Ever been in a Tribute Band?

[hintz]

We also had costume changes in between sets, for me it was changing my shirt, for the singer it was a full wardrobe and wig change

.

Above is the Styx set...

REO speedwagon

And of course the real breadwinner, Journey

People just really dig tribute bands, what else can I say?? We were also under the same management as a group called "Hairball", a sorta multi band tribute who had 2 singers alternating between different mini set of different 70-80's group like Alice Cooper, motley crue, G n' R, etc....needless to say, a few of them dont work day jobs and still live comfortably!!

I made a flat rate $200 a gig with free food and free lodging in our contract, the guitarist/BL owned an RV and trailer and we had 2/3 roadies on every gig, so it was a no brainer for me, of course the Hairball guys made a bit more than we did, so the gigs and money are out there, yes its cheesy, but if you can pull it off people love it, I say go for it!!

 

[squirefan]

Loving it!
But then we're at an age where 'making it' is well behind us. We are having a blast and playing for very appreciative promoters, crowds, agents, etc., as well as pretty good pay.
There are challenges, such as LiquidMidnight mentioned, but if done right, it is pretty rewarding. I have a few good stories, and proud moments out of it.

As for doing that, and pursuing your original endeavor, that's got to be sorted out in your own mind. Best I can say is give it a try, and cross that bridge when you come to it. Unless you get contractually bound, you're free to go where your heart takes you.

 

[bikeplate]

Nope but I'd like to do one that was authentic. Costumes and all. Maiden?

 

[MatronMother]

I filled in for 4 separate tribute bands in the past. Zepplin, Sabbath, Ken Booth and a Bob Marley.

Likes: It was great learning songs I would normally never have tackled. Great way to make some extra change and meet people.

Dislikes: I am not really into playing other peoples stuff for money even when it is awesome music. But thats me.

I took a different route with professional audio other then playing in bands so I cannot comment on how it might affect things. I guess if you may come to a crossroads where you are double-booked.

 

[hintz]

Nope but I'd like to do one that was authentic. Costumes and all. Maiden?

There are a few maiden tribute's out there as well as priest, but I imagine bruce(or halford's) vocals are hard to copy properly

 

[bikeplate]

Exactly. A cool female might be the ticket

 

[hintz]

Exactly. A cool female might be the ticket

IIRC, there *is* a female maiden tribute called the "Iron Maidens" too(id pay to see that),but even a Doro Pesch style singer would be badass as well in any group tribute or not IMO!!

 

[Bassmanmike1]

I've been in three tribute bands. The first two were Allman Brothers tributes, one in the Midwest where I'm from, and one in California where I live now. The third was a Grateful Dead tribute band.

I can't speak about them being a career killer because I've never gone that route and have always had a day job.

I'll tell you this though it was a blast covering Berry and Phil's stuff. All three bands we did it just like the originals and jammed the shows out to the hilt. No two shows were ever the same and we had people coming to every show just like the Dead and ABB, so as not to miss the nights when the "magic" happened.

That kind of playing really keeps you on your toes and it brought my chops up to another level. Admittedly some nights were not so good, but the nights when everything came together are some of my fondest memories on stage.

If it's a band whose music you enjoy and listen to, I'd say go for it, but as others have said, keep your eyes open, and make sure everything is in order and up front. Nothing spoils an experience faster than it being a money loser.

 

[bolophonic]

I played in a Descendents tribute band for a little while in the late 80's. There wasn't a whole lot of money in it, but it made me a much better player.

 

[hintz]

I played in a Descendents tribute band for a little while in the late 80's. There wasn't a whole lot of money in it, but it made me a much better player.

Didn't they have a song called "Myage" that had this really cool bass line to it, or am I thinking of someone else??!!

 

[Iamthelampshade]

My first band was a Tribute to a whole bunch of contemporary alternative pop songs. It's absolutely not an original career killer. Dream Theater Started as a Rush and Megadeth tribute band.

 

[Kmonk]

I am currently in a Foreigner Tribute band and also do originals and blues with other projects as well as television and jingle work. The tribute band usually does casinos and festivals and plays 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The gigs always included food and pay is a minimum of $2,000 per night, sometimes more.

As far as what you can expect really depends on the band you are doing, how good you are and other tribute bands your market. You should check out other tribute bands in your area. Find out if there are other bands covering the same band you want to cover. If there are, you might not get booked especially if the other bands are well established. Be realistic, understand the band's limitations and whether or not you can really do the band you want to cover. Tribute bands have to be accurate which means you have to sound like the real band. We have been told many times that we sound better than Foreigner and have developed a strong following.

