If we only play covers ..

where will the new music come from?

As a musician, and a music lover, I think its wonderful when you come across a new piece of music, or a song or performance, that you grow to love, and you want to hear it again.  It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it gives you something different to hang onto and enjoy.  I deeply value the fact that other musicians and song writers are creating their own music, and this is what brings me to the awkward subject of covers.

Many of the open mics I have been to up and down this land are mainly nights of guitarists strumming cover songs and on a personal level I find this disappointing.  Because, if we only play covers where will the new music come from?

Now don't get me wrong here, I've got nothing against covers and I've played many a cover down through the years.  Sometimes you have to, or you won't get out of the venue alive!  But it seems to me that the balance has swung too far in favour of covers.  In some small way I hope that my open mic will buck against this trend, encouraging and welcoming those who move out of the comfort blanket of familiar and copied tunes.

I have also been to a few nights where the sign above the door reads 'strictly no covers' and this seems a tad draconian.  Because there are times when covers could be interesting as well:

(1) Genre bending - where a song is crossed over from one musical style to another (e.g. I saw a great rendition of a Chemical Brothers tune on a ukelele a few years ago)
(2) Instrument bending - where an unusual combination of instruments (e.g. stylophone and kazoo) play out a familiar tune or a home made instrument is included in the mix
(3) Circuit bending - where a toy or musical instrument is altered to make a traditional tune run backwards
(4) Pie bending - where you cover an Old Man Pie song!
(5) Classical bending - where you play a piece of classical music (this should not be considered a cover and is to be encouraged)

So like many things in life there is no black and white answer to the question of covers.  All I can say is I have personal preference for no covers, and that since this is my night I should make this point of view heard.