Tribute Bands; A Good or A Bad Thing?
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Tribute Bands and Prog Radio
Forum Description: News about Prog Tribute Bands and Radio Stations
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46525
Printed Date: November 23 2024 at 22:27
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Topic: Tribute Bands; A Good or A Bad Thing?
Posted By: Jared
Subject: Tribute Bands; A Good or A Bad Thing?
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 07:09
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Last night, I went to see a Genesis tribute band; the first time I have ever actually seen one, as I admit to having some reservations about them as a 'genre'. Admittedly, their live show was very good, playing for a little under 3 hours to an appreciative audience of 170 in a small town in Mid Wales, many of whom were wearing Genesis T-shirts from different eras, while some wore the T shirts belonging to the band themselves.
They had attempted to recreate a Genesis live performance from the 'Seconds Out' tour, with a similar set-list, similar style light show, vocalist doing a Phil Collins impersonation and guitarist who was a Mike Rutherford look-a-like (albeit from circa 1997, not 1977!).
On the evidence of last night, there is no doubt there is a market for this kind of thing, but the question I wish to ask is...is this a good thing for progressive music?
It is my belief that most prog rock fans have a finite amount of time to attend concerts, and a finite amount of money in their pockets. The UK has seen an incredible rise in recent years of Tribute Bands, to the extent that their presence must detract from contemporary bands from making a living.
In the not too distant past, I have been to gigs where Threshold, Pallas, Riverside, IQ & Mostly Autumn (among others) have pulled smaller crowds in more densely populated areas, and I suspect that if this tribute band had written and performed their own material, they would have playing in front of 50 people instead of 170.
My other question is, to what degree can this be considered 'art'? It is well known that bands like Deep Purple and Led Zep used to improvise on stage to such a degree that the live tracks only bore occasional resemblance to the studio versions of the tracks they were playing... if you are trying to recreate the sound of 1977 Genesis, doesn't it become more of a finite science?
I'd be most interested in the views of fellow PA members over this issue, which is why I've placed it in the Prog Music Lounge. ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Replies:
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 07:36
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Hi Jared
Hope you had a good night. Sorry I couldn't make it. I saw 'In the Cage' at last years Genesis convention in London. They were pretty good, and it's thanks to tribute bands that those of us who were still in nappies the first time round, get the chance to hear the music live. Failing that we could fork out hunderds of pounds to see the real Genesis every 10 years, and hope we get 15 minutes of medley, admist all the pop. I still hope to see 'The Musical Box' one day. On the other hand, these bands are like wax museums brought to life, and plugged into the mains. 'The Musical Box' is judged on how much like Genesis they sound and look; they imitate to the finest detail. In principle they are just as valid or invalid from an artistic perspective as an Elvis, or Buddy Holly tribute act. They dont write songs, and they dont improvise and expand on the orginal. They are the supply to the demand for nostalgia. It's entertainment, and nothing more in that respect. It is a tragedy that a band like IQ was still only pulling a crowd of a few hunderd in central London, after decades in the business. It's what happens if, as a band you either form at the wrong time - like the countless US acts; Glass Hammer Spocks Beard et al - or just didn't get lucky, like IQ, Pallas, Pendragon etc, who all formed at the same sort of time as Marillion who DID get lucky. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 07:44
| I've never been to a tribute band gig, but I am quite sure that, even if I had the opportunity (which I have), I would rather not go. If I want to listen to Genesis or Deep Purple in their heyday, I have plenty of their albums, and now we have access to excellent video material. What is the purpose of accurately recreating something that is ultimately fake - especially as, like Andy and Jared pointed out, 'real' bands are struggling to find an audience? Personally, I'd rather listen to a band or artist interpreting somebody else's material in their own individual way, even if very different from the original. |
Posted By: Anaon
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 07:51
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If it's bands like The Musical Box, I say yes!! I would have loved to see a Genesis gig in the 70's so, The Musical Box was a chance for me to taste a bit what could be Genesis in the 70's. This Foxtrot concert was so great!! Goosebumps from the beginning til the end!
