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Tribute Bands - Good or Evil?

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Kalyr	Tribute Bands - Good or Evil?		Lead	[-]
Shrimp Posts: 168 Sat, 16 Aug, 2008 10:51:53	Tags : None I've started an argument (of sorts) on another forum on the subject of tribute bands. My opinion is that there are far too many tribute bands on the gig circuit in Britain, and the sheer number of them mean it's harder for bands playing original music (such as Breathing Space) to get gigs. I've accused tribute bands of pandering to lazy audiences who don't want to listen to anything new. A few people strongly disagreed with me; a member of a Marillion tribute band said I was talking a load of crap, and others have said that tribute bands appeal to a quite different audience to bands playing their own material, and aren't really in competition at all. What do people here think? -- Tim Visit my weblog, Where Worlds Collide
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Gm7b5		#1	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 28 Sat, 16 Aug, 2008 14:03:43	I agree with you Tim. FWIW There are loads of them. My own view is that it seems quite depressing that they are making far more money than Breathing Space for just pretending to be someone else, and cashing in on their success. The clever part of musicianship is being original. Any fool could copy out Pride and Prejudice again. On the other hand, the fact that they are so successful presumably means that people want to see them so they are fulfilling a role in the market. And the public gets.................
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colincamel		#2	[url]	[-]
Posts: 303 Sat, 16 Aug, 2008 18:22:49 Ocean God	At one time I didn't like tribute bands, but as the standards have risen, i do like some now (e.g. Australian Pink Floyd or Raw Gallagher). But I don't buy their CDs.
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Wasdale		#3	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 47 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 10:00:34	I suspect that they are really appealing to a different market. A very limited number of folk have heard of BS, MA etc and this remains the overiding issue, they simply don't know what they're missing. I wonder how many of the venues actually continue to be viable because they book the tribute bands and rely upon their popular appeal? For myself, there is a gut reaction that recoils but I don't really think this is fair. As mentioned on an earlier thread, the Aussie Floyd are good value and "Off theWall" do a show in Halifax each year at the Piece Hall which, with appropriate weather, is a good night out (never seen any others).
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Cmajor7		#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 55 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 10:16:55 Breathing Space	EVIL EVIL EVIL!!!! That's only my gut reaction because the fact of the matter is that they do get the bookings at some venues ahead of original bands, for purely financial reasons. There's a great looking venue called the Forum in Darlington. We'd love to play there, but it's tribute bands only because there's an audience for them and the venue will make money. At the end of the day it's just cabaret and it's obviously catering for those who can't afford to / have never seen or never will see Genesis, Floyd, The Eagles or whovever, and I guess this is the next best thing. I know a guy who playes bass in the Illegal Eagles - he makes £30K a year and even he's at a loss as to why they are in such demand! Plaudits must therefore go to venues like The Diamond that, despite having a lot of tribute bands, are (in the words of Gary, the manager there) trying to break out of it and put more original acts on - more power to them. Let's get back to the days when, to play a cover version you were catagorised as a 'rip-off band' forced to hang your head in shame, and have a bell round your neck to let people know when you're coming into the room!
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Wasdale		#5	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 47 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 14:34:43	C'mon Mark, get off the fence! Have to say I'm pleased you take that view, otherwise BS would'nt be what they are ..... but then again, I get the impression that some artists pay their bills by producing a mix of their own music and a few covers. They can hit the right balance by not taking the covers too seriously whilst creating excellent original stuff, surely it would be difficult to criticise this approach? My point is that I think there is a big difference between being a dedicated tribute band and simply playing a few covers. BTW I mentioned in another thread that I was listening to Wood & Wire on the way to work the other day ....
