Ness K Vs. Cover Bands

well im 17 and I have no band experience whatsoever, but when 20 and older and get in a band, ill still think cover and tribute bands are idiotic, thats just how i feel. And what do age and band experience have to do with my opinion on cover bands?

Because opinions change. For example, years ago I would have agreed with you. Cover bands suck, originals rule. Then I started to wonder:"if it's so obvious that covers suck, then why do so many people continue to do it?" Well, probably because they have reasons I don't know. But I couldn't figure out what unknown reason could make covering cool for me and I couldnt work it out. So then the only two possible conclusions left were:

A) 99% of musicians are absolute idiots who don't know what they want.
B) 99% of musicians want something different out of their musical journey then I do.

The first sounds tempting but the second made more sense to me. And when thinking about that it becomes clear that there are reasons for covering, as posted in the many posts before this one. I didnt radically change my own opinion but atleast I figured out that my opinion isn't always The Ultimate Opinion. It's also a very relaxing mentality: it gets tedious to argue with everyone and everything about covering, music genres, fruit, football, religion, politics and whatever else I forgot to mention. And finally I noticed that if those annoying differences in opinions wouldn't have been here the world would be incredibly boring. I can't define myself as an 'experimental apple-eating Ajax-supporting liberal agnost' if everyone is that. Heck, if it weren't for religious people there'd be no point for me to consider myself agnostic, and if it weren't for Muslims/Hindu's/Jews it wouldn't make any sense for anyone to feel 'Christian' instead of just 'religious'.

We're defined by 'what we're not but could have been', which automatically means that other people will be different. It can be a pain in the butt but it's a small price to pay for having a self-identity.

LOL Arjen, great post. You are getting there. :D

Almost every young person is very opinionated. It's in the hormones I guess. But as you get older you become less opinionated. Well... maybe you don't, but you learn to stop trying to force your opinions on others. I heard a preacher say once:

"Those convinced against their will, are of the same opinion still"

Cute little rhyme, but there is lots of wisdom there.

Not saying you shouldn't have opinions or beliefs, you should, they define who you are as an individual. But you have to always remember and respect that others may not always agree with you. Now, this can blow your mind at times. I have had opinions on certain subjects at times where I just completely believed in my heart that I knew the right answer, and couldn't believe any intelligent, thinking person could disagree with me. And I still feel that way often. But I have learned from experience you cannot force your opinion on others. The best you can do is be kind, gentle, and polite and present your best case. Then you just have to let time take care of itself. If you put up a good sound argument, it is going to get them thinking. It may not be today, or tomorrow, it may not be this year, but if you are truly correct, an honest person is going to come around and agree with you someday. Just gotta be patient.

Dishonest people, forget about it.

The thing you learn as you get older is that trying to force your opinion on others just makes them put up a wall of defence. You are telling them they are wrong after all, and most people do not like to believe that. Just like me, they like to think they are always right about everything. :D

So, present your best case. But if you see the person getting defensive, STOP. You are not going to get anywhere now. In fact, if you make them angry, now they will disagree with you simply to contradict you, and hopefully make you angry too.

Like the Beatles sang;

You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I
say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye
and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why
you say goodbye
I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why
you say goodbye
I say hello

Great song. Once you get someone angry like this, they are going to oppose you even if deep inside they know you are right.
Seems like the Beatles understood this clearly.

Sorry for the sermon, but that's the stuff you learn as you get older. :D

What does this have to do with covers vs. originals?? Nothing. Whatever you like is fine. Variety is the spice of life. Like you said, if we were all the same the world would be very boring.

Boy, we get pretty deep here on GuitarNoise sometimes, who knew??

Don't forget that every cover was born as an original. Even Mozart wrote a I-IV-V. The reason that these songs live on is that people like them, and want to sing them and play them and dance to them.

To quote Rod Stewart: "I wouldn't quote you no Dickens, Shelley or Keats, 'cause it's all been said before."

Of course it has - but we're still trying, in our own way, to play it again, Sam. Riffs, lyrics, chord structures - there are only so many permutations that work. It's nice to be able to come up with something original - and I'll be the first to admit, every song I've ever written, I can find a chord change or a snatch of lyric or a lead phrase that reminds me of something else.