------------- My music: http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - http://spleenarcana.bandcamp.com/ My blog: http://groovesandmemories.com/" rel="nofollow - http://groovesandmemories.com/ |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 07:51
------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Blacksword wrote:
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 08:06
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You could regard tribute bands like you would a concert orchestra, no one criticises the RPO for being a Tchaikovsky or Mozart (or Pink Floyd or Rick Wakeman come to that) tribute band. In another thread Real Paradox asked whether Progressive Music will be recalled as Mozart in the future, when the music of those bands is recreated by these tribute bands then that is a distinct possibility - once the music has a life of it's own outside the original recording artist it's potential longevity increases. (okay, not at the same level as Mozart, but maybe as some of the lesser known composers such as Spohr or Ives). Sometime in the future, when the original artists are long gone, their music will live-on outside the original studio recording by virtue of the tribute bands that perform that music. The biggest UK tribute band at the moment is probably T.Rextasy, they have elevated the concept of "tribute" beyond simple nostalgia and homage and are bringing Marc Bolan's music back to life (or back to live). These bands are fulfilling an obvious need - attendance at these gigs reflects the idea that people want to hear this music, regardless of who actually performs it. Admittedly some of this is pure nostalgia for the original, but I think it is also working at another level, introducing people to the music afresh. When the original band no longer performs the music, or recreates the stage show, (for whatever reason) then the faithful recreation of that music/stage show is valid. It is often joked that some 70s bands have become their own tributes, only playing their greatest hits, while others are criticised for not playing them - this way everyone wins. Some tribute bands are playing original material (I think there are a couple on the PA for that reason), others are made of musicians who are in other bands that do. One of the problems with being a musician is earning a living at it - tribute bands provide an additional source of income for these musicians.
Anyway, when are you ever going to be able to see the real Genesis playing in Brecon for £14? ------------- What? |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 08:11
I think it's likely that there are Genesis and Floyd fans out there (for example), who only have a passing interest in, or a vague awareness of other prog bands, past or present. Die hard fans of say, Gentle Giant or VDGG are more likely to have their ear to the ground, listening out for any prog bands playing live. There is also the classic prog vs Neo prog divide for some. Many fans of classic era prog may have no desire whatosover to see IQ or Pendragon, who were not big bands even at the height of their success. I would like to see more larger scale prog events, that include neo acts alongside some big names, playing in either festival format, or over a number of days in prestigious venues like the Royal Albert Hall. I'm sure that between all the surviving big names in progressive music, there is the will for this, and certainly the level of interest among prog fans to make this a success. It would expose fans of neo to classic prog, and vice versa, possibly swelling audiences when the lesser well known acts go on tour under their own steam. Nice idea, anyway.. |
Posted By: mpomy
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 08:18
I was very glad to get the opportunity to see what a Genesis looked like back in the early 70's. I haven't really felt the need to go see other tribute bands, especially in cases where improv was a big part of the original performance. That's especially true with Pink Floyd. I do agree with the comment that in some cases (like Gabriel-era Genesis) it's like classical music and the tribute bands can act as modern "preservation" societies. ------------- 
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 08:28
Although, the principle difference with classical music, is that the scores were written for whoever could perfom them. At any one time a Beethoven or Mahler symphony could be being performed by any number of orchestras anywhere in the world, and this was pretty much the situation soon after the scores had been penned. No one orchestra had the rights to any one piece. Anyway, I'd still love to see The Musical Box. I remember Phil Collins commenting on how much better TMB were, than Genesis in the early 70's, in terms of musicianship and sound. Stands to reason I guess, as Genesis were very young back then, and TMB are probably all in their 40's now. |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 09:13
you've made a lot of really interesting points there Dean, and of course this last quote is very true. I guess my argument sounded slightly critical of tribute bands, which it was not meant to be; I had a great time... I guess the debate was a little more along the lines of 'is home taping killing music?'
I for one LOVE to hear new stuff, and I guess I am still a little raw over the Cancellation of ProgPower III next month, along with the realisation that 3 bands I really wanted to see, might never play on these shores again as a consequence.
Andy is quite right though, in that the relationship with classical music is tenuous...many composers, most notably Handel, Mozart and Haydn, wrote their music as commissioned pieces (mostly by Hapsburg royalty) and as such were put in the public domain almost immediately. Often the composer wopuld conduct the first few Operas/ Chamber pieces in front of the Duke/ Monarch, but within 6 months the piece would have been performed in concert halls throughout the empire...
this is quite different to our traditional perception of recording and performing rights within 20th cent popular music, where if anyone called themselves Regenesis in 1977 and toured 'Wind & Wuthering', they would have been taken to court... ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 09:44
Ageree with that.. I've been to 2 Pink Floyd tributes one from my country playing The Wall, very good indeed and well the most famous Aussie Floyd, they were great too. |
Posted By: Zwerg Bart
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 10:57
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I have mixed feelings about the topic. I would certainly prefer to see the band that wrote the music perform it rather than a tribute/cover band. However, that's just not possible nowadays for a lot of my favorites who have lost members or broken up. Zappa plays Zappa is obviously the closest thing I will ever get to seeing Frank's music played as it was in his heyday. Tribute bands certainly aren't harming prog, they are giving younger fans who haven't had a chance to see the original bands to experience the music live and to be able to appreciate the complexity of the music.
