Tribute bands - Soundalike vs Lookalike

[Nibody]

I’ve seen a few and know a few guys in some. Personally I would rather hear a band that does an accurate sounding set than one that is passable but “dresses up” to extremes and tries (often more than not fails) to lookalike via wigs and costumes. I can see the value if the band it is a Trubute to are known for a particular image (Say Ghost, Queen, Kiss, Bowie,some 80s bands etc) but if it is a band that’s fairly non descript and Everyman I cant see the point of wearing ridiculous wigs for example to look like Dave  Grohl. What are your thoughts? Image over sound/sound over image/just don’t care?

[Nail Soup]

44 minutes ago, Nibody said:

I can see the value if the band it is a Trubute to are known for a particular image (Say Ghost, Queen, Kiss, Bowie,some 80s bands etc) but if it is a band that’s fairly non descript and Everyman I cant see the point of wearing ridiculous wigs for example to look like Dave  Grohl. What are your thoughts?

I saw a pic the other day (might have been on BC?) of a Queen tribute. Freddie, Brian and Roger all were dressed/wigged up. John was just wearing what he wore all day.

I think that may underline your point!

[Lozz196]

If it can’t be both (providing image essential as you say) then sound. If I’m going to see, let’s say an AC/DC tribute I don’t really care what they look like, I just want to hear those songs being played well. So what if the lead guitarist is in jeans instead of a schoolboy outfit, as long as he nails those solos all is well in the world.

Edited July 25, 2021 by Lozz196
Autocorrect changed my darn words

[ezbass]

Music first, always. I was in a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tribute, we didn’t dress up at all (other than TP and Mike Campbell, they were quite nondescript) but we aimed to get the music as spot on as possible. It’s nice if the front person/s make an effort, not so it’s a parody, but it doesn’t really matter if they just go on as themselves. 

[Doctor J]

There are few things worse than a tribute band who go half-arsed into the looky-likey side of it, be it through crap, cheap looking wigs and clothes or only one or two of them doing it at all. Step forward Slash from your average Guns 'n' Roses tribute. If you're going to do the Stars in Your Eyes thing, take it very seriously or do not bother at all.

 

It should go without saying that a tribute act should have the music nailed and nailed hard.

[Doctor J]

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

I saw a pic the other day (might have been on BC?) of a Queen tribute. Freddie, Brian and Roger all were dressed/wigged up. John was just wearing what he wore all day.

I think that may underline your point!

Was it Mick Mason, the scammer from Leicester on Facebook?

[Nibody]

44 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Music first, always. I was in a Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tribute, we didn’t dress up at all (other than TP and Mike Campbell, they were quite nondescript) but we aimed to get the music as spot on as possible. It’s nice if the front person/s make an effort, not so it’s a parody, but it doesn’t really matter if they just go on as themselves. 

 

53 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

If it can’t be both (providing image essential as you say) then sound. If I’m going to see, let’s say an AC/DC tribute I don’t really care what they look like, I just want to hear those songs being played well. So what if the lead guitarist is in jeans instead of a schoolboy outfit, as long as he nails those solos all is well in the world.

I fall firmly in the camp of sound over image, though as Lozz says - if its done tastefully and well it can be a plus. I remember seeing AB/CD in the 90's - "Bon" and "Angus" really pulled it off well image and mannerisms/stage prescence wiseand the band sounded spot on.

[chris_b]

The closest I've been to a tribute band was gigging with a band who were "playing the music of. . . . . . " Musically it was pretty close but, thankfully, there was no attempt to dress the part.

[Nibody]

4 minutes ago, Doctor J said:

There are few things worse than a tribute band who go half-arsed into the looky-likey side of it, be it through crap, cheap looking wigs and clothes or only one or two of them doing it at all. Step forward Slash from your average Guns 'n' Roses tribute. If you're going to do the Stars in Your Eyes thing, take it very seriously or do not bother at all.

 

It should go without saying that a tribute act should have the music nailed and nailed hard.

I remember a Thin Lizzy Tribute (I won't name them) getting sollidly stoned by hardcore Lizzy fans due to hillariously bad Wigs, and although they were fine musicians they just didnt sound even vaguely like Thin Lizzy.

[Baxlin]

Sound again for me.  The best tribute band I’ve seen in recent years is The Dung Beatles, a 5-piece, all of shall we say “mature” age group, and with no attempt whatsoever to be lookalikes.  But brilliant Sound-a-likes.

[jezzaboy]

For me the sound is far more important. Our previous Angus used to dress in the school uniform until one day he turned up in jeans and informed us he had sold it to some guy. After that he wore jeans and as our crowd are hardcore Dc fans, they usually gave him one of their cut off denim jacket full of patches to wear which made the fans very happy.

 

The guitarist`s use a SG and a Malcolm lookalike Gretch but I play whatever bass I feel like.

[Lozz196]

Well Cliff did use a few different basses, seen him with Stingrays and Precisions (always seem to be his favoured sunburst/maple tho).

