Cover Band Confidential's Podcast (Music Business, Gigging Tips & Making Money as a Musician)

After a weekend warrrior recap, Dan raises the question of whether you've ever encountered a song that's too iconically connected to a particular artist to cover--because he may have. Then Adam raises the real question. We explore the dichotomy between two kinds of bands; Show Bands and Service Bands. We explore the nooks and crannies of this concept and come out agreeing that they're both good, b...

We hate to harsh on people's acts, but Adam saw a show last night that had was rife with teachable moments. At least three lessons were learnable from how this band did--so learn! And do better! William Nesmith's "Go Tell It On The Mountain": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYSwBfXKYUk&ab_channel=WilliamNesmith  CBC Patreon: http://coverbandconfidential.patreon.com Paypal: https://www.paypal.c...

Sometimes you find yourself in a rough situation, personnel-wise. People don't work out, or ones that used to don't anymore. That's tough. But when the Internet INSISTS you stay in that situation, while simultaneously complaining about you being in that situation? That's a whole other story.

Good talk this Thanksgiving week, folks! Adam's had not much going on since getting back from his adventures, but Dan's had a big weekend of big new growth, including a new head to feed who more than earned his keep. Takeaway of the episode: Your value is the only thing you have control over.  Have a great turkey day, American listeners, and a very fine plain old Thursday to everyone else!

Adam's back from outpatient procedures, illness, and adventure for yet another dip into the world of band life! This week: Dusting off holiday repertoire, a BIG shout-out to BandHelper, and Dan talking about bringing in a new don't-call-him-a-roadie to help with gear so he can shmooze. 

A quickie for a sickie this week: Adam's under the weather and needs to try and save his pep for (hopefully) a gig on Saturday. So we catch up quick, talk a little about the power of networking and Musician Karma, and send him back to bed with his soup and tea.  Thay healthy out there folks! It's not Covid right now, but the current flu is no joke!

Some songs seem straightforward, but when you dig in they're crazy hard. Others seem like they'll be a real challenge, but figuring them out is satisfying and easier than expected. What have you got like that??

No clickbait in THAT episode title! This week the boys talk about what it takes to have pricing leverage in the conversation for bookings with bars and clubs. It's both easier and harder than you think!  This episode is brought to you by MJ's "Thriller" and every note ever written by Danny Elfman. Happy Halloween, everybody!!

A wedding is a very special, high stakes gig calling for very special attention, knowledge, and care. Check it this week as your boys discuss the details of weddings, who to pay attention to, what matters vs what doesn't, and what it takes to make the lady in white happy. Find the CBC sample contract here: http://www.coverbandconfidential.com/store.html  Find the Patreon here: http://patreon.com/c...

We keep seeing people complaining about their bandmates on social media. They're lazy! Or they're demanding! They're unmotivated! They're perfectionists! Maybe the real issue is misaligned intentions. This episode, we dig into the hard conversations and deep honestly required to get a band all lined up on a purpose and mission--and what to do when it's clear you're not.

All things are in harmony and balance here at CBC. Not  everything  breaks our way, but in the end, you take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and then you have an episode of a podcast about band stuff.

This week's (international!) listener question boils down to: How do you create stage signage for maximum impact? Do people still do big backdrops, or is there a more modern way? Thanks to Northern Ireland's own "Suckin' Diesel" for the question--see them at http://www.suckin-diesel.co.uk/ 

Look. Live Music Karaoke can be great. Like REALLY great. When it's great it's AMAZINGLY great. But it's a high crowd-contact gig. So when it's not great, it's REALLY not great. This week your boys break down how to have Karaoke work well in a crowd, what to watch out for, and how to make it through when you're beset by entitled, drunken, jackholes. Enjoy!!

It's time to start planning those Halloween gigs, boys and ghouls! But which seasonal tunes should you set your ghostly eye upon? If you pick the right song you'll be sure to s'kill-it-on the big night! As always, we're here to spirit you toward the right answer!  I always feel like... somebody's listening to my podcast!

Your boys give a big ol' update on the details of their various gigging lives, and then weigh in on a listener email from our new Patron Mark: Is the life of a full-time  musician still a viable thing in 2022? Can it be something to aspire toward? Audible Trial Account: https://amzn.to/3Qyanbw Novo Banking: https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=AdamJohnson1

Well folks we tried to get an episode to you but technology had other plans.  Instead we are providing the audio to the video released on our YouTube channel about imposter syndrome.  Back to normal stuff next week we promise! Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be sure to like, subscribe and share with your friends!   Linktree: linktr.ee/adampatrickjohnson                 linktr...

Following a great week of gigs and sales, the boys are back with some revisited thoughts about how we present ourselves and our brands on the Socials. How much do you like hanging around with needy, demandy, take-y people? Not much, right? Versus people who are generous, interactive, fun, and social? Well what makes you think your social media presence is any different? Load your salad with marshm...

This slightly-delayed episode is brought to you by audio driver kernel panic! After a big ol recap on our recent killer gigs, the opportunities afforded to us by snowballing success, the space left as competitors move up-market, and whether glasses are a good idea, the guys spitball an idea inspired by nitro cold brew coffee: What if musicians did a loyalty program? Interesting! Send us your thoug...

Great listener question this week: How do we cut through all the confusion about product reviews, slice through the price issues, and come to the crystal clarity of in-ear monitoring? Here are CBC Videos that mentioned in this week's show: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Backing Tracks: https://youtu.be/diUpzxDJAc4 IEMs For Your Entire Band For Less Than $750?: https://youtu.be/8JW4RlVYW5E The Ul...

This week, in addition to general catch-up, we discuss a listener question: Whether tis nobler to copy the accent of the original vocalist. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's a complicated answer, leading us into a whole range of interesting music-nerd philosophizing. 

Shortie but goodie this week! A Slack discussion about a song from Dan's youth leads us into a conversation about the most powerful thing to keep in mind when selecting songs: What memories you can tickle, what mental journeys you can send the audience on. In short, the details of weaponizing the audience's nostalgia for fun and profit!

The boys return to form after what seems like a whole summer apart! After a catch-up about gig details and some good gear gets, we address questions from listener Adam Bartlow: How come nobody's taking free merch, and what's the deal with being a band called to cover cancellations?

This week we talk with band leader (and top-tier patron) Creston Heltzel of Alt95 from Cleveland, Ohio about how he ended up in Australia building recording studios, how Nashville can suck for creatives, and how band coaching helped his new project get off the ground and onto the stage.  How to Follow Creston: Instagram- @crestonguitar, @alt95cleveland https://www.alt95cleveland.com Thank you so m...

This week we dig into an offer Dan got for his brand new party band that comes to (gasp!) less than even $100 a head. Is it worth it? Where can additional value be found to make it worth it? Also welcome to the new free merch contest! Share our stuff on socials and tag the show and the hosts. Every share is an entry to win a freebie out of our ever-expanding merch store!

We're back from vacation! Lots to catch up on, including anonymous Internet jerks, the next evolution of Playback, and how important it is to keep an eye out for growth opportunities wherever you're starting from. Hope you enjoyed the last couple episodes of Band Coaching--we got great feedback about it, and we'll probably do more.