The issue of unoriginality is the biggest for me, but if I only knew the music of a band without knowing what they looked like or even if they were still together and saw one of these tributes which performed excellently under the false pretense that it was the original band, would I really know the difference? So, perhaps this problem is more of a mental bias than a real problem... ------------- "Freud's cranium is a snail!" - Dali |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 12:16
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I've seen a few tribute bands, both prog and non-prog. I'd rather travel 10 miles and pay a reasonable price to see a good tribute band than have to travel 500 miles and pay a fortune for a ticket to see the real thing in some ghastly enormodome. Then there are artists who aren't around any more or have changed the style of music they play, for example Marc Bolan or Genesis. Tribute bands are a great way to experience these acts. I've seen T-Rextacy and I suspect that they probably sounded better than T Rex did (and, having just read Tony Visconti's autobiography, Danielz from T-Rextacy seems a much nicer person than Marc Bolan became). ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 12:47
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I think seeing a tribute band live would be something interesting however I will NEVER understand the point of a tribute band doing a recorded album ------------- 
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:04
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This issue has worried me a lot. I know it's great to go and see The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway for those of us who never had the chance, But are this guys who dedicate their whole life to act what others created real artists or just copýcats? I know they must be skilled in an instrument to do so, but it’s an act only, not even sure if it’s really a tribute to the original band, because a tribute implies to create something to honor somebody, not to just copy. But it’s fun and they found a way of living, but my problem is really more with Tribute albums by weoll known artists. A few years ago, labels like Magna Carta, took musicians from their rooster and made tributes to everybody, some were good, some were bad but most were just an excuse to gain money with what others did. But this created a boom, everybody wanted make a tribute, it's cheap, you need to create nothing and you have a moderate success guarateed.
I can compare two albums, one called “The Fox Lies Down” (Purple Pyramid) which was horrendous, most of the musicians (some very talented) just played the exact same version Genesis did, others were embarrassing like John Wetton singing in the most perfect Elmer Fudd style “Your Own Special Way”. That was not a tribute, the artists did very little to create something new using what was already created. On the other hand a group of lesser known artists released “The River of Constant Changes”…Wow, that was a tribute, most of the bands were not British or even English speakers, but all of them made their best effort to create something new, they added a lot of them to what already existed and you got a brand new work that was worth buying. Bands like Decode, Germinale, The Acient Veil, Some of this artists had success with their own stuff others not, but they tried, unlike the Magna Carta artists who made tributes to Genesis,Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Rush, ELP, etc, and even a compilation of their best tribute songs, this was more a cheap way to earn money instead of real tributes. Most of the Magna Carta artists should have been working in their own projects instead of making these tributes. Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:13
On the subject of the Magna Carta tribute albums, I agree with Ivan that there is no point whatsoever in having artists record note-perfect copies of the originals - it would be like getting Picasso to paint an identical copy of the Mona Lisa. Some of those albums are quite good though, like the ELP tribute, in which the artists involved reinterpret the tracks instead of just reproducing them. Not that it is always successful - LaBrie singing "Tarkus" is not for the faint-hearted! - but some of the versions, like for instance "Toccata", are very good indeed.
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Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:18
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I look at The Musical Box more as rock theater than I do a tribute band. While they try and recreate the Geneisis shows as meticulously as possible the music comes from he albums not the live recordings so it is not an actual recreation of the live show. In this day and age they can pull it off pretty much flawlessly night after night (except human error) something Genesis could not do due to the technology of the times. They also took the time and responsibility to be registered by Geneisis that gave them access to things that make them even more complete. I found it pretty enjoyable and wish they would come back to the West Coast of US again. (They have only been here once). On the other hand if it just to see a band playing music of Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin or whatever I am not interested. I find the people that attend these things for the most part don't want to hear new progressive music and are pretty much stuck in this time period. I guess it has some value if you have never heard this music live but for me no thanks.
