Alright Now - What do you do in the verses?

[lonestar]

I wanted hair like that once. Definitely cool in 1970

I've never actually disliked the song ; just played it when I was 15 and Wishing Well, and have no desire to again.
Watching that was good though thanks Paul. Took me right back to my school days. We all wanted big hair, big stacks and a Les Paul or a Ric 4001 in my case. We were Born to be mild. Reality was my first rawk gig was Green St Green village hall playing a kay p bass copy throgh a FAL PA amp and a orange reflex cab copy.. Never thought that I sounded as good or felt cooler since ! I probably do sound a lot better now but with less hair.

Edited January 31, 2015 by lonestar

[paul h]

I wanted to Steve Harris when I was 15

I too played Wishing Well when I was just starting...along with a bunch of other rock "standards"...but that was 30 years ago.

I am fairly certain that there have been a couple of new songs written since then

[BILL POSTERS]

[quote name='lonestar' timestamp='1422713589' post='2675928']
I agree.Having grown up ( theoretically) in the 70s with these cover band standards. I can't imagine ever wanting to spend an evening in the pub or throw shapes at a wedding to a bunch of middle aged blokes cranking out these songs again because "thats what people want". Why, because I play in bands, should I have any more of a discerning palate and aversion to hearing the same old stuff to the people at the bar/on the dancefloor. Surely quite a few of them are nuts about music too and that's why they're in a boozer with a live band. It strikes me as patronising and a bit arrogant to assume that people will be dissapointed if they go a whole evening without hearing Brown Eyed Girl or All Right Now. Oh and I can play both bass parts exactly as the original, but prefer not too. ��
[/quote]

I realised years ago that sad as it may be, you need to play them, just to show you can, and then still refuse to do it.

[Monckyman]

Update, if i HAD to play it, I would be texting Seashell during the verse.

[lonestar]

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1422739616' post='2676404']
Update, if i HAD to play it, I would be texting Seashell during the verse.
[/quote]

If only I had her number. It'd be pistols at dawn sir.

[lonestar]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1422736658' post='2676357']


I realised years ago that sad as it may be, you need to play them, just to show you can, and then still refuse to do it.
[/quote]

And even more sadly I've had to revise them in recent times for a couple of dep gigs

[NoRhino]

If you're in a band and people are there to see you you should play it as close to the Andy Fraser lines as possible and keep your personal hatred hidden.
I played with a drummer who turned from a good fluent drummer into a tippy tappy couldn't care merchant during a song he didn't like and the audience and booker noticed. We weren't asked back. He's no longer my drummer.

[lonestar]

[quote name='NoRhino' timestamp='1422796671' post='2676805']
If you're in a band and people are there to see you you should play it as close to the Andy Fraser lines as possible and keep your personal hatred hidden.
I played with a drummer who turned from a good fluent drummer into a tippy tappy couldn't care merchant during a song he didn't like and the audience and booker noticed. We weren't asked back. He's no longer my drummer.
[/quote]
Quite,if you've agreed as a band to dio it or as a dep its on the setlist then play eveything as well as you can and in good spirit, even, if it's a song you'd rather eat a worm sandwich than play againl. It's the professional approach. I try honest !

[chris_b]

[quote name='NoRhino' timestamp='1422796671' post='2676805']
I played with a drummer who turned from a good fluent drummer into a tippy tappy couldn't care merchant during a song he didn't like
[/quote]

Get any dissension sorted out before the gig. On stage you're a band not a bunch of warring factions.

Some arguments you win and some you loose but the default is, if it's in the set then you play it properly. Any half arsed playing makes you look like a petulant nob and the band look bad.

Edited February 1, 2015 by chris_b

[JTUK]

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1422664889' post='2675529']
I won't play it,not because it's beneath me or any crap like that, but because I think it's a sh*t song.
my band gets plenty of gigs so the alternatives we play must be as valid or, dare I say it, even better.
Some were even written this century.
Let me posit the argument that the younger audience aren't drinking in pubs so much because all they ever hear is alright now, mustang Sally and Johnny b good, getting thraped.
Time to move on.
; )
[/quote]

Might be quite an element of truth in that.
We turned a corner when we started to cater for a younger crowd
as we felt the older guys had so many bands doing 80's stuff.

Pubs do well out of 80's but larger gigs need a larger spread, IME..
An older gig-goer will keep buying albums/cd's etc etc ..but younger
people tend to stick more with their era...
What you can do is bring them on... but they don't turn out in numbers regularly
for a 70's/80's only band, IMO..

