Tribute bands

[Steve H]

What is peoples view on tribute bans. I went to see a Floyd tribute band (free ticket) some months ago and came away thinking they were talented musicians who really should play their own material.
That said However on Friday I took my son to see a T-Rex tribute band (Trextasy) in town, and have to say it was quite entertaining, the lead singer did a fair impression of Marc Bolan, even doing a few non T-Rex covers in his Marc Bolan. Never had the opportunity to see the real thing and it was good to hear Telegram Sam etc. done by a live band.
Anyone else have a view ?

[Andy M]

If it's good music, it's good music. I can listen to the original, a good likeness played live or a well thought out modern version. I draw the line at X factor contestants, but I guess one day even one of them will turn out something decent. No one complains when the modern LSO plays music by a composer who'se been dead for years, it's only the fact that more modern stuff was recorded that sets an expectation IMHO.

Andy

[Ian]

I remember going to a "party in the park" type thing at Weston Park nearby, there were 3 tribute bands ie Bootleg Beatles, an Abba and Beach Boys tribute bands. I have to say that the Bootleg Beatles on the night nailed it for me with the other 2 lagging behind somewhat. Im sure on another night you would have been pleased with all of them. But they werent bad at all..just the BB shone!

Ian

[guest7]

Interesting topic and I have to say I hadn't pondered the issues up till now. I think the Marc Bolan thing is ideal for 'tributizing' (and yes that is an ironic Z inserted into an appalling noun/verb confusion). There's no chance to see the real thing so a good tribute band is as close as you can get to hearing the songs performed as they were.

Because the members of Oasis refuse to die an Oasis tribute band is a fairly pointless exercise imho, but with one major advantage, the lead singer WON'T be that thickasshit boorish arse Liam.

There's another issue here. Whereas Paul Weller is a song-writing God, he is an arrogant twonk who refuses to play large parts of his Jam back-catalogue. In this case the various Jam tribute bands are the only way to hear the songs being performed live. So even tribute bands playing the music of performers who are still alive can be a good thing.

Andy is right to bring up the classic world. Christopher Hogwood and the Academy of Ancient Music perform Bach (and other Baroque works) using only instruments that are as close to the originals as possible and they play without the modern flourishes of vibrato and flounce. So you see, there are Bach tribute bands 

Of course I'm of the age where I can see the similarities between a good live band and a blinding DJ set... but perhaps that's a chat for another day 

Interesting stuff

GC

[el vencejo]

Why listen to bands doing (often poor)copies of O L D stuff when there is so much great new music around

Why don't we all ride DB34 replicas

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be  

El Vencejo, born 1952, total cynic, have fun, tomorrow we die  

[Steve Lake]

Well, I did a Floyd tribute band (Think Floyd), last year, and they were really good, also had a load of their own material which was good.
Did Bootleg Beatles as well, they were good, also had their own material which whilst not a patch on most of the original stuff....was better than the pop being churned out at the moment.
and I'd definitely like to go and see a good ABBA tribute band....(ok...i'm a boring old fart....but we all know that anyway)

also did a Queen tribute band a couple of years ago.....and their attempt at Bohemian Rhapsody was excellent.

But nothing can compare with my visit to a live Pink Floyd concert (The Wall), the stage set was out of this world. But you have to be an old bu55er to have seen that.

same as you have to be an old bu55er to have seen the Stones playing live at the Crawdaddy Club and Eel Pie Island before they had released any records.

ahh ...those were the days...

[el vencejo]

As old "Cream" fan, saw Blind Faith intro gig in Hyde Park(was cr@p, shame  ), hitched down from Stoke to London,got back 6 hours before my Maths O level   (but got good grade  ) , later saw the Stones in the Park with doves and butterflies... 
missed Hendrix on the Isle of Wight ( )
me? an old fart 
Try new stuff like Urban Voodoo Machine... stunning lyrics about modern times UK...

[Steve Lake]

deff an old fart

My musical pleasure these days is mixed and varied.....I do enjoy Annie Lennox (as I did eurythmics)
and Elbow

quite enjoy 'the boss'

and, just to make a change....Elaine Page!

[guest1166]

Although I've never been really big on tribute bands the best band to play all weekend at the last rally I went to were a Sex Pistols tribute.
A lot of it was how good their performance in general was (imho a good band being a good band regardless of what they're playing) and their interaction with the crowd - with the Johnny-Rotten-alike seeming only slightly miffed when asked his opinions on butter
There also used to be a very good Metallica tribute band around Nottingham called Moletallica who had the distinction of sounding more like Metallica live than Metallica do!

[Steve H]

Although I've never been really big on tribute bands the best band to play all weekend at the last rally I went to were a Sex Pistols tribute.
A lot of it was how good their performance in general was (imho a good band being a good band regardless of what they're playing) and their interaction with the crowd - with the Johnny-Rotten-alike seeming only slightly miffed when asked his opinions on butter

Oddly enough I was thinking the other day that a Pistol tribute band would be difficult to carry off. Something like a Floyd tribute band is probably going to be judged on the quality of the music they play, a Pistols tribute is more likely to be judged on their stage performance. I'm not sure which would be more difficult to carry off convincingly.

[SRXweb]

I heard a Petula Clark tribute alone band last week ....

Unfortunately she was the real Petula Clark 

A question about these tribute bands : do they have to make exact copy/clone of the original songs, or do you accept piece of freedom ?

I hope I am understandable enough with my english .... webmasters are free to correct my sentences.

[el vencejo]

"I hope I am understandable enough with my english .... "
You certainly are!..., there are Welsh, Scots, Oz people on here who think  they speak English

Where are you from?  

[el vencejo]

..... and the number of Brummies, Scousers, Quocknies (can't use male-chicken word ) and Geordies (Mackems included) that I've met who claim to speak English....!!!

 

I'm Spain via Wigan and Stoke-on-Trent... speak pure English...

[Bruce]

Over the years I have seen orginal groups and artists
Jimmy Hendrix
Tina Turner
Status Quo
Bob Dylan
Rolf Harris
Steve Gibbons
T Rex

[Mark]

Over the years I have seen orginal groups and artists
Jimmy Hendrix
Tina Turner
Status Quo
Bob Dylan
Rolf Harris
Steve Gibbons
T Rex

What! no Led Zep? knowing you Bruce I bet Rolf Harris was your favourite. 

Mark