Tribute bands

[steantval]

2 hours ago, police squad said:

I'm in a Police tribute.

We take the whole thing seriously. 

I look quite a bit like Sting, I try and copy how he moves on stage and play replicas of his basses, matched with the outfit he mainly wore with whatever bass I'm using.

Guitarist has a Telecaster that has been 'Andy Summers' by 'The Painted Player' guitar company

Drummer has old Tama kit, in one of the colours that Stewart used, octobans too.

Live, we play the studio versions but sometimes make them longer, depending on the length of the show.

One of our first gigs was at a festival in Crete. Matala. We played to thousands of people with a back drop of caves.

I've included a few pics, it was THE most amazing gig of my life. We went on at 1.30am just after some big Greek star.

Obviously the guitarist is playing the Red Strat (like Andy's) but not the Tele.

 

Our Free tribute band were offered Lindos Rock in Rhodes, Greece a few years back.

Our guitarist was a teacher and unfortunately it was during term time and he could not get the time off.

 

[PaulWarning]

24 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I formed/joined a Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers tribute last year, a few months before TP passed away. I was all for chucking it in as I didn't want it to appear that we were cashing in on his demise. However, after some soul searching and some positive comments along the lines of, "No, you should still do it, Tom would approve," some of them on this esteemed forum, we decided to keep going. Only two gigs thus far, but we're going into the studio next week to record some promotional material (I'll share here when they're mixed). We don't try to look like TP & The HBs, but we do try to nail the songs correctly, either studio or live performances. We are, wait for it, The Heartfakers.

Don't think you should bill yourself as a tribute then, just a Tom Petty covers band, nothing wrong with that it's just that I feel disappointed if a tribute doesn't look the part 

[skankdelvar]

30 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

Don't think you should bill yourself as a tribute then, just a Tom Petty covers band, nothing wrong with that it's just that I feel disappointed if a tribute doesn't look the part 

There is a middle way which avoids confusion and visual incongruity: The Heartfakers - A Tribute to the Music of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

Edited May 14, 2018 by skankdelvar

[Woodinblack]

36 minutes ago, PaulWarning said:

Don't think you should bill yourself as a tribute then, just a Tom Petty covers band, nothing wrong with that it's just that I feel disappointed if a tribute doesn't look the part 

Maybe it is a personal thing then as for me there is nothing worse than a tribute band trying to look and act like the original, but I know a lot do. Not that I am a fan of tributes anyway, but the dressing up thing for me is just one step too far.

[josie]

20 hours ago, FinnDave said:

I play in a Grateful Dead tribute, and as the Dead played long gigs for 30 years and rarely played a song the same twice, we try to base our material on a blend of various interpretations the original band played. Makes for plenty of variety, and plenty of work learning it. No danger of getting bored with it, though!

OT, but can't resist: do you know the album "Grayfolded"?

"Grayfolded is a two-CD album produced by John Oswald featuring the Grateful Dead song "Dark Star". Using over a hundred different performances of the song, recorded live between 1968 and 1993, Oswald, using a process he calls "plunderphonics", built, layered, and "folded" all of them to produce two large, recomposed versions, each about one hour long." (Wikipedia)

[bigjohn]

I'm in a Neil Young tribute. https://www.facebook.com/rustforglory/

We just dress as ourselves and sometimes stick a hat on "Neil". Our drummer is a good lookalike for Billy Talbot but he ain't no bass player. 

 

[ezbass]

38 minutes ago, skankdelvar said:

There is a middle way which avoids confusion and visual incongruity: The Heartfakers - A Tribute to the Music of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers

This is exactly what we do.

[FinnDave]

58 minutes ago, josie said:

OT, but can't resist: do you know the album "Grayfolded"?

"Grayfolded is a two-CD album produced by John Oswald featuring the Grateful Dead song "Dark Star". Using over a hundred different performances of the song, recorded live between 1968 and 1993, Oswald, using a process he calls "plunderphonics", built, layered, and "folded" all of them to produce two large, recomposed versions, each about one hour long." (Wikipedia)

No, I've not come across that, but I'm listening to it now! We played a well-received 'Dark Star' at my first gig with the band at Hebden Bridge last Easter. It's an amazing track to play live, it takes you over completely and at the end of the track I found myself looking round and wondering where I'd been. Definitely a 'Long, Strange Trip!'

[mep]

Used to be in a Sterephonics tribute band sone years ago called Stereotonics. There was another band from up country with the same name but we didn't step on each others toes. 

Singer guitarist was Welsh, played a SG and looked a bit like Kelly.  We played songs from the first 3 albums before knocking it on the head. Had a blast playing some great songs at some great venues, especially the student scene. 

[Cat Burrito]

I play in a CCR tribute called Creedence Clearwater Revival Revival. It formed largely as a jokey conversation down the pub but we take it pretty seriously now. Two of the band are ex-pro (Chris the drummer was in Mega City Four and Richard the guitarist had some success with the Britpop era). Most of us do other bands but it's very much a social thing.

