Come Up With The Ultimate Chicks On The Floor Set

[gandolf203]

We have been trying to come up with a set to keep as many chicks on the floor as possible. They will get up for a few, but we haven't gotten them to stay for more than 4-5 songs.

Your challenge (so we can steal the ideas) is to come up with eight songs to play in the middle of a set guarenteed to keep the women up and partying. I don't care if the songs are what some here consider "lame" (to wit Mustang Sally which, I'm sorry, always works). What we have been working with is:

Addicted To Love
Another One Rides The Bus
Jessie's Girl
Mustang Sally
Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Pride And Joy
Be My Girl
Crazy Bitch

I would be interested in your ideas and/or suggestions. Particularly useful are songs which sort of lead into each other, something the above set does not lend itself to.

Thank you for your responses!

[B Money]

What we have been working with is:

Addicted To Love yes
Another One Rides The Bus No
Jessie's Girl YES
Mustang Sally YES
Keep Your Hands To Yourself yes
Pride And Joy No
Be My Girl The Jet song? if so, then YES
Crazy Bitch YES


don't forget:
Jenny (867-5309)
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Summer of 69
Love Shack
Brick House
Play That Funky Music
Brown Eyed Girl
Living On a Prayer/You Give Love a Bad Name
What I Got
Sherri Sherri/Sweet Caroline
Mony Mony
Muskrat Love

[Gas-man]

Lose the Pride and Joy, it's a dude song.

[Bassomatic]

Our mostly 80's-themed gay wedding band is doing...

She Blinded Me w Science
Brass in Pocket
Love Shack
Walking on the Moon

and a bunch of other surprisingly dancy pop/rock/R&B fare. Fun stuff, having never done the coverband thing (for more than a one-off gig).

[Tinman]

Talk Dirty to Me

[jimfog]

Lose the Pride and Joy, it's a dude song.

Nope......BIG female dance inducer............seriously.


also:

James - Laid

Jessie's Girl

I Kissed a Girl

Your Love - The Outfield

To Be With you - Mr Big

[rwe333]

Start will all the stuff you'd prefer NOT to play and you'll get the bootys shakin' (girls and guys). Ya know, the Mustang Sallys, the Brown Eyed Girls, the Sweet Home Alabamas, etc...
(and - always odd - as it seems many of the folks that bitch about playing these well-heeled tunes don't play 'em right!)

[Bassomatic]

Start will all the stuff you'd prefer NOT to play and you'll get the bootys shakin' (girls and guys).

Some wisdom there, fo sho.

[Gas-man]

Your Love - The Outfield



This is a goodie, but impossible to sing full voice.

Do you do it falsetto?

[jimfog]

This is a goodie, but impossible to sing full voice.

Do you do it falsetto?

Nope......just wear spandex a few sizes too small.

[CraigSuperLead]

This is the exact thing I'm fighting with my band about. We do a ton of great dance songs, but lately they've decided that they need to showcase our musical tastes or talent or whatever, and we're doing songs that CLEAR the floor. We'll do 2 songs that kill, then we do some heavier rock song and.... nothing.... 'are there still people here???.... oh, cool! the bartender liked that one.'

Keep the ladies happy and on their feet. Everything else will work itself out after that.

I know that sounds lame or whatever, but as a bar band, we're there to do a job: make a party happen. We can play whatever else we want on our own time.

Anyway, as far as suggestions go.... listen to what the dj is playing in between sets at the clubs you're playing or going to be playing. See what works and what doesn't and try to incorporate some of that. It's can be a decent starting point for figuring out the club.

[tone4days]

honky tonk women always works for us

[wire 247]

I don't think they will stay up for more than 4 or 5 songs no matter what. Do a whole set of stuff the chicks like and they still will not stay the whole set. Play those 5 and than play a couple you guys want to do, start off each set like that. Ones I would add would be:

American Girl
Last Dance with Mary Jane
Play That Funky Music
Superstition
Get Down Tonight

If none work on any given night break into "Smack My Bitch" by Prodigy.....

[Phil M]

Regarding 'Your Love' by The Outfield.

This is a goodie, but impossible to sing full voice.

Do you do it falsetto?

I was in a group a couple of years ago that worked this out in rehearsal. We finally unleashed it and got the RCA Dog look from the audience. Singer just couldn't hack it. I remember the bar manager saying, "And you guys were doing so well! Maybe play it earlier in the set--the singer's voice was shot." That was all our singer needed to hear.

