The correct set-closing cover song is the equivalent of "going to 11" the way Nigel describes it in This is Spinal Tap. If you're playing a kickass set of originals and you have the audience in the palm of your hand, closing the set with a cover pushes everything over the top because the audience is loving your shit, and then suddenly you're playing something they recognize, too! The "ohmigod you totally pulled off that cover that was AWESOME!" reaction is pretty great when you can pull it off properly.

But yeah, in general, just put the cover song where it fits best in the set--beginning, middle, or end. Not crap.







(aside: Now that we've done C/NC on cover placement and stock banter like "____ is next," can we do C/NCs on tuning breaks, monitor requests, and playing on a stage?)

As long as the cover is "Purple Rain", it's totally NOT CRAP.

DrAwkward wrote:(aside: Now that we've done C/NC on cover placement and stock banter like "____ is next," can we do C/NCs on

Allow me to get my votes in before the rush...

tuning breaks

NC, WF 10 if you stand there intently tuning and dont tell a joke during it or if it takes you way too long to tune up.

monitor requests

CRAP

and playing on a stage?)

Depends on what stage youre talking about.

Not crap if you're playing the cover with members of the band.

Crap otherwise. Now a noise jam, that's a different story.

Depends on the song, obviously.
Assuming it's a good one, and done with love, not a HILARIOUS version of "Dancing on the Ceiling," or something, then I like it.

Unless it's "Knocking on Heaven's Door."
Never
Again,
People

-A

Best place for a cover...

First song of a two song second encore.

DrAwkward wrote:The correct set-closing cover song is the equivalent of "going to 11" the way Nigel describes it in This is Spinal Tap. If you're playing a kickass set of originals and you have the audience in the palm of your hand, closing the set with a cover pushes everything over the top because the audience is loving your shit, and then suddenly you're playing something they recognize, too! The "ohmigod you totally pulled off that cover that was AWESOME!" reaction is pretty great when you can pull it off properly.

Well put and I agree. The right cover played by the right band near the end of the set can be perfect icing on the cake. I think my favorite was in the 1990's when Zen Guerilla would often cap their invariably Earth shaking sets with an insane cover of "The Nile Song" by Pink Floyd.

John CIV wrote:Excellent when it's Nomeansno.

AGREED (especially if it's "Shot Down In Flames"!!!)

electrical board, you are blowing my mind.

especially this talk of 'having fun'

fwiw
i vote no on tuning especially with the little tuner pedal onthe floor that you are staring @

mostly no on monitor stuff unless is by Universally Understood Hand Signal which is okay

and stages are okay but floor is okay too.

and DEFININTELY no to 'having fun'

--

perhaps this nerdy trifecta is best handled by a RANK:

RANK
tuning on stage
talking about yr monitors on stage
playing on stage

cortez