One thing that I don’t get is the appeal of a coverband to a performer in one. What I mean by that, is your art is 100% other people’s art. You are taking something that someone else did the work on and taking credit. You are relating to the audience through other people’s art, which makes you a craftsman, not an artist. I guess if that’s your goal, then that works.
This relates to magic, not just music. After David Copperfield did his snow routine on TV, and Kevin James started selling the prop, 99% of routines that were presented were about someone “never having seen snow”. This dumbs down magic. It gives performers a false feeling that they are artists, but it’s also why a lot of magic isn’t taken seriously.
Magicians say they are unique and this is the problem. If you say in your promo you have a unique take on magic, or a show unlike any other and you do standard tricks the standard way, you are doing everyone who is an artist a disservice.
I you are a magician that does tricks the bought and presents them in a way that’s standard, you should bill your show as “classics of magic” or something like that. I know we’re all guilty of having done standard stuff in the normal way, that’s part of the learning process. At some point you have to decide if you’re going to be a 1980’s cover band or Bon Jovi.