This past week I've had the opportunity to jam with another guy for some new acoustic gigs and three other guys for band-type gigs. Both went pretty well. Anyway, the guys in the band were doing songs that they thought that people would dance to (it's important to people in this area when it comes to booking bands) - All mixed up (311), Wrong Way (Sublime), Stir it up (Marley), etc. The nice thing was that they had a kick-ass keyboard all hooked up (Korg Triton) and asked me to play it on a few tunes. I suggested that we do 'wishing well' by TTD and it sounded pretty kickass, but what other songs would you guys suggest that people would dance to that I won't totally hate? I thought Erotic City would be cool and maybe some Fountains of Wayne, but what else? Old school is cool! New, too - just not Brick House or Play that Funky Music or other played out songs. Suggestions?

artist08 said:

What about Dance Little Sister by TTD, that's a kickass song that people will dig right away. Also - as embarassed as I get for doing it, you just CANT go wrong with KISS. Sing it like Tom Jones/Art Of Noise style so you don't feel 100% idiotic (unless you're all up on the falsetto).

Here's my can't miss, make em dance list:
God Make Me Funky - Headhunters
Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker
(drop the band out on the 3rd chorus of alright-unh-hunhs (after a solo or five) and the chicks will throw they panties at you)
Pride And Joy - SRV
Can't Always Get What you Want and
Sympathy For the Devil - folks LOVE that crap.
Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye

and lastly, you won't believe it, but trust me, ANYTHING by Dave Matthews (you'll hate yourself in the morning but thank yourself that you bothered to learn it)

My band does both Kiss and Sympathy for the Devil! Kiss always works and people LOVE doing the Ooo Ooo falsetto of Sympathy. I also do a rocking version of George Michaels I want your sex! People love the 80's music.

Yep, I've done Kiss before and with the falsetto. People dig it. Rockin' I want your sex, huh? Hmmm...I'm trying to imagine that. I'd like to take a listen so I could steal it. I did Sympathy with the acoustic act w/ jackass on congas. It was alright. I'm just trying to play shit that other groups don't already ruin by playing them over and over. I'd love to do a bunch of 80's tunes. The bass player wants to do '7', which is cool with me. We practiced 'shoplifters of the world unite' by the Smiths - I love that tune. I also proposed 'blue side' by Rooney, 'New York New York' by Ryan Adams, 'Get Free' by the Vines, 'Stacy's Mom' by FOW, 'Clocks' by Coldplay, and 'Get off this' by Cracker. Anyone think these tunes are alright? Oh yeah, Sara Smile by H&O, too!

artist08 said:

Here's what I learned in my 2-week stint as an acoustic entertainer: if you play songs that they don't know, they won't like you. If you play slow songs, they wont like you. If you play songs that they know, and they're fast, but you're playing them differently than the original, they won't like you.

UNLESS of course, you're trying to establish yourself as an original act (as opposed to covers) and then all the above rules do NOT apply. My first week, I did obscure covers and re-worked covers that were way cool and nobody even listened. Nobody applauded, until I got drunk and started cracking jokes. It was hell.

I totally understand your desire to be smething different and distance yourself from the clone wars of acoustic entertainment. Unfortunately, it's a clone war because of the crowds at acoustic-bar locales. They're all there to get drunk and have a good time with some guy maybe over in the corner playing the hell out of some DNB or BNL or Jack Johnson... they're NOT there to actually bother to listen to you or pay attention. But, if you do a ratio of maybe 5 to 1 (5 sellout covers to 1 original or obscure/reworked cover) you can have them eating out of your hand. But if you do an entire set of obscure/reworked covers, you will clear the bar out...

UNLESS (again) it's a club where the people are there to SEE YOU.

Sorry for my long rant. I was in your shoes 4 months ago. I've learned a lot after having been fired for NOT giving the soulless bastards what they wanted.

For the acoustic gigs, we kept to mostly songs that people already knew. You know, the Beatles and stuff like that. I'm talking about a regular 4-piece band now with a cool keyboard to use. Do you think the songs that I'd mentioned were too obscure for most people? Believe me I know what it's like to play what you think is a really cool mf-ing song and when you're done you hear crickets chirping. But when I play a wild cover of Sexual Healing or Hungry Like the Wolf people love it. I still want to play songs that people know, just not the same stuff that everybody else does. I don't hear anyone else doing TTD that's fo' sho'!

C'mon, nobody has any songs that they would love to hear performed by a live band? I want at least 100 responses to this thread! Get busy, y'all!

artist08 said:

hey I've been trying to record a version of that oran' juice jones track for you but I've had guests over the last week so I've been too busy...do you have kazaa? If you hear the track (The Rain) it's pretty simple chord wise (I think just root C, F, G, A#, B#, etc. or something like that...) but to get it sounding good with a guitar band obviously the rythm would have to be top-notch and I aint too good at it! Anyway I know it was an idea for your acoustic set, but still, I'd LOVE to hear a guitar band do a cover of this song! If my version doesn't come out too crap, I'll try and post it, but don't hold your breath!

Word Up could be a good one, so long as it isn't like that released cover version (Gun?)...from what I remember of that version at least, it's pretty simple.

Prince-
7, Man in a Uniform, maybe some 80's stuff like Ras. beret.

"Love the One your with" - CSN (great harmonies if you can pull it off)

Other than that, it's hard to give suggestions without knowing what your new band can do.

I don't even know what the new band can do...hehehehe.

just remember...the dumber the music ,the better...drunks love wack,senseless songs with join in sing-a-long hooks.

talmuzic said:

Hey now, I resemble that remark.

Van Morrison tunes always work. I'm surprised no one has suggested "Brown Eyed Girl!" I know it's a total cliche but it's got some charm and a singalong chorus."Moondance is a good tune too, and also "Wild Night" (but do that one like the John Mellencamp/MeShell N'degeOcello cover, it really rocks!) I've played all these tunes live and they definitely work!

Ok, here's the setlist so far...remember, we've practiced twice - tequila, Welfare Mothers by Neil Young, All Mixed Up by 311, Wrong Way by Sublime, Suck my Kiss by RHCP, Wishing Well by TTD, Stir it Up by BM, I'm a Ram by Roy Buchanan, and we're adding Schoolboy Crush by AWB, She Kissed Me by TTD and Get Free by the Vines. comments? (like are you guys retarded?)

artist08 said:

and this is an acoustic set?

Ok, everybody - this is an electric band w/ a keyboard sitting around, too.