Tribute bands are killing music...
Take a look through the back pages of any music magazine and count the number of tribute bands that are doing the rounds and you begin to wonder if there will eventually be any room for new bands with original material. It's even worse at this time of year as venues are getting ready to milk the seasonal cow that is the Christmas night out. A case in point is a band I know who are currently being traipsed around a major label with interest being shown from a handful of its divisional labels, but they can't get a gig at the Half Moon in Putney until January 2008 because the place is busy booking up 'tribute' money spinners. I have the same problem with my own band - sadly no label interest but still no gigs. Original bands do not seem to be in demand unless signed. It sucks as, in my opinion, so do a lot of tribute acts and I can't wait for this silly fashion to come to an end.
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This isn't the greatest band in the world this is just a tribute
I don't mind the ol trib's the clincher for me is main band at Wembley or tribute band at the local.
Why do you go see either? Because of the songs you know.
When the The Stones, Bowie, whoever play Wembley or wherever...How many of the audience are the for songs from the new album?
Even the real bands have got in on this and are doing tributes to themselves by playing complete albums
There may be rock snobbery with tribute bands but you're there for the same reason as the biggies. To hear what you know. Everyone in the audience does the ol' ‘comfort break' as soon as the new songs are announced. And the tributes normally do a better version, broader range and probably play better then the real deal. It's mainly the Elvis impersonators that give ‘em all a band name
They real artists know you're only there to catch them before they retire (again) or peg out and they're picking you're pocket while tickling your memories. Where as the tributes give you what you want, for less than the real band's tour t shirt - so who's really got the most integrity out of the two.
I went to see a Small Faces tribute band Small Faker's in Carnaby Street bang on, great gig and Ronnie Lane's brother was there and gave them the thumbs up - so if it's alright for him etc....
And I have seen a Blondie tribute band - with a widescreen version of 'Debbie Harry' out front - still a tip top night and great value pound for pund so to speak.
Tribute Bands
I went to see "Off The Wall",a Floyd tribute band last night. They were okay I suppose, despite the guitars been too quiet for the first half, but what really perplexed me was the band's merchandise stall. What would you bother paying for a live DVD of a tribute band when you might as well just buy something official from the band itself?
On this topic
On holiday in Majorca a few years ago, my wife and I watched the Robbie Williams tribute artist who we were letting entertain us (couldn't really avoid that one, sorry !) and just before closing his set, he plugged his CDs that were available for us to buy. My wife was all for going and getting one until I pointed out that she has all Robbie's albums at home, there's a Greatest Hits due out shortly and why the hell would you want such a CD anyway ? You have to save people from themselves sometimes...
Well, as Mick Jagger told me
Well, as Mick Jagger told me when we were talking about Stones tribute bands in the interview printed in this month's WORD: "It's fantastic. I mean, we can't be in two places at once - we can't be doing that big wedding in Northumberland while we're down the O2 dome!"
Mind you, he did seem a bit put out that the Counterfeit Stones apparently get ten grand a gig. Less tax, of course, Mick. And overheads. Probably not clearing that much at the end of the day....
It's supposed to be hard for
It's supposed to be hard for original bands, that's just the way it is.
Tribute bands are brim full of players who found the original path too daunting.
Their "punishment," if you will is to make pretty good money, but to be stuck in that scene forever, with no creative outlet whatsoever.
Cover bands may be filling up venues at the moment, but original bands still somehow get through, don't they?
Good way of separating the wheat from the chaff, I reckon.
Tribute bands
Since the beginning of time - or the twentieth century anyway - members of the public have gone out to hear songs they already know. When the Beatles and Stones started out the majority of their set would be songs the peope wished to hear. The tribute band movement is only like the dance band era. It's musicians playing the hits of the day - or an earlier day. The other day I drove past a pub in St Albans which was festooned by posters anouncing their music for the next week. On Monday it said "U2" in big letters and then in smaller letters "Tribute". Tuesday was Pink Floyd, Wednesday was Coldplay and so on. Presumably this is the same load of musicians doing a different repertoire every night. They wouldn't be doing this if it didn't work. That's the plain truth. It's no use blaming the promoters. They're trying not to go bust.
Familiarity breeds content
I saw the Who at Wembley arena a few months back. Everyone went wild for the old stuff, and the new album material just got a polite ripple of applause. I'd love to see David Bowie live, but only to hear material up to and including Let's Dance. If I got half an evening of Tin Machine and other such nonsense I'd hate it.
I've seen a band called Whole Lotta Led (no prizes ...). They did a great job of playing all the old favourites, and apparently have the seal of approval from Percy himself. As they are playing stuff which (until recently) you had no chance of ever seeing live, it makes sense to me. There's also a guy called Keith James who tours with "The Songs of Nick Drake". He'd probably feel insulted if he was called a tribute act, but it is a chance to see the songs performed live which is something that wasn't even possible in Drake's lifetime, given his painfully reclusive personality.
The oldest cover bands
Are the London Philharmonic, and similar, cover bands?
Tribbing Over Themselves
Here's some of the big name's doing tributes to themselves with live versions of complete albums
Bowie - Low
Lou Reed - Berlin
John Martyn - Solid Air
Human League - Dare
Sex Pistols meant to be doing NMTB, and have even the have got the Sex Pistols Experience as support (gotta love the Pistols for that)
They're basically admitting 'I know you're not interested in the new stuff, and I'm bored of the old stuff - so how about this'
I may I've missed a few, but am certain there'll be more to add.