Under the cover of darkness: Situating “covers gigs” within live music ecologies

Abstract

This chapter examines two live pop music ecologies within Sydney, Australia, in order to suggest how the performance of either “cover” or “original” songs shapes these spaces. Often, studies of live music have focused on original live music scenes without distinguishing between the originality of the music being performed. The chapter considers how the geography, space, purpose, labor conditions, and status of “covers gigs” can represent a distinct part of a live music ecology. By fleshing out these distinctions, it asks how they might influence ideas about the value of live music and the challenges it faces. The chapter examines the covers scene in Sydney between 2005 and 2015, by drawing from an autoethnography and interviews with four musicians and promoters.