[dmccombe7]

I'm in a 70's Glam Rock covers band and altho we dont try to be anyone or band in particular we do wear the wigs and the jackets are all authentic made by the very same guy that made outfits for Glitter Band, some Bowie outfits and some Sweet kit but he is known mainly for the Glitter Band outfits.

We know him thru our drummer who played with Glitter Band in 90's era

 

We are very focused on sounding like the original bands but the outfits are just part of the show and creates an element of fun as you can see in my avatar.

 

When it comes to tribute bands i like the music to spot on. If a band can look like the originals i think it brings another element to the show. They dont need to be spitting image accurate but similar for me. But the music has to be good first.

Dave

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

It's the music all the way as far as I'm concerned, but I'll add that to be a successful tribute, I think you need to put a bit of effort in regarding the look as well.

 

There are tributes that overload on the image to mask their deficiencies in their playing capabilities. I won't name names, but for some reason most audiences seem oblivious.

 

It's a constant frustration of mine as I'm in three different tributes myself.

 

To answer the original question, it's the bands that nail both that really fly

[ubit]

I think if a tribute band only had the look but didn't sound much like the originals you might be a bit disappointed. Then again you might be a band that just covers songs from all one band. If that was the case and you didn't sound like the originals again, folk would be disappointed. I have never played in a tribute band but if I was I would try to nail both aspects. The best tribute bands or at least the most well known tribute bands always try to nail the look as well as the sound, although I did see a Led Zeppelin tribute once where the band made no effort to look like LZ but by heck they sounded exactly like them. Same with a Pink Floyd tribute band. I think if the band look like the band they are imitating it adds to the visuals, especially if you have something like an AC/DC tribute. Then again if someone can play like Angus Young but looks nothing remotely like him that could look quite comical if he tries.

[Nail Soup]

Once you are into pukka tributes then soundalike is a given.

The audience are also their to have fun, so making some effort on the looks front is important towards that.

 

There is also "act-a-like"... for example I saw a Stones trib a couple of years ago and not only Mick, but Keith and Ronnie, had worked on all the mannerisms and stage routines etc.

 

I think it depends on the band too. A Pink Floyd or Genesis trib may attract an audience of "chin-strokers", but Stones or Bowie a more fun-oriented crowd. 

[Woodinblack]

22 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

I think it depends on the band too. A Pink Floyd or Genesis trib may attract an audience of "chin-strokers", but Stones or Bowie a more fun-oriented crowd. 

 

I think also that Pink Floyd or Genesis as a group didn't really have that much of a look. They were just the group far away and you couldn't really see them anyway. 

[dmccombe7]

Chin-strokers. 😀

Never heard that before. I like it and i'd probably be one. 😂

Dave

[Mykesbass]

32 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

Once you are into pukka tributes then soundalike is a given.

The audience are also their to have fun, so making some effort on the looks front is important towards that.

 

There is also "act-a-like"... for example I saw a Stones trib a couple of years ago and not only Mick, but Keith and Ronnie, had worked on all the mannerisms and stage routines etc.

 

I think it depends on the band too. A Pink Floyd or Genesis trib may attract an audience of "chin-strokers", but Stones or Bowie a more fun-oriented crowd. 

Saw Jimmie Vaughan at Hammersmith Odeon a few years back and 'Robert Plant' from one of the top Zep tributes of the time was in the audience. The amount of attention he was getting in the Bar, Jimmie could have probably walked straight past unnoticed.

[dmccombe7]

7 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I think also that Pink Floyd or Genesis as a group didn't really have that much of a look. They were just the group far away and you couldn't really see them anyway. 

I saw a Genesis / Phil Collins tribute show at a bike rally in St Tropez few yrs back and they had a Phil look-a-like and a Peter Gabriel look-a-like. Both sounded very much like the originals. Rest of the band looked normal but the show was excellent. Gabriel look-a-like  did come out with some of the costumes too. He didnt have the shaved front of his hair tho 😀

 

Dave

[Mykesbass]

8 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Chin-strokers. 😀

Never heard that before. I like it and i'd probably be one. 😂

Dave

Sometimes called IBMs, intense bearded men 😄

[Mykesbass]

13 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

I think also that Pink Floyd or Genesis as a group didn't really have that much of a look. They were just the group far away and you couldn't really see them anyway. 

My mate from school was percussionist on the Pulse tour (and the one before that). He said the band had a great time on tour as they never got pestered in hotels or walking about town as very few people recognised them.

[Mickeyboro]

8 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

My mate from school was percussionist on the Pulse tour (and the one before that). He said the band had a great time on tour as they never got pestered in hotels or walking about town as very few people recognised them.

At a Cream reunion gig in 2005 people started to take cameraphone photos of me! I turned to see Ringo, Paul and wives plus Tom Hanks in a private box!

[Mykesbass]

1 minute ago, Mickeyboro said:

At a Cream reunion gig in 2005 people started to take cameraphone photos of me! I turned to see Ringo, Paul and wives plus Tom Hanks in a private box!

Had a similar one when I took Peter Green to see Fleetwood Mac, and Mick Fleetwood pointed him out to the crowd!

[Trueno]

It has to be sound over image.

 

I once played sax in a Springsteen tribute… I definitely didn’t look like Clarence.