Springfield has a wonderful niche for cover bands in their hearts. The latest to pop up on the scene is an 80’s cover band appropriately titled Members Only. I happen to know most of the members of this cover band. All of the members are talented musicians who have performed (drummer Justin Gabossi played with Tiffany Christopher for most of the decade) and can perform beyond the capacity of a cover band. For whatever reason, them banding together is the last straw before a more litigious nature of action arises. Also adding insult to injury, Hot Box, another local cover band, won best overall band at Rock’n'Ribs. So, before I go any further I will make a few things known: being fair is considered a high moral value in my book, being honest is as well and making/having live music is always better than no live music.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), copyright is a pretty big issue out there and a lot of students know the RIAA means business when it comes to illegal downloading. But, the RIAA also has a lot to say about the use of copyrighted songs via live performance, as does The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). If either group knew the extent to which artists’ songs were being performed heads and dollars would roll.
To be fair, when you go to a restaurant music is playing. Every restaurant pays a fee to play copyrighted material. Most do this through a service called Muzak. Copyright even goes to professional sports like baseball. How? Because you can watch the Cardinals at Buffalo Wild Wings, but you may not listen to them without the expressed written consent of MLB. This is true, if you are listening it’s either illegal or the restaurant paid a lot to turn up the volume.
My point is cover bands make way more money in Springfield than the average band that plays at the Outland or comes through promoting their own CD. How much do cover bands ask for to play a gig? Usually the price for a four-hour set at a wedding or event is $1,000. Ask any original musician the most they have gotten paid for a gig and they usually subtract two or three of those zeros.
What I’m saying is Springfield likes covery, nostalgia laden guitar licks seeping through its ear wax more than the original sin that is local bands. I want local cover bands to pay to play. If an artist writes and records a song, then becomes a hit record it means the artist get paid. Now, if there is a cover band that charges $7 to see a show where they perform said artist’s material, then the artist comes through town charging $25 for a ticket, which show does the average Springfieldian see? The $7 show. Cover bands steal from other bands. The Downtown Artwalk isn’t filled with Picasso and Da vinci replicas, so why should our music scene be any different? This is a federal law (copyright) and if 18-year-olds can’t hear new live music because of a local law (no minors with booze), then make cover bands pay up to keep it honest and competitive for the original, real artists trying to make the next great classic that everyone covers.
Tags: com, cover, cover band, cover bands, covers, downtown, fourfour, live, live music, music, originals, Rants, springfield, thefourfour
April 28, 2008 at 5:23 pm |
Interesting perspective.
April 28, 2008 at 11:15 pm |
Technically it’s the venue’s responsibility to pay the fee. In fact, most major venues I’ve encountered outside of Springfield are pretty strict about cover bands, as very few wish to pay the licensing fee for them.
Also, if I’m going to nitpick on technicalities, the works of Picasso and Da Vinci are in the public domain. So if you see me selling them at the next Artwalk, you can’t stop me =)
But you’re right about the unfairness. However, I think that stems from Springfield citizens’ lack of interest in new culture, which is another topic altogether.
April 29, 2008 at 8:46 pm |
Hey guys. The Verbs cd release show tonight at the Gillioz. Be there!
http://perchmusic.com/2008/04/the-verbs-cd-release-show-tonight/
As for the whole cover band issue, it really isn’t an issue in bigger cities, as bands in those cities are much less under the radar than Springfield bands and therefor can’t get away with not paying royalties to the artists they cover. Sure they make $1000 for bigger shows, but they also had to pay a blanket royalty fee to most the big artists they cover to get permission to use those artists’ songs for certain period of time, usually a year (Liverpool, that Branson Beatles cover band, pay crazy amounts to the Beatles to keep playing their show). Springfield cover bands get away with it because no one from the RIAA stops by here, and more importantly, no venues here in town report them playing shows because that would mean that venue would have to pay royalties as well.
Sorry for the rant, I was a music business major, and now have the record label, so I know a lot about this stuff. And for the record, a cover band should never win such a prestigious award as best band in a city. That’s ridiculous and robs all those bands that write their own music. That’s just my humble opinion. Maybe I’m just bitter the Verbs got 2nd place to a cover band for best band.
See you guys at the show maybe!
-Kevin
P.S. Ironically, my friends and I are starting a 90’s cover band this summer. No intentions of making money from it, we just want to team up with Machine Gun Symphony (the best cover band I think in Springfield), and put on some great cover shows. But this P.S. probably negated my whole argument. : )
May 1, 2008 at 5:19 pm |
i agree. great topic.
having been in original bands for the past 9 years or so, i take this issue to heart. i often contemplated starting a cover band to actually make some cash for myself here and there on a weekend (b/c let me tell you, an origianl hard rock/metal band in springfield makes jack shit).
as far as royalties…it is ultimately the venue that should pay the royalties for say a local band…but when you get those large touring cover bands or large shows like the liverpool legends, then it is the band’s responsibility. that’s my take, but ultimately it seems fair. too many venues around here are too shady to pay anything for royalties anyhow. sad, but the truth.
October 27, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
I’ve been in a cover band (2 actually) for the last 10 years in Springfield. Unfortunately, you’re right about what you wrote.. that’ where the money is.. and that’s why I do it. I would much rather be playing original material. I did that in my early twenties and would end up down town at Culleys, playing for $100 for the entire band! Now, we get an average of $500 – $1000 a night for the band. I always charge $2000 to $2500 for weddings, and we play several every year, as well as Corporate Christmas parties, which is where your big money is. My old buddy that used to be in 7DFunk would charge $5000 for a wedding. There is money to be made. In a 5-piece, each member of my band made right at $10,000 each for the last 4 years. It’s amazing to me that Springfield likes their cover bands so much, but truly.. they do. Like everyone in a struggling economy, money is why we do it. The bottom line though, is that the crowds dictate what is played.. not the bands and not the club owners… so I don’t think you can blame the cover bands. Again.. I would so much rather play original music. It’s all about the culture of the area. If you go to L.A., you’ll get booed off the stage, if you’re in a cover band. Around here, club owners are just looking for music that will make people stay and drink.. and unfortunately, that’s cover songs.
Also, venues pay a blanket license to ASCAP, BMI, and/or SESAC. It generally covers the playing of pre-recorded music throughout the venue as well as the live performance of any songs written by a member artist. One time, we played at a benefit and ASCAP found out (due to trolling the internet, which they are doing more and more) and charged the venue an extra $6000 after the event already happened. You can’t fight it either. NBC even lost a lawsuit against ASCAP. It’s commonly known that they can’t be beat.. but they never go after the artists.. waste of their time. They go after the venues.
Much respect to those people still out there playing all originals… I personally would rather listen to your band any day and I wish the local scene wasn’t as it is.
October 27, 2008 at 1:55 pm |
By the way, Kevin…. Every venue in Springfield pays their music license. I know almost all the owners and it’s their major complaint. We even quit playing Trolleys because Ryan (a co-owner) said he was sick of paying the exorbitant costs for cover bands to play there. That’s not a risk any reasonable club owner is going to take. The fine would be enormous and ASCAP can backfine up to several years.
“Sorry for the rant, I was a music business major, and now have the record label, so I know a lot about this stuff.” — Did you complete that degree?
June 8, 2009 at 1:18 pm |
[...] more than three months ago, The Local Musicverse knew Kurtzender as the man behind rants such as this and this. The fit seemed natural; who better to host our local music spotlight/personality [...]