For an artist
who is passionate about their own creative work, or a skilled musician who is
passionate about joining in someone else’s vision (i.e., drummers), being in a
cover band is one of the lamest dark alleys one could hide in. While there may
be something to that perspective, those whom have shed the high-minded monkey
from their backs can tell you that it’s a pretty solid and low pressure way of
supporting yourself while doing something you love.
Of course, it
will only work if you go about it in the right way. While you should already by
thinking of your original music as a business/product, at least on a publicity
level, a cover band endeavor should be thought of a business almost
exclusively. Say you’re starting a Guns ‘n’ Roses cover band; think about what
kind of people will be hiring you and what they would expect from your
performance and cater to that. While your lead guitarist may be able to nail
all of Slash’s solos, people are not going to get the experience they want if
he is bald so don’t hesitate to invest in some wigs and costumes if your have
to.
You also want
to make sure that you have a solid website. A band who plays original material
can getaway with a minimalist website, or in some cases just Facebook/Bandcamp.
This because people looking for them will already have some idea of who they
are. No one is going to find them by typing “band who sounds like the white
stripes” into a search engine. But for a cover band, outside of getting a
referral or being seen by chance at a local bar, this is one of the only ways
to be found and you are in direct competition with other cover bands and
strippers so it is important to step-up your marketing pitch.
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