------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:22
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Yes Raff, they did a good job with Encore, Legends & Paradox, they rescued musicians as Glenn Hugues, Mark Bonilla and Jerry Goodman who made a great job. Good album, I rated it with 4 stars because it's the best tribute album by Magna Carta.
But wouldn't it be better to join all this talented musicians as:
......And make something original in the vein of "The Greatest Show on Earth" ? http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2416 - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2416 ?
They had enough performing and compositional talent in that lineup to create something amazing.
Iván
BTW: Jordan Ruddess really made a great performance in Karn Evil 9, sounded like a Wakeman inspired musician playing Emerson's stuff, impressive. -------------
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Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:37
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^ You should check out his latest one Ivan the Road Home. It is a tribute album with one Rudess song on it. Great versions of Dance on a Volcano, Tarkus and Just the Same among others. I saw Jordan perform with Rod Morgenstein last year and this guy is the real deal. -------------
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Wilcey
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:37
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Some interesting points here in an interesting and relevant debate.
From a fans point of view, being able to see something that for what ever reason I missed the 'first time around' is great, and while yes, it is not the original artists, a good percentage of the time you do have good, talented artists up on stage. Of course there are some shamefully amateur cringe-bags out there in 'tribute world' but a prog tribute is less likely to be really bad because they are playing to a limited audience compared to say an Abba tribute or something and really want to do serious justice to the music they love!
Usually a band like this is a relatively cheap night out, with some good tracks that you know and a few mates and a laugh!
From a musicians point of view it's double edged sword, who in their right mind would pay £15 + travel+food/beer to see Pallas (for example, don't go start making this a 'don't dis Pallas thread!) when you can go to your local and see a Floyd set with you mates for a fiver? It makes it harder for original acts to get a crowd, it makes it harder and harder to get an audience to tolerate unknown music , and it makes it really important when an original prog band you know are playing to get off your bums and go see them, (and take a mate along!) how is a young band supposed to get a following if their local pubs and clubs only book tributes?
The other edge of the sword is of course a side effect of the damage done by illegal file-sharing etc etc, if bands get less and less income from their original recordings they need to make up the short fall in revenue, and if they can get a gig playing someone else's tunes then they jolly well have to take it.
But in the main I think a good tribute can be a good laugh, and going to see any live music is better than a night in with your 'puter for company!
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Posted By: WideAngleWatcher
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 13:39
| Of course tribute bands are a good thing. As an 18 year old Progressive Rock fan many of my favourite bands from the genre are well past their peak, or simply don't tour anymore. If it was my dream to see Genesis fronted by P.G. for example I couldn't. Unlike some of you people who got the chance for me it it's impossible. A good tribute band allows people like me (And people who did see the real thing and wish to do so again) a chance to do so. Although I have seen Rush live you people will know how they like to reject a lot of the earlier material so where do I go to hear it? Bravado - a local Rush tribute band who last year on 1st June pulled out the exact setlist Rush played in Sheffield 30 years before. Amazing. |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 14:06
like you say Rach, there have been some very interesting points raised...
it would be interesting to do a survey of tribute band musicians, to see how many, if given the choice would in fact prefer to put on a show, playing their own music, if they were convinced they could get the same number of people in through the doors... I suspect many of them would jump at the chance...
unsurprisingly, I would say that the average age of the audience last night would be early to mid 50's. I suspect many of those supporting Genesis tribute bands, do so through a sense of nostalgia, as Genesis were well know at a time in their lives when discovering new music was an important pasttime...and for most 50 somethings, it isn't any longer...that time has been taken up by home, work and garden, and these days as a consequence, they know what they like, whether it is in a wardrobe or not...
..and wish to stick with it.The older members we have on PA probably represent the minority of 70's Genesis fans, for whom discovering new music continues to be an important part of their lives (God bless 'em...  ) but for most, if you gave them a CD and said 'give this a listen, it's quite like Genesis', they wouldn't be interested....------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 16:28
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As I was born towards the end of 85 I've obviously never had the chance to see many/any of the classic bands live, and havnt. The alue in these tribute bands is that I can get to here great music from the classic bands in a live setting when the band is either nolonger in existence, doesnt play their best materiel any more (just the most popular) or charges the earth to go see them. I've only actually seen one tribute band perform so-far. The Progz opened last years Summers End festivel and performed a mix of Genesis, ELP, Steve Hackett, Peter Gabriel , Camel etc. This, I think, is a brilliant idea. ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 16:58
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Living i Perú and onñy 12 in 1976 when I became a Proghead (Already Gabriel had left Genesis and even W&W reeleased), it was hard for us to seea Prog band, the first ¨Prog cocert I saw was Kansas in 1978 in USA (The first Prog concert in Perú was Wakeman in 1991), I became familiar with Prog thanks to Frágil, who played Genesis, Yes and Led Zep covers, but as soon as they made a name and had enough material of their own, they refused to play covers and this lead to the release of the excellent Avenida Larco.
