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Rush Tribute Bands?

twocargar

twocargar

Nov 6, 2008
1,710
656
Manchester, NH
invisibleairwaves.com
#1
Anyone here in a Rush tribute band? I am in process of starting one up with a drummer friend of mine. Should be challenging, but fun, as we're both huge fans. Looks like we are going to do a four-piece with a dedicated singer/rhythm guitar. We would like to do a broad sampling of their catalog instead of just pre-Signals or what have you. I'm really excited about it!
 
#3
There is a VERY capable Rush tribute band in Ft Worth called YYZ. Except they pronounce it 'Why Why Zed'. They do a darned impressive reproduction of the real thing. The only part that is disconcerting is that all of Geddy's parts are done by Big Mike, who pretty much looks like the opposite of Geddy. I think he's about 6'4" and maybe 350 lbs, with a big shaggy beard and a BUNCH of hair.

When I hear those parts sung, my brain expects to see Geddy doing it, not Big Mike.
 
#5
I found a video of Why Why Zed from Ft. Worth playing YYZ (they sounded great), but I would love to hear Big Mike singing. Of the bands playing Rush, the vocals seem like they're the most difficult to reproduce.

Bard2dbone said:
There is a VERY capable Rush tribute band in Ft Worth called YYZ. Except they pronounce it 'Why Why Zed'. They do a darned impressive reproduction of the real thing. The only part that is disconcerting is that all of Geddy's parts are done by Big Mike, who pretty much looks like the opposite of Geddy. I think he's about 6'4" and maybe 350 lbs, with a big shaggy beard and a BUNCH of hair.

When I hear those parts sung, my brain expects to see Geddy doing it, not Big Mike.
Click to expand...
 
#6
twocargar said:
Anyone here in a Rush tribute band? I am in process of starting one up with a drummer friend of mine. Should be challenging, but fun, as we're both huge fans. Looks like we are going to do a four-piece with a dedicated singer/rhythm guitar. We would like to do a broad sampling of their catalog instead of just pre-Signals or what have you. I'm really excited about it!
Click to expand...

I think that's a good idea, but I think your singer would be better playing a keyboard then a rhythm guitar. Just my 2 cents
 
#7
Way back in the 70's and early 80's the band I played with used to get compared with Rush all the time. It used to really irritate me because we were an orignals band where I was one of the main songwriters and although I had listened to some Rush, the drummer in our band was the only one who was into them at all. I didn't even own a Rush album at the time (a situation that remained the case until 2010) and really was not a Geddy wannabee.

When I look back on it....

We played prog rock, with lots of complex time changes and harmonies, I used to write myself busy riffs and technical bass lines into our songs. I am 5' 9" tall and was built like a racing snake in those days. I had long dark hair, parted down the middle and used to wear little round Lennon glasses. I sang lead vocals and played a black Rickenbacker.....I didn't really help dispel the comparison did I ?

These days, what little that remains of my hair is white and I'm now built like a fairly large bundle of racing snakes, the glasses are changed and only the Ric remains.

Funnily enough, although I really never really listened to a lot of Rush and still find them difficult to listen too (it's Geddy's voice I can't stand), I do find Geddy's bass lines quite natural for me to play. I think it's because I'm a similar age to Geddy and we were both influenced by Squire, I also used to lose my picks all the time and quickly learned to hit the strings hard when playing fingerstyle to get the gtrowl and clank I wanted.
 
#14
Bard2dbone said:
There is a VERY capable Rush tribute band in Ft Worth called YYZ. Except they pronounce it 'Why Why Zed'. They do a darned impressive reproduction of the real thing. The only part that is disconcerting is that all of Geddy's parts are done by Big Mike, who pretty much looks like the opposite of Geddy. I think he's about 6'4" and maybe 350 lbs, with a big shaggy beard and a BUNCH of hair.

When I hear those parts sung, my brain expects to see Geddy doing it, not Big Mike.
Click to expand...

Ahhh, Big Mike Richardson!!! You name it, he can play it. A buddy of mine just did a Metallica night with him and it was incredible.

Sadly, they are disbanding YYZ and the last show is gonna be at Lolas in Ft. Worth, I believe on the 17 of this month. :bawl:
 
#17
Count_Blah said:
Ahhh, Big Mike Richardson!!! You name it, he can play it. A buddy of mine just did a Metallica night with him and it was incredible.

Sadly, they are disbanding YYZ and the last show is gonna be at Lolas in Ft. Worth, I believe on the 17 of this month. :bawl:
Click to expand...
I'm bummed about them quitting. I'm trying to get that night off to go see them.


Big Mike is a little hard on my self-image. Most bands I see, I can at least have the smug internal monologue thought that I'm a more capable bassist than theirs is. (I've played since 1979 and went pro back in 1982.) It helps get me past the depression of being old and no longer gigging.

Then I saw them doing the entire 2112 suite without a hitch.

I couldn't do that anymore. I don't practice like I used to. I mention this in a bummed-out voice to my friend Kendall at the show. His reply: "And none of those are his main instruments, either." really didn't help.
 

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