Personally I thought we did it terribly anyway so good riddance. I agree with the Gasman on this one. That said, if you can pull it off I agree that it's a good choice.

[Deacon]

Here are some songs from our set list that seem to get the ladies up boogying.

Are you Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Satellites
Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
The One I Love - REM
Sweet Home Alabama - Skynyrd
Money (That's What I Want) - Beatles
Shook Me All Night Long - ACDC
Pink Cadillac - Springsteen

[GCDEF]

Why does every cover band in the world play the same worn out songs. Not dogging cover bands, I'm in one myself, but over the years there have been more than 40 good songs written. I've been in bands that play the some old songs listed here, and bands that go out of their way to avoid them. I get a lot of comments about how refreshing it is to play something different from the usual list.

[jimfog]

Why does every cover band in the world play the same worn out songs.

You can either be a trend-setter OR be popular.

Not both.

[Gas-man]

Why does every cover band in the world play the same worn out songs.

Because people like them.

You don't need to think about it any more than that.

The only ones who bitch about these songs are musicians.

If you want to play blooze to ashtrays, knock yerself out, but if you want to entertain a crowd, play these songs.

I used to be one of those guys that claimed they would NEVER play Mustang Squirrel, but here I am and I love it!

It makes it even better knowing the musicos hate it! :Devil

[GCDEF]

Because people like them.

You don't need to think about it any more than that.

The only ones who bitch about these songs are musicians.

If you want to play blooze to ashtrays, knock yerself out, but if you want to entertain a crowd, play these songs.

I used to be one of those guys that claimed they would NEVER play Mustang Squirrel, but here I am and I love it!

It makes it even better knowing the musicos hate it! :Devil

No, they like lots of other stuff too. I think most cover bands just take the easy route and play songs they already know. Sure, people will dance to Mustang Sally, but give them a good alternative and they won't miss it.

[GCDEF]

You can either be a trend-setter OR be popular.

Not both.

Or you can come up a good set list that's different from the same one 99 out of 100 bands in your area are playing and present something different so people will actually want to come and see you.

[drgonzoguitar]

Because people like them.

You don't need to think about it any more than that.

The only ones who bitch about these songs are musicians.

If you want to play blooze to ashtrays, knock yerself out, but if you want to entertain a crowd, play these songs.

I used to be one of those guys that claimed they would NEVER play Mustang Squirrel, but here I am and I love it!

It makes it even better knowing the musicos hate it! :Devil

Agreed! :drink

[stevel]

don't forget:
Jenny (867-5309)
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Summer of 69
Love Shack
Brick House
Play That Funky Music
Brown Eyed Girl
Living On a Prayer/You Give Love a Bad Name
What I Got
Sherri Sherri/Sweet Caroline
Mony Mony
Muskrat Love


Sweet Caroline and Muskrat love, NO. Rest, yes :-)

Steve

[stevel]

Our mostly 80's-themed gay wedding band is doing...

She Blinded Me w Science
Brass in Pocket
Love Shack
Walking on the Moon



Brass in pocket, no, Walking on the Moon, no. What I call "mid-tempo blah" songs. Won't get chicks onto the floor - in fact, will chase them away. Play "Funky Music", followed by Walking on the Moon, and then "Shake Your Booty",and see if WotM doesn't clear the floor :-)

BY the way, the poster of this message's mileage may vary,

Steve

[stevel]

Talk Dirty to Me

Yes.

Steve

[stevel]

I Kissed a Girl



YESSS. People keep quoting old songs. How young is your audience. How about that "I was on the phone and she touched herself" song?

The outfield. No.

Steve

Edit: I don't think you have a female singer though, so kissed a girl is out, unless one of your guys wants to sing it as i kissed a boy and change the lyrics!!!!

[stevel]

This is the exact thing I'm fighting with my band about. We do a ton of great dance songs, but lately they've decided that they need to showcase our musical tastes or talent or whatever, and we're doing songs that CLEAR the floor. We'll do 2 songs that kill, then we do some heavier rock song and.... nothing.... 'are there still people here???.... oh, cool! the bartender liked that one.'

I keep running into the same problem. I did this - if it clears the floor, you buy me a shot. If it's a song I don't want to play, and it packs the floor, I'll buy you the shot.

Keep the ladies happy and on their feet. Everything else will work itself out after that.

