[PeteS]

Hi guys,

I just wondered that now live music is coming back into our lives, do any of you play your own songs live?  Down the local Pub or club?

In my experience, punters only want the stuff they already know.  Just seems a waste of so many good songs!

Pete

[jacksimmons]

After my band broke up I played acoustic shows for a few years, usually opening for local acts, did an acoustic all-dayer or two and some open-mics, but the songs I was writing at the time really needed a full band sound. Even though the songs weren't 'folk' it's easy to get pigeonholed when it's just you and an acoustic guitar, so I stopped.

Same now - I'm writing indie and pop punk and I don't want ppl to hear those songs stripped back, I want them with a band behind them. That's easier said than done though eh

How about you?

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS - How many times did you go to a gig of your favourite band, and when they did a new number you were miffed? I remember seeing level42 at wembley and the did most of the running in the family album, it was about to be released, i was miffed but i just hadn’t heard it before.

Stick with your songs, believe in your songwriting Peter, they’ll come round in the end, trust me…

I always play my songs when i play live

[PeteS]

Hey @jacksimmons I've played live once in the last 10 years, at a mates party (if that counts) but I’ve never had original songs I’ve been proud enough of to want to play until now.  I’d really like to play even just a few of them live but it would be acoustically as I don’t have a band either. 

@cowparsleyman Rich, I know what you mean, seen plenty of bands that played the wrong set, at least in my opinion!   I’d just like the opportunity to really learn to play them on my own and perform them.  I’d also like a band but that’s even more difficult!

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS  - silence and days like these are as good as any song from any artist.

[rightly]

Yes
I'll be putting a set together
And getting a haircut

I'll only play my own songs as best I can.
Solo
I don't seem to have the interest in doing live karaoke.
 I've often thought about mixing it up with covers
but never really got further than thinking about it.
It would be a fine thing to have a band following my lead,
Hard to get Hard to keep

[Boydie]

I keep my songwriting/recording and live playing very separate- the live stuff is always covers

Interesting comments about established artists though....

My then girlfriend (now wife) and sister were huge Prince fans. At the time (around ‘94) I liked some of his music but wouldn’t have said I was a fan

I got tickets for us all to see his Wembley Arena show. It was the time he was using the Symbol and in the middle of his dispute with Warner Brothers

He opened the show chanting “Prince is dead” and didn’t play any of hits from his back catalogue and ONLY played new material from the album he wanted to release but Warner’s wouldn’t (The Gold Experience)

I was COMPLETELY blown away by the songs and his guitar playing - he played a soaring rock guitar solo on the big symbol shaped guitar, threw it across the stage when he had finished and then sat on a chair and played a 5minute jazz solo guitar piece on an arch top guitar

I walked out a bigger fan then both my wife and sister!!

[cowparsleyman]

@PeteS - Finding this an interesting debate, logically every song by every artist was never heard once upon a time, hence why should your good song be any different?

This is a just my opinion for general debate.

I try and avoid playing just covers live for many reasons:

1. I'm not them, I'm Me.
2. Why bother playing someone else stuff live when you can play your own?
3. How do you know that the audience will know the cover? I played "Independance Day" by the Comsat Angels at an open mic night once, nobody knew it, might as well been my own (btw I was on the drums, and a couple of my students, one was my boss, were on the guitar, I was laughing all the time, What a gas!) - got the standard polite ripple of applause, that everyone who was unknown the the local got. (The regulars got the predictable rapturous applause for Sweet Child o mine and Red House etc. that they churned out every week)
4. I'd only play a cover if I thought I was bringing something different to it, (Independance day was much more In your face, no organ, just raw power that I felt it lacked) I'm not into trying to recreate what they did, it just seems pointless to me, unless you are making a living out of it, like the Bootleg Beatles etc.

You know when you release a song here, and everyone loves it? well there should be no surprise then, when you come to play it live and everyone loves it out there.

The other thing I used to teach my students was how too perform, how to really deliver your song with passion, this makes a difference to the audience, a limp delivery is a missed opportunity, if it's your song and you believe in it, the audience will know...

Put yet another way...You take ages to write a song, perfect it, record it, produce it, release it, practise performing it until you are proud of it, then off you go and play live with someone else songs, Why?

In all honesty, I think a mix of your own material and a well arranged covers that fit the set is a winning combo (you see it often at top band's gigs), something off the wall, such as a Reggae version of Glenn Millers Pennsylvania 6-5000, or an acoustic Bossa Nova version of Motorhead's Ace of Spades, something to cause a reaction...

I reckon @PaulyX could play a whole set of covers I wouldn't know any of 'em, such is his huge knowledge of bands, so why not play your own stuff.

Rich

[PeteS]

@PeteS  - silence and days like these are as good as any song from any artist.

Thanks Rich, that is much appreciated!

[PeteS]

Yes
I'll be putting a set together
And getting a haircut

I'll only play my own songs as best I can.
Solo
I don't seem to have the interest in doing live karaoke.
 I've often thought about mixing it up with covers
but never really got further than thinking about it.
It would be a fine thing to have a band following my lead,
Hard to get Hard to keep

I sympathise with that @rightly, these are my songs and my ideas so whilst I'm happy for some suggestions, they are how I wanted them.  Even my other 'band member' Neil only gets a very minor say when it comes to the music.  . 

