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

Coverband Confidential
  • 4.8 (98)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

Cover Band Confidential is the podcast for working musicians, bandleaders, and gigging players who want to make more money, book better gigs, build stronger bands, and run their music career like a business.

  1. 1d ago

    The Gig Got Rained Out. Then Things Got Ugly. | Mike Schulte (Confused Breakfast / The Pork Tornadoes)

    The soundboard was dripping water. Apparently, the band was still supposed to play. Mike Schulte of The Pork Tornadoes and the Confused Breakfast podcast joins Dan with a gig story that stands out after roughly 1,300 shows—and for all the wrong reasons. A sudden storm drenched the gear and shut down the night before the band could play. According to Mike, what followed included an angry confrontation, a passive-aggressive load-out soundtrack, and people booing musicians who were trying to get their equipment out of the venue. Dan and Mike unpack the business side of a rainout: what the band’s contract covered, why the work starts long before the first song, and how a reasonable conversation might have preserved a working relationship. They also look at their own preparation and what could be handled differently next time. Nobody controls the weather. Everybody has some control over how they treat people. Before the storm story, Mike shares how he’s using a 360 camera for both The Pork Tornadoes and Confused Breakfast—from capturing concert footage to filming an interview at the Goonies house without hauling an entire camera department along. In this episode: Moving 360-camera footage versus static camera angles. (link: https://www.insta360.com/sal/x6?utm_source=AffiliateCenter&utm_medium=copylink&utm_term=INRSG0CFLEV) Capturing the crowd and blending camera audio with a board feed. Using one camera to create multiple interview angles. A surprise storm, soaked equipment, and a show that couldn’t happen. Payment expectations when a band has done everything except perform. Weather preparation, de-escalation, and knowing when a working relationship is finished. Check out Mike with The Pork Tornadoes and on Confused Breakfast. Rock more. Suck less. Keep the load-out playlist civil.

    The Gig Got Rained Out. Then Things Got Ugly. | Mike Schulte (Confused Breakfast / The Pork Tornadoes)

  2. Sep 11

    How to Get Your Band Booked—and Invited Back

    You crushed your first gig. The venue wants you back. Now how do you get the OTHER venues to answer your emails?This week, a listener’s success story turns into a practical guide to booking your cover band. After building The Riffbillyz from the ground up and earning return invitations—including New Year’s Eve—he asks: What’s the best way to reach local bookers? Email? Messenger? Showing up in person?Adam and Dan walk through the entire process, from choosing rooms that actually fit your band to turning that first conversation into a lasting booking relationship. Dan shares his “gig hunting” routine, Adam explains what your promo needs to prove, and both discuss why being good onstage is only part of being a band venues want to hire.**In this episode:*** Finding the right venues instead of emailing every bar within 100 miles.* Building a one-sheet, website, and short promo video that make booking you an easy decision.* Approaching managers at the right time—and following their booking instructions.* Tracking contacts, booking windows, and follow-ups so opportunities don’t disappear into your inbox.* Clarifying pay, production, promotion, and what the venue considers a successful night.* Avoiding promises about your draw that Facebook’s “Interested” button cannot keep.* Winning over the staff, sending the thank-you, and earning the next date.* Capturing live footage that helps you sell the next show.Plus: Adam turns 45, Dan goes on an escape-room adventure, a mysterious guitar purchase is pending, and Adam introduces a new tool for searching the CBC episode archive by topic.**Your assignment this week:** Pick five venues that fit your band, get your promo ready, identify the booking contacts, and make a specific ask. Then track the conversation and follow through.Be the band management sees on the calendar and thinks, “Oh, thank goodness.”Questions or gig-hunting stories? Email **[coverbandconfidential@gmail.com](mailto:coverbandconfidential@gmail.com)**.

