Playing people's songs back to them...

[Muzz]

So, we're playing the the Lancashire Fold last night, down to a trio as the guitarist's hand had ballooned with some odd infection, and we're bashing through a modified set list, including a reasonable facsimile of Not Nineteen Forever, when I look up, and there's two of the Courteeners standing watching, luckily smiling. Slight clenching, but no lasting physical effects.

It's not the first time, either: a couple of years ago, I was playing in a band of mostly deps in a bar in South Manchester, cheerfully murdering Sit Down, when a small kerfuffle broke out in the (mostly seated) crowd. Tim Booth was in. Given the quality of the rendition which was being perpetrated, it was one of the longest 3:24s of my life...and possibly his, too...

Anyone else faced the original artist with a nightmare vision of how their material could have turned out?

[Chris Sharman]

In the early nineties a band I was in "Grind" (old school punk covers) did a gig supporting the anti-nowhere league and during our soundcheck we did one of their tracks "so what?" about half as fast again as the original. The guitarist and bass player were stood at the back while we did it.

They loved it.

Fortunately.

[joeystrange]

A few years ago my old band toured with a Canadian glam rock band called Robin Black.
One night, early on in the tour, we played one of their songs in soundcheck for a laugh. They heard us playing and decided WE should play it as their encore.
Every night from then on they'd finish their set, we'd come on, pick up their gear and start playing their most popular song, often to the crowd's bewilderment. Then the band would gradually join us on stage to finish the song. After that we'd give their gear back and they'd play a couple more encores and then leave.
That was a fun tour.

[gjones]

I heard Dave Grohl and Macca's band play Wings 'Band On The Run', at the whitehouse, in front of the Prez and Paul. It was pretty sh*t. And I'm sure he'll think so too when he watches the video. Definitely too high a key for his voice.

Hearts Stairway to Heaven, at the Kennedy Centre was a huge cheesefest too, as they murdered the song. The worst part was when the curtains parted, a gospel choir was revealed, and turned the song into some kind of 'Christian Rock'. The Leds smiled dutifully but I'm sure they were thinking 'WTF!!!'.

[Graham]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1387763829' post='2315450']
I heard Dave Grohl and Macca's band play Wings 'Band On The Run', at the whitehouse, in front of the Prez and Paul. It was pretty sh*t. And I'm sure he'll think so too when he watches the video. Definitely too high a key for his voice.

Hearts Stairway to Heaven, at the Kennedy Centre was a huge cheesefest too, as they murdered the song. The worst part was when the curtains parted, a gospel choir was revealed, and turned the song into some kind of 'Christian Rock'. The Leds smiled dutifully but I'm sure they were thinking 'WTF!!!'.
[/quote]

That reminds me of when Metallica were entered into the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame and filmed the ceremony, various bands covered their songs to varying degrees of success. The bemused looks on their faces when Snoop Dog rapped his way through Sad But True was funny, but better still how uncomfortable they looked while Avril Lavigne butchered Fule. Her backing band were brilliant, she was not.

[bengreen49]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1387781659' post='2315473']
That reminds me of when Metallica were entered into the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame and filmed the ceremony, various bands covered their songs to varying degrees of success. The bemused looks on their faces when Snoop Dog rapped his way through Sad But True was funny, but better still how uncomfortable they looked while Avril Lavigne butchered Fule. Her backing band were brilliant, she was not.
[/quote]

I just Youtubed those videos. Terrible stuff.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Graham' timestamp='1387781659' post='2315473']
Avril Lavigne butchered Fule
[/quote]

Thrailer Thrash

[Truckstop]

On the plus side, Korn's rendition of One was actually pretty awesome!

Truckstop

[jonsmith]

I once played Kiss Like Judas by It Bites in front of their keyboard player John Beck. I remembered when I got to the middle bit that I hadn't really worked it out properly (although I played something that fitted). I think we might have done a couple of other It Bites songs that night too & probably not the best we'd ever played them. He was very gracious about it all, quite complimentary considering what we'd done. Really nice guy actually.

[Bolo]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1387844001' post='2316492']


Thrailer Thrash
[/quote]
WTH Bert! That's the title for my upcoming ep!


Edit: though I keep hearing Daffy Duck say it.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Bolo

[bremen]

We played Iron Claw to Lee Perry. I was scared.

[chriswareham]

At the tail end of the 1990's I played in a band supporting Christian Death, who had a big underground following back in the 1980's. During our soundcheck I was absent mindedly playing the bassline to This Is Heresy, their highest charting song (banned by the BBC for blasphemous content no less). The singer came up to the front of the stage and in an incredibly whiny voice told me I shouldn't play his song. Later in the evening I inadvertently urinated in his make up box (honestly, it was an accident) and our chance of a full supporting tour completely disappeared when almost all the audience left after we'd played since they were there to us rather than Christian Death ...