[PeteS]

I keep my songwriting/recording and live playing very separate- the live stuff is always covers

Interesting comments about established artists though....

My then girlfriend (now wife) and sister were huge Prince fans. At the time (around ‘94) I liked some of his music but wouldn’t have said I was a fan

I got tickets for us all to see his Wembley Arena show. It was the time he was using the Symbol and in the middle of his dispute with Warner Brothers

He opened the show chanting “Prince is dead” and didn’t play any of hits from his back catalogue and ONLY played new material from the album he wanted to release but Warner’s wouldn’t (The Gold Experience)

I was COMPLETELY blown away by the songs and his guitar playing - he played a soaring rock guitar solo on the big symbol shaped guitar, threw it across the stage when he had finished and then sat on a chair and played a 5minute jazz solo guitar piece on an arch top guitar

I walked out a bigger fan then both my wife and sister!!

Interesting point, I guess he generally had a warm audience, even if you didn't really start as one of them.  Generally when I have seen bands play all their new stuff I have been a little disappointed.  There should be a point of entertaining the people who put you there as well as showcasing new stuff.

[PeteS]

@PeteS - Finding this an interesting debate, logically every song by every artist was never heard once upon a time, hence why should your good song be any different?

This is a just my opinion for general debate.

I try and avoid playing just covers live for many reasons:

1. I'm not them, I'm Me.
2. Why bother playing someone else stuff live when you can play your own?
3. How do you know that the audience will know the cover? I played "Independance Day" by the Comsat Angels at an open mic night once, nobody knew it, might as well been my own (btw I was on the drums, and a couple of my students, one was my boss, were on the guitar, I was laughing all the time, What a gas!) - got the standard polite ripple of applause, that everyone who was unknown the the local got. (The regulars got the predictable rapturous applause for Sweet Child o mine and Red House etc. that they churned out every week)
4. I'd only play a cover if I thought I was bringing something different to it, (Independance day was much more In your face, no organ, just raw power that I felt it lacked) I'm not into trying to recreate what they did, it just seems pointless to me, unless you are making a living out of it, like the Bootleg Beatles etc.

You know when you release a song here, and everyone loves it? well there should be no surprise then, when you come to play it live and everyone loves it out there.

The other thing I used to teach my students was how too perform, how to really deliver your song with passion, this makes a difference to the audience, a limp delivery is a missed opportunity, if it's your song and you believe in it, the audience will know...

Put yet another way...You take ages to write a song, perfect it, record it, produce it, release it, practise performing it until you are proud of it, then off you go and play live with someone else songs, Why?

In all honesty, I think a mix of your own material and a well arranged covers that fit the set is a winning combo (you see it often at top band's gigs), something off the wall, such as a Reggae version of Glenn Millers Pennsylvania 6-5000, or an acoustic Bossa Nova version of Motorhead's Ace of Spades, something to cause a reaction...

I reckon @PaulyX could play a whole set of covers I wouldn't know any of 'em, such is his huge knowledge of bands, so why not play your own stuff.

Rich

That is a great argument.  I guess what I am feeling is that I haven't played live for a while, so a) am I confident to do it, especially if it's basically solo and b) will anyone want to hear it.  Although the balance of some covers is really interesting.

[PaulyX]

I 100% agree with @cowparsleyman  on this topic.
Personally at the moment I don't have the guts or the talent to play live just by myself (massive respect to you guys that do...), but when I watch anyone else I totally want to hear their music / what they have to say.  If I wanted to hear songs I already knew by other people played as carbon copies of the original version, I've got Spotify... what's the point in being at a gig?  I guess the only exception for me would be things like 'wedding functions' where the band is basically replacing a DJ and people just wanna dance.
I'd play your own stuff Pete... at the most 1 or 2 covers, done interestingly, like CPM says.  No idea if that is a majority view, but it'd keep me listening at your gig for sure.

[cowparsleyman]

I 100% agree with @cowparsleyman  on this topic.
Personally at the moment I don't have the guts or the talent to play live just by myself (massive respect to you guys that do...), but when I watch anyone else I totally want to hear their music / what they have to say.  If I wanted to hear songs I already knew by other people played as carbon copies of the original version, I've got Spotify... what's the point in being at a gig?  I guess the only exception for me would be things like 'wedding functions' where the band is basically replacing a DJ and people just wanna dance.
I'd play your own stuff Pete... at the most 1 or 2 covers, done interestingly, like CPM says.  No idea if that is a majority view, but it'd keep me listening at your gig for sure.

don't worry about talent, that never stopped most top 10 artists with a fantastic producer...

[PeteS]

I 100% agree with @cowparsleyman  on this topic.
Personally at the moment I don't have the guts or the talent to play live just by myself (massive respect to you guys that do...), but when I watch anyone else I totally want to hear their music / what they have to say.  If I wanted to hear songs I already knew by other people played as carbon copies of the original version, I've got Spotify... what's the point in being at a gig?  I guess the only exception for me would be things like 'wedding functions' where the band is basically replacing a DJ and people just wanna dance.
I'd play your own stuff Pete... at the most 1 or 2 covers, done interestingly, like CPM says.  No idea if that is a majority view, but it'd keep me listening at your gig for sure.

I feel the same, confidence and talent, and probably in that order.  I think I have the talent but the confidence issue makes me think I don't.  It was alway easier as part of a band where it wasn't all me!