    How to Get Your Band Booked—and Invited Back

  3. Sep 3

    The Gigs That Remind You Why You Do This

    Most gigs aren’t life-changing. They’re work.You load in, fix whatever isn’t working, play the songs, collect the check, and eventually escape through a commercial kitchen.But every once in a while, the band locks in, the crowd gives everything back, and all the logistical nonsense disappears. Those are the gigs that remind you why you’ve spent years sacrificing weekends, buying too much gear, and voluntarily standing next to drummers.This week, Adam and Dan talk about:• A wedding party that turned a regular bar gig into complete bedlam• The shows where the band, crowd, and room all click• Creating a meaningful moment for one person• Songs that hit an audience harder than expected• The extremely healthy realization that you’ve “still got it”• Why preparation creates room for spontaneity• How cameras, technical problems, and overbooking can kill the moment• Turning nearby weddings and events into marketing opportunities• Why not every gig needs to be magicalPlus: Sweetwater debt, dueling dead refrigerators, Adam’s early verdict on the Xvive U45D, and a five-star review that claims this show is “actually useful.”What gig reminded you why you do this? Tell us in the comments or email [coverbandconfidential@gmail.com](mailto:coverbandconfidential@gmail.com).THIS WEEK IN CBC HISTORY: Oasis Reunion, Setlist Science & DIY Gear Hacks! | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2024-09-05T19_00_00-07_00How to be the Ultimate Entertainer! | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2023-09-07T19_00_00-07_00Is Music a Viable Career? | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2022-09-08T20_39_24-07_00Things Musicians Have To Stop Doing | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2021-09-09T19_10_42-07_00CBC #118 (If you were Starting from Scratch) | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2020-09-03T18_05_36-07_00CBC #066 (Merchanomics part Deux, Instrument Learning, Acoustic Duos, Song Selection) | https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2019-09-04T18_00_35-07_00💬 Join the Patreon community: [www.patreon.com/coverbandconfidential]🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: [www.youtube.com/@UCRRpk2pfZPVq1AEJlqVPXqg ]📱 Follow CBC on Instagram: [instagram.com/coverbandconfidential]Gear mentioned:• Xvive U45D Digital Stereo In-Ear Monitor System: [https://amzn.to/4zRDkqJ]• Gator utility shelf: [https://amzn.to/4h4J3SK]Some product links may be affiliate links, which help support the show at no additional cost to you.Cover Band Confidential is the podcast for cover band musicians and band leaders who want to rock more and suck less.#CoverBand #WorkingMusician #LiveMusic

    The Gigs That Remind You Why You Do This

  4. Aug 28

    5 Skills Being in a Band Teaches You (Besides Music)

    Being in a band teaches you much more than how to play music.Every rehearsal, equipment failure, difficult bandmate, last-minute song request, and immovable downbeat develops skills that carry into the rest of your life. In this episode, Adam and Dan break down five things musicians learn almost accidentally: collaboration, discipline, adaptability, people management, and project management.They also bring research connecting ensemble performance with shared attention, executive function, resilience, empathy, social bonding, organization, leadership, and problem-solving.Before the main topic, Dan discovers that The New Strange still has some muscle memory, Adam recaps his first Jamzone-assisted solo gig and another massive ATL LBK event, and Cover Band Confidential celebrates 9,000 YouTube subscribers and three million views.What has playing in a band taught you that has nothing to do with music? Tell us in the comments.RESEARCH CITEDCollaborative musical creativity and co-regulation:https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01285/fullMusic and social bonding:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4179700/Music training and executive function:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9393548/Resilience and music-performance anxiety:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12584046/Group music, empathy, and prosocial behavior:https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1744000/fullEnsemble participation and transferable life skills:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11239010/ABOUT COVER BAND CONFIDENTIALCover Band Confidential is the podcast for cover-band musicians and bandleaders who want to rock more and suck less. Adam Johnson and Dan Ray talk about the music, business, gear, relationships, and occasional logistical catastrophes involved in playing music for actual people.#CoverBand #WorkingMusician #BandAdvice00:00 Intro00:58 Band Still Got It03:08 Rebrand And Karaoke04:47 Jam Zone Solo Gig06:45 Frozen Bracelet Tip09:28 Live Band Karaoke Recap12:10 Milestones And Consistency14:40 This Week In History18:25 Skills Beyond Music23:50 Receipts and Research25:06 Discipline and Practice28:42 ADHD and Executive Function30:19 Adaptability Under Fire36:52 Band Relationships and Feedback41:58 Project Management Skills45:40 Wrap Up and Call In

    5 Skills Being in a Band Teaches You (Besides Music)

  5. Aug 21

    A Psychologist Explains Why Bands Are So Dysfunctional (with Dr. Jesse Erdheim)

