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What makes a good, successful tribute band?

Mister Mo

Mister Mo

Inactive
Apr 22, 2016
160
269
#1
Folks, in my area it gets more and more difficult to find gigs. People don't visit concerts, club owners like cheap DJs, and some people prefer not to listen to music at all, and become hip-hop fans. That's the situation, and I'm an old fart who loves rock music. My little cover band has a hard time to find gigs. But we are fans of some famous bands, and think about becoming a tribute band and focus on, let's say Audioslave, Linkin' Park, whatever. At least, in this place, tribute bands, are tremendously successful, and some clubs have switched to tribute-only:

This month in a club nearby:

Friday: Motorhead tribute
Saturday: Linkin Park tribute
Sunday: Led Zeppelin tribute
Friday: AC/DC tribute
Saturday: 80s disco with a DJ
Friday: Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Saturday: Bruce Springsteen tribute
Sunday: Queen tribute

And so on. Almost all of these concerts are completely booked, at $20-40 per ticket. Other concerts with own songs or cover bands are canceled because nobody buys tickets at all.

So, that is a good reason to think about it for my band... we like to play, and it's better if there is an audience. We don't have own songs anyhow.

Most people expect from a tribute band that the sounds is very close to the original. In some cases like KISS people expect that a tribute band looks like the original. A Mötley Crüe tribute band needs spandex, a hair stylist and a certain attitude. A Kemper, some styling, maybe practice some dance moves... and that's it, almost. It's hard work but achievable.

But there is one thing that you cannot mimic easily: the singer's voice.

So, here is a question...

If a singer is gifted and an exceptional vocalist and almost looks like Chris Cornell but with a voice that does not sound like Chris Cornell he cannot use a nice multi effect pedal and change that... would that destroy all the effort and make it impossible for an Audioslave tribute band to be successful?
 
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#5
There is always going to be a certain, albeit small, percentage of tribute band viewers that just like the songs done well. I am one. I don't really care as much about the singer nailing the recordings as long as the group sounds good, and does the material justice.

I used to go see a Metallica tribute band whose singer sounded NOTHING like Hetfield, but the songs were performed really well, they were entertainers, and I got to hear a lot of the "deep cuts" that Metallica themselves and cover bands (and/or radio) don't play. As a fan of a group seeing a tribute act, those are what I appreciate most at the show.
 
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#6
The best tribute bands I've seen put on really performative shows. A sister band we played a lot with in Dallas did a Queen tribute show as one of their offerings for bookings and they focused a ton on the stage presence and nailing the singing as best as they could. My old band also opened for Zoso and they did the whole thing with the stage costumes, proper replica instruments, and an absolutely killer performance that was fun to watch.

There will be people that want it to be like when they're rockin out in their car and more power to them. I also really love seeing a band completely pull things off on the instruments with a good enough singer. Though, the biggest draw for myself and my non-band friends when it comes to a tribute show is seeing, well, a show. That whole "live music" experience and specifically live entertainment is what netted the best results for crowds showing up. That to me is key distinguishing factor between cover and tribute bands.

For example, we used to do a Zeppelin II cover to cover set when requested. We also had some deeper cuts like "In the light" among other Zeppelin tunes. We did our best but we didn't dress up. Only the drummer and I went as far as to have complimentary instruments (he had a full birch kit with a 26 inch kick and I used an AVRI '62 J bass). I called it a cover set since more often than not it was for, say, a harley davidson event. It wasn't "come relive what it would be like to see Zeppelin if they were around today"

I think any reasonable audience member would be thrilled for an entertaining tribute show if the music is appealing and the band is really killing it. I also think that the general public is way less discerning if someone doesn't sound EXACTLY like the folks they're covering. I really think it comes primarily down to being entertaining and tight. If folks really really respond, throwing in some deep cuts that show a knowledge/appreciation in depth of the material since there will inevitably be big fans in the audience that are not exclusively there for radio hits (not to imply the hits should be avoided, they shouldn't).
 
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#7
Vocals are typically what casual listeners pick up on most when hearing a song or band. If the vocals are waaaay off, it will probably break the immersion for them. Doesn't have to be a doppelganger of the vocalist in question, but a clean-shaven fat guy in cargo shorts isn't going to sell a ZZ Top tribute band too well, regardless of how well he sings.

Once you have the vocalist nailed down, the rest of the band can be in fitting attire and ideally killing it on the songs too.
 
