How important is it for a tribute band to have the EXACT same lineup as the original?

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by jumbodbassman

...good luck finding someone who can sing like sting...

I think this^^ is your real dilemma.

Or maybe find a bass player who sings like Sting and you can manage them...I'm just sayin...

[champbassist]

I get the deal about the difference between the cover band and tribute band. It was probably misleading of me to say that it's going to be a tribute band: it's going to be a plain cover band at best.

Originally Posted by jumbodbassman

nobody counts how many people are on stage. good luck finding someone who can sing like sting...

The more I think about it, the more I find myself realizing this.

As someone who can just about cop Peter Steele's voice, it's probably a distant dream for me to even think about doing Sting's vocals

[A Strohman]

Originally Posted by gearhead1972

I good friend of mine is the drummer for a Rush tribute band called Limelight The bass player is very talented and plays the keys and bass pedals just like Geddy, but cant sing. So they have a singer. They do it so well you don't even care.

I know and have seen Limelight several times and I play with the drummer in a separate project....he's easily the best drummer I've ever worked with. When I first saw Limelight perform, the addition of a separate singer didn't bother me near as much as Steve (the bass player) playing a 5-string. I'm not at all knocking any of the musicianship....the entire band is fantastic....but that 5-string Ibanez (at least I think it was an Ibanez) just bugged the crap outta me.

[hrodbert696]

There's a Beatles tribute band around our neck of the woods but they quite carefully bill themselves as "a tribute to the music of the Beatles," not simply " a tribute to the Beatles." They do have four members and everyone sings, but they assign parts for who can best pull the song off, they don't try to have one be John and one be Paul, etc. They go over great. Personally, I think they "Beatlemania" kind of thing is overdone.

[ga_edwards]

IMO, there's only 2 kind of tribute acts. Soundalikes (tribute to an artists music), and soundandlookalikes (tribute to the band itself as an act). Both kinds can be equally successful or not. I've seen some very good soundalikes only and had a great night out (Illegal Eagles, Magic - A Kind Of Queen), same as the lookalikes too.

However! If you're going the lookalike route, do it right. There's plenty of mediocre tribute bands who only do half a job IMO and it spoils my enjoyment of what could be so much better with some investment. For example I saw a RHCP act with a vastly overweight, bald, left-handed pick playing P-bass weilding Flea, that just did not sit right. Sure, he can't help being left handed of the way he looks, but to play the whole show with a P-bass, and worse with a pick, esp when Flea is famous for his ferocious slap and finger style technique is just crazy. Not to mention the rest of the band made little effort with their appearance either - the singer ditched his wig half way though.

Sure, it costs more money to go the whole lookalike route, but that something that may determine your route. You can save money of expensive gear though with a few tricks and cheats. For example, cheaper Squier lookalike or modded guitars rather than vintage Fenders, and fake amp fronts propped up in front of your existing amps. I belive the Rollin Stoned do this to reflect the bands different eras and changing backline without actually changing actual backline. I know a chap who plays in a Beatles one too who has an empty AC100 head and uses something else behind it.

[Joe Nerve]

Didn't read the entrire thread, so I'm guessing what I'm going to say might have already been said. My take on this...

The tribute bands that will make the most money are the ones who look and sound the most like the original bands.

If you don't look like the original band, at all, and are going to do what you're suggesting (4 guys in a police band), then for it to be succesful you've got to kill it. I believe people will forgive anything and everything if you sound just like the band you're imitating.

If you look like the band you're paying tribute to, people will be a bit more forgiving, you'll have a little more room to not be dead on, but to be successful you have to at least be tight, and sound something like who you're trying to be.

[Vic Winters]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Yes but that is green Day not a trib. If somebody put a Green Day trib together and the drummer did all the vocals while the guitarist stood there?

My point is that many bands don't remain consistent with their perceived image when they perform live. A trio is rarely a trio when they perform live. Unless you're going to be using backing tracks, you're not going to get 'Boulevard of Broken Dreams' to sound right with just one person playing guitar.