    Bands rarely fall apart because somebody missed a chord.They fall apart because expectations about money, gigs, rehearsals, song choices, musical standards, commitment, and leadership go unspoken until somebody finally blows up.This week, we brought in somebody who actually knows what he’s talking about.Dr. Jesse Erdheim is an industrial-organizational psychologist and wellbeing coach with more than 20 years of experience working with motivation, conflict, burnout, leadership, and change. He also fronts a working classic-rock cover band—so he understands band dysfunction from both sides.We talk about:*Why bands are uniquely difficult organizations*How mismatched expectations turn into resentment*How to give musical criticism without destroying morale*What psychological safety actually looks like in a band*Why emotional regulation matters before a difficult conversation*What to do when your band culture has already become unhealthyOne of the biggest lessons: sometimes the explosion you think came out of nowhere actually started months earlier when everyone stopped checking whether they were still working toward the same goal. Jesse describes his own experience with a guitarist whose frustration over money and travel finally erupted at a show—and how that changed the way his band communicates with new members.If you're a band leader, working musician, or anyone currently sitting in a group text wondering “How the hell did we get here?”—this episode is for you.More from Dr. Jesse Erdheim:jesseerdheim.comUpcoming book: A Full Cup: Reflections on Living WellJesse also fronts The Backroads, a Durham-area cover band performing around Durham, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough.https://www.facebook.com/thebackroadsdurham/https://www.instagram.com/the.back.roads__/#CoverBand #BandDrama #WorkingMusician #BandLeader #musicbusiness 00:00 Podcast kickoff00:55 Meet Dr Jesse01:53 From GNR to gigging03:48 Band leadership style05:37 Shared vision basics08:14 Why bands are hard10:21 Gig meltdown story12:44 Assumptions and alignment17:47 Common band problems23:20 Giving feedback safely27:16 Trust Bank Accounts27:44 Giving Notes With Care28:25 Adaptability Over Control30:02 Does The Audience Care31:03 Perfectionism And Perspective31:58 Are Musicians Different34:54 Win Win Band Leadership37:30 Pre Show Regulation Routine39:38 Time Confetti Planning42:09 Hard Conversations Toolkit45:30 Stop Rumination Loops49:59 Relationships And Wrap Up

    A Psychologist Explains Why Bands Are So Dysfunctional (with Dr. Jesse Erdheim)

  6. Aug 14

    What Do You Do When Your Regular Gig Disappears?

    A regular gig is only regular until someone decides it isn’t.This week, Adam and Dan discuss what happens when a dependable venue date or residency suddenly dries up. Did the venue eliminate the gig—or did your band specifically lose it? Should you ask for honest feedback? Lower your price? Try to save the relationship? Or accept that the booking may no longer have been serving the band?They break down why recurring gigs disappear, how bands become complacent, the danger of depending too heavily on one venue or buyer, and why replacing the economic function of a gig may be smarter than finding an identical replacement.Also discussed:* Dan gets back in the room and begins rebuilding his band* Remembering songs, reconnecting gear, and rebuilding performance stamina* Adam’s rapidly approaching JamZone solo experiment* Stringjoy’s Project 139 experimental guitar strings* ATL LBK’s growing collection of branded promotional gear* A new five-star review from a Dallas–Fort Worth listener* Eight years of CBC history, zombie bands, celebrity events, and the proposed conference that Paul Kent wisely stoppedThe main takeaway: Be disappointed privately, respond professionally, and build a band that can lose one gig without losing its footing.#CoverBand #GiggingMusician #BandBooking #WorkingMusician #LiveMusic #CoverBandConfidentialThank you so much for tuning in!  If you want to help be sure to like, subscribe and share with your friends!   BANDLEADER RESOURCES: https://www.coverbandconfidential.com/links  Follow us on Instagram! @coverbandconfidential @adampatrickjohnson @danraymusician If you have any questions please email at: Coverbandconfidential@gmail.com Consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/coverbandconfidential Or buy us a cup of coffee! paypal.me/cbconfidential And for more info check out  www.coverbandconfidential.com

    What Do You Do When Your Regular Gig Disappears?

  7. Aug 7

    The Fantasy of the Perfect Band Lineup (and the Trade-Offs You Can’t Avoid)