But in their case it was necesary, people got familiar with Prog thanks to them, I discovered Genesis in their concerts, so they used the covers to let people know what they were going to play.
Iván -------------
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: February 24 2008 at 17:10
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^^ yes, that's an interesting perspective, Ivan... a band playing prog covers in a country which isn't traditionally associated with Prog makes a degree more sense... as an aside, what is the picture like in Peru today...do you have many more opportuinities to see bands at Gigs & Festivals, than you would have done say, 20 years ago? ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: stevek
Date Posted: February 25 2008 at 11:48
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I've been reading this thread about tribute bands and just wanted to let everyone know about a book I've written: "Like A Rolling Stone: The Strange Life of a Tribute Band." It follows two Rolling Stones bands as they follow the real Stones 2005 tour, and discusses other tributes and the pros and cons, like "Tributitus," the psychological disorder of taking on hte characteristics of the rock star you portray. It's being published in April by Random House in the States but is already on Amazon.com. Ultimately, I came down on the side of tribute bands being a good thing because it allows fans to experience the music of their favorite band in an intimate setting - something that's impossible to do if your favorite group is a) no longer together or b) playing in stadiums and charging $100 a ticket. Also, I've found that tribute musicians do it out of a genuine love of the music, not out of a calculated attempt to trick the public. I also discovered that a lot of tribute guys are really gifted musicians who just didn't make it in an original band for whatever reason.
Regarding darqDean's point about likening tribute bands to orchestras, that came up a few times from people i talked to and it is a valid analogy. The one flaw in that argument, though, is that orchestras who play Mozart don't dress up in powdered wigs. Because so much of rock and roll is also about fashion and attitude and image, the tribute performers often feel they have to dress up.
-Steven
likearollingstonethebook.blogspot.com
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Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: February 25 2008 at 12:20
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Interesting topic. When I was playing almost nightly in bar bands back in the 70s we usually played music that we loved and/or admired and still we'd get tired of performing any given song within months of playing it over and over. My point is that I can't imagine being limited to just one artist/song list for years on end. You've got to be one dedicated (or obsessed) son of a gun to do that, I figure! There's a group in my city that is a Beatle cover band and they've been doing it for well over a decade. They're good, no doubt, but I don't know how they can stand to play "Ticket to Ride" even one more time. But maybe that's just me.... ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: February 25 2008 at 13:48
The problem of Perú is in the taxes, until a few months ago the Government charged:
So at the end it made more than 100% extra over the original cost, because one tax is over he other. Recently a tax reduction has been made, the Municipal tax was eliminated and the income tax is being made lower.
But still we were able to see:
No need to say that I didn't went to the last one. The Steve Hackett concert was cancelled due to lack of interest, while a few blocks away Ricky Martin was playing La Vida Loca in front of 15,000 idiots. Hope that with the new tax system we get to see beter acts, Rush and Maiden are being mentioned, I wish it's true.. Iván -------------
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Also cancelled last year's electro acustic Tull show.Posted By: Marwin
Date Posted: February 25 2008 at 17:51
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I feel it's a good thing! In jazz and classical music the idea of standards and playing other peoples songs is very common so why not in progressive rock. And many artists are getting very old and probably don't tour anymore so if people want to hear some great music live, let's face it not everyone can write songs like Tony Banks or (insert favorite song writer here), so why not go see a "tribute" band. ------------- http://myspace.com/toxicmindfin http://myspace.com/porcelainprog |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: February 25 2008 at 18:48
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When I was in Toronto a couple of years ago, The Musical Box was there, but they were asking the amount of a normal concert for ticket prices and as tempted as I was to see them I couldn't get myself to pay that much to see a tribute band.
To an extent I liken it a bit to the theater. The original plays are performed on Broadway in New York or London or other large Metropolises, and then a touring theater performs the same shows throughout the country with performers who are mostly different than those that performed on Broadway. The fact that the performers are different doesn't necessarily lessen the enjoyment of the show or the theater experience. I've never actually seen a show on Broadway so maybe I would be extremely disappointed on how "Bad" the touring theater company is in comparison to those performing on Broadway, but I suspect that I probably couldn't tell the difference. To an extent a band like Genesis is the original Broadway performer whereas The Musical Box is the touring company performing a similar show.