Covered on the first day in Cover Band 101.

I know that sounds lame or whatever, but as a bar band, we're there to do a job: make a party happen. We can play whatever else we want on our own time.

Thank you!

Steve

[stevel]

Here are some songs from our set list that seem to get the ladies up boogying.


Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
The One I Love - REM

These are what we called "slit your wrist" songs. Boring, mid-tempo, etc.

Steve

[stevel]

Why does every cover band in the world play the same worn out songs.

Because we want to work.

Not dogging cover bands, I'm in one myself, but over the years there have been more than 40 good songs written. I've been in bands that play the some old songs listed here, and bands that go out of their way to avoid them. I get a lot of comments about how refreshing it is to play something different from the usual list.

Yes it's refreshing. It's also very refreshing to come from a "mood" rock originals band playing in a dark bar to 5 goth kids where the bar owner expects you to pay for the toilet tank that got broken when people got rowdy during your gig, versus going to playing covers for 100 people - especially, to put it bluntly, hot chicks - who put on a show, which makes the owner happy, which makes him want to book you more, which makes you have more leverage for asking for higher pay, which gets you exposure for more gigs.

Plus, I don't have to re-learn Sweet Home Alabama every time I sub in a band. And if you wait long enough, Kid Rock will cover it and you STILL don't have to learn a new song :-)

Would I rather be playing something else. Sure. But I can do that at home.

Steve

[stevel]

No, they like lots of other stuff too. I think most cover bands just take the easy route and play songs they already know. Sure, people will dance to Mustang Sally, but give them a good alternative and they won't miss it.

Ok, true enough. But, you have to replace Mustang Sally with something they know just as well, not, for example, some John Tesh song.

Steve

[stevel]

Or you can come up a good set list that's different from the same one 99 out of 100 bands in your area are playing and present something different so people will actually want to come and see you.

And you're playing where? How many people are in the audience at your gigs? How many of them are on the floor dancing. If you're playing in Florida, at Sloppy Joes, during Spring Break, you could probably play Classical Music and chicks would still take off their tops. But I don't imagine you'd do that well everywhere.

Steve

[GCDEF]

And you're playing where? How many people are in the audience at your gigs? How many of them are on the floor dancing. If you're playing in Florida, at Sloppy Joes, during Spring Break, you could probably play Classical Music and chicks would still take off their tops. But I don't imagine you'd do that well everywhere.

Steve

I've been doing this for a while. I know what works and what doesn't and I know what people, both in the audience and that work for the clubs tell me. The universal message I get is it's really nice not to hear the same songs every other band plays.

[stevel]

We have been trying to come up with a set to keep as many chicks on the floor as possible. They will get up for a few, but we haven't gotten them to stay for more than 4-5 songs.


Depending on their age, you need more Disco and Dance songs. Sorry, that's the way it is. Trying to play "Rock Dance" songs like Mony, Mony is OK up to an extent, but you need:

KC and the Sunshine Band. Booty, That's The Way, etc.
You need some "Rap" or "Hip-Hop" Rock - Ice Ice Baby works, as does Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" and that other one he had. Rick James - Superfreak.

If you can pull off something like "Big Butts", then do it (or as another poster said, use what the DJ's playing as a guide).

Don't eliminate older songs too.

Great Balls of Fire always kills for us. Johhny B. Goode does as well. In fact, a lot of times, Mustang Sally and Brown Eyed Girl are no longer doing it, but those older ones still kill.

Look, to put it bluntly, Rock (like the 3 doors down or Slipknot kind of stuff most guitarists are interested in playing) is not meant to be danced to. It was designed (for a time) to be listened to. Rock and Roll - meant to be danced to. 80s new wave - meant to be danced to. Disco - hello.

We played "you and me baby ain't nothing but mammals so let's do it like they do on the discovery channel" a while back and it killed. But those songs have a limited shelf life and if they're not already "classics", you have to keep something fresh in the set.

What I like About You by the Romantics always works well.

Good Luck.
Steve

[HHB]

All Summer Long is lame as hell but goes over like free money, Lets Get It On works well too

[JoeB63]

We play mostly Motown and some 70s disco --- most people, old and young, love those songs. I'll admit that I like playing Mustang Sally (which is Motown, of course) -- because it's fun and easy to play a kick-ass solo over those I IV V changes -- while watching the girls dance in front of you.

