Acoustic Covers

mardybumbum

Howdy.
Im looking for a few suggestions.
Basically, I am in a two piece acoustic group.
I play guitar, the stompbox, and do backing vocals.
The singer also plays guitar.

Im want to learn some new alternative songs but which your average audience will know and appreciate.

Here are some of the tracks we play at the moment to give an example of our style.

Coldplay - Trouble
The Kooks - Naive
MGMT - Kids
Kings of Leon - Fans
Lady Gaga - Just Dance
Foo Fighters - Times Like These

Any ideas folks?
I have kind of gone blank

mr biazzi

well me personaly am looking forward to learning ayo technology by 50c and justin, just sayin..
their all alright, lokin forward to do a guitar version of lady gaga, if you can get the vids from glastonbary guitars doin the synth parts i think.

lordgoat

Have you considered writing something yourself. Imitation may be the best form of flattery, but jesus the bands you cover don't need it.

Imo covers suck 99.999999999999999995 of the time.

bluto63

Personally I quite like Travis' cover of Hit Me Baby One More Time

mr biazzi wrote: »

well me personaly am looking forward to learning ayo technology by 50c and justin, just sayin..
.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE9IchvpOPk

It's been done, and it's terrible

seachto7

out of interest, what stomp box are you using, or how are you miking it?

mardybumbum

lordgoat wrote: »

Have you considered writing something yourself. Imitation may be the best form of flattery, but jesus the bands you cover don't need it.

Imo covers suck 99.999999999999999995 of the time.

Wow, that is a massive percentage. :eek:
I have tried writing songs in the past but I just end up pulling my hair out half the time.
Im going to stick to the covers thanks.
Any suggestions by the way?

out of interest, what stomp box are you using, or how are you miking it?

Well I did a bit of research on the internet and I think that the "bigfoot" stompbox is probably the best for me so I have gone ahead and ordered one of them from my local music shop.
I've never actually used one live before but I have had plenty of practise tapping my feet.
I am considering just plugging it straight into the PA and adding a touch of reverb.
Is that a good idea?

Jax Teller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2MgwAJrfXo
chris cornell version of billie jean , everyone loves a bit of michael jackson


this a great Acoustic version
puddle of mudd - control
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9X01kWTdR4

seachto7

mardybumbum wrote: »

Well I did a bit of research on the internet and I think that the "bigfoot" stompbox is probably the best for me so I have gone ahead and ordered one of them from my local music shop.
I've never actually used one live before but I have had plenty of practise tapping my feet.
I am considering just plugging it straight into the PA and adding a touch of reverb.
Is that a good idea?

i bought one from a guitar maker in south australia, just a box with a pickup inside it. I should have made one, and will do just to have a different option. i hear good things about the stompbox. I need a carpet or summit to keep it from sliding. If you can get the EQ right, and get a nice neutral thud, it's cool. Add an eq pedal or a DI box. Check out some John Butler live on youtube. He uses one, and is great.
I play covers, and the thing I find is the ones you would love to do, people in pubs don't know. They usually want the lowest common denominator usual suspect songs. If I were to pick a set list of acoustic songs I would like to do, I wouldn't get many gigs. I'd throw in Sonic Youth, Sigur Ros, Alice in Chains, Radiohead, if I could. It's the neutral Christy Moore trad stuff I end up doing, but its good money.

John Spillane, jonny dont go , is a good one for a stompbox.

NedTermo

It's hard to find a middle ground between playing stuff you want to play and some stuff that is just crowd pleasing that you might not enjoy playing as much.

After doing both for periods of time in full bands and acoustics setting my advice would be to start off with mostly crowd pleasers (nothing too cheesy) but with some credibility e.g. bob dylan and once you've established a foot hold in the pubs you play in and people get to know you, slowly ween in a couple of your own favourites towards the end of the set.

By then everyone loves you if your doing it right.

mr biazzi

bluto63 wrote: »

Personally I quite like Travis' cover of Hit Me Baby One More Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE9IchvpOPk

It's been done, and it's terrible

thats awfull, i must have geardit in my sleep one day. .

mardybumbum

keysersoze_88 wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2MgwAJrfXo
chris cornell version of billie jean , everyone loves a bit of michael jackson


this a great Acoustic version
puddle of mudd - control
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9X01kWTdR4

Thanks very much for the MJ suggestion. Never really thought about covering him before.
Not mad about doing billie jean but I did come across this cover of beat it and thriller.

That Puddle of Mudd song is great too.

If I were to pick a set list of acoustic songs I would like to do, I wouldn't get many gigs. I'd throw in Sonic Youth, Sigur Ros, Alice in Chains, Radiohead, if I could. It's the neutral Christy Moore trad stuff I end up doing, but its good money.

