Take Cover! ~ Original Music vs. Cover Bands

Not too long ago, a friend of mine asked me to come out and see her brother’s band perform. She told me about the incredible draw they have on a regular basis and how they can barely keep up with the demand for booking. I was quite impressed. She told me that they were making a thousand bucks minimum every weekend at the door. The information she was providing me certainly peaked my interest. When I asked her what type of music they play and she refused to answer. She stated that she wanted their music and performance to speak for itself and that once I saw them live and the crowd, I would be ready to get them a record deal. Now, normally, I ask many more questions, however, she was a friend and I decided to go for that reason.

As I got ready to go to the show, I kept wondering how this band could be doing so well and not be discovered by a label already. Was the label’s becoming this lazy? I mean, Atlanta has heavy A&R Representation and it’s not like this band was THAT far outside of the city. Anyways, I meet her at a venue that I am not familiar with. As we sit down, I see her brother’s band setting up as if they were going to start playing in the opening slot. I turned to my friend and asked “Why are they the openers?”. She laughed and told me that they are the “House Band” on weekends and that the crowd would be coming in a few hours. It then occurred to me. This band wasn’t going to be playing original music, they were going to play covers. I prayed I was wrong but when they took the stage I heard the familiar strum of Welcome to the Jungle. UGH! I couldn’t believe I was wasting my Friday Night. After two songs, I told my friend that I had to leave. She looked at me confused and pleaded with me to stay. She then said the one line that so many other’s have told me before – “They NEED a record deal, they sing BETTER than the ORIGINAL bands that sing these songs! Please, if A&R sees them, they will WANT them, I am TELLING YOU!” Spoken like a true fan, but yet, so misguided.

Let me explain something to you folks. A&R WILL NOT sign YOUR band if you do covers. PERIOD! Why? Because they signed the band’s who sang those songs ALREADY! No matter how well you cover songs, your music will not equate into record sales. You will NOT have a platinum album and become famous with screaming fans, you will not be making money since you will be PAYING to cover each song since the licensing is held by the original band and THIRD – No One Cares! The only place you will get gigs at is wedding receptions, local bars and community parties. Don’t believe me? Tell me what band became FAMOUS and SOLD Millions of Records with a Mixed Karaoke CD? Go ahead, I’ll wait. EXACTLY. NO ONE!

Now, let’s not confuse a “cover band” with a “tribute band”. Some tribute bands do make considerable money and go out on tour but they only use material that “that original band” did; and yes, most of the times, they sound even better. These acts are HARD to come by because you MUST be incredible. Do you receive a major record deal as a tribute band though? No! The only way to become the Rock Star you have always dreamed of being, is to do original music. You must put something out there that draws fans and makes them yours. Band that do covers are only drawing a crowd that likes to listen to songs they know and can sing along with while drinking their beer.

If you can’t write music and/or lyrics, hire a songwriter. If you do not know any, contact ASCAP, BMI and/or SESAC. You can buy and/or license songs for your band. Depending on the author, prices can vary; however, if your band is truly talented, it is worth the investment. I know this information is going to make some bands angry and they will STILL BELIEVE that their rendition of “Insert Famous Song Title Here” is their ticket to the big leagues and that’s fine. You can live out your dream in your local bars with screaming locals as long as you know that the only distribution deal to sign is going to be from the beer distributors for the bar.