Last Saturday, on request of the client, we played Ramble On. That was fun to play, but no one really knew how to dance to that. A bunch of awkward moves all over the dance floor for sure.

[GCDEF]

Because we want to work.



Yes it's refreshing. It's also very refreshing to come from a "mood" rock originals band playing in a dark bar to 5 goth kids where the bar owner expects you to pay for the toilet tank that got broken when people got rowdy during your gig, versus going to playing covers for 100 people - especially, to put it bluntly, hot chicks - who put on a show, which makes the owner happy, which makes him want to book you more, which makes you have more leverage for asking for higher pay, which gets you exposure for more gigs.

Plus, I don't have to re-learn Sweet Home Alabama every time I sub in a band. And if you wait long enough, Kid Rock will cover it and you STILL don't have to learn a new song :-)

Would I rather be playing something else. Sure. But I can do that at home.

Steve

I'm still talking about playing popular songs that everybody knows and likes. I'm not saying you should play what you want regardless of the people want to hear. I'm just saying that there's more out there than hands to yourself and Mustang Sally that will get people on the floor.

I think it would behoove us all to throw in a little variety. If 9 out of 10 bands are playing exactly the same set list week after week, month after month, year after year, people are going to lose their incentive to go out and see cover bands because they're all the same and have been for the last 30 years.

[Deacon]

We're a cover band, and we're constantly searching out familiar, well-liked songs that aren't the standard ubiquitous covers.

We get lots of compliments from crowds about not playing "all the same stuff every other band plays".

Sure, we do a few that are heavily covered, but our criteria is basically that we won't play anything that we don't enjoy playing. OTOH, we also won't rule out any song just cause everybody else is going it.



Why does every cover band in the world play the same worn out songs. Not dogging cover bands, I'm in one myself, but over the years there have been more than 40 good songs written. I've been in bands that play the some old songs listed here, and bands that go out of their way to avoid them. I get a lot of comments about how refreshing it is to play something different from the usual list.

[Killcrop]

I fought with band members to get All Summer Long on the set. I hate the song but the floor erupted with girls.

All Summer Long
Dead Or ALive-Kills everytime.
Sweet Home-Every time.
American girl-Every time
Want you to want me-Every time
Jealous Again-Just about every time.
Crazy Train- The girls go nuts. I have no idea why.

These are just a few off the top of my head.

[Gas-man]

We get lots of compliments from crowds about not playing "all the same stuff every other band plays".

.

You usually hear musicians saying this, but I've never heard a normal bar patron person say it.

Normal (or for you post-modernists, "normal") people don't spend a lot of time thinking about these things.

[Texas_Blues]

Arctic Monkeys stuff
Dancing Shoes-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP45f0BpZfs
Old Yellow Bricks-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w47RNPRe3co
Older Stuff- hmm the ones previously posted..

[MikeNiteRail]

I've been doing this for a while. I know what works and what doesn't and I know what people, both in the audience and that work for the clubs tell me. The universal message I get is it's really nice not to hear the same songs every other band plays.

I've been told this a number of times too. Something that gets overlooked in these threads is why the crowd that's there is there. Are those of you playing "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Mustang Sally" every night playing at clubs where there is a lot of walk ins, or are you playing places where you are expected to bring the crowd?

In the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, a lot of the big money bands don't bring crowds. They play to people already there. If you're bringing in your own fan base to clubs and making them money, then you can get away with playing less of that stuff.

I know several guys that join coverbands and make a ton of money...then usually quit within a year because they hate it...then join a new cover band...cycle repeats. One thing they always complain about (and these four are GREAT musicians) is that the crowd doesn't give a rip at all about the band. It doesn't matter who is at the club so long as you play the same songs that every other band there does. There is no fan base. No one would go out to see the band...they might not leave if they are there, but no one comes to specifically see them.

The best musician I have ever met was one of these guys. Amazing guitar player...he finally decided to break the cycle. He ended up joining a country band...low and behold they do nothing but top country covers, but people actually go out of their way to see them. If I had to be a dance band cover guy, I'd want to give country a shot first.

[GCDEF]

You usually hear musicians saying this, but I've never heard a normal bar patron person say it.

Normal (or for you post-modernists, "normal") people don't spend a lot of time thinking about these things.

Are you in a band that plays from a different set list than everyone else? If you were, you'd hear it a lot from a lot of different people.

