Pete Academy

Imagine playing in a Yes, Chili Peppers, Dream Theater, Toto, Beatles, Who, Zappa, Level 42, Rush, Steely Dan, Cream, Stevie Wonder, Led Zep, EWF, etc, etc, tribute and getting to play all those great bass parts? What's wrong with that?

My 79 Jazz. Bought it last year.

Nearly Dan play the Pacific Road Arts in Birkenhead this Saturday 12 March.

They should be in shops by the end of this month. I'm looking forward to ours coming in.

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1154630' date='Mar 8 2011, 10:05 PM']Not embittered exactly Pete, I just find the idea of an endlessly diminishing cycle of tribute bands stretching into the future slightly depressing. The British Pink Floyd show recently played at the Liverpool Echo arena – a great band’s music is being turned into a kind of musical theatre. It’s Elvis doing vegas, it’s the Coen brothers remaking True Grit, it’s just …..a bit crap somehow. We obviously have very different points of view on this. I don't exclusively blame tribute bands for the state of the live music scene, but I don't believe that they contribute anything terribly positive either, quite the contrary in fact. Ok, clearly some people find them entertaining. I’ve seen a couple myself in the past, but didn’t find it very rewarding tbh. I can appreciate good musicianship, but as an end in itself I just don’t see the point. For me, a great gig is not necessarily about good musicianship, or playing a song immaculately, it’s that certain something that gives you that little buzz when you go home. I don’t doubt your commitment to what you do and I’m sure that after 14 years you are very good at it. Fair enough. I’m clearly in a minority with regards to this, at least on here, so I’m not going to bang on again more. Have a good gig at the Pacific, it’s a decent venue, which sadly doesn’t support local artists very much. Be sure to check out KGB music - he’s a local guitar builder whose shop is in the same building as the theatre - I have one of his early handmade basses![/quote] Good post.

Jelly, you seem to be an embittered soul. If our band offered you an opening slot, would you lower yourself to take it? What kind of band/music do you play that you can't get gigs and blame it on tribute bands? Using our band as a model (and I'm not using this as publicity), we have ten members, seven of which are professional musicians. We have been gigging all over the UK for 14 years, and have played many crap venues for little money. The band wasn't formed as a money-making venture, but as something whereby we could play the music we really liked. Our singer sounds nothing like Donald Fagen. We enjoy what we do, and it comes over in the live shows. It has been a hard slog to attain our reputation, not to mention many hours spent learning the songs. I have seen a few tribute bands - especially a Chilli Peppers tribute from Birmingham, who were amazing musicians - and Limehouse Lizzy. I loved them. They played the songs immaculately, and with the utmost musicianship. It was very[i] entertaining[/i]. And Bilbo, as much as you hate tributes, there's no denying you play jazz and pop covers, and are as guilty as the rest of us. Please stop trying to deny this. Sorry, mate, but it's becoming tedious.

[quote name='cetera' post='1154137' date='Mar 8 2011, 05:32 PM']Really?! I've found that we have a whole new younger generation of fans coming along to see us because we play great anthemic songs they can get into, to a high standard, and with a full production show to go with it - adding excitement, a feeling of being 'part of something' & value for money. Many of these kids have never/are never likely to see older legenday bands like KISS & for them this is a chance for them to discover new 'old' music which then leads onto other classic rock acts and a healthy interest in newer rock bands, keeping the 'live rock' scene alive for new bands... Really chaps, this argument has been done to death & the level of resentment and bitterness is misplaced. There is a HUGE amount of talent in many tribute bands and indeed there is a lot to be said for the musical discipline required to do it to a high standard. Many/most successful tribute musicians have paid their dues in original bands themselves (& still do on the side) so find it's curious that they are met with such bitterness for enjoying their craft and providing enjoyment to others by actually leaving their bedrooms and playing live for people... Is your originals band not popular enough? Write some good songs, put some energy into your performance, organise your OWN gigs, promote them well, use social networking media to it's max, organise a street team & get good product together while making a name for yourselves. You could even maybe do that instead of spending time moaning/hating on online forums! [/quote] Couldn't have put it better myself.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1154074' date='Mar 8 2011, 04:57 PM']Its the Macdonaldsisation of music. Tribute bands are small franchises of the bands they copy. Loads of people like them but they are ultimately lacking in nutrition and probably rot your teeth.[/quote] Only if you're a tribute to Sweet.