[Factor88]

Originally Posted by lfmn16

If you wait for all of the traffic lights to turn green before you leave your driveway, you'll never leave home.

Some people play it safe, some people take chances. There is nothing wrong with either. I'd rather take a chance and strike out than sit safely on the bench.

Well, before I leave the driveway, I make sure nobody's coming. I make sure my seatbelt is buckled. I make sure not to do it after slamming three rum and cokes. And so on....30 years of driving, no serious accidents, and I've gotten out of my driveway and to my destination plenty of times.

"Taking chances" is stupid unless you've carefully weighed the odds and evaluated the potential consequences of taking those chances.


Bringin' it home to the subject at hand, at least it seems to me that many more successful tribute bands mirror the music and the lineup and show, than tribute bands who mirror just the music. That's enough data (for me) to make it not worth leaving the driveway to go to a rehersal for the latter type of tribute band!

[QORC]

Being in a successful tribute band myself for more than 4 years, I can say this on the subject:

1. the closer you are to the original, in both sound and look, will make you more marketable. If you are doing a Beatles tribute, it would be silly to have a keyboardist. Or having a fat bald guy in shorts. those who look the part -- including having the right number of members - will, all other things being equal, do better than a band that doesn't look the part.

2. That being said, I see tributes out there that don't have the right number of members or may not even attempt to look like the real band. Some of them do ok. But again, refer to #1.

3. Which band you are a tribute to may make it less necessary to have the look (or more). if You're a Beatles tribute, you'd better have 4 pieces and you need to look the part -- the right clothes, instruments, general looks. Etc. If you want to be a big success. Why? Because people dig it that the band is trying to look the part. Uber-fans definitely want this. But if you're doing say, a tribute to the Allman Brothers? Not many people are going to recognize the band members. They weren't iconic enough. That being said, I don't know why you'd do the Allman Brothers...

So I'm not sure how this got started, but I think that a Police tribute that DOES NOT have a blond-haired Sting playing bass and singing is not likely to get very far. Or at least not as far as a tribute that does.

so I guess it comes down to the goals of the band. A band that is doing a tribute to an iconic band, and isn't picky about how they look or their lineup, will find work. However, the band that looks and sounds the part -- and does both very well -- and has picked the right band to tribute -- can go REALLY far.

For those that say "it doesn't matter how you look" aren't likely to have ever been in a tribute band, let alone a successful one. The tribute scene is different than your standard cover scene. it's very competitive, but it's also can be very high payoff. Big festival gigs. Good money. Travel. there are some amazing tributes out there.

And payoff? we headlined a show in October ...in Mexico...in front of 10,000 screaming people. And in Peru in front of 5,000 two months before. All expenses. First class hotel and meals. Backstage dressing room catered. Private driver. Security. People hounding us for autographs after the show. How many bands can say that? We don't even play bars now.

I'm not saying we're the best, but we've worked hard at both look and sound -- and it's paid off. and believe me, there are TONS of ACDC tributes out there - even in our State. It's extremely competitive. but I'm doing things that I've never done being part of this, and will never do with your standard cover band. It has its rewards.

So bottom line? It depends on your definition of "success." If you want to make a real impact in the national tribute market, look definitely is a necessity as much as sound.

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by QORC

So bottom line? It depends on your definition of "success." If you want to make a real impact in the national tribute market, look definitely is a necessity as much as sound.

Good point. Quite sadly, there isn't much of a market for tribute OR cover bands in India, and we're not targeting foreign shores as yet This is going to be more of a labor of love in every aspect: we aren't expecting to make any money off it either. Just getting out there and playing in the club circuit is pretty much all that matters right now, as worthless as it may sound (Edit: club circuit doesn't imply payment over here: it's more about open mics and collaborative shows with little if any earnings).

That said, there's no dearth of talented bands here, who we'll have to jostle with if we're going to play clubs, especially as a cover band.