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HippyDave		#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 189 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 14:36:01 Ocean God	Cmajor7 wrote: EVIL EVIL EVIL!!!! That's only my gut reaction because the fact of the matter is that they do get the bookings at some venues ahead of original bands, for purely financial reasons. Let's get back to the days when, to play a cover version you were catagorised as a 'rip-off band' forced to hang your head in shame, and have a bell round your neck to let people know when you're coming into the room! Harsh, but possibly fair... I've seen a few tribute bands in my time: a few of them are even really, really good (Aussie Floyd spring to mind). Even given that, I have to agree with Mr Rowen here. There's no doubt at all that the sheer number of tribute bands in existence has drastically affected the ability of some unsigned/independent bands to get gigs, and anything that jeopardises the ability of bands able to write and perform their own original material simply has to be A Bad Thing. There's a sort of parallel thread to this over on the Marillion forum at the moment, where someone's just asked if it's worth paying £40 for a ticket to see crack Genesis tribute The Musical Box. Whilst no-one's been able to say anything bad about The Musical Box (a great bunch of blokes who really are incredible live), many of us have expressed nothing but horror at the idea of paying £40 to see a tribute band (however good they might be) when original bands playing their own material are struggling to fill small venues even when charging a mere £10 or less for a ticket. I have some sympathy for the idea that original bands and tribute acts are playing to completely different audiences, though: some people just want the familiar over a few beers, whilst the rest of us would sooner save the money to go and see new, exciting, original music. We like to listen to new things! If I had £50 and fancied hearing some Floyd, I'd either save the cash for a ticket to see The Lord Thy Rog or Dave Gilmour, or failing that, use it to see a band like Breathing Space five times - sooner those alternatives than use it to go see Pink Fraud or whoever. HippyDave's Blog My Last FM Page
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David Meadows		#7	[url]	[-]
Zooplankton Posts: 95 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 15:46:48	I've never seen a tribute band and don't really have any desire to. (Wait -- I tell a lie -- I saw Bjorn Again once, but only because it was free gig in the park. They were really good ). But to some extent I can sympathise with people who play in them. Surely playing an instrument and writing songs are two totally different skills, and what do you do if you love to play but can't write songs for toffee? Breathing Space are blessed with three great songwriters, but imagine Mark Rowan couldn't write songs, and none of his mates could either. Should they be told, sorry, you can't form a band because you haven't got any songs to play? Or should he be encouraged to form a band playing some popular hits and make a bit of money entertaining people with his guitar playing skill? (Just being devil's advocate )
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colincamel		#8	[url]	[-]
Posts: 303 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 16:47:48 Ocean God	Does the Queen musical which Iain played in at York last year count as a tribute? And an old school pal of mine is in Floyd2 and makes decent money, but not 30k, he still has to work for TNT. I think if the band are no longer going, then a tribute band is OK. But tributes to Metallica or Guns'n'Roses for example is just wrong! Mind you G'n'R are just a tribute band themselves nowadays.
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Blazing Apostle		#9	[url]	[-]
Zooplankton Posts: 76 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 18:13:07	Firstly lets clear one thing up, there is a world of difference to a band who wish to perform covers of popular songs in pubs and clubs etc and Tribute bands who portray bands lock, song and stageshow! But how a Tribute band can get away with charging thousands for a performance of someone elses material is beyond me!!! Whilst I am with Mr Rowen on this one in that it stiffles creativity and keeps true musicians poor it is also obvious that there is a huge demand for it. My take on all this is that the fault lies squarely with the beancounters who started the problem years ago when they started regarding the music business as an industry they could make huge profits on perpetually instead of the old entreprenuerial label bosses who were in it for the art and a fast buck. The music business has grown staid in its outlook of the artform because of it's obsession with profit margins and bottom lines. Reality T.V. programmes like Pop Idol and X Factor dont help all they do is perpetuate the same old cliched acts that have gone before. Working to formula's seems to be the easiest option. The Clubs need to start taking a bit of a risk, maybe by having a night in the week devoted to original acts. The major lables need to start taking a gamble on more original and diverse acts. Perhaps the likes of EMI would like to resurrect the Harvest label and Polydor with Vertigo both labels created as a home for the more "Progressive" less middle of the road acts of the time. Now saying all that it occurs to me that I may just be barking up the wrong gum tree here. Now we have the internet I dont think the music industry will ever be the same again. All the pundits are saying that downloads are the way ahead now, CD sales are plummeting, downloads are increasing, seems to me the way ahead is clearly illuminated. However, how this all will help the Live music scene I dont know, perhaps the promoters and Club owners have got to start taking a few more risks or start taking a little less profit!!! Ah Hah!
