full of effects, sampled sounds and auto tune equipment so regular bands will be able to put a night of current songs together and break this cycle.

BTW every time I get rid of the guys that are not on board with my idea I seem to be alone in my jam space...lol....I may have to get a set of td12s and start playing some techno all by myself as I have seen a couple guys doing this and playing 3 to 4 nights a week and making 1/2 to 2/3 of what a band would get paid.
 
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Tard, you are only a singer away from the band of your dreams. If you can find a talented and somewhat attractive singer (or even two) that is on board with your vision, then you can fill the remaining spots later. With the singer in place, you can decide the repertoire, rehearse the material, make up a band name, create fliers and online media, and so on.

Are you opposed to playing along to pre-recorded material? If it were you, the singer, and a guitarist, then you could use pre-recorded bass and keys to fill out your sound until you found a bassist or keyboardist. Do you have the means and expertise to acquire and use backing tracks? Everyone knows it's a lot easier to hire players when you're already out there working!
 
Tard, you are only a singer away from the band of your dreams. If you can find a talented and somewhat attractive singer (or even two) that is on board with your vision, then you can fill the remaining spots later. With the singer in place, you can decide the repertoire, rehearse the material, make up a band name, create fliers and online media, and so on.

Are you opposed to playing along to pre-recorded material? If it were you, the singer, and a guitarist, then you could use pre-recorded bass and keys to fill out your sound until you found a bassist or keyboardist. Do you have the means and expertise to acquire and use backing tracks? Everyone knows it's a lot easier to hire players when you're already out there working!

Although not the most attractive singer in other bands I have been in...lol, I have fronted a few bands from behind the kit which is what I may have to do again and the problem seems to lie mostly with the guitar players wanting to be eddie, joe or steve and not wanting to be the backing guitar from lipps inc but how quickly they forget that even eddie played the solo in MJ's beat it...lol, No im not opposed to playing along with pre recorded material or sampled backing tracks and may try to put it together with a set of td12's on my own or possibly with a keyboard player/singer which would also cut the lugging of gear in 1/2 too...lol Its either that or like I stated earlier i need to find a CLONE I can build a tribute act around as those always seem make a decent buck and get regular bookings although the travel does increase somewhat as you just cant play only the local venues.
 
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