 

[wolfkeller]

I play in a Motley Crue Tribute and I think we are really good. We sound, look and act like Crue and have a stage set. We bust ass on it and people love us however we have had no luck I'm the past year a finding a good manager or agent. We get paid most of the time and have made $1000 for a show. I believe our biggest and only problem is representation. We have all put alot of money into it.
Wreking Crue - Motley Crue Tribute Band
[This invalid link has been removed]

 

[Max Blasto]

I played in a Pink Floyd tribute for a few years. It was fun, and I got a lot out of learning the tunes (as well as a new appreciation for Roger Waters).

I don't see why being in a tribute band or any other band would kill an originals career. First of all, who would know? Second, why would they care? Once you're a household name, either stop playing in the tribute band, or use a pseudonym.

If you heard that a guitarist (oh, I don't know, maybe Steve Morse) was in a few tribute bands (let's say - Deep Purple and Kansas), would that make you think less of his original work?

Kansas and Purple aren't tribute bands. They still release new music. Doesn't matter if the lineup isn't the one you remember from high school.

The Who, on the other hand.....

 

[Max Blasto]

IIRC, there *is* a female maiden tribute called the "Iron Maidens" too(id pay to see that),but even a Doro Pesch style singer would be badass as well in any group tribute or not IMO!!

Saw them last month. They're terrific.

 

[smeet]

Kansas and Purple aren't tribute bands. They still release new music. Doesn't matter if the lineup isn't the one you remember from high school.

The Who, on the other hand.....

I was joking of course. I really like both Kansas and Purple.

 

[Max Blasto]

I retired from the tribute genre. I didn't like it to begin with and took a few paying gigs, then decided I hated it.

To the OP:
Tribute bands suck the creativity out of you. If you're actively working on originals, you'll find yourself not working on them as much. Tribute bands can be a lot of fun but they mostly appeal to players who aren't that creative or original in the first place. If you think that playing someone else's tunes note for note is musically rewarding, then tributes are for you.

The crowds are like that too: they want a band that allows them to experience a show by the primaries for much less than current ticket price (or to see a show that no longer exists, such as Led Zep). So they expect either note for note, costumes, props or some combination thereof. They want actors, not musicians.

There is almost ZERO room to be yourself.

But the shows can be fun. The thing you want to be sure of: you _have_ to be a big fan of the band you're paying tribute to. If you're in a Journey act, you'd better love Journey or you'll be ready to drive off a cliff after a few months of gigging as if you did.

 

[hintz]

I retired from the tribute genre. I didn't like it to begin with and took a few paying gigs, then decided I hated it.

To the OP:
Tribute bands suck the creativity out of you. If you're actively working on originals, you'll find yourself not working on them as much. Tribute bands can be a lot of fun but they mostly appeal to players who aren't that creative or original in the first place. If you think that playing someone else's tunes note for note is musically rewarding, then tributes are for you.

The crowds are like that too: they want a band that allows them to experience a show by the primaries for much less than current ticket price (or to see a show that no longer exists, such as Led Zep). So they expect either note for note, costumes, props or some combination thereof. They want actors, not musicians.

There is almost ZERO room to be yourself.

But the shows can be fun. The thing you want to be sure of: you _have_ to be a big fan of the band you're paying tribute to. If you're in a Journey act, you'd better love Journey or you'll be ready to drive off a cliff after a few months of gigging as if you did.

Most of that was spot on, I will say though that I'm no actor(you can leave that to the singer), but then again I have no issues playing covers note for note either....

Dare I say that playing in *any* cover band can destroy your inspiration or creativity, but IME so can learning music theory, or any number of things for that matter!!, since I went to music school I haven't been able to come up with anything I liked....

Anyways, if your doing it right and its a popular act your paying tribute to you'll have no shortage of gigs lined up and can make some killer $$$ in the process, sounds bad but people like gimmicks, its fun

 

[Max Blasto]

Most of that was spot on, I will say though that I'm no actor(you can leave that to the singer), but then again I have no issues playing covers note for note either....

Dare I say that playing in *any* cover band can destroy your inspiration or creativity, but IME so can learning music theory, or any number of things for that matter!!, since I went to music school I haven't been able to come up with anything I liked....

Anyways, if your doing it right and its a popular act your paying tribute to you'll have no shortage of gigs lined up and can make some killer $$$ in the process, sounds bad but people like gimmicks, its fun

True that. There's a big demand for this kind of act. Nothing wrong with that. The live music biz has changed and people like seeing copies of bands they grew up with.

Interesting note about the effects of music school. Never heard of that.

 

[hintz]

Interesting note about the effects of music school. Never heard of that.

My theory is that because I finally understood what I was writing it took the mystique out of it for me after being bombarded with theory and scales, though I'm a better accompanist now(at least I would hope)