John Spillane, jonny dont go , is a good one for a stompbox.

I'd love to throw in a few radiohead tunes myself. Maybe Karma Police, Iron Lung and Fake Plastic Trees. I might play one at the next gig and see how they go down.

Came across a great version of Johhny dont go on youtube with Christy Moore and John Spillane. Definitely an option.

bluto63

Foo Fighters - Everlong. Dave Grohl did a good acoustic version

Dudess

More suited to music in general, rather than specifically Alternative & Indie.

ReacherCreature

+1 for Foo Fighters' 'Everlong'.

Ryan Adams' cover of Oasis' 'Wonderwall' is great in my opinion.

Bell X1's 'Boys of Summer' is quite good too imo.

Rigsby

How about "Layla" (unplugged) ?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQVvF0AeRLI

mardybumbum

ReacherCreature wrote: »

+1 for Foo Fighters' 'Everlong'.

Ryan Adams' cover of Oasis' 'Wonderwall' is great in my opinion.

Bell X1's 'Boys of Summer' is quite good too imo.

We actually already do everlong. Its a great song.
And we play the oasis version of wonderwall. Although my personal preference is the ryan adams version I guess I have to compromise and go with the one most people like.

I searched youtube and I couldnt find that BellX1 song you mentioned.

How about "Layla" (unplugged) ?

Thanks for that. Cant believe I forgot about good old slowhand.
(Adds to list)

ReacherCreature

And we play the oasis version of wonderwall. Although my personal preference is the ryan adams version I guess I have to
compromise and go with the one most people like.

Ah I see.

I searched youtube and I couldnt find that BellX1 song you mentioned.

Here's the thread on boards -

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055588650&highlight=bell

And the post with the link of the song -

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=60644972&postcount=8

I just think it's good.

kev9100

how about superman by lazlo bane? its the scrubs theme tune and great fun to play.

also oasis have a great b-side called cigarettes in hell thats good as well.

hope i helped

discobeaker

I think Michael Jackson was mentioned earlier. Check out chris cornells version of billie jean -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jSrpn8ED74&feature=related

Maybe also some matchbox 20,that's entertainment - the jam,
REM - Daysleeper,U2 - One,Tom Petty,Green Day - Time of your life etc

Actually if your in temple bar anytime soon,there is a guy who plays covers in the quays bar and he does some pretty cool covers like the killers and stuff. It could give you some inspiration as to some new songs you might not have thought about before

mardybumbum

kev9100 wrote: »

how about superman by lazlo bane? its the scrubs theme tune and great fun to play.

also oasis have a great b-side called cigarettes in hell thats good as well.

hope i helped

Thanks for that Kev.
Ill give that scrubs song a bash and see how it sounds. Wish I had a banjo lying around somewhere now.

And I would have considered myself to be a pretty big oasis fan but I've never heard of that song before. Gonna try and stay away from their songs at the moment.
Played an unhealthy amount of oasis in my last group.

Actually if your in temple bar anytime soon,there is a guy who plays covers in the quays bar and he does some pretty cool covers like the killers and stuff. It could give you some inspiration as to some new songs you might not have thought about before

Cool, I wont be in templebar for a while but I wouldnt mind checking his stuff out. Do you know what his name is?

discobeaker

mardybumbum wrote: »

Cool, I wont be in templebar for a while but I wouldnt mind checking his stuff out. Do you know what his name is?

Sorry mate i dont know his name but he has blonde hair and i think he is english but you should be able to spot him. He is actually pretty good. Think he plays most days in the afternoon

D'Agger

Shadow of the day by Linkin Park - like to hear a decent cover of that,
Some Jimmy Eat World stuff aswell perhaps, Bon Iver & Newton Faulkner have some seriously good acoustic songs if you'd wanna try those too

ReacherCreature

PaulieC wrote: »

Shadow of the day by Linkin Park - like to hear a decent cover of that,
Some Jimmy Eat World stuff aswell perhaps, Bon Iver & Newton Faulkner have some seriously good acoustic songs if you'd wanna try those too

I find 'Polaris', 'Kill', 'Dizzy', 'Gotta be someone's blues' & '23' would be quite good as Acoustic songs.

D'Agger

ReacherCreature wrote: »

I find 'Polaris', 'Kill', 'Dizzy', 'Gotta be someone's blues' & '23' would be quite good as Acoustic songs.

Hear you me would be fairly good aswell I'd imagine

ReacherCreature

PaulieC wrote: »

Hear you me would be fairly good aswell I'd imagine

Of course, the other ones are pretty much my favourites so I'm getting one in for them.