As far as playing the same songs over and over as a tribute band, it probably isn't much different than playing the same songs over and over as the original performer. Obviously, there is a certain pride in knowing that you are performing something that you helped to create, but to play the same thing every day 300 days a year for 30 years has got to be monotonous even if it is yours. That is why you hear so many bands not play their hits because they are sick of them too.
------------- 
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Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: February 26 2008 at 12:48
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I've seen a fair few tribute bands over the years, from Think Floyd, Noddys Puncture (ELP tribute), to ReGenesis, The Musical Box & The Muffin Men (Zappa) & overall I've found them a great night out, listening to music you never hear played live now by the original bands (if the original bands are still around at all), for considerably less that it would cost you to see a mainstream gig.
I think these bands are essential to keep the flame of older 'traditional' progressive rock alive - if just a fraction of those who see these bands go back & re-discover the music of a lost generation & thus keep it alive (not to mention contribute to the pension fund of an ancient musician in his dotage), this cannot be a bad thing. The main thing is - are they a good band in their own right? Some are undoubtedly better than others & in the pile of Genesis tribute bands (none of whom seem to cover the 1980/1990 period for some reason  ) The Musical Box stand out - music played superbly, on original instruments (this last causing a delay when I saw them, due to a Mellotron failure... how authentic is that? ), but never falling into clinicality.
It always amuses me though that when you see a Genesis tribute, the audience will always be enthusiastic & receptive, but as soon as they play Firth Of Fifth & get to that solo... it's all eyes on the guitarist & God forbid he buggers the solo... ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: mpomy
Date Posted: February 28 2008 at 14:30
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I never heard RPWL when they were a Pink Floyd tribute band, but they've turned into a VERY good original band and they are not afarind to show their prog roots. As has been said earlier in this thread - the tribute bands do a remendous job of 'keeping the flame lit', especially for those of us who never got to see the original. -------------
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Posted By: the_rider
Date Posted: February 29 2008 at 06:27
| I think it's just great, why shouldn't it be? |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: March 01 2008 at 18:14
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This coming Friday, March 7, 2008, Michigan-based Pink Floyd tribute band, The Surrogate Band, is performing The Wall live at The Magic Bag in Ferndale. Probably should be posted in the Gigs and Events area or the Tribute band area, but I thought it was appropriate to post it here in this thread too. Has anybody heard this band?
Here is a link to their website:
http://www.pinkfloydtributeband.net/ - http://www.pinkfloydtributeband.net/ -------------
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Posted By: kenmartree
Date Posted: March 03 2008 at 04:53
| I wish I could still afford to go see a concert. The combination of ticket prices and duties of family life make it rare. I would jump at the chance to se the Musical Box if they came to Portland oregon, fat chance though. At some point here I will make it a point to see the Decemberists since they play here regularly. Quality tribute bands will live on and bad ones won't so I don't see a problem. |
Posted By: domizia
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 08:16
| My personal experience is, that I was far more fascinated and captured the first time I saw the Musical Box playing The Lamb in 2006, than last summer in Berlin at the actual Genesis show. Obviously a good 70% of this is because, as Jim Gaten points out, I knew that it's quite impossible to have Genesis do The Lamb live... |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 08:46
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That's right - In fact, if you listen to last year's Genesis live album, they can barely play the old material as a medley, these days; they just sound like an under-rehearsed tribute act...
...and not a very good one, at that  -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: March 04 2008 at 09:43
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I find tribute bands quite good,but useless if the original band is still gigging.I saw Whole Lotta Led it took me a while to forgot im watching four guys pretending to be other people.I really enjoyed knowing i could hear some of my favourite songs played live and found it really fun.But if Zeppelin and Whole lotta Led were gigging frequently then....well....thats just silly. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: domizia
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 05:12
| What was that process called..."suspension of disbelief", I believe. |
Posted By: Credo Man
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 05:37
Tribute bands remind of a kebab at 2 a.m. after a night out on the beer.....
