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Tribute Bands

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
I do understand the need to learn songs.
But I also dont think you should f*ck the neighbour's wife or paint his paintings.

Make your own music.

The Beatles’ PR man Derek Taylor said that they worked in “the industry of human happiness,” and the audience that I saw on Friday night seemed very happy indeed – the people to the left of me in the wing of the balcony were a group of three couples, each celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and dancing up a storm. I’d much rather toil along making my own music than working in a tribute band, but I can’t knock these guys for making a living playing legendary music that we all grew up listening to.
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
Actually, it is in Branson Missouri [Mo].
More and more tribute bands are playing there, amongst many live musical performance theaters daily.

Thanks, fixed. To paraphrase the legendary Senator Blutarsky, was it over when the Germans bombed Mississippi?
smiley_emoticon.gif
 

mingus

Active member
Joined
Apr 3, 2006
Messages
4,243
Wow, hope you come to Huntington Long Island and Play the Paramount! Sounds like a great night!

You're in luck! We'll be coming to the Paramount Theater, Long Island on Friday, October 5th, then the Rivers Casino in Schenectady on Oct 6th.

We're also doing a tour leg on the east coast later this month at Havana, New Hope, PA (6/28), Norwood Theater outside of Boston (6/29) and The Iridium in NYC (6/30).


I do understand the need to learn songs.
But I also dont think you should f*ck the neighbour's wife or paint his paintings.

Make your own music.

Much easier said than done. When we started out 8 or 9 years ago, we had a drummer and keyboard player who both shared your views and ultimately chose to leave the band. Now that we are established, touring the country playing great venues for decent paydays, they've changed their tune and regret their hasty decisions based on maintaining "artistic purity". In the meantime, we were able to replace them with superior musicians who "get" the whole tribute concept.

If you go to the symphony for a program of Beethoven and Mozart, do you really expect them to show up? Of course not. Yet those highly trained classical musicians are left playing covers and their patrons couldn't be happier. Great music stands on its own when reproduced by skilled players. The whole point of a tribute act is to faithfully recreate the music and the vibe in a live setting. Fortunately, people still like to go out and hear their favorite music played live. Judging from the venues we are so privileged to be able to play (and the ticket sales, our shows usually sell out), I'd say that audiences are fully behind the concept as well. I don't think anyone is saying that tribute acts are better then the originals, but if a concert experience of the original artist(s) is not in the cards (death, broken up, injury, retired, ticket prices too expensive, etc), then a quality tribute is the usually the best option. There are a lot of extremely talented tribute acts out there that truly deliver the goods -- sometimes better than the original in terms of being able to sound like the original recordings. Most people in the audience don't give a shit about an improvised solo or other deviation. They want to experience the songs played live the way they sound on the radio.
 

Pat Boyack

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
4,510
Not my bag. I don't want to see a copy or a tribute. I've seen the originals. That goes for any band or artist. Now, I will admit that being a Blues guitarist for many many years meant me copying the styles of many legends. So I was, you could say in a cover band or bands. :)

Mingus did make a very good point about classical music in a way but it's not the same. Beethoven and Mozart were composers, not performers (although the "Moz" was very accomplished). The players in tribute bands are like classical musicians. They reproduce a piece of music. Bottom line.

What *I* hate are the so called tribute bands that don't put very much effort into their product. You can't have a 300lb guy with his head shaved in a Pearl Jam tribute. Or a guy playing Angus (yes you are PLAYING the part of Angus) in an AC/DC tribute band being 6'1". That's stupid. I have seen tribute bands who don't even dress the part or try to. In 1989 I spent 3 weeks playing in Tokyo and there was a Beatles tribute down the street playing in a club that looked just like the Cavern Club. These guys dressed like the Fab Four, they played the same guitars and amps too. Shit, I would see them hanging out during the day STILL playing the part. There was a Who tribute band I witnessed 13 years ago at BB King's in NYC. I swear the singer looked just like Roger D and the band playing period correct gear. THAT is a TRIBUTE band. Both of these units put a lot of work into what they did.

....and one last thing and I'm sure I'll burn somebody's ass - You are not an "artist" if you are in a tribute band. You are a musician. Artists create art.
 