[Krysbass]

5 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Maybe it is a personal thing then as for me there is nothing worse than a tribute band trying to look and act like the original, but I know a lot do. Not that I am a fan of tributes anyway, but the dressing up thing for me is just one step too far.

Totally agree. 

The music and playing standard should always take priority over the visuals in my view.

If anyone in the band happens to look like one of the original band members; then that's maybe just a small bonus.

[Dad3353]

7 hours ago, josie said:

OT, but can't resist: do you know the album "Grayfolded"?...

Downloading as I type this; thanks for posting. I'm rather partial to a spot of 'Dark Star', so a couple of hours of it is right up my street. 

[Yank]

I played drums and did bv in a  Waylon Jennings tribute 3 piece  a few years back.  Before I auditioned,  I listened to a "best of" CD.  Very sparce drums.  Apparently,  no other drummer auditioning was willing or able to play so simply so I got the gig.  Was fun til I moved.

[Paul S]

I play in a Bon Jovi tribute band 'Just Jovi'.  We aim to reproduce the music as accurately as possible but, at the same time, do a bit of dressing up.  This side of it is very much tongue in cheek - singer will attempt an American accent but switch to his usual voice to make a comment now and then.  You can see in the pic below we are struggling to keep straight faces.... When we first started up I wasn't sure about the whole thing but now, a handful of gigs down the line, I absolutely love it.  It is very different to playing in a 'normal' pub band as the audience are there specifically because they are into the music - you get more back, I think.  Immense fun.

[oldslapper]

I dep'd in "Rod's Faces" a couple of years back. Great fun. The singer does the voice & look to a tee. Looks like I'll be doing a few more with them too.

I wasn't a fan of RS, but playing his back catalogue from Faces & solo material, is a blast. The audience love it too.

[toneknob]

I've been in four Genesis tribs, but not for the last ten years or so. Still got all the gear though, including Shergold double-neck and Moog Taurus. (For a short time I had Taurus 1 and Taurus 3 in the same house. Sadly playing both at the same time proved tricky due to insufficient limbs so the T1 is now has a new home and I spent the proceeds on living frivolously for a while).

[12stringbassist]

21 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Maybe it is a personal thing then as for me there is nothing worse than a tribute band trying to look and act like the original, but I know a lot do. Not that I am a fan of tributes anyway, but the dressing up thing for me is just one step too far.

Sometimes, you have to dress the part or it would be all wrong.
I didn't replicate Jim Lea's bass gear.

 

[petebassist]

5 hours ago, oldslapper said:

I dep'd in "Rod's Faces" a couple of years back. Great fun. The singer does the voice & look to a tee. Looks like I'll be doing a few more with them too.

Big fan, let me know where you're playing. The Faces were a super-group before the term was invented, awesome musicians. 

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, 12stringbassist said:

Sometimes, you have to dress the part or it would be all wrong.
I didn't replicate Jim Lea's bass gear.

In my world, there would be no way to make that right! 

[Dan Dare]

"Tribute" bands = sad nonsense. Don't care how good/"accurate" they are. Does anyone eat "tribute" (i.e. fake) food or drive a "tribute" car? Ridiculous.

[oldslapper]

14 minutes ago, Dan Dare said:

"Tribute" bands = sad nonsense. Don't care how good/"accurate" they are. Does anyone eat "tribute" (i.e. fake) food or drive a "tribute" car? Ridiculous.

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😃😃🙂🙂🙂😐😐😐😐😐😕😕😕😕😶😶

[jezzaboy]

1 hour ago, Dan Dare said:

"Tribute" bands = sad nonsense. Don't care how good/"accurate" they are. Does anyone eat "tribute" (i.e. fake) food or drive a "tribute" car? Ridiculous.

 

Thanks for your kind words, they really add something to this thread. 

 

[musicbassman]

Dear Dan Dare,

The word 'tribute' has nothing to do with 'fake'.

A 'tribute' is actually what is correctly known as a 'paean' - meaning  'a creative work expressing enthusiastic praise'  or ' an expression of praise or exultation' (Wikipedia)

This may all sound a bit nancy noo, but that's the way it is.

By the way, I personally am not a huge fan of tribute bands, but, hey..........................

 

[BreadBin]

Tribute cars? What, like the MINI, Fiat 500, New Beetle to name but a few.

Yeah, no-one buys those...

[steantval]

2 hours ago, Dan Dare said:

"Tribute" bands = sad nonsense. Don't care how good/"accurate" they are. Does anyone eat "tribute" (i.e. fake) food or drive a "tribute" car? Ridiculous.

How about posting a live video of your band and let the ridiculous tribute band bass players see what makes you so much better.

Edited May 15, 2018 by steantval