The 1980s: The most underrappreciated decade of hard rock/heavy metal

[Segue Myles]

Alright everyone, let's get on the dance floor for this next number. It's called set your controls for the heart of the sun, HIT IT!

 

Wat

[fraroc]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

[Segue Myles]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

But not enough that they are a household name or a band covered plentifully by cover bands.

[J2112YYZ]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

They had success?

 

Then how come a music aficionado like Mick has never heard of them?

[Segue Myles]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

They had success?

 

Then how come a music aficionado like Mick has never heard of them?

 

And we love us some catchy rock!

 

I'd file Zebra alongside Dakota and Channel. Another talented rock band easily lost amongst tonnes of the same old same old.

[bluefox4000]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

They had success?

 

Then how come a music aficionado like Mick has never heard of them?

 

yesterday was literally the first i've ever heard the name. and none of my LI relatives know them. i asked around, lol

 

not even my uncle who is a music encyclopedia, lol

 

Mick

[goose]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

They had success?

 

Then how come a music aficionado like Mick has never heard of them?

 

yesterday was literally the first i've ever heard the name. and none of my LI relatives know them. i asked around, lol

 

not even my uncle who is a music encyclopedia, lol

 

Mick

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/98857-whos-behind-the-doorthe-official-zebra-appreciation-thread/page__fromsearch__1

 

and

 

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/58162-zebra/page__fromsearch__1

 

:)

Edited March 25, 2017 by goose

[EagleMoon]

It's rather naive to expect a bar cover band to play anything other than the standard rock classics. They get paid to play songs that all the drunk people will enjoy.

 

If they don't play that stuff, they won't get booked, won't get paid and the venue will just find another band willing to do it.

 

I was just about to write something like this and you've hit the nail right on the head. No matter how boring it might be to the musicians, cover bands have to play the same old popular songs because it's what the general public wants to hear. Especially the drunk general public. They want to hear stuff they can dance to and know the words to.

 

Not necessarily - I've played in cover bands for 30 years; of course, there is always some pressure to "play the hits" every band that I've been in has sought out more interesting choices (for us and for the audience) and we've been quite successful with it. I suppose it has to do with the type of bars on your local scene. We tend to getaway with alot of non-standard stuff and have regular work. I'll always prefer my original bands - but I have been in a couple projects that were hybrids and did very well. We mixed our original songs into each set (carefully) and hooked people into actually liking our original stuff to buy it. I have been in bands that played Sweet Home, Cocaine, etc. but also YYZ (ESL version), 21st Century Schizoid Man, Aqualung, Space Truckin', etc. One band did a killer cover of Black Betty - complete with off-time middle section and double bass under the solo. lol. My current band features a female lead vocal (who sings her ass off!) and we cover Heart, Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Boston, Guns and Roses, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Kansas, Pat Benatar, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Adele, Paramore, Dio, Motley Crue, Slash... (* come to think of it, you could probably name the songs we do... but I like to think the quality and range of our covers keeps crowds engaged.)

 

I think there's some leeway with the songs that you can pick and as long as you throw in some really popular things with more obscure songs you can get away with it. The biggest key is whether you are good or not as a cover band. (Not you personally I'm just talking generally.) People will come see a good band play more obscure things over one that's crappy and plays all the hints.

Edited March 25, 2017 by EagleMoon

[goose]

One band did a killer cover of Black Betty - complete with off-time middle section and double bass under the solo.

:haz:

 

Sounds kick-ass!

[Mystic Slipperman]

It's rather naive to expect a bar cover band to play anything other than the standard rock classics. They get paid to play songs that all the drunk people will enjoy.

 

If they don't play that stuff, they won't get booked, won't get paid and the venue will just find another band willing to do it.

 

I was just about to write something like this and you've hit the nail right on the head. No matter how boring it might be to the musicians, cover bands have to play the same old popular songs because it's what the general public wants to hear. Especially the drunk general public. They want to hear stuff they can dance to and know the words to.

 

Not necessarily - I've played in cover bands for 30 years; of course, there is always some pressure to "play the hits" every band that I've been in has sought out more interesting choices (for us and for the audience) and we've been quite successful with it. I suppose it has to do with the type of bars on your local scene. We tend to getaway with alot of non-standard stuff and have regular work. I'll always prefer my original bands - but I have been in a couple projects that were hybrids and did very well. We mixed our original songs into each set (carefully) and hooked people into actually liking our original stuff to buy it. I have been in bands that played Sweet Home, Cocaine, etc. but also YYZ (ESL version), 21st Century Schizoid Man, Aqualung, Space Truckin', etc. One band did a killer cover of Black Betty - complete with off-time middle section and double bass under the solo. lol. My current band features a female lead vocal (who sings her ass off!) and we cover Heart, Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Boston, Guns and Roses, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Kansas, Pat Benatar, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Adele, Paramore, Dio, Motley Crue, Slash... (* come to think of it, you could probably name the songs we do... but I like to think the quality and range of our covers keeps crowds engaged.)

 

I think there's some leeway with the songs that you can pick and as long as you throw in some really popular things with more obscure songs you can get away with it. The biggest key is whether you are good or not as a cover band. (Not you personally I'm just talking generally.) People will come see a good band play more obscure things over one that's crappy and plays all the hints.

 

This has been similar to my experience, and I'm currently in a couple of cover bands. The key is to mix the uber-familiar stuff with stuff you love to play. THAT is key. If you play a song that isn't as familiar, but you sell the F**k out of it, people will more often than not get into it.

