Tribute bands. What do you expect?

[Leonard Smalls]

54 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

Go' for the profiteroles. A nice cuppa afterwards, naturally. 

That's rock and roll! 

I'd want a tribute act to be as accurate a portrayal as possible...

So a Who tribute would need a Rolls Royce, swimming pool and lots of kit to smash up.

A Snoop wannabe would need bling and a bong.

Motor-ahead would need crates of Jack, and Happy Tuesdays, their own E-(and everything else) factory! 

[gjones]

If you're going to be a tribute band then you have to try to be spot on with the music. You don't have to look anything like the band but the music should be as close as possible to the original.

 

Will Lee (the renowned session bass player) is a huge Beatles fan and has his own Beatles Tribute band called The Fab Faux. They don't look anything like the beatles but, as you can imagine, musically they are absolute perfection.

 

 

[paul_5]

1 hour ago, gjones said:

If you're going to be a tribute band then you have to try to be spot on with the music. You don't have to look anything like the band but the music should be as close as possible to the original.

But if you’ve spent all the time and effort it takes to get really close musically it takes comparatively little effort to change your shirt. 😉

[Bolo]

12 hours ago, paul_5 said:

But if you’ve spent all the time and effort it takes to get really close musically it takes comparatively little effort to change your shirt. 😉

No skirt change is going to make rag 'n bone man look like Kylie Minogue is it

[Marky L]

On 20/05/2024 at 23:13, steantval said:

Tried to start a Motley Crue tribute band up several years ago, we really were trying to replicate them musically and visually, after lots of auditions for the drummer, Tommy Lee, we had to give up as none of them had a really large penis 😄

 

As opposed to Vince Neil who is a really large penis 😁

[Krysbass]

On 21/05/2024 at 13:50, Angel said:

I've seen a few over the years and to me it's just a fun gig (If you like the music). I don't care how accurate everything is, it's just the vibe I like. Most punters won't have a clue how close to the originals the music is. 

Agreed.

 

Besides, some original bands often use different arrangements of their own songs when playing live.  For example, Simple Minds have been doing this since their 80s peak.

Edited May 27 by Krysbass

[Grassie]

Sound before looks IMO. Using the correct gear will get you somewhere close to the sonics but you’d be hard pushed to get it sounding exactly like the band in question due to stuff like technique (it’s all in the fingers after all…) 😊

I saw a Who tribute years ago and while the sound was excellent, only two members (Townshend and Moon) dressed the part. The Daltrey and Enwistle imitators were dressed much the same as any other early to mid twenties guys - the bassist in particular wore a scally cagoule, jeans and trainers, but nailed The Ox’s playing style.

The drummer was the ghost of Moon, incredible.

[Barking Spiders]

I've never seen tribute band but I'd least expect to see the exact instruments e.g. Hofner violin bass for a Beatles, left handed Strat for Hendrix etc. If it's a tribute to bands with a strong visual image then I'd expect to see very near lookalikes as with Bjorn Again. Where the original bands aren't visual then looking alike them isn't important so long as the sound, particularly the vocals are spot on. I mean I wouldn't expect a Genesis (the trio version) act to be fronted by a balding midget.

Edited June 5 by Barking Spiders

[chris_b]

1 hour ago, Barking Spiders said:

I mean I wouldn't expect a Genesis (the trio version) act to be fronted by a balding midget.

 

That's Phil Collins ruled out then!!

[Boodang]

Well… this thread has convinced me. I’ve told our guitarist in our Hendrix tribute that at the next gig he has to play left handed… after all, he only has to turn the guitar around the other way! 

[chris_b]

11 minutes ago, Boodang said:

Well… this thread has convinced me. I’ve told our guitarist in our Hendrix tribute that at the next gig he has to play left handed… after all, he only has to turn the guitar around the other way! 

 

Tribute bands come in 3 flavours; 1) full authenticity and a theatrical experience, like the Abba, Fleetwood Mac and Beatles tributes, dressing in period correct clothes, wigs, gear, mannerisms and accents, 2) a bunch of guys playing the songs with the original arrangements, maybe using the authentic gear, 3) another bunch of guys just playing the songs and that's it. They can be good or bad, but they all have their place and audiences.

[toneknob]

There's a Beatles tribute where the Paul, a naturally right-handed player, has learnt to be ambidextrous and does those gigs playing lefty.

I'm not sure all the others are trying hard enough tbh

 

[Boodang]

39 minutes ago, chris_b said:

 

Tribute bands come in 3 flavours; 1) full authenticity and a theatrical experience, like the Abba, Fleetwood Mac and Beatles tributes, dressing in period correct clothes, wigs, gear, mannerisms and accents, 2) a bunch of guys playing the songs with the original arrangements, maybe using the authentic gear, 3) another bunch of guys just playing the songs and that's it. They can be good or bad, but they all have their place and audiences.

Well, maybe there’s a 4th category…. how many Hendrix tributes do you find?! The main reason is that even I can play the chords but I can’t sound like Jimi… but our guitarist can, even if he is right handed! 
My point being not just Hendrix but anyone who has the gift where the talent to sound like someone is key, so theatrics are a bonus but not essential. 

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm going to see a rarely-performing Hendrix tribute in July. The guitarist is a fairly short, right handed, older white bloke. But he is so talented hearing him rehearse next to us made our guitarist threaten to give up...

[Barking Spiders]

1 hour ago, Boodang said:

Well, maybe there’s a 4th category…. how many Hendrix tributes do you find?! The main reason is that even I can play the chords but I can’t sound like Jimi… but our guitarist can, even if he is right handed! 
My point being not just Hendrix but anyone who has the gift where the talent to sound like someone is key, so theatrics are a bonus but not essential. 