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#10
Mister Mo said:
Folks, in my area it gets more and more difficult to find gigs. People don't visit concerts, club owners like cheap DJs, and some people prefer not to listen to music at all, and become hip-hop fans. That's the situation, and I'm an old fart who loves rock music. My little cover band has a hard time to find gigs. But we are fans of some famous bands, and think about becoming a tribute band and focus on, let's say Audioslave, Linkin' Park, whatever. At least, in this place, tribute bands, are tremendously successful, and some clubs have switched to tribute-only:

This month in a club nearby:

Friday: Motorhead tribute
Saturday: Linkin Park tribute
Sunday: Led Zeppelin tribute
Friday: AC/DC tribute
Saturday: 80s disco with a DJ
Friday: Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Saturday: Bruce Springsteen tribute
Sunday: Queen tribute

And so on. Almost all of these concerts are completely booked, at $20-40 per ticket. Other concerts with own songs or cover bands are canceled because nobody buys tickets at all.

So, that is a good reason to think about it for my band... we like to play, and it's better if there is an audience. We don't have own songs anyhow.

Most people expect from a tribute band that the sounds is very close to the original. In some cases like KISS people expect that a tribute band looks like the original. A Mötley Crüe tribute band needs spandex, a hair stylist and a certain attitude. A Kemper, some styling, maybe practice some dance moves... and that's it, almost. It's hard work but achievable.

But there is one thing that you cannot mimic easily: the singer's voice.

So, here is a question...

If a singer is gifted and an exceptional vocalist and almost looks like Chris Cornell but with a voice that does not sound like Chris Cornell he cannot use a nice multi effect pedal and change that... would that destroy all the effort and make it impossible for an Audioslave tribute band to be successful?
Click to expand...

Where do you live? This almost looks like the lineup in my hometown. :)

I'm currently in about five or six (I lost track after five) tribute bands here in Portland, and being a successful tribute is a mixed bag. A lot of it depends on the band you decide to tribute, but in most cases, there are some requirements:

1. If the band has a distinct look/sound, etc, then you probably need to mimic that. Case in point: my STP tribute band. The lead singer sounds about 80% of Scott Weiland, and can imitate his stage persona about 99%. The rest of the band? The other three guys in STP never really had a "look," so we just dress kind of chic and try to get the sound 100% there. However, if you're going to tribute Slipknot, or Mudvayne, or some band that has an image, you gotta go all-in.
2. In my experience, a successful tribute band needs other tribute bands. Most of the shows I do with my tribute bands are paired with at least one other tribute. The genres are usually pretty close, and within the same time period (80s, 90s, etc). People will pay higher ticket prices if they can go see AC/DC and Led Zeppelin at the same show, as opposed to just one; or a tribute band with some random local band as an opener.
3. Don't get too hung up on the actual equipment of the players in the band you decide to tribute. Yes, don't show up to your Soundgarden tribute show playing a 7-string Ibanez shred guitar; and don't play a Metallica tribute show with your Steinberger headless bass. But, don't go searching for a $20,000 vintage instrument that your favorite player used for the band. Unless you can, of course. :)
 
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#12
Mister Mo said:
Folks, in my area it gets more and more difficult to find gigs. People don't visit concerts, club owners like cheap DJs, and some people prefer not to listen to music at all, and become hip-hop fans. That's the situation, and I'm an old fart who loves rock music. My little cover band has a hard time to find gigs. But we are fans of some famous bands, and think about becoming a tribute band and focus on, let's say Audioslave, Linkin' Park, whatever. At least, in this place, tribute bands, are tremendously successful, and some clubs have switched to tribute-only:

This month in a club nearby:

Friday: Motorhead tribute
Saturday: Linkin Park tribute
Sunday: Led Zeppelin tribute
Friday: AC/DC tribute
Saturday: 80s disco with a DJ
Friday: Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Saturday: Bruce Springsteen tribute
Sunday: Queen tribute

And so on. Almost all of these concerts are completely booked, at $20-40 per ticket. Other concerts with own songs or cover bands are canceled because nobody buys tickets at all.

So, that is a good reason to think about it for my band... we like to play, and it's better if there is an audience. We don't have own songs anyhow.

Most people expect from a tribute band that the sounds is very close to the original. In some cases like KISS people expect that a tribute band looks like the original. A Mötley Crüe tribute band needs spandex, a hair stylist and a certain attitude. A Kemper, some styling, maybe practice some dance moves... and that's it, almost. It's hard work but achievable.

But there is one thing that you cannot mimic easily: the singer's voice.

So, here is a question...

If a singer is gifted and an exceptional vocalist and almost looks like Chris Cornell but with a voice that does not sound like Chris Cornell he cannot use a nice multi effect pedal and change that... would that destroy all the effort and make it impossible for an Audioslave tribute band to be successful?
Click to expand...

if you think you're having trouble finding gig, I'm in a 12 piece Motown review band. The band is rock solid, and the lead vocals are on point. Background vocals, mumm… could be better.

