First live band performance: Popular recommended songs to cover for entertainment acts and showcases [2026]
For your first performance in front of an audience, it’s natural to feel nervous, and above all, to agonize over the setlist.
For beginner bands, I’ve picked out well-known bands and highly recognizable songs that are easy to play even for a first performance and are likely to get everyone excited.
Consider the age range of the people who’ll be there, and choose some good tracks from this list.
I hope you find a wonderful, perfect song worthy of your debut performance—and I wish you the best of luck!
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First Band Performance: Popular Recommended Songs to Cover for Entertainment/Showcases [2026] (31–40)
Love SongGO!GO!7188
It’s a classic by GO!GO!7188.
Not only the guitar, but the heavily distorted bass gives it a gritty, cool rock-ballad vibe.
Built on a canon progression with a slow tempo, it’s friendly for beginners too.
The lyrics are excellent, and I bet many people have heard it even if they don’t know the band or the song title.
Once you hear it, you won’t forget it—a wonderful track.
Just the two of usRADWIMPS
This is one of RADWIMPS’s popular songs, known to a wide range of generations thanks to the film Your Name.
This one is a love song.
RADWIMPS have a lot of love songs, but Futari-goto might be perfect for a wedding performance or the like.
Why not try covering it?
MissingELLEGARDEN
Released in 2007, “Missing” can rightly be called one of ELLEGARDEN’s signature songs.
With its easy-to-listen-to melody and a band sound that’s both poignant and intense, it’s beloved by listeners across many age groups.
The tempo is on the slower side, making it an accessible song for beginner bands to start with.
The Zero Sense10-FEET
It’s the ending theme of a high-energy basketball movie, produced by 10-FEET and released in December 2022.
With its simple yet catchy melody and rhythm, it’s easy for beginners to pick up and even went viral on TikTok.
The song is a tie-in with THE FIRST SLAM DUNK and portrays the feelings of young people striving toward their dreams.
The lyrics are filled with basketball terminology, which adds to its appeal.
It’s a track that really hypes up live audiences, making it perfect for performances or special events.
Consider it as a song that can create a strong sense of unity with the crowd.
flash[Alexandros]
![flash[Alexandros]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xfG6L9I7N8I/sddefault.jpg)
With its exhilarating guitar riffs, this powerful song is imbued with a strong will to face the future.
Created as the theme song for the film Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, [Alexandros] released this work in May 2021.
The protagonist’s journey of overcoming past fears to become a new self resonates perfectly with the band’s fresh start as they officially welcomed Ibu Riad as a member.
The grand music video shot in a factory drew significant attention, and by May 2023 the song surpassed 100 million streams.
It has become a work loved by a wide audience beyond Gundam fans.
If performed on a school festival stage, it would likely envelop the entire venue in an overwhelming sense of unity.
First Band Performance: Popular Recommended Songs to Cover for Entertainment and Showcases [2026] (41–50)
Be kind to othersTHE BLUE HEARTS
Countless people started their band activities by covering this song.
Released as an indie single in 1987, it’s one of The Blue Hearts’ signature tracks.
Its energetic feel really amps you up—this is the quintessential Blue Hearts sound.
The lyrics are notable for calling for kindness and compassion toward people.
It was also used as an insert song in the 1989 film “Juliet Game,” which helped it reach an even wider audience.
Its simple, powerful message and catchy melody are still loved by many fans today.
Since it uses few chords and mostly the basics, it’s a great stepping stone when you move on to other songs!
youth↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓
A song that captures the exhilaration and bittersweet ache of youth, striking straight to the heart.
One of THE HIGH-LOWS’ signature tracks, it was released as a single in May 2000 and gained attention as the theme song for the NTV drama “Legendary Teacher.” It peaked at No.
8 on the Oricon charts and was later featured in a SoftBank commercial in 2019.
With its simple, powerful rhythm and catchy melody, it’s easy to tackle even for first-time band performances and is perfect for getting the audience energized as one.
Ideal for those who cherish memories from their school days or want to hold on to fleeting moments of youth.
Through this song, why not awaken the passion sleeping in your heart?