Forming more than five years ago, Jersey Shore cover band Headtripp has had a revolving door of band members, but for more than a year the current lineup has little reason to change.
"Everyone gets along very well -- there is no drama, only four of us in the band and we're all friends," said Nate Ross, lead singer and emcee for Headtripp.
All four members call New Jersey home, and they rehearse in Sayreville. The band's diverse repertoire has allowed Headtripp to perform at such popular clubs as Jenkinson's in Point Pleasant Beach and Bar Anticipation in Lake Como.
Headtripp will be playing at the Downtown in Red Bank on Jan. 30 and Gypsy Bar in the Borgata in Atlantic City on Feb. 7. Ross recently spoke with Metromix Jersey Shore about breaking into the cover scene, the future of Headtripp and the special effects used in the band's shows.
What is the best thing about playing in a cover band?
Being able to still play music live. I think everyone starts off playing original music, but it's tough when you get to a certain point. You can only play original music for so long; it only works for as long as you can get your family and friends to come out to hear your music. Getting paid is one thing, but playing for the sole reason of loving to play music and being able to play live is the best thing about playing in a cover band.
What songs and type of music go over best right now?
Right now, the stuff that goes over the biggest are our hip-hop medleys like Kanye West's "Stronger." Our version is big, a lot of big guitars -- it sounds like the [original] song, but ours is a little rocked-up version. "Flow Rider" is also in that medley. There was a time, like a couple of years ago, where a lot of modern rock ... were the hits, but that doesn't seem to go over as well anymore.
Are there any songs that are timeless?
One thing we try to get away from is doing all the staple songs that every other cover band does. I don't want to do Bon Jovi every night, I don't want to do Def Leppard every night. I think you can find other songs that people will enjoy just as much and they don't have to hear those staple songs. Every other cover band that you see is playing the same exact songs. You know when you hear a jukebox song and realize that you like it after it's played? We like to introduce songs that we know people will like but aren't played as often by cover bands.
How often does the band add new songs?
We're pretty vigilant about adding new songs. We like to at least get a few new songs a month; we're big on medleys, adding together five songs in a 12-minute span. It seems with the new MTV generation, people don't want to hear whole songs. You give them the best part, a taste of the song, and move on. We do like to play whole songs, but after a while, even we'll get sick of it and put the best part of the song into a medley.
What were some recent additions to your songlist?
Bobby Brown's" My Prerogative" and the new Fall Out Boy song, which gave us a little bit of a curve because not too many people are familiar with it yet. We try to keep ahead of the game.
Does the band use any special effects onstage?
Our show has a whole automated light show. It helps to have a cyborg in the band because our drummer is basically a robot. We just bought the lights before he came into the band and none of us knew how to work them, and it took him two months to figure it all out. He has lighting software that he rigged to every single song, [the lights are] in sync with a certain click that he fixed to our songs.
In your opinion, how competitive are the cover bands at the Jersey Shore?
I would say they're really competitive. If you're talking about the top bands that get the best venues, especially in the times like today, there are only a handful of venues that bands want to be playing at. In the summer, it's Osprey, Jenkinsons and Bar A, and there are only so many nights that you can get bands in those places so its pretty competitive.
It's a tough scene to break into and stay in; some places have built-in crowds, but some you have to draw in. As far as being competitive with other musicians, I try not to be too critical of other bands. They do what they do and we do what we do; everybody's got their own thing. When you get lined up with other bands, like a showcase or a Jenks anniversary show, every band gets a little competitive -- and of course you want to blow the other band off the stage.
