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

Friends, we've reached a milestone. 300 episodes! Here's to 300 more! Thanks for hanging with us, and we're glad you seem to have been enjoying it it as much as we enjoy making it! This week the boys recap the learnings and growth of the last five-and-change years (yeah, really!), talk about the Big Ideas to celebrate #300, none of which happened, and talk big talks about the future of this pod. T...

We know. Musicians are hard to shop for. So in honor of Black Friday we're revising and updating our list of great gifts for musicians, and adding a few things you should stay away from. (Those shirts: WHY.) ( HERE  is the following list as a blog post, suitable for sharing with anyone you hope gives you good stuff this year!) Stuff musicians DON’T WANT Mahogany Thumb Piano https://www.uncommongoo...

This week your boys Adam and Dan discuss the realities and uncertainties that bands often face. They share their recent experiences navigating ups and downs, including successful gigs and event cancellations due to low ticket sales. They discuss the possible reasons for fluctuations, including macroeconomic factors and demographic changes. They contemplate the importance of being adaptable, consid...

Big week for lovers of good music things! First stop is at Daryl's house--the legendary music YouTube channel is back in business and you need to check it out.  Even bigger news is the release of a brand new old Beatles tune! The guys go deep on the tech breakthroughs this took, the magical nature of the song and its video, what it implies for future "new old" songs from classic acts, and how much...

This week's episode is a shorter take on a longer conversation lost to history (we're blaming Dan's COVID diagnosis). In this episode we discuss how Dan's work experience at this day job made him question how musicians and venues are always trying to leverage available data to ensure they're getting the best deals, and how bands should be more open to talking about what they make per gig. Thank yo...

This week's episode is a bit different than our normal conversation.  Dan and Adam were asked to speak at Louisiana Tech University for their music business department! This guest lecture covers various topics related to the music industry, including branding, booking gigs, copyright issues, social media marketing strategies, and finding success as a musician. We also share personal experiences an...

This week your dos amigos deal with a travesty that has been foisted upon us all--a list from Rolling Stone of the Top 250 Guitarists of all time. It's... problematic. Enjoy us spluttering. Link to article: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-guitarists-1234814010/ Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be sure to like, subscribe and share with your friends!   Linktr...

This week we recap the big payday Adam got for a tech conference, as well as some new gear that just hit the market! Blank Contracts & Riders: https://www.coverbandconfidential.com/store/performance-contracts Backing Track Resources: https://www.coverbandconfidential.com/store/backing-track-resources Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be sure to like, subscribe and share wit...

How do you deal with the question: am I worth THAT? This week we discuss a big-payday gig that landed in Adam's lap. First, how to get such an opportunity, and then how to handle your mind about it. Also this week: Holy moly that Vegas Sphere! What a venue!  To have your band considered for a free coaching session, submit your details here: https://take.supersurvey.com/Q4TVR5RAJ Also the listener...

NO we don't mean the sandwich! We mean how to be a subtitute player in bands in your market! This week the fellas discuss everything from becoming known as a viable sub, marketing your sub service, and what the expectations are. So sharpen your skills and sub it up--this week is all about that sweet fill-in life. Also a good chat on the brand new Headrush Core multi-fx guitar and vocal unit! To ha...

This week the fellas talk about the differences (experientially, practically, and neuroscientifically) between playing instruments and singing. Prompted by a TikTok question, we dig deep into what makes memorizing guitar parts different from memorizing vocal parts. Also 10 Old People Points to those who get the episode title reference. To have your band considered for a free coaching session, subm...

This week we're largely responding to questions from listener and newly-minted Patreon patron Joe Hopkins. Joe does acoustic duo work with his wife Kristen, but they've haven't yet gotten the show out of the garage. Those of you listening who want to start gigging but don't know how (there are way more than you think!): This is the episode for you. How to start a new thing, how to land those first...

