vsmith1 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I know this is a little off-topic but I wonder why I have never seen anything about cover bands for electronic music, Stuff like Kraftwerk, Human League (early stuff especially), OMD, etc. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 There is a Swindon band called Syntronix who cover 80s electro pop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Mainly because it's difficult to play an electro version of Mustang Sally... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1467877898' post='3086846'] There is a Swindon band called Syntronix who cover 80s electro pop. [/quote] I'm guessing that the complexity involved in getting the exact right sounds together would be a bit offputting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I'm surprised you haven't! There's loads of bands where I live that cover 80's stuff! A mate of mine plays in a function band that pretty much specialise in the 'genre'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
synthaside Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I think the problem is more likely to be because while there is obviously very passionate fans , I don't imagine too many of them are at the dog and duck on friday night , you might find some do play more established places like the half moon in putney , but probably fall into the " tribute band arena " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Because it's hard enough finding one reliable keyboard player never mind 2 or 3? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charic Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1467879099' post='3086855'] Because it's hard enough finding one reliable keyboard player never mind 2 or 3? [/quote] oi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1467879099' post='3086855'] Because it's hard enough finding one reliable keyboard player never mind 2 or 3? [/quote] Yer, but anyone can do it, you don't need a keyboard player, only a Keyboard or two. And a partner or two. They can just stand there with their left hand behind them and their right hand index finger triggering the arpeggiator.*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 We briefly did a couple of numbers by those bands. They didn't go down as well as the rest of our set so they got dropped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I can't remember the groups name, but a mate had booked an 80's synth pop cover band for his wedding. They were a typical frontman/synth wizard but with the added twist of a mannequin with a TFT monitor for a head which announced the songs... I waited with much excitement. But they'd split up a month before the gig. Musical differences or something. I'm sure they were called 'Electric Dreams' or something similarly corny... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1467877906' post='3086847'] Mainly because it's difficult to play an electro version of Mustang Sally... [/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='KevB' timestamp='1467879099' post='3086855'] Because it's hard enough finding one reliable keyboard player never mind 2 or 3? [/quote] [quote name='charic' timestamp='1467880195' post='3086868'] oi [/quote] Joking aside, it's a fair point in my experience. If I had to cobble a band together at short notice, I wouldn't struggle to find guitarists among my friends and acquaintances; bassists and drummers are a bit more limited but not impossible...keyboard players, I can think of three I could call on for a gig. But then one of those is me, and I probably wouldn't call one of the others 'cause he's a pain in the arse*. *[size=2]So am I, but I can just about bear to work with myself.[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_Bass Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='vsmith1' timestamp='1467877223' post='3086840'] I know this is a little off-topic but I wonder why I have never seen anything about cover bands for electronic music, Stuff like Kraftwerk, Human League (early stuff especially), OMD, etc. Any thoughts? [/quote] But there are a lot of people doing this. You can find them every weekend, everywere. They usually call themself DJ's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevy-stu Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 A lot of 80's stuff does go down in a standard party cover set, but only certain songs, i.e. the more well known stuff, and we do it without keys, so lots of clever bass pedal sounds if needed, or rocked up to suits if better... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crez5150 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Our Keys player has a duo playing all 80's electronica, they are called Kraftpunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransistorBassMan Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) They are out there. You just need to know where to look. Check out Electro 80s. They're very good Also...I play keyboards in a Gary Numan covers band, and we're approaching our 30th anniversary Edited July 7, 2016 by TransistorBassMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lojo Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 (edited) [quote name='TransistorBassMan' timestamp='1467889000' post='3087008'] Also...I play keyboards in a Gary Numan covers band, and we're approaching our 30th anniversary [/quote] That id love to see , any details ? In our 80s tribute we are doing some Human League (but not the early stuff as in the op) , some work well with guitar and analogue electric bass, we are looking to do more electronic stuff as it does go down well Edited July 7, 2016 by lojo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Because most of the people with an interest in doing this kind of music are still creating their own stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1467877906' post='3086847'] Mainly because it's difficult to play an electro version of Mustang Sally... [/quote] So cover bands in the UK are still playing Mustang Sally? I'm starting to think cover bands in the UK are very different than our Milwaukee cover bands. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I spent years as a sax player in a seven piece soul band. We had in our rider: "We will not play Mustang Sally!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyTravis Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 [quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1467915845' post='3087322'] Because most of the people with an interest in doing this kind of music are still creating their own stuff. [/quote] This is most likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vsmith1 Posted July 8, 2016 Author Share Posted July 8, 2016 Interesting replies. I am out in the sticks so the "dog and duck" crowd get what they get. We're not very metro out here. Just thinking that a re-work of Empire State Human [Human League] might be fun as a 4-piece drums, bass, 2xguitars and vocal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 [quote name='vsmith1' timestamp='1467971926' post='3087635'] Interesting replies. I am out in the sticks so the "dog and duck" crowd get what they get. We're not very metro out here. Just thinking that a re-work of Empire State Human [Human League] might be fun as a 4-piece drums, bass, 2xguitars and vocal. [/quote] The trick would be to get a sympathetic arrangement that works with more conventional instruments. Remember that most of the early stuff pre-dates affordable polyphonic synths and will be composed of many individual monophonic lines rather than chords. On the other hand it's also worth bearing in mind that all the early Gary Numan songs were simply standard post-punk guitar orientated stuff re-arranged for a few Mini-Moogs. And you'll find that there is surprising amount of heavily effected guitars (or cheap organs) lurking in the songs of a lot of the early electronic bands. Good luck - and if you work out a decent arrangement get it posted up here somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul h Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 My current keyboardplayer/singer is a fan of older synthy stuff...so I'm hoping we get to arrange a couple of songs in a fun, creative way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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