    The perfect band member is an incredible player, always available, completely prepared, easy to work with, affordable, ambitious—but not *too* ambitious—and somehow has nothing else happening in their life.Unfortunately, that person does not exist.Every musician brings a combination of talent, reliability, availability, personality, preparation, ambition, and baggage. The real question is not whether someone has flaws. It is whether your band can function with those particular flaws—and whether the problem is actually the musician or the position they have been hired to fill.This week, we discuss:• The unavoidable trade-offs involved in hiring musicians• Why great players are not always the best band members• Choosing availability and reliability over raw talent• What an audition can—and cannot—tell you• The danger of hiring someone based on imagined potential• Separating personal preferences from actual deal breakers• Why repeatedly replacing the same position may reveal a structural problem• How clear expectations, communication, calendars, charts, practice tracks, payment systems, and defined leadership make imperfect lineups work• Why predictability may be more valuable than perfectionWe also get an update on Dan’s attempt to restage his band, consider a potential live band karaoke pivot, fall into Adam’s latest impossible-guitar rabbit hole, explore the very sparkly world of Cream Guitars, and revisit notable CBC episodes from this week in the show’s history.Try JamZone Premium free for 30 days: https://jamzone.com/l/pro/CBCJZWhat quality comes first when you hire a musician: talent, reliability, availability, preparation, or personality? What have you learned never to compromise on?Leave a comment or email us at [coverbandconfidential@gmail.com](mailto:coverbandconfidential@gmail.com).Cover Band Confidential is the podcast for cover band musicians and band leaders who want to rock more and suck less.This week is CBC History:1 year ago Spicy Takes and Sore Fingers (aka Dan's first post-surgery gig) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2025-08-07T17_00_00-07_002 years ago 5 creative ways to engage with your audience! (on-stage and off) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2024-08-08T19_00_00-07_003 years ago When is it Time to Reevaluate? https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2023-08-10T19_00_00-07_004 years ago How To Get Started With In-Ear Monitors https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2022-08-11T17_58_07-07_005 years ago Setlist and Flow (AmberCast Part Deux) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2021-08-12T19_09_44-07_006 years ago CBC #114 (Song Selection Revisited) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2020-08-06T19_31_27-07_007 years ago CBC #062 (Mike Schulte of The Pork Tornadoes) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2019-08-07T19_26_28-07_008 years ago CBC Episode 019 (Coming Clean) https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/coverbandconfidential/episodes/2018-08-10T04_16_16-07_00#CoverBand #BandLeader #WorkingMusician #GiggingMusician #BandAdvice00:00 Cold Open and Introductions00:55 Restaging the Band02:31 Gear Quest and Cream Guitars06:40 Jam Zone Promo Housekeeping07:35 This Week in CBC History11:23 Perfect Lineup Fantasy15:09 Defining the Ideal Member17:41 Tradeoffs and Reality Checks20:00 Choosing the Right Flaws21:03 Availability vs Skill21:44 What the Gig Requires24:33 Auditions Miss the Truth26:15 Is the Chair on Fire30:42 Hiring on Hope32:55 Preferences vs Dealbreakers37:43 Predictability and Systems42:26 Listener Scenario and Wrap

    The Fantasy of the Perfect Band Lineup (and the Trade-Offs You Can’t Avoid)

  8. Jul 30

    Fender’s CEO Called Cover Bands “Analog AI”... So We Had to Respond

    This week, Adam recaps a nearly perfect live band karaoke night, including a packed room, a prospective wedding client who actually showed up, singing with his dad, and a sound engineer powering through a broken foot. The guys also introduce a new look back at this week in Cover Band Confidential history before abandoning the planned topic entirely to address Fender CEO Bud Cole’s comparison of cover bands to “analog AI.” It is an analogy that manages to misunderstand cover musicians, generative AI, copyright, royalties, musicianship, and a significant portion of Fender’s own customer base all at once. Adam and Dan break down why performing an existing song is not remotely the same as generating content from uncredited source material, how working bands help sustain the music economy, and why Fender probably should not diminish the musicians buying its instruments. Cover bands are not artificial intelligence. We are actual intelligence. Most of us, anyway.Episode Links: -Block Parties, Bombshells, and Bloody Knuckles- 08-01-25 -Music, Politics (and the art of keeping your mouth shut)- 07-25-24 -The Three Things You Need To Succeed- 07-27-23 -Weaponizing The Audience's Nostalgia- 07-28-22 -The Magic Word 07-29-2021 -Nick Niespodziani of Yacht Rock Revue (Vulture Article this week) 07-2020 -061 (Running your Band like a Business)- 07-29-19 -018 (Finding bandmates and building relationships with venues) 07-26-2018 Sweetwater Affilate Link: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/xJE4rk   BACTrack Affiliate Link: https://www.bactrack.com/coverbandconfidential   MaestroDMX (10% off discount link): https://maestrodmx.com/discount/DISCOUNT4CBC?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fmaestrodmx 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 with your friends!   BANDLEADER RESOURCES: https://www.coverbandconfidential.com/links  Consider supporting us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/coverbandconfidential

    Fender’s CEO Called Cover Bands “Analog AI”... So We Had to Respond
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4.8
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Cover Band Confidential is the podcast for working musicians, bandleaders, and gigging players who want to make more money, book better gigs, build stronger bands, and run their music career like a business.

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