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

So many big small topics in this episode! Donate to songs for kids at Venmo: @atlpartybands

Let's take a look back, shall we, at the year of the Pod! Part of the story can be told by statistics, and part only by the people who lived it. Also: Adam's new self-care breakthrough, and what used gear has gained value this year!

This is a short one this week! We announce the winner of our Gift Guide contest and wish you all a Happy Holiday! We will be back next week with a bit more substance so enjoy your holiday!

Ho Ho Horrible songs! This week the lads discuss the genre of overdone, overwrought, overproduced Holiday tunes. And a fine list of new suggestions to add to your seasonal set list! The replacements suggested are: Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy - Bing Crosby & David Bowie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9kfdEyV3RQ What Christmas Means To Me - Stevie Wonder https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Step into the exam room, where Dr. Adam and Dr. Dan do a checkup on the setlist of Nashville Top-40 band Nick Vallese & The Misfit Toys. Learn the moves the boys recommend for setlist design, and see how they apply regardless of genre! Nick's Socials: https://www.facebook.com/nvxmt/ https://www.instagram.com/thenickvallese/

How many times (this year alone!) have you had to make a tough call, as a band business person? The unpopular move, or the tough interpersonal stand, or the cancellation because something wasn't right? How do you deal with it? What do you do?

Buying gifts for musicians is hard. So let us help! This episode is for the non-musicians in your life -- A lovely list of great, sub-$100 prezzies for the musician in your life! SM58- https://amzn.to/35WZ8FH SM57- https://amzn.to/2KAb5Ja Earasers earplugs- https://amzn.to/3kZESHw Whirlwind IMP-2 Direct Box- https://amzn.to/2Ht3cE5 Drum Key 3 Pack- https://amzn.to/2UVWk5c Ernie Ball Super Slinky 6...

The boys nerd out about upgrades patches, gear, and goodies. Which is an entertaining listen even if you're a keyboard player. Then Adam recounts is experience with a recent gig playing through the "Cover Band Hell" set list and being paid handsomely for it. Who are we benefitting by being set list snobs? Maybe knock that off and play what the people want?

This week the lads discuss turning down gigs that don't work for you. For whatever reason--the travel, the money... And how we all need to be making healthy, self-sustaining choices, especially now. But first a chat about what the new vaccine news might mean about coming back to the stage, and what Billboard and Ticketmaster get right and wrong in their approach to protecting their audiences.

Look. Tonight it's either watch votes gradually trickle in from some very very slow states, or talk about random nonsense with the boys. We're choosing the latter. Drunkest audience member. Worst show. Famous people we've met. We're covering the IMPORTANT stuff in this one. Speaking of important stuff, to make clear ice spheres, Dan can vouch for this: https://www.totalwine.com/accessories-more/ac...

In this fine episode, the two fine lads discuss--with no disrespect but some tough love--the recent Chapter 11 Bankruptcy filing of Guitar Center. What do you think will fill the void? Are music stores obsolete? Then we talk about the economics of being a Good Guy, and how Adam made nearly as much money not playing as he did playing. And now if you'll excuse me, I need to go watch Cougar Town.

This week the fellas discuss a critical aspect of a professional's mindset for success: Locus of Control. Are you in charge of your life's out comes? Or does life determine? Which context you live in is decisive.

Adam opens with a story about going full "let me talk to your manager". Then a chat about Dan's rehearsal plans gets us going all over again about in-ears. Then Dan yaps about his pre-order for a fancy new piece of guitar gear.

This week the lads reminisce about when the first heard Eddie and the impact he had on them. Then a real good actual meaty conversation about band business stuff! How bout that! Everything you need to know about what you need to have in place to maximize your odds when selling yourself to a booking agency.

Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown, and things seem hard or tough, along comes a CBC Distraction-Cast to put a bright shiny face on things! This week the boys are joined by special guests Mike Schulte of The Pork Tornadoes and Amber Johnson of Members Only for a light hearted chat with only moments of grim seriousness. In this episode: What you watching? What you listening to? What you readin...

This is a particularly divisive and difficult moment of the world, and that's showing up in the musical community too. A couple recent events show people are ready to be nasty and difficult. So DON'T, people! Repeat after us: "Good for you; It's not for me."

You know, the people who support us and love us and come out for us no matter what. Even in times we can't go out, fans are everything. This week the lads discuss the art and science of meeting them, making them, creating them, and nurturing them.

Having been prompted to think about it by a fascinating YouTube video from Adam Neely (link below), the boys explore their thoughts about diversity, race, and music theory. How much does our own lived experience limit our song selection? How can we think more broadly to hit audiences of all types? Please don't miss this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr3quGh7pJA&ab_channel=AdamNeely

The boyos catch up and debrief last week's interview, then discuss a conversation Dan has been having with new listener Dan McDermott, on the subject of: if you were going to start up a solo acoustic career from scratch, how would you do that? A question lots of us will probably be asking a few months from now, so it can't hurt to have a head start thinking about it! This week's episode brought to...

Please help us welcome our special guest Finn McKenty, marketing strategist, music commentator, writer and graphic designer who currently runs the YouTube channel The Punk Rock MBA and is director of marketing at the online education platform URM Academy. During this "down" time, what can we do to stay present in the minds of our audiences? What new ideas can we come up with to engage with people,...

A general update from the gents--a quiet week for Adam, but prep for a Real Live Gig for Dan! News from the world of booking. Then: A data breach exposes the band world to hacks. Keep yourself safe with https://haveibeenpwned.com.

This week finds ya boys bearing up mightily in this ongoing and endlessly weird time. First: WELCOME new listeners! Then a great listener question about where to find song charts, and an update about all things Adam and Dan: A new software project, a potential new gig, and other items scratched from the depths of the content mines.

When better to reconsider your set list than when the gigs are all cancelled? During this time, Dan's created a tool to derive song inspiration from the charts, and Adam's super into it.

Our special guest this week is frontman for Yacht Rock Revue and the Please Rock agency. Hear what folks at the top of the cover band game are doing In These Uncertain Times!

It's looking less and less like how it used to be is going to be back any time soon. So maybe the move is to make the "what's next" thing happen sooner? Dan and Adam have Ideas about this, and has no problem sharing them.