Thanks to an excellent listener question, this week the boys break down the phenomenon of being engaging and exciting on stage. From the attitude issues that might hold you back to some basic tips, tricks, and exercises to up your game, this week's episode will  have you doing split-leaps from the drum riser in spandex pants before you know it. To have your band considered for a free coaching sess...

This week's conversation is (once again) thanks to our Patreon Slack channel. What exactly IS it we're hired to deliver? What IS the value we provide? And what happens if we're unclear about that? I hasn't been since early days on the pod that we've gone into this, so it's probably time to restate our thesis! To have your band considered for a free coaching session, submit your details here: https...

Those of us use the Billboard Hot-100 Chart as a source for song ideas have been noticing some big changes in the patterns of song chart lifecycles. Dan built a whole thing to look into that, and in this week's (multimedia!) episode, we look at what those numbers show us, and what it means for people trawling the charts for cover song ideas. Because this episode refers to some visual content, you...

This week Dan recaps a very successful gig hunting bar crawl, and then the boys confront the reality of being a slacker around things that matter. What are you avoiding, resisting, or flat-out ignoring? Is it time to get down to business on those things? Also the listener survey is still open! Please go to this link to let us know what you love and what you hate about this podcast. The only way we...

Sometimes reality slaps you in the face and you realize it's time for a rethink. And sometimes it's a slow burn of increasing frustration with things not working before you get what's going on. This week the boys talk about when to stop doubling down on something that's not working, and how to use that moment of a project productively. Also the listener survey is still open! Please go to this link...

Okay so we were being a little dramatic last week saying we'd identified the ONLY three things you needed. OBVIOUSLY there's more! So here's four mor things you need to succeed: Systems, Contacts, Creative, and Data. This week we dive deep on each of those concepts. AND THEN! Speaking of "data": Introducing the Cover Band Confidential listener survey! Please go to this link to let us know what you...

We're going back to basics, friends. Breaking it right down. This whole band thing? It's not so complicated. There are THREE THINGS you need for your band to succeed, and know now what? We're telling 'em to you! Right here, right now! (Except of course it's not that simple, so buckle up for a first-ever Cover Band Confidential Cliffhanger!) Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be...

Okay hear us out. Insurance is interesting . That's why we did a whole episode on it, rounding up the thoughts we've dripped into lots of episodes in the past. This week the guys tackle the whole deal with gear insurance, annual or event-based liability coverage, who they use, what they pay, what's covered, and what you can and should do about it. Links for sites mentioned in this episode: https:/...

This week we break it down. Five categories of bad behavior that wreck bands, relationships, and lives. Exactly who to keep an eye out for, out there in your music career. Ooops and what? Exactly what to watch out for in your OWN behavior. That's right friends it's both a gossip-fest AND a moment of self reflection. Everything you've come to expect from ya boyz at Cover Band Confidential! Thank yo...

Regular listeners will remember our band coaching session with Creston Heltzel and his band Alt95 from about a year ago. Well in the last few months the Patrons in the Slack have been witness to a whole new opportunity for Creston, one many of us have wondered about. He's just started his Sales Tech training at Sweetwater! We chat about what the interview and onboard process has been like, what it...

Seasons change in the cover musician landscape! Gigs that were a lock dry up, relationships change, and the world moves on. But do you? In this episode we cover the attitude to take when things don't go your way, and how to bounce back strong. 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      ...

This week the boys tackle a topic that came up on the Patreon Slack: When a setlist totally rocks all the way through, what do you do? Keep it around and play it at the next show? And the one after that? Or toss it and start the next one from scratch?  Or take what learning you can and use it to inform the next one? The pros and cons abound!   Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help...

This week Adam shares about his experience getting his whole entire mind blown by Big Wreck, and we talk about the joy and importance of being a consumer of this stuff too. Getting outside your folded-arms business-person audience membership and let yourself be on the other end of the performer/audience connection for once. Thank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be sure to like, sub...