Band 101- Covers.

Here's a quick one for all you rockers out there:

Bands love to cover songs by other bands. Whether a sincere tribute to an artist, or a humorous ironic statement, covers are a staple of the live set. That's all fine and good, but there are some rules that should be followed in order to successfully place a cover in your set list.

First of all, if you are going to re-do someone's song, make sure you do something original with it. There's nothing worse that a cover that sounds exactly like the original. Unless you're specifically in a tribute band, that is.

At the same time, make sure the song is recognizable, and announce that it's a cover before you play it. If no one can tell what song it is, then what's the point of doing a cover?

Last, but not least, never close with a cover. If you do, people will be walking away from your set humming someone else's song! I saw a band do this recently. As the crowd dispersed after the show, I could hear people talking about how much they liked Bob Dylan, the artist the band covered!

Well, hope this little bit of advice helps. Also, if you're looking to cover a song, M.R.B. is always happy to lend one out. Let us know.

Brax.