[KevB]

Played last night (though we didn't do ARN). Oldest song was over 50 years since release, newest was from last year. Both went down as well as each other. Pick the right ones for your audience and do them reasonable justice and you will keep the punters onside.

Edited February 2, 2015 by KevB

[ubit]

I have grown to not like the song but if it was to come on the radio, I think, I would be filled with a feeling of nostalgia and would enjoy hearing it, although I wouldn't stick it on myself. Fact is, it's a great song, just been done to death. Songs do have a fashion period, I mean there's lots of songs we used to play that were great and everyone knew them, but if we were to resurrect them, folks would be like, what the f***s that? That's an old song. Classic rock songs you can get away with for longer, but they are still old songs.
Certain songs that are in the charts might be great for a while, but soon lose their lustre.

[mep]

[quote name='BILL POSTERS' timestamp='1422536660' post='2673785']
I just point blank refused to play Alright Now

Its the height of naff.
[/quote]

I agree too. Why are you playing that old dad rock tune for. Bin it and find another song.

[TimR]

[quote name='mep' timestamp='1422822167' post='2677228']


I agree too. Why are you playing that old dad rock tune for. Bin it and find another song.
[/quote]

Because our audience are old dads?



.

Edited February 1, 2015 by TimR

[lonestar]

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1422827119' post='2677318']
Because our audience are old dads?



.
[/quote]
I'm an old Dad and I don't wan't to hear it.

[Dad3353]

Some folks go to hear Mozart's music; he's been dead a while.

[Monckyman]

I don't mind anyone playing it, it's up to them what they play.
What I object to is people telling me I ought to play it, as it's a classic and the punters want it, and if I say no, I obviously have no idea what I'm doing.
Nobody in a pub ever asked me for that song, it was always the singer who wanted it in the set.
Newer pop or rock songs may not last as long in the public consciousness as some of the "classics", but who the hell wants them to?
I was bored shitless playing johnny be good in 1980, and here I am seeing it as a must have on setlists today.
Blimey.

[discreet]

[quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1422830181' post='2677387']
Newer pop or rock songs may not last as long in the public consciousness as some of the "classics", but who the hell wants them to?
[/quote]

Yes, very much this! If you're in a 70s covers band then fair enough, and I know you have to play songs that people recognise - but for a general pub covers band I'd say there are loads of relatively recent songs that are more interesting. I mean, I was 10 when All Right Now was a hit and when I played it in my first band at 14 I was already heartily sick of it!

[paul h]

What irks me most about this insistence of bands covering turgid, dull, old man rock is that it means missing out on literally thousands of really great songs.

I wish we had more of a tradition of "top 40" bands in this country. At any point in time there are dozens of great songs in the charts which would be awesome fun to play and would go down well pretty much anywhere.

But alas we can't because some doddery old granddad always asks for Sweet Home Alabama!

[discreet]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1422831594' post='2677421']
What irks me most about this insistence of bands covering turgid, dull, old man rock is that it means missing out on literally thousands of really great songs. I wish we had more of a tradition of "top 40" bands in this country. At any point in time there are dozens of great songs in the charts which would be awesome fun to play and would go down well pretty much anywhere. But alas we can't because some doddery old granddad always asks for Sweet Home Alabama!
[/quote]

Absolutely agree, even though I am a doddery old grandad. Nearly.

[paul h]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1422831745' post='2677427']
Absolutely agree, even though I am a doddery old grandad. Nearly.
[/quote]

I'm a doddery 44 year old. Especially when I'm not wearing my orthotic

[RhysP]

I have to admit I've never understood the perennial appeal of "All Right Now", it's a bloody godawful dirge IMO.

I hate the vast majority of the songs that seem to still be staples of the average covers band set. I stopped going to see pub bands in the 80s because I was so bloody fed up with hearing the same old stuff yet apparently it seems if I went to see a covers band in a pub tomorrow they'd most likely be playing the same songs.

Edited February 1, 2015 by RhysP

[discreet]

Time warp. Not the song - the phenomenon.

[discreet]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1422831851' post='2677430']
I'm a doddery 44 year old. Especially when I'm not wearing my orthotic
[/quote]

You mean when you ARE wearing it, you're younger..?

[paul h]

How about we get four grumpy, middle aged men together and form a Little Mix tribute band?

I would do it in a heartbeat!