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1387904080' post='2317105']
At the tail end of the 1990's I played in a band supporting Christian Death, who had a big underground following back in the 1980's. During our soundcheck I was absent mindedly playing the bassline to This Is Heresy, their highest charting song (banned by the BBC for blasphemous content no less). The singer came up to the front of the stage and in an incredibly whiny voice told me I shouldn't play his song. Later in the evening I inadvertently urinated in his make up box (honestly, it was an accident) and our chance of a full supporting tour completely disappeared when almost all the audience left after we'd played since they were there to us rather than Christian Death ...
[/quote]

You are my new Hero.

[arthurhenry]

Are you sure it was the lack of audience which was the deciding factor, rather than the piss-soaked mascara?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1387894522' post='2316985']
WTH Bert! That's the title for my upcoming ep!
[/quote]

Seriously? What a cool coincidence.
When is it out?
How do you rate the music on it?


[quote name='chriswareham' timestamp='1387904080' post='2317105']
I played in a band supporting Christian Death
[/quote]

Cool story, Chris, and I'm now slightly less frustrated I never bought any of their albums. What a dunce.

[Bolo]

We're aiming at a march release. I'd categorise it as 'homebrew thrash metal'
Afaik I've never had to play other peoples music back to them, and hope I never will.

Edited December 25, 2013 by Bolo

[lojo]

In 2009 I did a pub garden gig, varied run of the mill rocky covers, to the left and behind me was an entrance to the bar which was lined up with older fellas leaning against the wall sipping their pints watching the band, the garden was busy so the rest of the band just faced forward.

I kept looking round and about 2 metres from me was a guy in a suit that I thought I knew, during a few songs I kept catching his eye and trying to place him.

Turns out it was Ronnie Wood, I didn't click as at that time all the images of him in my head where 10 years prior and it was just before his antics made the papers re the girlfriend etc.

We played a stones tune, ahhhhhh

[TimR]

We played at a party John 'Nobby' Dalton from The Kinks was at. The guys asked hm to stand in for You Really Got Me. He said he didn't know it and they played a Beatles tune instead.

Then we played You Really Got Me, lucky he didn't know it really. We didn't seem to either. Lol.

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Bolo' timestamp='1387969417' post='2317573']
We're aiming at a march release. I'd categorise it as 'homebrew thrash metal'
[/quote]

Man! I'd always hated homegrown thrash, and was expecting homebrew thrash to be much of the same. Was I in for a surprise!
I LURV homebrew thrash!
You've sold me one - - unless it costs 150 Euro of course.

[W11ATO]

I was in an RnB band in the early 90's called the Nighthawks and were booked for a local bike rally where the headline act was Dr Feelgood.....we had something like 4 or 5 Dr F songs in our set.....cue mass panic....unfortunately Dr Feelgood pulled out and were replaced by Zodiac Midwarp......they were sh*t!!

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1387763829' post='2315450']
Hearts Stairway to Heaven, at the Kennedy Centre was a huge cheesefest too, as they murdered the song. The worst part was when the curtains parted, a gospel choir was revealed, and turned the song into some kind of 'Christian Rock'. The Leds smiled dutifully but I'm sure they were thinking 'WTF!!!'.
[/quote]

I think someone posted a thread about that here. Everyone was raving about how good it was

[BassTractor]

Too much awe in this thread methinks, and people thinking way too lowly of themselves and way too highly of the original artists.
You are just people, and so are the original bands.
They are not gods. They are your peers!
Being a lesser player is almost a given - not something that should be made to be the core.


BTW, respect is something different and something good. I'm not about not respecting people.


Of course, being a classical boy, I've always played "people's songs back to them" (though not to the likes of JS Bach or Cesar Franck), and I get the impression the classical realm is different in that you always play your own version (that's even in the job description), and can just hope that the composer senses the respect you put inside..

It's "your" piece now - in a sense. The composer's job was done when the piece became available to play, except in some are cases where one had to get the composer's permission to play it to even get a look at the notes.
An acquaintance of mine once got permission to play a certain piece and came dancing and shouting through the corridors because of that feat's uniqueness. Too much awe!
Me, I once got permission after having told the composer I'd spent one and a half year just to build up the technique and the stamina to play his work. He simply looked straight at me and asked: "Are you ready?". The answer seemed to satisfy him.

Edited December 28, 2013 by BassTractor

[chriswareham]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1387929619' post='2317408']
Cool story, Chris, and I'm now slightly less frustrated I never bought any of their albums. What a dunce.
[/quote]

I still love the Catastrophe Ballet and Atrocities albums - US Gothic rock at it's best. The first album with the original singer and guitarist is also well worth checking out, a punky take on early Black Sabbath that pretty much defined what the Americans call "death rock". I guess it's a case of not meeting people whose music you admire, if they turn out to be a bit of a dick as it may colour your perception of their music from then on.

[AntLockyer]

I went to see a Dave Lee Roth/Van Halen tribute band with Gregg Bissonette (DLR's drummist). I cant imagine how their drummer felt, Gregg did sit on for one track and it was mind blowing.

[mrtcat]

Gregg is such a nice chap I'm sure he would have put the drummer at ease very quickly. I've been lucky enough to play a handful of songs with him and he's a true gent.