solo4652 Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 I've recently joined a nascent pub covers band doing pop, soft rock, soul, funk. One song suggestion is to do Blinding lights by The Weekend in reggae style. I didn't know the song, but quickly discovered the original is an electro-pop number released in 2019, topping American charts for many weeks. Here's a reggae version: I rather like that reggae version and would look forward to giving it a go. However, I'm wondering how well it would be received down at the Dog and Duck, given that it's pretty different from the original. Would it confuse an audience, do you think? Better to leave well alone, do you think? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 I'd say it depends what your audience usually is in the Dog & Ducks you're playing in; the original style would maybe appeal to the teens and 20-somethings in there, but how many of those are there? Would they go for a reggae cover? I dunno... I'd think the over-30s (or over-40s/50s, etc) wouldn't know it from a hole in the ground as anything more than an obscure reggae number...there again, if you've a reggae crowd, they might not know the original but enjoy a bit of reggae. The places I play, I think blank looks on both fronts would be the result, but then again that's just the Dog & Duck circuit I'm in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Do a folk-power-metal version like this. I'd watch. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) We (covers band) do it in a fairly straight ahead rock style and it goes down pretty well. How well a complete change of style/genre would go down really depends on your audience. I personally think that unless there's a famous cover of it in the new style/genre then I wouldn't bother. Additional - the opposite is true of my originals band - we have a style so if we cover a song, we do it as us. Guitar-based songs without guitars? The few people who know us know what to expect Edited January 9, 2023 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) We do it pretty straight with a nice big synth bass sound. It’s fun IMG_0584.MOV Edited January 9, 2023 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 39 minutes ago, gafbass02 said: We do it pretty straight with a nice big synth bass sound. It’s fun IMG_0584.MOV Thanks for sharing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 There are loads of songs which have had the reggae treatment and people don't know the original. UB40 have made a living from it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_dinger Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) And Post Modern Juke Box have made a living from retro-covering songs. Modern song, covered as if it was originally done in the 50s or the 30s. It can be fun to do - and as Nigel Kennedy once said at a performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, if you want to hear the original, buy the record. Edited January 9, 2023 by bass_dinger Post Modern Duke Box?? Juke!! Juke, man. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan63 Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 Isn't the melody a rip off/sample of something from the 80s in the first place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 1 hour ago, Aidan63 said: Isn't the melody a rip off/sample of something from the 80s in the first place It's very 80s in style - the Simmons drums, the DX7-style synth... it's like the theme tune from some American 1980s cop show. Which is OK by me. Grew up on that sort of stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJWW Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 18 hours ago, solo4652 said: I've recently joined a nascent pub covers band doing pop, soft rock, soul, funk. One song suggestion is to do Blinding lights by The Weekend in reggae style. I didn't know the song, but quickly discovered the original is an electro-pop number released in 2019, topping American charts for many weeks. Here's a reggae version: I rather like that reggae version and would look forward to giving it a go. However, I'm wondering how well it would be received down at the Dog and Duck, given that it's pretty different from the original. Would it confuse an audience, do you think? Better to leave well alone, do you think? I think it's OK for the opening set but I think as always it will depend on the delivery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassfinger Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 We do Blinding Lights in a hard rock style. Indeed, being middle aged farts we do everything in a hard rock style. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barking Spiders Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 (edited) I really like the original and I like that reggae version equally. As I see it what % of Dog & Duck punters would know a Weeknd tune if it smacked them in the kisser? From what I see of your average Dog & Duck patron, probably less than 10%. Now, if you were to play in a student bar/venue then you'd be quids in. Fraid I don't care for that Feuerschwanz cover though. Edited January 10, 2023 by Barking Spiders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 21 hours ago, fleabag said: Just what I was thinking. If you're not a reggae band, or Dread Zep, you should not attempt reggae. My band plays Blinding Lights "straight" probably every gig. Is an ok song that most punters recognise but I don't think it's the one they're humming in the taxi home. You can play around with the baseline a lot though, so it's ok from a bassist point of view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Indeed, but these guys are just a pizz take. But damn good. I've had the Un-Led-ED CD for nearly 30 years. Performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style and sung by a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 11 minutes ago, fleabag said: Indeed, but these guys are just a pizz take. But damn good. I've had the Un-Led-ED CD for nearly 30 years. Performing the songs of Led Zeppelin in a reggae style and sung by a Las Vegas Elvis impersonator That's the thing, you've got to be damn good to do that! Loved them for twenty or so years since someone played me them doing Immigrant Song. Same guy first played me Frank Zappa too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted January 10, 2023 Share Posted January 10, 2023 Aye ya do have to be good, i agree. Saw Zappa in London, 70's - outrageously good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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