So why bother writing original songs? Well, that's simple - I want to state how I feel. I don't want an old Beatles song, or Who song, or Led Zep song to sum up my life - hey, it's my life, and I'd rather write it myself, thank you very much! But there are some songs that strike a chord - and I'll think, "Hell, I wish I'd written that!" (In My Life by the Beatles springs immediately to mind......)

But I'd rather write my own life story - all my songs are about the way I feel, or the way I used to feel, or the way I'd like to feel - they're drawn from life. And so what if no-one ever hears them? Well - at least I tried. I may not be the greatest thing to hit music since the guitar was invented, but in my own way, and in my own time, and in my own style, I'll do it my way - and if no-one ever listens, fair enough, at least I tried.

And I'll keep trying while I retain the last vetige of sanity....or till I get too old and the fingers seize up....but I'll never stop playing. My own songs, covers, whatever....it's all music. It's what I love to do, and it's what I live for. Music. Full stop.

:D :D :D

Vic

And I'll keep trying while I retain the last vestige of sanity...I thought that went away at 5K posts. :P

I mean i understand that as i get older, some of my opinions will change, but not all. I read about some of you guys saying how you were at 17, and how different you are now, i mean, i guess so! I'm saying as for now and the the future i care enough to look foward to,, cover bands are not it for me. and as for you guys saying that my teenage cynasim will mellow out eventually, i know that, but in the mean time, school sux; god, music and livin life rules; and cover bands are dumb. now watch someone make another whole slew of posts based of my own personal opinions and my lack of age compared to some dinosaurs that frequent these forums :lol: . ps, for whoever said i was pushing my opinion on other people, i came to the OPINIONS AND POLLS board and put up my opinion, if i was being so pushy, why did you respond? think about it.

High school always has sucked, and always will.

The part about "God, music and livin' life rules" won't change, hopefully. 8)

High school always has sucked, and always will.

The part about "God, music and livin' life rules" won't change, hopefully. 8)

Amen to that.

I mean i understand that as i get older, some of my opinions will change, but not all. I read about some of you guys saying how you were at 17, and how different you are now, i mean, i guess so! I'm saying as for now and the the future i care enough to look foward to,, cover bands are not it for me. and as for you guys saying that my teenage cynasim will mellow out eventually, i know that, but in the mean time, school sux; god, music and livin life rules; and cover bands are dumb. now watch someone make another whole slew of posts based of my own personal opinions and my lack of age compared to some dinosaurs that frequent these forums :lol: . ps, for whoever said i was pushing my opinion on other people, i came to the OPINIONS AND POLLS board and put up my opinion, if i was being so pushy, why did you respond? think about it.

I think age is an issue for you. This is just me, but when I go to a bar or whatever and it's a big name band there, the music is primary. When it's a cover band, the music is an excuse for me to go out with friends and get wasted. So I don't think you have to be old enough to be less opinionated or cynical. You just need to be old enough to start drinking (legally).

Actually I'm not sure your opinions will change and they don't need to, you just have a different opinion than other people which may or may not have something to do with your age but I doubt it.

So you don't like cover bands there's nothing wrong with that and my guess would be you probably aren't going to change your opinion either.

My wife(yes I'm a dinosaur compared to you) actually has the exact same opinion as you do and I have to deal with it all the time, but she's only my wife so I can ignore her and blame it on her being female! Ha

Music is so subjective that's different for every listener/performer. Some people listen because of the lyrics some just to hear that killer riff and some just to dance to it or just have as background music.

Whatever and however you listen to music or what you play or don't play is all good, it's all about doing whatever makes you feel good.

I'm a dinosaur too, just realized that not long ago, but I think Ness_K rocks. You got an awsome attitude. Wish I'd been as straightforward, opinionated, intelligent, and yet somwhat respectful at that age. OK OK.. he called us dinosaurs but c'mon.. we'd have been alot more rude back then.

Jim

heh, when I registered here I was 18 or something. I think the regulars might remember that 'dinosaur' would have been a nice word compared to my usual fancy verbal diarrea. :lol:

Ig,

I didn't notice anything change?

True, was hoping I could bluff my way through it. Ah well, there's always another hand. :P

Actually, I have noticed a change in you, Arjen! Much as you might hate to admit it ... you have mellowed ever so slightly! You're not as adamant about things as you were a few years ago! You now take the time to weigh what other people are saying before you rip into them! I think you're on your way to becoming a very admirable man! (Don't shoot the messenger, please!! :lol: )