Anyone ever been in a tribute band?

Icey101 · #1 07-11-2011, 07:04 PM

share your experiances? did you have to dress up? look like someone else? was there a fan base? etc

wemmick · #2 07-11-2011, 08:30 PM

There's a great thread in this forum about a Heart tribute band that just finished a week playing at Disney. Sprinkled in with the Disney-gig specific stuff is some info on his experience in a tribute band.

Icey101 · #3 07-11-2011, 09:37 PM

hey thanks... that was one of the best reads since i joined this forum...

any other experiances?

crijan · #4 07-12-2011, 05:59 AM

Here's the story of starting my own tribute band from scratch:

Starting a cover/tribute band from scratch

Just played for a crowd of 26,000 this weekend.

Dave44 · #5 07-12-2011, 07:46 AM

Never played in a full tribute band but I have played in bands where we would do tribute sets. T-Rex, Stones, Beatles etc. we'd get dressed up and lay it on thick. It was a blast doing all that stuff. I can still get away with that cause I may be an old fart but I'm still a skinny rail of a guy and somehow a fat balding old man can't pull off a Paul Mac, Steve Currie or a Bill Wyman. Still love the dress up part though wigs and such way too much fun while still fully dressed.

Spinal Tapper · #6 07-12-2011, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave44

Never played in a full tribute band but I have played in bands where we would do tribute sets. T-Rex, Stones, Beatles etc. we'd get dressed up and lay it on thick. It was a blast doing all that stuff. I can still get away with that cause I may be an old fart but I'm still a skinny rail of a guy and somehow a fat balding old man can't pull off a Paul Mac, Steve Currie or a Bill Wyman. Still love the dress up part though wigs and such way too much fun while still fully dressed.

I've done this as well. Every Halloween there is a massive "cover band" show at a big venue where bands or groups of musicians will dress up as other popular bands and play over 2 nights. Some of the best talent in Chicago performs.

I've done Tommy James and the Shondells a couple years back, and last year I was got to do Nirvana. It's always a BLAST.

Dress up in period correct clothes, wigs (luckily I have long hair already), play different gear than what I'm used to - like for Nirvana I used a 78 Ripper we borrowed from my buddy's guitar store, our "Kurt" played an old Mustang too) and slung it super low around my body. That was a fun set too because we just went crazy and rocked the old tunes. "No Smells Like Teen Spirit" or "Come As You Are" for that set - it was more along the lines of songs off Bleach, Insesticide, and a few of the B sides off Nevermind.

Was a great experience. We're thinking of actually asking to do the Stones next year and I hopefully will get the gig as Wyman. Could be a great challenge - I'd better start rehearsing yesterday.

dhsierra1 · #7 07-12-2011, 10:09 AM

I sub in for an Allman Bros tribute band but no one really dresses like any of them in particular. We wear what might be considered "Southern Rock drag", namely black teeshirts, cowboy boots, and jeans. Some of the guys have long hair and the lead singer sometimes where's a cowboy hat. But that's as far as that goes.

ric stave · #8 07-12-2011, 10:23 AM

I was the keyboardist in a Black Sabbath Tribute, and the bassist in a Doors Tribute....

Dress? I might as well've been behind a curtain or wearing a paper bag on my head....

I've also done Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, Queensryche, and enough Rush & Pink Floyd in one of my cover bands to almost qualify.

But I don't look like any of the actual guys, and neither did ever most of the rest of the bands - we would dress according to the era and style - the ones I've been part of have been more like a tribute to the music of said bands.

If I went based on my looks, I'd've had to've done a Christopher Cross Band (15-20 years ago), or a Billy Joel Band now (if I grow my facial hair back...)

MuzikMan · #9 07-12-2011, 10:31 AM

I did an Ozzy Osbourne tribute band for about a year in 2004 - 2005. We covered everything from the first Sabbath album to the most recent Ozzy album at that time. It was a fun gig for me because I got to cover Geezer and Bob Daisley. Too bad our singer was such an unreliable person. He did drugs and it affected his performance. Hmmmm..............maybe he was perfect for the job!

StyleOverShow · #10 07-12-2011, 10:56 AM

I'm in a developing project that does pretty much exclusively Allman Brothers bands with an eye on doing biker events. Although the two principal guitarists swear that it is not a note for note reproduction, it pretty much is...and it is disappointing.

As I have pointed out, perhaps too often already, that if that famous southern rock band were around today, they wouldn't play the same songs exactly the same way. That's the nature of music and groups and why, IMO, many groups break up (they can't stand doing the same thing over and over again).

Spinal Tapper · #11 07-12-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

I was the keyboardist in a Black Sabbath Tribute, and the bassist in a Doors Tribute....

Dress? I might as well've been behind a curtain or wearing a paper bag on my head....

Sorry, I almost spit out my lunch. That's too funny!

ric stave · #12 07-12-2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinal Tapper

Sorry, I almost spit out my lunch. That's too funny!