Also, I'm hoping the audience here won't be expecting too many blonde Indian Stings fronting Police cover bands

[gearhead1972]

Originally Posted by A Strohman

I know and have seen Limelight several times and I play with the drummer in a separate project....he's easily the best drummer I've ever worked with. When I first saw Limelight perform, the addition of a separate singer didn't bother me near as much as Steve (the bass player) playing a 5-string. I'm not at all knocking any of the musicianship....the entire band is fantastic....but that 5-string Ibanez (at least I think it was an Ibanez) just bugged the crap outta me.

Haha yeah small world, I have known Lou for almost 25 years, and yes he is probably the best drummer in these parts. Yup Steve does play a 5 string Ibanez, but he now has black Jazz bass, but still a 5er lol, a little closer to Geddy. That other project, if it's the one I am thinking of man I hope that takes off again.

[lfmn16]

Originally Posted by Factor88

Well, before I leave the driveway, I make sure nobody's coming. I make sure my seatbelt is buckled. I make sure not to do it after slamming three rum and cokes. And so on....30 years of driving, no serious accidents, and I've gotten out of my driveway and to my destination plenty of times.

"Taking chances" is stupid unless you've carefully weighed the odds and evaluated the potential consequences of taking those chances.

Bringin' it home to the subject at hand, at least it seems to me that many more successful tribute bands mirror the music and the lineup and show, than tribute bands who mirror just the music. That's enough data (for me) to make it not worth leaving the driveway to go to a rehersal for the latter type of tribute band!

Blah, blah, blah. We disagree. Get over it.

[QORC]

I guess I didn't read the beginning of the thread. my comments are about the American market. I'm sure the India market is quite different so I have no idea how much "look" counts there for tributes..or if there even is a market for tributes in India.

Can't help you there.

I know that it certainly counts in the States

[Febs]

Originally Posted by QORC

Being in a successful tribute band myself for more than 4 years, I can say this on the subject:

1. the closer you are to the original, in both sound and look, will make you more marketable. If you are doing a Beatles tribute, it would be silly to have a keyboardist. Or having a fat bald guy in shorts. those who look the part -- including having the right number of members - will, all other things being equal, do better than a band that doesn't look the part.

2. That being said, I see tributes out there that don't have the right number of members or may not even attempt to look like the real band. Some of them do ok. But again, refer to #1.

3. Which band you are a tribute to may make it less necessary to have the look (or more). if You're a Beatles tribute, you'd better have 4 pieces and you need to look the part -- the right clothes, instruments, general looks. Etc. If you want to be a big success. Why? Because people dig it that the band is trying to look the part. Uber-fans definitely want this. But if you're doing say, a tribute to the Allman Brothers? Not many people are going to recognize the band members. They weren't iconic enough. That being said, I don't know why you'd do the Allman Brothers...

So I'm not sure how this got started, but I think that a Police tribute that DOES NOT have a blond-haired Sting playing bass and singing is not likely to get very far. Or at least not as far as a tribute that does.

so I guess it comes down to the goals of the band. A band that is doing a tribute to an iconic band, and isn't picky about how they look or their lineup, will find work. However, the band that looks and sounds the part -- and does both very well -- and has picked the right band to tribute -- can go REALLY far.

For those that say "it doesn't matter how you look" aren't likely to have ever been in a tribute band, let alone a successful one. The tribute scene is different than your standard cover scene. it's very competitive, but it's also can be very high payoff. Big festival gigs. Good money. Travel. there are some amazing tributes out there.

And payoff? we headlined a show in October ...in Mexico...in front of 10,000 screaming people. And in Peru in front of 5,000 two months before. All expenses. First class hotel and meals. Backstage dressing room catered. Private driver. Security. People hounding us for autographs after the show. How many bands can say that? We don't even play bars now.

I'm not saying we're the best, but we've worked hard at both look and sound -- and it's paid off. and believe me, there are TONS of ACDC tributes out there - even in our State. It's extremely competitive. but I'm doing things that I've never done being part of this, and will never do with your standard cover band. It has its rewards.