[EagleMoon]

It's rather naive to expect a bar cover band to play anything other than the standard rock classics. They get paid to play songs that all the drunk people will enjoy.

 

If they don't play that stuff, they won't get booked, won't get paid and the venue will just find another band willing to do it.

 

I was just about to write something like this and you've hit the nail right on the head. No matter how boring it might be to the musicians, cover bands have to play the same old popular songs because it's what the general public wants to hear. Especially the drunk general public. They want to hear stuff they can dance to and know the words to.

 

Not necessarily - I've played in cover bands for 30 years; of course, there is always some pressure to "play the hits" every band that I've been in has sought out more interesting choices (for us and for the audience) and we've been quite successful with it. I suppose it has to do with the type of bars on your local scene. We tend to getaway with alot of non-standard stuff and have regular work. I'll always prefer my original bands - but I have been in a couple projects that were hybrids and did very well. We mixed our original songs into each set (carefully) and hooked people into actually liking our original stuff to buy it. I have been in bands that played Sweet Home, Cocaine, etc. but also YYZ (ESL version), 21st Century Schizoid Man, Aqualung, Space Truckin', etc. One band did a killer cover of Black Betty - complete with off-time middle section and double bass under the solo. lol. My current band features a female lead vocal (who sings her ass off!) and we cover Heart, Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Boston, Guns and Roses, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Kansas, Pat Benatar, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Adele, Paramore, Dio, Motley Crue, Slash... (* come to think of it, you could probably name the songs we do... but I like to think the quality and range of our covers keeps crowds engaged.)

 

I think there's some leeway with the songs that you can pick and as long as you throw in some really popular things with more obscure songs you can get away with it. The biggest key is whether you are good or not as a cover band. (Not you personally I'm just talking generally.) People will come see a good band play more obscure things over one that's crappy and plays all the hints.

 

This has been similar to my experience, and I'm currently in a couple of cover bands. The key is to mix the uber-familiar stuff with stuff you love to play. THAT is key. If you play a song that isn't as familiar, but you sell the F**k out of it, people will more often than not get into it.

 

Exactly it is "show business" after all even though so many bands you see nowadays look sloppy and sound even worse.

[Mystic Slipperman]

It's rather naive to expect a bar cover band to play anything other than the standard rock classics. They get paid to play songs that all the drunk people will enjoy.

 

If they don't play that stuff, they won't get booked, won't get paid and the venue will just find another band willing to do it.

 

I was just about to write something like this and you've hit the nail right on the head. No matter how boring it might be to the musicians, cover bands have to play the same old popular songs because it's what the general public wants to hear. Especially the drunk general public. They want to hear stuff they can dance to and know the words to.

 

Not necessarily - I've played in cover bands for 30 years; of course, there is always some pressure to "play the hits" every band that I've been in has sought out more interesting choices (for us and for the audience) and we've been quite successful with it. I suppose it has to do with the type of bars on your local scene. We tend to getaway with alot of non-standard stuff and have regular work. I'll always prefer my original bands - but I have been in a couple projects that were hybrids and did very well. We mixed our original songs into each set (carefully) and hooked people into actually liking our original stuff to buy it. I have been in bands that played Sweet Home, Cocaine, etc. but also YYZ (ESL version), 21st Century Schizoid Man, Aqualung, Space Truckin', etc. One band did a killer cover of Black Betty - complete with off-time middle section and double bass under the solo. lol. My current band features a female lead vocal (who sings her ass off!) and we cover Heart, Zeppelin, Queen, Rush, Boston, Guns and Roses, Deep Purple, Van Halen, Kansas, Pat Benatar, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Adele, Paramore, Dio, Motley Crue, Slash... (* come to think of it, you could probably name the songs we do... but I like to think the quality and range of our covers keeps crowds engaged.)

 

I think there's some leeway with the songs that you can pick and as long as you throw in some really popular things with more obscure songs you can get away with it. The biggest key is whether you are good or not as a cover band. (Not you personally I'm just talking generally.) People will come see a good band play more obscure things over one that's crappy and plays all the hints.

 

This has been similar to my experience, and I'm currently in a couple of cover bands. The key is to mix the uber-familiar stuff with stuff you love to play. THAT is key. If you play a song that isn't as familiar, but you sell the F**k out of it, people will more often than not get into it.

 

Exactly it is "show business" after all even though so many bands you see nowadays look sloppy and sound even worse.

 

Yeah! You have to sell it, and mostly you have to have fun. That is infectious. People want to come back and see my bands when we have that fun, that fire.

[pjbear05]

A lot of people who shit all over 80s rock and metal probably haven't listened to the majority of it. And although I'm not saying "rock is dead", part of that blatant ignorance is the reason why hard rock and metal took such a beating in the 90s and 2000s.

That's because those people were still listening to that god awful dogs--t known as Disco. Edited March 27, 2017 by pjbear05

[ytserush]

I was just imagining a cover band in a bar. Drunks all around.

 

"ok folks. this a song called Close to the Edge!!!!!!

 

"DA HELL'S THIS SHIT????"

 

lol.

 

funny visual.

 

Mick

 

"Anyone remember the great Zebra?"

 

*tumbleweeds*

 

no there one lone person clapping.

 

take one guess who?

 

lol.

 

Mick

 

Dude, we live in one of the only places where Zebra had a lot of success :)

 

I've seen Zebra three times and Randy Jackson (solo acoustic) twice. Was thinking about going again in April but I need to prioritize against other bands.