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1154030' date='Mar 8 2011, 04:40 PM']Ok, so was Jimmy Hendrix giving the audience what they wanted? Frank Zappa? Pink Floyd? Maybe, once they'd built a fanbase and released a few records, but certainly not in the first instance. SteveK is dead right when he talks about many musicians now seeming to lacking the courage of their convictions to do what [i]they[/i] want, not simply regurgitate someone else's musical vomit. I think audiences [i]are[/i] generally sheep - if you give 'em the same old same old, they will continue to suck it up. If you at least try and give 'em something different, then maybe if you're very lucky they just might go for it. But if they never get to hear it, then... welcome the homogenised world of Cowell et al. Low cal music as part of a sensible lifestyle choice. Yuk.[/quote] I've written and recorded my own music, and played in numerous original bands over the years. I'm happy enough playing someone else's musical vomit these days.

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1153886' date='Mar 8 2011, 02:47 PM']Ooooh, touchy!!! [b]Yes it is, and no I don't think so. I love Steely Dan too...maybe i'll just put a CD on instead.[/b] Puke, i don't thinks so.... No egos in our band and I'm not blaming anyone for my 'lack of success'. I might have had some aspirations in that direction 20 years ago, but now I'd just like to get a few more gigs and have somewhere local to go to see some original music. 20 odd years ago there were loads of pubs and a couple of clubs in Wirral that put original bands on. Now there are bugger all, but there are loads that put covers and tribute bands on. Some of them are the very same venues. Maybe it's different in other areas, but I can only go on my own experience of the local music scene. Tonight Matthew, I'm going to be...[/quote] Oh come on, you know you want to...

[quote name='JellyKnees' post='1153751' date='Mar 8 2011, 01:33 PM']It all depends on why you play music in the first play. I play (and write) music as a creative outlet. There's nothing very creative about doing covers, unless you're going to do something radical with them, in which case you're probably not going to get much work. Tribute bands, by their very nature, offer zilch room for creativity. The reason they suck is that they are killing the market for original music by creating a nice safe entertainment form for pubs and clubs to offer to the public. They are the flip side to the cheesiness that is the Stars in Their Eyes, the X Factor etc... If there are no (or very few) outlets left for original live music, then how are new bands going to develop in the first play? How will anyone ever know if they are any good or not? So don't give me all the crap excuses about entertaining the public.[/quote] Brokenhead? Is that Birkenhead? Will I be seeing you at Pacific Arts on Saturday?

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='1152955' date='Mar 7 2011, 08:41 PM']So-called originals bands are quite capable of sucking too - usually 'cos they have poor material.[/quote] Agreed. The young lads I work with are all going for cover material after trying their own songs. It's all about playing, not sitting in your bedroom.

I've said this before - tributes to the Chili Peppers, Yes, Rush, Zappa, Led Zep, etc, are people that love that music enough to want to be able to play it. What's wrong with that? I have seen a Chili Peppers tribute from Birmingham a few times and have been in awe of the bass playing. It's entertainment.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='1152916' date='Mar 7 2011, 08:20 PM']I just ate 48 Jaffa Cakes in one sitting.A new personal best. Now that was an original reply. Tribute bands suck,btw.[/quote] Why do you think they suck?

Just had a quick scan. Some great stuff in there.

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1152850' date='Mar 7 2011, 07:38 PM']Don't gloat, PA.....[/quote]

Cracking version of 'Black Friday' you posted recently, Bilbo.

I don't play in a tribute band, I play in a 'revue'.

Thought this might be useful. Looks good. [url="http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/bp_playbass/#/0"]http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/newbay/bp_playbass/#/0[/url]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1144707' date='Feb 28 2011, 05:49 PM']The Brothers Johnson... Do it for Love... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAItjRaoThI&feature=player_embedded#at=119"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAItjRaoThI...embedded#at=119[/url][/quote] Sublime.

[quote name='bubinga5' post='1135736' date='Feb 21 2011, 04:41 PM']for real... he has always been THE rapper for me... RIP.. this is bad ass.. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGpvI9vN9qU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGpvI9vN9qU[/url][/quote] Wow...great track.

In this issue, yet another feature that ends abruptly with no

Does anyone know how he would have achieved such a huge recorded tone in the studio? I've often wondered.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D91QTl27Jsc"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D91QTl27Jsc[/url] Amazing bass sound on this track.