Grateful Dead Music Forum

We're not a Dead cover band, in fact we only play one dead song cuz our drummer can't deal with the whole "jam" concept. We're all older (mostly over 40) and play classic rock covers like Stones, Hendrix, Clapton, etc.

Last gig was for a birthday party and it was a guy's 40th, an old deadhead friend. We played two sets and people dug the tunes they could dance to. Feedback we got was to dump the songs that people couldn't dance to, like Time, Cortez, Wind Cries Mary, etc. for more of the jammers like Harder they Come.

Problem is that these songs are often boring (for the band) to play and aren't what we want to play exclusively. I think it was our specific audience at the time and that people still like to see us play different songs. Trouble is the rest of the band is splintered between giving the audience what they want and playing what we want. I go to shows these days to dance, but also to see some good guitar solos, drums, etc. How do the rest of you handle this? Any suggestions/ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

Play what you want to play.Screw the crowd.
For me its about playing.What gets me off.
I know peps who got "Cover Bands" and its like ok heres the new 3 Doors Down song and now we got the new Jack Johnson song...
Then at home my buddys playing the blues awesomely.Its his passion.The guys like 50 and ripping the blues but in a band that plays music he could care less about.
????????
That being said there is something to working the crowd and interacting with them.
Also sometimes if you want to gig you got to eat your pride and do what the bars want.
Maybe no one in your area wants to hear what you want to play and that sucks.
The bottom line is I want to see peoples bands that have a passion for Whatever it is they are playing.
Also Its Frikking hard to get people on the same page.Like a band.Like if ya know the guy is a head you could have worked up some Dead - You guys do Casey Jones I think - before hand.Bands are a lot of work.
Personally,as an audience member, I like to watch the bands and the dancers.
I dont cut the rug.....

I like to treat every crowd differently. every venue and audience is it's own entity. Your going to get different reactions from different crowds. If we get a crowd who wants to dance we play dance oriented songs and cut the slower more rock oriented stuff. If we get a beer and guitar solo's crowd. We play rock tunes.
The trick is to get a feel for what your specific audience wants. You don't have to live or die buy the set list, but if you want to book alot of shows you have to pander to your audience.

I would reccomend going with a "Song List" instead of a "Set List", read the audience as best you can, and play to the overall vibe.
Along the same lines... We played Black Peter at a Deadhead guys 50th B-Day wing and it brought the dance floor and overall vibe way down. In retrospect I think it was a bad call for keeping things partying.
I think if you were "hired" (being payed) specifically to provide a dance atmosphere, then you might want to scratch the known non-dance tunes from the list of songs that you will choose from.
OTOH, there will probably be gigs where you can play whatever you want.
In many aspects, us mere mortals in cover and/or tribute bands simply do not have the luxuries that The Grateful Dead took for granted.

Tribute bands have it "good" with the built in crowd...
The Dead ethos of "We play what we want "might not be the best model for a working band....
Not to hijack Mr.Thread here
But dont you just hate it when non - musical/creative friends have "ideas" about what and how a band should do.I just roll my eyes.Bands are some tough work.

Pete B. -
Maybe the "Black Peter" reminded the old fart he's on borrowed time !

I came in to say what Pete B said--if you're being paid to play, you play what the audience wants to hear. If it's just a party and you guys aren't being payed, play mostly what the audience wants to hear. But throw in 1-song-for-the-musicians tune every set. Audience can wander, mingle, drink, smoke (whatcha' gonna do?), etc. and then come back and dance after that song.

But again, if you're paid, you play what they want to hear. If they want Polka Touch of Grey, you give it to them (shudder).

If you really want to do those other "non-danceable" songs" ( ), why dont you throw in a funky section to each of them that people can get their dance on to. Also, Ive been playing at this open mic lately, and even though its a bunch of my friends im playing to, they would rather hear my version of I will Survive over Scarlet Begonias or some other jam song. so in the end, it should be at pleasing the audience

Some questions to consider...

What are people in the band for? to make $$? to have a good time? Both?

What kind of gigs does the band WANT to do?
What kinds of music does the band NOT want to do?

What does the band want to sound like and be about?

Can you do those things and still have a happy audience?

Can you do those things and still make $$?

If some folks in the band want it one way and others another, more often than not, someone's in the wrong
band. I guess that's why a lot of bands are pretty short-lived.

