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Tribute Bands: Appearance

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PaulStone

Aug 27, 2010
16
0
#1
How mandatory is it for the members of a tribute band to look just like the people they are honoring? I mean physical appearance, not just style. I ask because some people are rather unique. I dare you to try and find a competent bassist that looks like Geddy Lee, or a vocalist who both looks and sounds like Steve Tyler.

On that note, how similar does the vocalist need to sound to the original to be taken seriously? Does he/she need to be precise, or is just being a good singer who nails the material enough?
 
#3
Seems to me that you need to at least *dress* and *act* the part... But Chevy Chase did a great Gerald Ford without looking at all like him...

And as far as Vox - yeah, if you ask me - you don't sound like the guy you're trying to imitate, then you're hosed.
 
#4
BigOldHarry said:
Seems to me that you need to at least *dress* and *act* the part... But Chevy Chase did a great Gerald Ford without looking at all like him...

And as far as Vox - yeah, if you ask me - you don't sound like the guy you're trying to imitate, then you're hosed.
Click to expand...

Either this, or have an angle, like that all-girl AC/DC tribute band.
 
#5
PaulStone said:
How mandatory is it for the members of a tribute band to look just like the people they are honoring? I mean physical appearance, not just style. I ask because some people are rather unique. I dare you to try and find a competent bassist that looks like Geddy Lee, or a vocalist who both looks and sounds like Steve Tyler.

On that note, how similar does the vocalist need to sound to the original to be taken seriously? Does he/she need to be precise, or is just being a good singer who nails the material enough?
Click to expand...

I think musically you have to sound great. We have a U2 tribute band here.The lead singer has a Bono type look, but none of the other members resemble the other guys in U2 to me. But they sound great,that is why they are successful.
 
#8
bassplayerbob said:
Check out this Aerosmith tribute band: http://www.drawtheline.net/
They are the ONLY tribute band endorsed by Aerosmith! My band opened for them last weekend ....
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Sweet.....

My band opened for them too...about five months ago or so.
Yes , they are pretty good.


But , to the topic at hand....YES..it does help...If you look the part.
I think (my opinion) If you kinda look like them naturally...and dress like them..thats good.

If you just wear ...say a cheesy wig or something...thats not as good.

:hiding:

I've learned to hide around here...even when I'm just offering an opinion. ;)
 
#14
We do the Tool tribby act and...uhhhmmm I guess I got long hair like justin chancellor, and our singer is bald...and we gaze at our shoes when we play. I tried doing the bass humping motion that justin does and it just makes me feel weird,,,but yah...its just best that the audience just close their eyes and pretend...:D
 
#16
In my area the summer concerts on weekends are trib city. I know from my wife,friends and family as well as others I have talked to at the shows sounding like the band is first but looking, acting and sounding like the band is where its at and those bands gets the biggest draws and people return to see them year after year.

Google a great stones trib band called Satisfaction. They look ,sound act like the Stones ..they have it down are are awesome. Nice guys also.
 
#19
PaulStone said:
How mandatory is it for the members of a tribute band to look just like the people they are honoring? I mean physical appearance, not just style. I ask because some people are rather unique. I dare you to try and find a competent bassist that looks like Geddy Lee, or a vocalist who both looks and sounds like Steve Tyler.

On that note, how similar does the vocalist need to sound to the original to be taken seriously? Does he/she need to be precise, or is just being a good singer who nails the material enough?
Click to expand...

everyone has their opinions here, but I'm IN a very popular tribute band for 3 years now. We have bookings where we are flown places and have made up to $5,000 for playing 2 hours. We are in demand so I guess whatever we are doing, we are doing it right.

http://highwaytohellrocks.com

Do we look PERFECT? no, but we definitely take it as far as we can. It seems to work.

Yes, successful tributes get the sound AND the look. You MUST have the sound. Definitely. But once you have that, getting the look, the stage and the "act" down definitely will set you apart from other similar tributes. People like it. They expect it.


Having the look but not the sound? You wont' get far. You really need both.

That being said, you also have to do the RIGHT tribute. I see people doing band tributes that just don't have wide appeal. Queensryche? Radiohead? Nine Inch Nails? Even Sabbath to a degree. You're only going to get so far with tributes that do a band that itself has limited appeal. Gotta be marketable. For some of those bands, I'm not sure anyone really cares if they cop the "look".

oh and I've seen a band that does a decent job sounding like Rush...and yeah the bassist sings and does it well, and plays the keyboards, etc. they do a great job. I was impressed when I saw them. Very very tight sound. The look? So so...but for a band like Rush, the sound is key. They are called "Rush Hour"

We are with an agent that has a bunch of bands that do the look pretty well.http://www.maximumbands.com/rushour.html
 

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