I laughed most the time during those shows....

QORC · #13 07-12-2011, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icey101

share your experiances? did you have to dress up? look like someone else? was there a fan base? etc

I'm in a very successful tribute band right now. And have been for almost 4 years. And for almost a year now, I'm part of a second tribute to an entirely different group. Both are doing well, although my AC/DC one is doing spectacularly.

We rarely play in front of less than 300 people and frequently in front of 1,000 or more. We get paid well. We sometimes travel -- we just had a gig at a huge festival in Lima, Peru.

Yes, it can work and it can be a lot of fun. What are the keys?

1. Picking the right tribute. Being a tribute to just any band won't do it. I mean, you might love Radiohead or Motley Crew, but you're going to have a hard time getting bookings. There's just not a lot of demand for it. I know of a fantastic Rush tribute -- but they rarely get bookings. Who's going to book them? And I love Rush, but it doesn't translate to the mass audience. (we do AC/DC by the way and the material works great).

2. You really have to look and sound like the band if you're going to do it right. Just sounding like them won't cut it. Just looking like them won't cut it. The best ones do both and do it pretty well. Saying it's "good enough" won't cut it.

People (especially original musicians) may sneer or laugh, but I'm having the time of my life and getting paid well. AS A HOBBY!! It works. How many musicians here have played on stages this large to thousands?

We do it as a regular diet!! It's nothing to sneer at. It's not for everyone, but heck, I'm having a ball!

And yeah, I wear a wig and everything. It's no big deal. If you have any questions, drop me a note.

Icey101 · #14 07-12-2011, 05:08 PM

some good points....interesting

**jmattbassplaya** · #15 07-12-2011, 05:33 PM

I'll end up in a Stone Temple Pilots tribute band someday. I can almost guarantee it.

WalterBush · #16 07-12-2011, 05:59 PM

It's not really a tribute band, because by nature we don't play music from only one band, but my '80s band is actually a Synth Pop tribute...Mtv's golden age, one-hit wonders, New Wave bands, etc. We dress the part (complete with costume changes), have a stage show involving visual gags and some choreography, '80s era radio commercials and movie excerpts playing between tunes and as set intros, anything we can think of to transport the audience straight back to the early '80s, sans hair metal.

We got picked up by a California based management company, and have an Arizona-based agent who swears he can make us a ton of cash this coming tourist season. We'll see, but we did quickly became the biggest act locally rather than another bar band, and I pick up better pay than I've ever made in more normal cover bands.

BigOldHarry · #17 07-12-2011, 06:11 PM

no... nor do I have any desire to do so.

dhsierra1 · #18 07-12-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StyleOverShow

I'm in a developing project that does pretty much exclusively Allman Brothers bands with an eye on doing biker events. Although the two principal guitarists swear that it is not a note for note reproduction, it pretty much is...and it is disappointing.

As I have pointed out, perhaps too often already, that if that famous southern rock band were around today, they wouldn't play the same songs exactly the same way. That's the nature of music and groups and why, IMO, many groups break up (they can't stand doing the same thing over and over again).

geez, that's a drag and that's not how ABB is doing it today, they definitely rearrange things, very jazz-like in approach and it keeps it fresh, and keeping in the spirit of ABB, they never played things the same way twice. I love what the original band did, but man, to hear the current line take on those tunes is something else

The band I sub in for thankfully keeps it in the spirit, but not the letter of "the law".

But that's the Allman Bros among other more improv-oriented bands, you do a Depeche Mode tribute and, yup, you're gonna have to play it very much note for note. But then classical music is like that too, don't know too many orchestras or ensembles who'll have the first violinist just shred during the second movement of a Bach concerto, could be cool though

Rockmusician · #19 07-12-2011, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icey101

share your experiances? did you have to dress up? look like someone else? was there a fan base? etc

I was recently contacted about starting a tribute band and I am seriously considering it.

I have seen some tribute bands that dressed up and looked the part and others that didn't. One of the best Aerosmith tribute bands is called Draw The Line. They are from Massachusetts. They look the part and sound great. Last year, I was going to audition for 2 different Journey tribute bands. One of them had a lead singer who look liked Steve Perry but sang more like Eric Burdon. The other band had a lead singer who looked nothing like Steve Perry but had a good voice. I decided not to play with either band.

I think the success of a tribute band depends on several factors. First, is the band which you are covering. Second is the ability to duplicate the songs. Third is the ability to promote the band and find the right audiences. There is a guy on Cape Cod who has been trying to start a Foreigner tribute band for about 5 years. He insists on focusing on the Kelly Hanson era rather than the songs they did with Lou Gramm. He doesn't seem to understand that Foreigner enjoyed most if not all of their success with Lou Gramm.

It's all about the band you cover and how well you can pull it off. You have to be realistic.

Icey101 · #20 07-12-2011, 09:39 PM

so maybe tribute bands are more about if there is a market for them, then if you like some band you want to imitate.