------------- Credo Against Reason Now Available www.credo.gb.com |
Posted By: TartanTantrum
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 07:07
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I was at the Royal Scottish National Orchestra' gig recently playing Beethoven and Mozart. It struck me that they were a tribute band to a genre of music. Now I know that Beethoven did not have a chance to record his music to pass down to future generations, but no matter how often you listen to a record, nothing beats hearing the music played live. That is, in my opinion, the true worth of tribute bands. On the down side, it is a shame that fans who turn up to see tribute bands do not seem to support original bands. I was at a Regenesis gig in Glasgow, and it was sold out (as usual) at a venue that holds 500. It was an excellent gig and I got talking to some young guys about how I had seen Genesis in 1973. They were very impressed with this. On the wall was a poster advertising The Flower Kings gig in a few weeks at the same venue. I told these young lads how good TFK were and that they should go. I never saw them there and there were probably only 200 fans at the gig. Little wonder that they have not been back! Regenesis sold out the next year again. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 07:14
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When was this TT? I've seen ReGenesis a few times, but not for a few years, I thought they'd split some time ago??
Are they still going? If so, is Steve Marsh still on guitar?? -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: TartanTantrum
Date Posted: March 06 2008 at 10:44
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I saw them every year for about 5 years the last show being 2005. Theri guitarist was called Andy I think - his first gig with the band being in Glasgow. Their web site says stay tuned. Last year I saw G2 (excellent) and I was talking to Piers LaDavison (keyboards and former ReGenesis) and he told me that Regenesis are not finished and that they would be back. |
Posted By: enigma
Date Posted: March 07 2008 at 15:01
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I've seen the Aussie Floyd 3 times (superb), I've also seen Pink Fraud (ok, but on a much smaller scale) and Stairway to Zeppelin (good fun, but again small scale). I enjoy these tributes because it gives you the chance to hear the songs of your favourite bands played in a live context for a fairly cheap price (ok, the Aussies are £25, but it is worth it). Most of the genuine artists are either not touring or disbanded or dead, so a tribute keeps the spirit alive. My question is...... These tribute acts are making money by playing another bands songs, do they have to pay any form of performance royalties? The Aussies regularly pack out 4,000 seater venues and although much of the money is fed back into the shows production (new lights each year  ), they must be making a decent living.Add in the money from DVD and live CD sales...... do the real Floyd get a cut? |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: March 11 2008 at 12:56
According to the Performing Right Society's website, a concert venue must get permission from the copyright holders before using copyright music in public. If the venue pays for a PRS Music Licence, this gives permission to play copyright music.
http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk - http://www.mcps-prs-alliance.co.uk
------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: March 11 2008 at 13:25
Same with The Musical Box - they regularly sell out major tours in the UK (including the Royal Albert Hall on more than one occasion); just goes to show, if you're a good tribute act, the demand is there to hear the music played well. -------------
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: ES335
Date Posted: March 11 2008 at 22:51
While I'm sure some of them would jump at the chance, I think a pretty high percentage are very happy with what they are doing. Good tribute bands are not simply cover bands. They go to a lot of trouble to recreate the experience, finding setlists, costuming, and most importantly to the prog fan, tracking down the same vintage equipment that the original artist used, be it guitar, bass, amp, keyboards, even using the same guage strings. If the original player used a custom instrument they try to get one built to the same specs, all so that the music sounds as close as possible to the original. These people are seriously dedicated to what they are doing, it isn't the kind of thing one does simply because there isn't anything better to do. They are essentially fanboys with talent. ------------- Bible-thumping heavyweight evangelistic boxing kangaroo |
Posted By: mrcozdude
Date Posted: March 12 2008 at 05:12
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My view has changed slightly since i saw a recent pink floyd tribute band,who decided to have a eastend london grime rapper,freestyling over run like hell and another brick in the wall.I was furious!
Then after the gig i overheard them talking about how another brick in the wall was a song about staying in education because its important WTF!!! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/cozfunkel/" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Vienna
Date Posted: May 27 2008 at 16:26
| I hate the idea of 'tribute bands' and the few I've seen have made me cringe. I couldn't see the point of them until I went to see The Purple Project at Riffs Bar. My god that was something else. These guys totally rocked and the audience loved them. What did this band have that others to my mind didn't? They just oozed love for the music, a bunch of really talented musicians and a singer who could actually sing rather than putting on a voice to try and match the original singers, that was the Purple Project's secret. Their enthusiasm spread and before you knew it you were hooked and it was great reliving those DP moments! I'm not sure I will be venturing out to see many other tribute bands but I'd definitely recommend the Purple Project to any DP fans out there. Their web page is www.classicpurple.com. |
Posted By: rhinn
Date Posted: May 29 2008 at 19:56
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How can classical music be compared to tribute bands who only want to make a fast buck on nostalgia?