So bottom line? It depends on your definition of "success." If you want to make a real impact in the national tribute market, look definitely is a necessity as much as sound.

Have you seen The Fab Faux? They have more than four members. And a keyboard player. And a fat bald guy (actually, two bald guys). They seem to do pretty well.

I don't doubt your experience, and it may be that they are the exception to the rule, but as a big Beatles fan, I would much rather see these guys than just about any other Beatles tribute act out there.

[QORC]

no, I haven't. And I don't know who they are or how you (or they) define "success."

All I know is that I've seen a correct Beatles tribute in my time and seen ones that are making serous money doing it. Or maybe they sound really good and the Beatles are SO iconic that you can get away with it, especially if there is no other serious competition where you are.

Not saying that you can't have some success and not look the part or have the right number of members, but ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL, it's better to look and sound the part, then to just sound the part. That's my experience being in a successful tribute -- and playing with other successful tributes on shows -- for over 4 years.

Take it or leave it.

[Biggbass]

Hmmm...tough question. I lean toward the "it doesn't matter" response. Only because most of the bands that are being honored in tribute bands had a lot of musical assistance on their recordings. So it's very difficult to recreate much of the material with the basic line up of the original band. If it can be done, all the better, but if it requires some add'l musicians to make it sound good then that's acceptable. YMMV

[bassmonkeee]

Originally Posted by Febs

Have you seen The Fab Faux? They have more than four members. And a keyboard player. And a fat bald guy (actually, two bald guys). They seem to do pretty well.

I don't doubt your experience, and it may be that they are the exception to the rule, but as a big Beatles fan, I would much rather see these guys than just about any other Beatles tribute act out there.

I'm not sure using a tribute band that is a side project of one of the most connected and sought after musicians in NYC is really going to make any worthwhile argument for any other market. They are kind of the exception to the rule.

[jmattbassplaya]

I think some of you guys are confusing the terms cover band and tribute band. There is a difference, and it's not that you play only one band's songs.

[pudgychef]

Originally Posted by String Theory

Way more people know that "Roxanne" was a prostitute than know that Sting plays bass. Have fun learning and playing some great bass lines.

I think a Beatles tribute band is a different animal because EVERYONE knows what they look like and there have already been some absolutely amazing tribute bands The bar is set much higher than starting a tribute band for most other rock bands.

and the Beatles played relatively so few actual concerts that the look of them on stage is permanently etched....so essential to the Faux experience of seeing a tribute (and actually hearing anythin)

Originally Posted by champbassist

Good point. Quite sadly, there isn't much of a market for tribute OR cover bands in India, and we're not targeting foreign shores as yet This is going to be more of a labor of love in every aspect: we aren't expecting to make any money off it either. Just getting out there and playing in the club circuit is pretty much all that matters right now, as worthless as it may sound (Edit: club circuit doesn't imply payment over here: it's more about open mics and collaborative shows with little if any earnings).

That said, there's no dearth of talented bands here, who we'll have to jostle with if we're going to play clubs, especially as a cover band.

Also, I'm hoping the audience here won't be expecting too many blonde Indian Stings fronting Police cover bands

well I have to say an all Indian Police cover band sounds awesome regardless of the application of hair dye or not....

Originally Posted by bassmonkeee

I'm not sure using a tribute band that is a side project of one of the most connected and sought after musicians in NYC is really going to make any worthwhile argument for any other market. They are kind of the exception to the rule.

this too - in particular when the bassist is also one of the most visible and well networked guys and the discussion is taking place on a bass forum...

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by powmetalbassist

Typically tribute bands look like the band they are imitating. To the point that the band is being semi-mocked by the tribute or is a spitting image of the band, which the crowd can't tell the difference between the real band and the tribute band on stage.

+1

IMO, anything less is just a cover band who won't diversify their setlist.