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Tribute bands - looks

#44
"Tribute band" can exist on a lot of different levels.

Is a bluegrass band, dressed in western wear, playing nothing but acoustic bluegrass versions of Led Zeppelin songs a tribute band? Don't have to look like Jimmy Page to play in that group.

Had a buddy that did a Kiss tribute band. I'm not a Kiss fan really, but it was impressive. They had a very specific era that they picked and did it exactly like that. Costumes, gear, stage props, audience banter, every little detail. Seeing those guys out of costume, you would never guess.

Two extreme examples there. I suspect most tribute bands live somewhere in between. But I don't know. Maybe the Bluegrass Zeppelin guys are just a cover band and don't count as a "tribute."
 
#47
I was once asked to audition for a local Beatles tribute band. The BL guitar player thought I looked kinda like George. I pointed out that George played guitar, not bass, but he didn't seem to care. I declined the audition 'cuz I refused to wear a wig and a Sergeant Pepper outfit. Besides, you can't have George playing bass. It just ain't right.
 
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#55
I disagree with the idea that "99% don't care". people LOVE it when you both look and sound. And I've heard people nitpick that this member didn't look the part, or didn't do the iconic act. That one didn't. It's not 99% at all. I was in a tribute that played all over the US and some international stuff too. Look and sound matter. a lot. It's a competitive field.

I'm speaking from experience, not conjecture. there were TONS of tributes to this band, but only a handful of us stood out and could get international shows, casinos, big paying shows. Why? Because we could cop the iconic look too.

that being said, nobody cares about the look of some bands. It's very situational. Doing Zep? you'd better look the part. Doing Foreigner? not sure anyone knows what they looked like in their hey-day so it doesn't matter
 
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#56
FD2A7B31-90BD-4256-8E0B-203C234A892E.png
I dig when at least the singer and a couple others look like the original BUT looking and sounding are two completely different animals
I think Hugo Valenti does an amazing job as Steve perry and he def looks the part
I’ve seen them live and played a acoustic set before them and I gotta tell ya they killed it
 
#58
My brother-in-law plays drums in a Nirvana tribute band. Their "Kurt" really sells it and the rest make a reasonable attempt. For example they even have the three-tone acoustic that Pat Smear played on the MTV unplugged special. The bass player has a Jumbo ABG at least similar to Krist's Guild. They have a female cellist, and from what I can tell, everyone is dressed pretty much like the MTV version. To me, it seems like they have a nice balance of looking the part without it being too much. ymmv

My BIL's band:


Actual Nirvana:
 
#59
There is a local Black Sabbath tribute band called Children of the Grave here in the DC area that doesn't look a single bit like the real guys. The drummer looks like a 35-year-old Neil Peart and the bass player is a black dude in his 50s or 60s who looks like your uncle that works at your local hardware store, no chance of looking like Geezer. But they kill every time they play because they absolutely nail the sound, especially Iommi's guitar tone, and the singer crushes Ozzy's vocals. As is befitting a doom metal band, they are loud, but loud in the good way, like please-turn-up-until-you-blow-me-out-the-window-because-I-love-this loud.

So not doing the look might work, but only if you can kill soundwise. Also, the band I mentioned plays in rock bars, where nobody cares what you look like. Some venues you need to take the whole tribute thing a lot more seriously and do it right.

Most people don't know who those two bassists are or what they look like, but there are two reasons to do it up: 1, there will be a few hardcore fans out there who will appreciate the effort, and 2. for your own sake, to get you deeper into the spirit of the tribute mentally.
 
#60
pcake said:
i always give extra points mentally to tribute bands where everyone dresses the part or at least dresses in the style of the band. it makes it much more of a real show to me if, just for a second, you could be mistaken for thinking you were seeing the actual band. that helps make it an experience rather than just a band playing.



these guys do costume changes, too


on the other hand, i can barely make out that the drummer is there in this video :D
Click to expand...

Hey, thats my band. No one needs to see him lol. He does look that part, very much
FB_IMG_1529326957466.jpg
 
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