I left a band exactly like that. It consisted of some of my best friends. after a few years i couldnt take it anymore, nooone could agree on a setlist, noone liked any of the new material anyone ever brought forth and noone of them were Heads. So, i just up and quit outta the blue. they were pissed for a while and promptly set themselves up for a gig, which i couldnt stand to stay away from. The other guitarist had this thing for heavy distortion,(he loved anything by the Beatles or dimebag daryl - i know right!) so the whole time while im in the band im the only one boycotting the use of distortion when it was just not neccesary. at the gig i attended the band did renditions of beatles classics jacked up on pantera - seriously like "nowhere man" with a heavy distorted sound. ive never heard anything more repulsive. The bar asked them not to come back.

it was hard enough leaving a band full of friends, id gladly jam with them anytime. I went back and brushed up on my BobStar routine and found a Dead band to join - pure bliss. we should be gigging by the end of summer hopefully. We've gone through 2 drummers and 3 bass players so i dunno.

being in a band that sucks is just the most annoying experience

Some questions to consider...

What are people in the band for? to make $$? to have a good time? Both?

What kind of gigs does the band WANT to do?
What kinds of music does the band NOT want to do?

What does the band want to sound like and be about?

Can you do those things and still have a happy audience?

Can you do those things and still make $$?

If some folks in the band want it one way and others another, more often than not, someone's in the wrong
band. I guess that's why a lot of bands are pretty short-lived.

Some great questions! I forgot to include that we're a band who just wants to have fun and we don't play bar gigs, just friends' parties and such. We started out just getting together and jamming in my basement and then started getting gigs because people wanted us to play benefits and parties. We are not looking to make money at all.

We have 6 folks and we decide upon songs by someone bringing one in and if no one hates it or objects and it's one we feel confident that we're not butchering too badly, we'll do it. Dead songs are usually out because the drummer says no, but sometimes we can put one past him. One person hates Sting and the Police, so all their stuff is out. I personally nix any metal other than Zeppelin, which we can't seem to pull off!

It's a paradox, to play what musicians like or what the crowd likes...if you want to make money then you need dance tunes. Chicks like to dance, if your band draws chicks then chicks draw guys, the place gets full and hopefully the venue will compensate. Maybe get a side band going. Maybe you should find another drummer. Lot's of options.

deadguise wrote:Chicks like to dance, if your band draws chicks then chicks draw guys, the place gets full

Wisdom for the ages.

There's a ton of great advice above!

The fundamental question is "why are you playing music?" The answer usually boils down to: "to have fun." So what is your and your band's idea of having fun?

If having fun means interacting with the crowd, getting the party rockin', then you should bend to the crowd's wishes. Once you get them fully on your side you reach a spot where you can't do anything wrong, then you can throw in a few of the non-dance rock tunes and they'll eat it up. When you get into that zone it's like sex.

If having fun just means playing whatever you feel like playing no matter what, then why even leave the practice room? Really, why haul all your gear to the party to play for a crowd if you don't even care what they want to hear? Once you get the crowd against you, you can play the best dance tune or whatever they want to hear and they won't respond and you'll just get even more frustrated. When you're playing only for your own enjoyment it's like masturbation.


For me, the best part about playing is playing live and enjoying the flow of energy back and forth with the crowd. I've been in bands like yours that didn't understand that and they were all a complete waste of my time. It's really quite selfish to ignore your crowd IMHO.

You make good points Rusty The Scoob.
Any good band interacts with the crowd regardless of what they are playing.
It really is a fine between pandering to the crowd and artist over indulgence.
I gotta say I would rather see a creative soul pour his all into something than someone who is looking for a buck or the next gig.
Why do we play guitar ?
To get laid ?
To impress your friends ?
I thinks it best to stick with what got you there;Trust your gut or heart or whatever and play what you LOVE.
Trying to please other people is never fun.
It might mean no gigs...
Plus I want to see that guitar guy go nuts and get off.
Poor Bob
No one in the band hardly even said a word;yet he gets ripped for his "act".
He was just trying to interact.
Nah Nah nah nah !

Tennessee Jedi wrote:Play what you want to play.Screw the crowd.

Worst advice ever to a gigging band.

Until you earn a crowd you are still just a bar band.

If you don't care about the crowd prepare to:
1 - never play a private party
2 - gig very rarely
3 - earn very little