I have made a living as a musician for many years, and I've spent a fair amount of time playing in cover bands. While playing in these bands can sometimes be lucrative (unless you live in Boston,) they can also lead to some frustrating moments. Many of these frustrations boil down to a difference in what the audience thinks as opposed to what the musician thinks. Here are a few, in no particular order:
- At the end of a four-hour night, anywhere from one or two people to the entire crowd is pressuring you to stay and play some more. What the audience thinks: "Playing music is fun, and they should be flattered that we want to hear more." What the musician thinks: "I've been playing for four hours. I am getting paid for four hours. The club will not pay me extra to play any more. Would you work extra time at your job for free?"
- The persistent song request, and the anger that follows when you don't know the song they are requesting. What the audience thinks: "This is my favorite song, and in my opinion the best song ever written. Why don't they know it?" What the musician thinks: "There are so many songs out there to learn. Every time my band learns a new song, it takes hours of practice. Every person in this audience has a different song that they believe is the greatest song ever. There is never enough time to learn every song that exists."
- "My friend is a drummer. Can he come up and sit in with you?" What the audience thinks: "My friend is the best drummer who has ever lived. They should feel lucky to have him come up and play a song with them." What the musician thinks: "We don't know this drummer, and we have never played with him before. We have spent many hours practicing with our regular drummer, and if things don't sound right, it will make us look bad." (What the drummer thinks: "I don't want someone else playing my drum set. What if he breaks it?")
- The drunken audience member who runs up on stage while the band is on break to talk, rap or sing into the lead singer's microphone. What the audience thinks: "There's a microphone. I'm gonna go up and act like a rock star!" What the lead singer thinks: "Gross. That drunk person is slobbering all over my microphone, and I didn't bring any disinfectant with me."
- "You guys are too darn loud. Can you turn it down an octave or so?" What the audience thinks: "This band needs to turn down. I don't know much about music, but I know the word 'octave' means lower or something, so I'm going to use it to sound like I know what I'm saying." What the musician thinks: "This venue hired a band. Bands consist of a combination of amplified instruments, which can sometimes be turned down, and acoustic instruments like drums, which are harder to control in terms of volume. There is often a limit to how much a band can turn down the volume, and it is also affected by the room itself, which may not really be built for amplified music. If you don't like how loud bands are, either invest in a pair of earplugs or go to a bar that doesn't have a band. Oh, and you don't know what the word 'octave' means!"