I can't believe so many people want to listen to poor subsitutes of real music? Classical music was written aeons ago and should not come under the crime of tribute. As i said tribute bands only make money out of nostalgia not real music performance.
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Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: June 01 2008 at 07:34
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Tribute bands can fill the gap where the original acts will never play for several reasons. I'm quite sure that an honest and fair tribute band gigging in, say, Brazil's Centre-West will raise money only for the trip and a post-gig snack. ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: debrewguy
Date Posted: June 24 2008 at 19:53
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Re " tribute bands". I was talking to a friend about Trooper and Helix coming to a local club over the next few months. I mentioned how many of these groups usually just have one or two remaining original members. I told him of how Foghat was still around, but that only the bass player from the last good album onwards was still there. Anyways, he said he'd read an article about tribute bands with a few comments from a Foghat tribute act. When asked what was the biggest problem they faced, he responded that it was being undercut on what they charged for a gig. "By other tribute acts ?" "No, by Foghat itself!" ------------- "Here I am talking to some of the smartest people in the world and I didn't even notice,” Lieutenant Columbo, episode The Bye-Bye Sky-High I.Q. Murder Case. |
Posted By: khammer99
Date Posted: June 27 2008 at 00:05
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Tribute bands are basically a rip off, and show a lack of imagination. I'm all for a band playing covers as part of their set, although for the most part, they brutalized the original song. Give me the original, or when I see a band, I like them to mix in some original stuff with the covers. ------------- Genius is always allowed some leeway, once the hammer has been pried from its hands and the blood has been cleaned up. - Terry Pratchett |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: August 07 2008 at 10:30
you make a whole host of excellent points here, ES...
 while reading your description, the thought occurred to me that there is almost a parallel with the Early Music Scene, which has grown over the last 30 years, where conductors such as Trevor Pinnock, John Eliot Gardener and Paul McCreesh have supported the use of authentic replica instruments, and similar sized orchestras/ choirs to perform early music and baroque, in the manner in which it was intended, as opposed to a large orchestra more suited to Mahler, which makes early music sound 'mushy'.
this can loosely be called a 'tribute' I suppose, especially when you consider that they are involved in the historical analysis of late medieval documents and sheet music, to recreate something which was performed as Vespers on a specific Sunday, in Venice, in March 1643 (for instance...)
...a Monteverdi tribute act... ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Axe/Hatchet/Saw
Date Posted: November 24 2008 at 21:13
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When I was working in Japan a few years back, I had the pleasure to attend some shows by Japanese bands doing progressive rock tributes: Amsterdam (Red era King Crimson tribute band) - This is an awesome Japanese trio doing the impossibles. The guitarist was a combination of Robert Fripp's guitar and John Wetton's vocals. The setlist was also a dream come true. They played Starless, One More Red Nightmare, Fallen Angel, Red and other songs from that period. UnKnown (Japanese UK cover band) - This is a funny band. They kept on asking the audience to shout U-K. The singer was a far cry from John Wetton but the female violinist was quite good. Gerard - This is not a cover band but they like to play cover songs like Tarkus, 21st Century Schizoid Man, Red, etc. They were quite good. 21st Century Schizoid Band - Great musicianship but I don't like the singer. He should stick to playing guitar only and find somebody else to sing.
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Posted By: mystic fred
Date Posted: November 26 2008 at 06:17
i always had mixed opinions about tribute bands, but eventually got to see "AC/DC" and "Who" tribute bands - having seen the "real" bands live i was bl**dy amazed how good they were! they had the band members' characters down to a tee, the right gear and the music was brilliant. a good tribute band is a joy to behold if they get it right and are true fans, so nobody is getting ripped off, truly a "tribute". they do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
-------------  Prog Archives Tour Van 
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Posted By: kshacklett
Date Posted: November 28 2008 at 19:28
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It's all good: Bands that nail the originals, bands that improvise a lot, bands that do their own arrangements, bands with different instrumentation, bands that suck.... it doesn't matter. If they enjoy doing it it's good. If someone enjoys listening to them, it's gravy.
If someone doesn't like it, tough sh*t. The world does not revolve around him or her, or even the original bands for that matter.
Any celebration of good music is a good thing... and isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery?
My two cents,
Kerry
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Posted By: kshacklett
Date Posted: November 28 2008 at 19:41
| Like minds.... I noticed shortly after posting that the previous post also made the imitation remark. Score two. |