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sharpworld		#10	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 32 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 18:43:04	A simple answer would be EVIL EVIL EVIL But are they any worse than covers bands (which cover all songs not just by one artist) remember lots of the greats started as a covers band , The Beatles , and The Stones to name two . I can only remember seeing 2 tribute band Aussie PF (awesome) and Counterfeit stones (awfull) I did also see Dr Feelgood last year who have no original members but still go under the banner of Dr feelgood .
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Weety		#11	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 10 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 19:27:17	Agreed Mick. I play in a covers band doing the pub circuit (here we are (shameless plug): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPfUxgqTAwY) - to be honest, it's so hard to get pub gigs if you play your own material.....covers is what landlords want as the punters know what you are playing. It suits me fine doing what we do. A few mates of mine formed a band doing original New Orleans jazz stuff - fantastic 8 piece band....but in order for them to get regular gigs, they ended up resorting to doing the usual Mustang Sally stuff. Now, tribute bands are a whole different ball-game & I agree with what's been said before.
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Cmajor7		#12	[url]	[-]
Posts: 55 Mon, 18 Aug, 2008 21:21:59 Breathing Space	I must emphasise that in my eyes also I do see tribute bands and covers bands as two different entities - I did confuse matters with my post, oops. I was playing covers for years and years, and it's how I honed my playing. But tribute bands just leave a bit of a nasty taste, sorry. The ones I've heard have been appalling. I just don't 'get' why obviously talented musicians would want to pretend to be someone they're not, and I really cannot catagorise it as anything other than cabaret. And they are undoubtedly doing original bands out of gigs and that, I think, is a bit of a tragedy. Do the original writers of the material get royalties I wonder?
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Weety		#13	[url]	[-]
Water Baby Posts: 10 Tue, 19 Aug, 2008 08:41:34	You have even had the scenario of people in tribute bands actually ending up as members of the original product; Tim Owens was singing in a Judas Priest cover band and actually ended up singing in Judas Priest itself after Rob Halford's temporary departure (which inspired the film 'Rock Star'). Another example is a young chap called Arnel Pineda who was singing in a Journey tribute band.....Neal Schon was so impressed he has now hired him to sing in Journey - this chap sounds EXACTLY like Steve Perry it's scary!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWG6aN73rAo&feature=related Last Edited By: Weety Tue, 19 Aug, 2008 08:46:35. Edited 1 time.
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AstralEnigma		#14	[url]	[-]
Posts: 300 Tue, 19 Aug, 2008 13:33:48 Ocean God	Hhhhmm. Interesting. My natural reaction is also EVIL For all the reasonsd everyone else has stated PLUS the fact that it makes it so hard for original bands even to get a gig and eventually become recognised. But on that basis there will come a time when there won't be any new bands and the tribute acts will run out of new things to copy. I've only seen a few - Aussie Floyd years ago (when the real PF weren't doing anything) and again at Cambridge last year (but i didn't go to see them). Each time I thought they were over-hyped. And Aussie Doors in the 90s - they were very good and the Doors didn't exist so it was the nearest I'd get... However, last night i found myself thinking of starting a thread asking what song BS should cover if they were to cover one (may still raise it!). I would LOVE to see Renaissance again and it's unlikely that will happen. So a good, competent band of musicians that could play that music well would be appreciated by me - but I can only think of one band with the necessary skills (and vocalist) to do it. And I can't see that happening... "We don't need to know the answers to hope and pray for peace"
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Blazing Apostle		#15	[url]	[-]
Zooplankton Posts: 76 Wed, 20 Aug, 2008 19:41:28	I think there is a great danger of decending into 'musical snobbery' with this one. Music without question is considered an art it is also with question entertainment and as such is there to be enjoyed. In this respect there has to be a place for all types of acts. However this is no defence for any band that goes out there and their performance is truly horrible!! The unfortuanate part about all this is that it seems the majority of folk when they go out enjoy the covers/tribute acts which puts those acts into the safe bet category whilst those of us in the minority enjoy the less middle of the road and original acts which puts those acts in the risky non-profit category unfortunately!!! It all boils down to what I said earlier about record companies, promoters and club owners, they will allways only want to bet on the safe money! Ah Hah!
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