Tribute bands - love 'em or hate 'em?

[Dave Hopping]

I think maybe the tribute band phenomenon is part of something going on in American society as a whole....sort of a desire to recapture past successes.Some examples-the current Ford Mustang ,Chevrolet HHR and SSR,the recently discontinued Thunderbird,as well as Fender guitar and amp re-issues from the 50s,60s and 70s.We've all talked before about the astronomical prices folks are happy to pay for survivor instruments.Same with furniture and appliances.I shouldn't wonder that there's money to be made from cloning the music.What I do wonder about is why.As someone who came of age in the early 60s I remember very clearly the perception that any cultural artifact more than a few years old had very little value( there were a whole lot of blonde/brownface Fender amps that got spraypainted black and tweeds that got tolexed).Maybe we have a sociologist or two hereabouts who could speak to this.

[getbent]

Originally Posted by Joel Terry

I'd rather sit patiently and listen for that one incredible spark in a thousand original tunes than sit through a setlist of tab-perfect tunes I already know by pure rote.

To augment David's pithy "the sorts of folks who make a career of imitating Gene Simmons or Robert Plant are not the most stable individuals" sentiment, I find the whole thing puzzling, really. I just can't wrap my mind around the concept of a band who plays nothing but another band's songs--and sometimes even dresses up as that band. Even tribute bands of bands I love--it simply doesn't compute.

To me, there's a dichotomy between simply playing a few cover tunes of assorted artists and slavishly copying one band's setlist, equipment, and wardrobe. Sure, I've played many a cover tune, and I've enjoyed it very much. Some I've played note-for-note; others, loosely interpreted. But I didn't actually have to dress up like, say, Jimi, or Ace Frehley, or Eddie Hazel, or James Burton, and play nothing but their bands' tunes...you know?

Maybe I'm being too heavy-handed; nevertheless, I see a loss of personal integrity in it all. I mean, it puts me in mind of all the SRV clones who used to (and I guess still do) show up at blues jams, thirteen to the dozen, with beat-up Strats, a green streak of Tube Screamers, and a confluence of bolero hats that would make Don Diego de la Vega blush.

No sir, I don't like it.

Joel

But, so, ummm, like, uhhh, its still okay if I wanna dress up like Eddie Hazel though, right? Just around the house.. the wife digs me in a fro.

[slauson slim]

Don't let The Mothership come through your ceiling......

As to tribute bands, it's really simple - they're accessible, it doesn't cost a fortune to see them, it's great to hear the songs played live, it brings back memories, folks can dance, and heck, it's fun. And, musicians can make a living at from music - that's a good thing.

[PraiseCaster]

OK, I'll weigh in on this one.

First off, Im pretty sure I was into the Beatles before I ever thought about playing guitar. But even then, back in the early to mid 70's, and me still bein a snot-nosed punk, I thought it was ridiculous to go see Beatlemania. And all the hype around it, well it dumbfounded me. I just didnt understand it, and I still dont.

I went to friends gig a few months back. They opened for a group that in my opinion, is a Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble tribute band. They opened with Tin Pan Alley, then did an original that sounded a lot like SRV & DT. Then he did Tight rope and an original, which again sounded like SRV/DT. By the fourth song, I was heading for the door. Hey, I will give them props, the whole band was great. Everyone had there chops down, and the guitarist singer was awesome. But it was too much like "We want to be SRV/DT". Ugh! Oh yes, the hat, the boots, the strat, the tone, ............ If I woulda stayed for the whole set, I think I would have begged someone to shoot me in the head before the encore.

But, and this is important: Lots of people there were loving it, and definitely into this band. I was happy for them.

Hey, I know there is a market out there for it, and good for those guys that are out there providing what the listeners want, but its just not my cup of tea, and it never will be. I agree with Joels assesment regarding performing a couple of cover songs (and in my opinion a good band with originality will keep it fairly true to the original, but they will add there own flavor too it), versus a band that cops everything like a bolero, a sunburst strat, "the" tone, even the way you shuffle around while playing. Some eat that up. I still dont get it.