Battle of the Band suggestions

Nwinston

Junior Member
Hey guys, I'm playing at my high school's BotB in a month and was looking for suggestions of songs to play. We have a 3 song/10 minute limit. We are currently considering playing a Rush song (either Tom Sawyer or 2112 Overture), Higher Ground by RHCP, and have not selected a third song. We don't have any original songs, and are only playing covers. Any input would be great, thanks.
 
Both of the Rush songs are very technical and are long for your short set. You might be passing up a more crowd-pleasing song that could garner you more points. Unless you know that one of the judges is a Rush fan, you would probably be better off finding something shorter and punchier that will fire up the crowd more. If the crowd really gets into what you're doing in this kind of a show, the judges usually are swayed more by that than by musicianship.
 
Hocus Pocus (Originally a song from a band called focus) by Gary Hoey. Real energy and a crowd pleaser.
 
Who judges? Seems like you would want to tailor to that. Crowd want to rock, not feel uncomfortable in 7/8.
 
this may sound silly, but my band did this and high school and everyone loved it: "thing called love" by the Darkness; if your really feelin' sassy, have your front man where some goofy spandex underneath his clothes and whip them off for that song; our front man borrowed a spandex onesie from the flag team and the crowed went nuts. It's a total gag move, but if you do it right, it's hilarious AND cool
 
Who judges? Seems like you would want to tailor to that. Crowd want to rock, not feel uncomfortable in 7/8.

+1.

If I was entering a battle of the bands with cover versions, I'd be wanting to cast the widest possible net.


our front man borrowed a spandex onesie from the flag team and the crowed went nuts. It's a total gag move, but if you do it right, it's hilarious AND cool

Not even Sir Chris Hoy can make a spandex onesie look cool. :)
 
Tom Sawyer could be good if you cut out a section or two. Everybody knows it but nobody knows how long it can feel (as i like to say). My rock band always starts with "Ballroom Blitz" by The Sweet, it's a great song to get the crowd pumped up.
 
Tom Sawyer and RHCP sound like great choices. Maybe some Black Keys with a solo section/jam in the middle to end the set. That would be a great high-energy crowd pleaser and you could show off your band's chemistry.
 
tough call going with Rush. Your technical skills will be lost on the crowd. Also, rush is love/hate type of band. if most of the crowd hates them, you wont be judged well.
 
Nirvana's 'Smells Like Team Spirit"? Short, rocks and it gets people going.
 
Females don't get Rush so you'd alienate half of your audiemce.

I do Lovin Touchin Squeezin by Journey with an extended intro.. Most popular band ever amongst both sexes.

Then again, do any of these kids even know the tunes we're suggesting?
 
Bang the Drum by Todd Rundgren
 
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