[stevel]

I'm still talking about playing popular songs that everybody knows and likes. I'm not saying you should play what you want regardless of the people want to hear. I'm just saying that there's more out there than hands to yourself and Mustang Sally that will get people on the floor.

I think it would behoove us all to throw in a little variety. If 9 out of 10 bands are playing exactly the same set list week after week, month after month, year after year, people are going to lose their incentive to go out and see cover bands because they're all the same and have been for the last 30 years.

Agreed. And it becomes important to distinguish yourself if there's a lot of competition in your area. Also I've noticed less and less people wanting to dance to B-E-G, Mustang Sally, and even What I Like About You recently. They're FINALLY (thank God) tiring of them. But then someone like Kid Rock comes along and messes you up again :-)

My belief is, any good cover band should have AT LEAST 5 sets worth of material. 10-15 percent of that MUST BE new, current songs that you ditch as soon as they become lame and replace with newer, more current songs. The rest of the set should be tried-and-true classics that are known crowd-pleasers in various ways. For example, around here, it behooves a band to know something people can Two-Step or Line Dance to. Achy-Breaky Heart for example. You don't have to play it at every gig - you can judge the set based on the crowd and venue. But, if someone requests it, you got it, and if they start throwing beer bottles at the chicken wire, you got it (subtle Blues Brothers reference there).

Steve

[stevel]

I fought with band members to get All Summer Long on the set. I hate the song but the floor erupted with girls.

All Summer Long
Dead Or ALive-Kills everytime.
Sweet Home-Every time.
American girl-Every time
Want you to want me-Every time
Jealous Again-Just about every time.
Crazy Train- The girls go nuts. I have no idea why.

These are just a few off the top of my head.

We've had old people (like in their 80s) dance to Crazy Train. Simply put, it's a well-written song with a good tempo.

I can see why Jealous again fails. American Girl never worked for us.

Steve

[Cheebatone]

Baby Got Back. :AOK

[B Money]

we always do very well with a rap medley consisting of Snoop Dogg's "Gin-n-Juice", followed by Cyprus Hill's "Insane in the Membrane", then into Digital Underground's "Humpty Dance" and the big finish with Sir MixALots "Baby Got Back".

I agree that it would be difficult to go wrong with almost any disco song.

[BigJamesyBoy]

I'm amazed we've made it this far without anybody mentioning this one yet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kppq4Qhg4k

[haymaker]

December '63
Build Me Up Buttercup
Runaround Sue

Like Colt45 - 'works every time'

[Chuck King]

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)

[DGDGBD]

Any upbeat, pop-rock song that gotten a decent amount of FM airplay will do it.

He's a few that no one has mentioned yet:

Tush
sharp dressed man
All right now
Voodoo Child slight return (KIDDING!)

[matthet]

play
don't stop believin
living on a prayer

back to back, for 3 hours, and you're golden

[Nick67]

wow! we all do the same show!! lol

[Ben Jam'n]

In the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, a lot of the big money bands don't bring crowds. They play to people already there. If you're bringing in your own fan base to clubs and making them money, then you can get away with playing less of that stuff.



I'm gonna disagree with that....Hairball, Uncle Chunk, G.B. Leighton (I'm sure I'm missing others) all draw crowds and play every weekend. That's why they're paid the way they are.

And....we play 'Your Love' every night...always goes over. I think it's cause Cities 97 still plays it all the time.

[TwoTubMan]

Four hours of Barry White.

[jimfog]

Biggest thing going right now with College age kids........

A mash-up of "Wicked Game" and "White Wedding"

Really...........

[LP Deluxe]

One thing our band has noticed recently is the college age kids who show up between 11 and midnight and stay till close all want to hear classic rock. Squeeze Box, Honkey Tonk, Black Magic Woman, Shakin all Over and Summertime Blues (more The Who versions than the originals), etc. I asked a couple of them on a few occasions why they like the old stuff that my generation listened to and not new stuff...they said all the new stuff was shite. So we play alot of Motown/R&B stuff at the beginning of the night for all the middle age folk (...cougars...) then it gets heavier as the night goes on and the crowd gets younger.

Dave

[waxnsteel]

December '63
Build Me Up Buttercup

Yup. First time I busted out Baby Now That I Found You/Build Me Up Buttercup solo acoustic, I had people dancing in a place where people don't dance. It has that effect. Not to mention, you can almost always get enough people to sing the "ooh"s with you.