Finding local venues (my goodness we're all over 70. Do want us out driving for hours after midnight from an out of town gig? LOL) venues that can support a 12 member band is very difficult to find. I think there are 5 in our area and only two will hire us (our 3rd one burnt down) because of our price point.
 
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#13
Original bands that continue touring decades after their prime come in two varieties...
1) Bands that primarily attempt to nail the original recordings so fans can sing along, air-guitar to the solos, etc.
2) Bands that attempt to recreate the original energy of live performances, even if the playing is drunk & sloppy.

Tribute bands, however, are expected to sound like the original recordings AND recreate the energy of the original band.

One way to get around this is to just be a killer cover band that plays music from a variety of original artists. That way you're not handcuffed to the the audience's impression of a single band. Plus you can throw in some of your own original tunes and, if they're good, people will assume they are covers that they never heard before.

Chris Cornell's shoes are big ones to fill. For me, an Audioslave cover would have to be built around the strength of the singer's voice. If our singer wasn't ready to showcase his voice, I would look for other material to cover.
 
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#14
I see a lot of tribute bands here in South Carolina at our local theater. They usually put the bands in for three days in a row and the ticket price is always $29. Many are from out of state. Some are great and others not so great. I know I am being critical but I know when I see a top-notch tribute.

Most recently I saw a Bee Gees tribute from Florida. They were good harmony singers but not a one of them sounded anything like Barry or Robin Gibb when singing lead. One guy sounded fairly good singing an Andy Gibb song. All three singers took turns singing falsetto. The Barry guy played a teardrop Vox-style guitar in standard tuning. Barry uses an open D tuning which has a distinctive sound. The Robin guy played keys the whole time which was usually Maurice's role along with bass. The only thing they had going for them is one of the guys looked like Maurice.

Earlier this year I saw a ZZ Top tribute from Chicago. These guys had excellent staging and looked like ZZ Top with authentic guitars. Their only shortcoming was the Dusty Hill guy sang lead on every song.

I saw another band which was a Highwaymen tribute. The Willie Nelson guy was indistinguishable from the real Willie. He was from Texas and had the Baldwin amp and Martin guitar with a hole in it. The Waylon Jennings had an authentic Telecaster and looked like Jennings. The Johnny Cash looked and sounded very close but didn't actually play the guitar he held.

I saw a great James Taylor tribute. This kind of tribute really only depends on one guy to carry it. The guy looked and sounded just like JT. His guitar playing was excellent except he used a custom acoustic unlike anything I have seen JT use.

Another tribute was an Elton John band. The singer/pianist was very good. The shortcoming was the backing band could have been better. They didn't come close to being able to do the backing vocals. The guitarist did look something like Davey Johnstone.

A couple of years ago I saw a band passing themselves off as a Stevie Nicks tribute. They really were playing Fleetwood Mac without anybody trying to look the part except for the Stevie girl. She sang all the Christine songs and another band member did all the Lindsey Buckingham vocals. I have seen a much better FM band where each member plays and looks like their Mac counterpart.

Another popular band to tribute is The Eagles. I have seen a couple of these and both sounded excellent but neither tried to look the part not that The Eagles have much of a distinctive look.

Perhaps the best tribute I have seen is Almost Queen. These guys are amazing. The Freddie looks the part, sings great, and does all the keyboard parts. The guitar player looks like Brian May and has the correct guitar. The drummer plays great and does a fine job of singing "I'm in Love with My Car". The band does a fantastic job on "Bohemian Rhapsody" with only four singers and no backing tracks. The real Queen couldn't do that.
 
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#17
I believe that when most people go see a tribute band, they expect the band to at least attempt to look like the original band, as well as sound like them, both instrumentally and vocally.
The vocals don't have to be 100% but the closer the better. For example, you don't want to have a Motorhead tribute band with a singer that sounds like Geddy Lee, regardless of how good of a singer they are.
 
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#18
yep, all about that singer ultimately..If he looks familiar to the original and is hitting those key notes from familiar songs, everything else would be easier to emulate imo...depending on who your gonna emulate and do it good.
 
#20
57pbass said:
Tell us more ..
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Can't for assorted and sundry reasons. I will say that some 50's rocker's widow keeps an eye on the estate…or did 20 years ago. We got in trouble for a well-publicized "look-alike" contest co-sponsored by a radio station, not performing the material. To add insult to injury, we got nabbed in West Virginia.

Riis
 
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