 A long time ago when I was living in London and back then quite partial to rock, we used to go and see The Hamsters play in venues like The Half Moon in Putney. They used to do ZZ Tops sets, regular sets featuring own material and Hendrix sets. The guitarist played Hendrix tunes off pat and note perfect.

[steantval]

9 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

 A long time ago when I was living in London and back then quite partial to rock, we used to go and see The Hamsters play in venues like The Half Moon in Putney. They used to do ZZ Tops sets, regular sets featuring own material and Hendrix sets. The guitarist played Hendrix tunes off pat and note perfect.

Great band and probably the hardest working gigging band in the country, I’m sure they had done in excess of 4000 gigs by 2009.

Edited June 5 by steantval

[dmccombe7]

I guess i'm in an odd situation here as i play in a tribute to the 70's Glam era but not any one specific band. We do dress with outfits from that era altho we have some twists to it but the effect is there. (see my avatar).

I don't use the same basses as that would mean using different basses for different bands and songs plus some bassists like Steve Priest used various basses incl his Jazz, Ric and i believe an Ampeg perspex thing if i remember right so i use my polar white Sandberg VM4 which looks fairly traditional but being active i can get various tones from the one bass that are similar to the originals. I don;t want to be holding things up while i change basses every  other song.

From memory the bands we cover used Fender Jazz, Precision, custom Jazz for Alice Cooper, Ric, Telecaster, Gibson, Yamaha, Shergold, just to name a few.

If i go to see a Floyd tribute i like to see some lighting effects etc and if the band have a similar stage set up with backing singers it all adds to the experience provided they sound like the original Floyd.

I'm never gonna get to see Genesis as they were in their hey day again so hearing covers of classic Prog songs is great for me and i don't care what the band actually looks like if the songs sound good. Its nice if they can look like the originals if they are a tribute to one band but you need to be practical about it. As Cetera mentioned earlier if you go to see a band like a Kiss tribute you would expect the outfits and make up and the guitars and basses are part of that image. Image played a large part of the Kiss thing. Not so much an Eagles tribute where all i'm interested in there is that they sound like the Eagles.

Dave 

[Boodang]

1 hour ago, dmccombe7 said:

Not so much an Eagles tribute where all i'm interested in there is that they sound like the Eagles.

Dave 

Well, for a tip on how to sound like the Eagles check out Wings of Pegasus on YouTube..... and prepared to be dismayed!

[NancyJohnson]

On 20/05/2024 at 10:43, cetera said:

Having once played in a hugely successful tribute for 25 years, I'd say that it's all about 'attention to detail' - otherwise you are just a covers band, concentrating on one act.

While, obviously, the members of a tribute band are going to have different body sizes/shapes and looks they should at least ATTEMPT to dress/present themselves close to the artist they are tributing so they are are recognisable. Again, while the instrument being played doesn't have to be EXACTLY the same (i.e. not a 62 P bass.... just a normal p bass, pref in same colour) it should be recognisable as the same shape/type as the original where possible.
Musically, songs should be played/performed like the classic album/famous live version.... and 'between song banter' should also be familiar/in style of.

It goes without saying (I would hope) that reproducing the musical sound/texture/tones/character is the overall priority that sets a proper tribute apart as an accurate and faithful recreation.

 

 

I saw Gary doing his shizz with Dressed To Kill a looong time ago at a club owned by a mate of mine in Wokingham, Berkshire.  Frankly, it was one of the greatest evenings I've ever had seeing a band, originals or otherwise.

 

 

 

[Cosmo Valdemar]

On 05/06/2024 at 19:56, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm going to see a rarely-performing Hendrix tribute in July. The guitarist is a fairly short, right handed, older white bloke. But he is so talented hearing him rehearse next to us made our guitarist threaten to give up...

I didn't know Robin Trower was touring again!

[dmccombe7]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

I saw Gary doing his shizz with Dressed To Kill a looong time ago at a club owned by a mate of mine in Wokingham, Berkshire.  Frankly, it was one of the greatest evenings I've ever had seeing a band, originals or otherwise.

 

 

 

Yep saw them a coupe of times with Gary and they were brilliant.

In fact my wife even got a pic with him altho she was a bit terrified as he is a bit scary when standing next to him.

Dave

Edited June 7 by dmccombe7

[la bam]

I've been in a few good tributes, and left for various reasons. 

 

For me, it's about one thing - it's not the looks, not the sound, not the stage antics - but it's about the "experience". That's what makes a good tribute. A great night out. A good resemblance to instruments, costumes, sound, looks all help sell that experience. I also fully believe you need to have a bit of yourself in their too to make it appear authentic. 

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I didn't know Robin Trower was touring again!

 

Glyn Knight, was in Snatch it Back in the 90s.

[steantval]

10 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

I didn't know Robin Trower was touring again!

He isn’t.

Robin has just had to cancel his current tour immediately due to doctors orders regarding his health, apparently he requires an urgent operation.

[Kitsto]

2 hours ago, steantval said:

He isn’t.

Robin has just had to cancel his current tour immediately due to doctors orders regarding his health, apparently he requires an urgent operation.

Saw RT last week. I've seen him a few times before but this time he was on fire - hugely energetic and certainly not playing like a 79-year old (my son was with me and I said to him: "Trower is torturing that guitar!").

 

I'm a big fan of Richard Watts who sings like Jim Dewar and learnt to play the bass so he could be in Trower's band (Watts is a multi-instrumentalist).

 

I really hope this isn't the last we've seen of Trower. He said recently he had another album lined up. But he says the operation is a big one and recuperation will take time. It's a 30-date US tour he's cancelled.

 

Quite apart from the fact that having a big op at that age is no joke, he may not have the energy to tour again even if he does make a full recovery - since by then he could be 80 or even 81. Really sorry for him and the band - Chris Taggart on drums was excellent too.