The Pitch
Cover bands come in all shapes, sizes and levels of sophistication: bellowing pub rockers, sleek corporate chart disco combos, note-perfect tribute bands, or big-band salutes to an era. So, what exactly is a “classic bar band” versus a cover band?
It’s a concept all its own, says The Pragmatics’ lead singer Dan Murphy (“not that one”).
For us, a classic bar band is an ideal. Think of a raucous, skinny-jeaned bunch of long hairs behind chicken wire in an American bar, cranking out great rock and good times, while the audience goes completely berserk, whisky in one hand and the other punching the air.
It’s that feeling of total abandon, on stage and off. Fully letting your hair down: that’s a bar band.
“Classic Bar Band” is a moniker and concept that has kept The Pragmatics busy for much of the last decade, playing hundreds of shows in pubs, dive bars and clubs, while also scaling up for town halls, corporate events, weddings, birthdays, basketball arenas, car parks, breweries and amusement parks.
The choice of material is not about sticking to an era or style, Murphy says, but leaning into their strengths whatever the song.
We quickly realised that if you play ’em like you wrote ’em with the right mix of sweat and sweet, people really respond. We have a ball; everybody has a ball.
The Pragmatics’ playlist takes in decades of great songs delivered with grit and soul, with anthems, fresh takes on classics and tasty surprises.
We often joke that we’re one of the few bands that can convincingly swing from Rod Stewart to Queen, The Velvet Underground to Simple Minds, the Killers to Fleetwood Mac.
Qirkz in the Hunter proprietor Yaron Hallis says that The Pragmatics exceed expectations of the cover-band genre and that seeing is believing.
Sure, party bands are everywhere, but few have this energy, this magic. What The Pragmatics do is unique. It’s raucous and full-blooded, with four-part harmonies and killer takes on great song choices - there is something for every music fan.
Photo credit: @wampeanut.