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 and Showcases [2026] (41–50)
My Past Life, Many Lifetimes AgoRADWIMPS
It’s a moving song that portrays a love that transcends time and space.
It’s a track by RADWIMPS, released in August 2016.
Used as an insert song in director Makoto Shinkai’s animated film “Your Name.”, it became a massive hit.
The lyrics about a fateful encounter and eternal love strike a chord.
The driving melody and powerful vocals are striking, and listening to it really lifts your spirits! This piece became beloved by many, even charting on the Billboard JAPAN Hot 100 for 63 consecutive weeks.
Highly recommended for those who want to sing with feelings for the one they love.
Precious thingsroodo obu mejyaa
Released in September 2002 as Road of Major’s indie debut single, this song delivers a refreshing ode to the importance of friendship and hope for the future.
Its driving melody and energetic sound give you the courage to overcome farewells with friends and take a bold new step forward.
Despite being an indie release, it spent 19 consecutive weeks in the Oricon Top 10 and achieved an astonishing total of 900,000 copies sold.
In 2009, it was also featured in a Taiwanese commercial for the Mazda Mazda3, drawing attention both at home and abroad.
Play it at a school festival or live show, and it’s guaranteed to bring the entire venue together in excitement.
A moving classic that colors a page of youth spent with friends.
AM11:00HY
When it comes to love songs, it has to be HY! They sparked a huge craze among middle and high school students.
In bands, the guys who are popular can sing HY.
If it’s a mixed-gender band, it’s nice to split parts a bit and sing as a duo, and make sure to add proper harmonies.
Mass-produced boyfriendSHISHAMO
If you’re a beginner who wants to play girls’ rock in a three-piece band, how about this song? Its bright melody and bouncy rhythm will let you feel the joy of playing together as a band.
When you’re practicing on your own, you’ll surely find yourself thinking, “I can’t wait to get into the studio and play with the members!”
20th Century BoyT-REX
This song features powerful guitar riffs and a catchy melody.
Released as a single in 1973, it reached No.
3 on the UK Singles Chart.
The album Electric Warrior is widely recognized as a landmark of glam rock.
It’s said that Marc Bolan of T.
Rex drew inspiration from being told by a young fan, “I want to be a rock star like you.” It could be fun to put on a flashy air-band performance as a side act, too.
Recommended for those who want to nail a cool song live.
Psychic Lockyangusukinii
“Youngski” aka Young Skinny’s track Mental Rock is definitely a punk rock tune that will hype up any crowd if you cover it live.
There are surely plenty of bands who want to take the stage with this song.
For performance tips: first, the vocalist needs to deliver the high register and rapid-fire lyrics straight and passionately.
The guitar should be raw yet crisp; even with mainly power chords, you can capture the original’s drive.
That said, try to recreate the countermelody-like phrase that keeps ringing beneath the chorus as much as possible.
For the rhythm section, it’s perfect if you can even reproduce the distinctive snare sound, but at the very least, aim for a dynamic contrast: go wild in the pre-chorus part where the bass and drums rampage, then lock in tight for the chorus.
To tell you the truth,yangusukinii
Young Skinny’s “Hontou wa ne,” released in 2022, is a track also included on the album “I Thought Anything Would Be Forgiven If I Turned It Into a Song.” The gentle atmosphere—like letting out hidden feelings and one’s own vulnerabilities—comes through in the sound as well.
With a calm tempo and a structure that layers each phrase, the piece is perfect for practicing the finer techniques that articulate those phrases.
It may be important to play each note with certainty, yet with a sense of lightness, aligning your breathing with one another as you perform.
