It’s been a fun experience, starting a band (Bobby G and the Bohemians) with friends over the past few years – but it hasn’t been without its challenges.
One can best be explained in an anecdote. In my effort to line up gigs, I ran into an interesting request from a local dive bar I was pitching (I say this affectionately, it really is a cool little venue on the main drag of Tarrytown, one of the more happening towns in Westchester County, NY, near where I live).
The owner had no quibble over our fee. But he asked that we just play cover songs, vs. the originals that are our bread and butter. Usually we favor these, to the tune of about 2/3 of our set lists. Bobby G and the Bohemians aims to be fun, interesting, different – not just the same old classic rock cover band that dominates in our area.
“Definite preference is about 95% covers until you have a following at the bar.”
Bar Owner
This was a show stopper, sadly, but it made me reflect.
I could understand his request. New can be seen as risky, untested. Many venues like bands that are essentially live juke boxes. And concertgoers like established acts to play old hits.
It’s the familiarity thing; the same reason studios and moviegoers double down on existing IP, franchises and sequels (as Raechal Shewfelt wrote for Yahoo Entertainmant). It’s why cover songs are big, and sampling, vibe snatching and interpolation are too (check out Switched on Pop episode).
You may be wondering what this has to do with your news, if you are a startup and launching a new kind of innovation that’s untethered to an established name or category.
In a busy information landscape, it is easier to care about and cover what can easily be slotted and understood. Yeah, big, undeniably hard news helps, but can’t just be ordered up.
Does this mean you’re out of luck, if journalists at first ignore your coolest originals?
Not at all – but you have to first recognize this and then work hard and get creative to overcome the obstacles.