Xpensive Wino

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
6,079
Not my bag. I don't want to see a copy or a tribute. I've seen the originals. That goes for any band or artist. Now, I will admit that being a Blues guitarist for many many years meant me copying the styles of many legends. So I was, you could say in a cover band or bands. :)

Mingus did make a very good point about classical music in a way but it's not the same. Beethoven and Mozart were composers, not performers (although the "Moz" was very accomplished). The players in tribute bands are like classical musicians. They reproduce a piece of music. Bottom line.

What *I* hate are the so called tribute bands that don't put very much effort into their product. You can't have a 300lb guy with his head shaved in a Pearl Jam tribute. Or a guy playing Angus (yes you are PLAYING the part of Angus) in an AC/DC tribute band being 6'1". That's stupid. I have seen tribute bands who don't even dress the part or try to. In 1989 I spent 3 weeks playing in Tokyo and there was a Beatles tribute down the street playing in a club that looked just like the Cavern Club. These guys dressed like the Fab Four, they played the same guitars and amps too. Shit, I would see them hanging out during the day STILL playing the part. There was a Who tribute band I witnessed 13 years ago at BB King's in NYC. I swear the singer looked just like Roger D and the band playing period correct gear. THAT is a TRIBUTE band. Both of these units put a lot of work into what they did.

....and one last thing and I'm sure I'll burn somebody's ass - You are not an "artist" if you are in a tribute band. You are a musician. Artists create art.


Pat said it, I believe it, and that settles it. :eek:la

I remember hearing Jimmy Buffet tell a woman who kept screaming out 'requests', "I ain't a fucking human jukebox, lady".

If you're in a copy band, you're a human jukebox.
 

ourmaninthenorth

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
7,119
I've never learned a single song all the way through, not a single one.

I've never played the same thing twice.

I play to an audience of one, from the heart, for the heart. Never, ever, for approval. I personally don't give a shite what anyone thinks of what I'm doing.

I always do my own thing, in music as in life. This shit is personal.

Music isn't my living, it's my life.

I don't flatter myself that the music that I've lived with for decades...possibly 100,000+ separate pieces, hasn't affected what comes out of my heart when I'm on the job.

Don't much care for labels, but Musician will do.

I'm just a speck of sand on a fookin big musical beach, with the elements constantly shifting the combinations about.
 

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I've never learned a single song all the way through, not a single one.

I've never played the same thing twice.

I play to an audience of one, from the heart, for the heart. Never, ever, for approval. I personally don't give a shite what anyone thinks of what I'm doing.

I always do my own thing, in music as in life. This shit is personal.

Music isn't my living, it's my life.

I don't flatter myself that the music that I've lived with for decades...possibly 100,000+ separate pieces, hasn't affected what comes out of my heart when I'm on the job.

Don't much care for labels, but Musician will do.

I'm just a speck of sand on a fookin big musical beach, with the elements constantly shifting the combinations about.

Turn these words into a song and then you're also a song writer. :ganz :salude
 

SpencerD

Active member
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Messages
910
Tragedy. The best heavy metal Bee Gees tribute band in the tri-state area beyotches! --- :peace2

 

Triburst

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
Messages
4,353
I think it all depends upon the entertainment value at the time.

About a decade ago, my wife and I took the kids on one of our semi-annual pilgrimages to Disney World in Orlando.

We were in Epcot, and were doing the walk around the lake visiting "country" after "country." Anyway, we got to England, and while the kids went in the little pub for fish & chips, I wandered over and to my surprise, saw a Beatles tribute band performing in a gazebo. I thought it was a "live" recording at first.

They were dressed in "Hard Days Night"-era garb, and reasonably looked the part. They were good. Harmonies were right, sound was mixed right, and they were having a good time. Most of all, they did the songs justice.

It was all my wife and kids could do to pull me out of there. That was special. :hank

But then again, there's this:

 

Pat Boyack

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
4,510
They were dressed in "Hard Days Night"-era garb, and reasonably looked the part. They were good. Harmonies were right, sound was mixed right, and they were having a good time. Most of all, they did the songs justice.

I can respect the fact that they put a lot into it.
 
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