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Location: Boise, Idaho | There are talented people in every profession that never make it big. I always thought it was just bad luck, but CR just made me realize that it's because I don't have tits. I actually noticed during puberty that I didn't like Country Western singers, but the women were sure well endowed.
Now there's shredders and rappers and all those that I don't understand. I can cuss as well as any of them, but nobody paid me to rhyme with duck. And speaking of uck, Elvis impersonators all suck, and I've never been an Elvis fan.
Frankly, we wouldn't be on this board if we didn't want to play just like somebody. If people liked the originals enough to like the imitators, fine. I sometimes have liked the remakes of old movies better than the originals. Maybe I'd like a tribute band better than I liked the Beatles. |
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Location: south east Michigan | I was at an office party where a "Tribute to Elvis" guy was the entertainment.
The guy himself was sad enough but it was the reactions of the "women" in the crowd that was the sadist. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | "but it was the reactions of the "women" in the crowd that was the sadist."
I think you might mean "saddest", Mr Frued. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | That's right Weaser, those women were MASOCHISTS. |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Lets call a spade a spade, right? |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | " Maybe I'd like a tribute band better than I liked the Beatles."
I think that was the point CS and I were eluding to earlier. The more I think about it, eventhough I'm not really into the Beatles much... a tribute might be kinda fun cause it would covers material in one night, that it was unlikely the Beatles actually did in the same night. The best of the best if you will.
I played Bass for a couple of Elvis shows this guy back east used to do. Some of the easiest, most fun gigs I ever. What a hoot. The guy didn't really look like Elvis, but he sure got into character and the women went nuts!!! Thanks for stimulating that memory. What a hoot... the pay wasn't bad either as I recall.
I was a Bass player in a 50's band for a few years too. Not exactly a tribute to any particular group... but again.. people who show up to a 50's band come to dance and party. You'd have to work pretty hard to screw it up, and you'd have to be a stone to not have fun.
So... completely off-topic.. I'm going to see KISS next month, and we purposely got the nose-bleed seats cause... well.. we know what they look like after all these years and I think we'd just prefer to "experience" it and not let "reality" ruin it. |
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| Saw the Arrogant comment about Tribute bands and the slow deaths they should die............had to comment....
That was very narrow minded statement and less than fair.
For guy's like me who are musicians who have ideas but are not the top of the ladder as far as understanding theory having great music industry connections, or having perfect chops at a young age and meeting a few other guy's and writting hits first time out.....for the rest of us the normal way to get a good name with a band is to cover other band materials. If you write Country Music you will be smart to cover other famous country musicians work and use your ability to cover material well enough to be considered at "Tribute Band Level" this is not easy to do. And then introduce your own material to people who love the style and you stabnd a good chance of getting somewhere. (in todays market there ain't much there anyway)
I am currently in a band that is going to be breaking into the difficult and long lost genre of Classic Prog Rock from bands such as Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Rush, UK, King Crimson, etc. We have some originals worked out almost well enough to finally record but with a band like ours that has no well known name and little money to force any promotion or gain the attention of any label. We plan to do some leg work and hit some festivals and perhaps some tribute band level shows of these famous early masters of this genre to showcase our originals and let the audience see and the (promoters or whomever may be interested see) the level we are at and perhaps they will understand the musicianship it has taken to write what we have and where we are coming from.
If our music is not accepted very well well at least this group of musicians has tried as best they can do do the original route the best way we could. If all we end up doing is continuing on as a cover band that does tribute level covers of these super famous and super well written pieces of music then so be it. We love the music and if there are people who want to see it who is anyone to judge that.
Any sane person or anyone even crazy people who are musician's at all can respect an effort like this. Only those with jealousy or a serious case of ignorance or some deep seeded bitterness would feel this is a crime to music and not worthy of an audience.
I've been to a few tribute bands concerts and they were very interesting, Most of the time these guy's are very good musicians and play at a level that is well worthy of my ticket price. And it is fun to see someone who can play or sing well enough to "Pay Tribute" to the original masters creations.
Wish me luck, don't wish for my slow death.... I am just a self taught musician trying my damdest to do some very difficult music. We have enough people who make this difficult as it is. If you have not formed, worked with and performed with a group of guys before and tried to produce anything.....covers or originals..... then keep your nasty thoughts to yourself as they are foolish. If you have done this then don't be an arrogant ass about it.
Randy |
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Location: Michigan | + 1 GWB |
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Location: south east Michigan | Easy Randy.. easy... I think you're on a completly different page. It's one thing to play the music of a classic band, it's quite another to dress up in costumes of the era and pretend that you acually are the classic band.
It's one thing to pretend to be the band, or Elvis, but the sad thing is seeing people in the audience reacting like they are watching the originals.
That said, I think I might enjoy seeing a well honed, professional group like RAIN. Just to hear the music, played live, and done well would be nice. The costumes and the imatations of the mannerisms would be secondary.
I've seen some horrible WHO tribute bands on YouTube. Wanna-be Townsends in white jumpsuits and all.
And even after a number of years the memory of seeing those "women" doing the scarf thing with the fake Elvis is really, really creepy. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Maybe my logic it too simple, but I figure if you've got enough talent to play and pass off as someone ELSE (beatles, zeppelin, floyd, whatever) then you've probably got enough talent to make something on YOUR OWN. Just a thought. |
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Location: Boston | Originally posted by Slipkid:
[QB] ... It's one thing to play the music of a classic band, it's quite another to dress up in costumes of the era and pretend that you acually are the classic band.
/QB] Anyone who has seen Beatlejuice (particularly with the late-great Brad Delp) can attest to that. No costumes, no pretense. "Just two things to know; All Beatles, All Night".
A bunch of really talented musicians lovingly playing some amazing music with a modern PA system. I daresay they sound far better then the Beatles ever did. Highly recommended!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMKspv27CR8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YF34JLRs2s
Sorry, no Ovations in sight :) |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | quite another to dress up in costumes of the era and pretend that you acually are the classic band.
...kinda reminds me of all those Civil War re-enactors...
Maybe my logic it too simple, but I figure if you've got enough talent to play and pass off as someone ELSE (beatles, zeppelin, floyd, whatever) then you've probably got enough talent to make something on YOUR OWN. ...couldn't agree more. Use your talent to create your music.
I remember that when I was in the saloon band (Medicine Springs Band) in Hot Springs (hi Alison!), the audience only wanted to hear the "Top 10" hits and EXACTLY as recorded. We had no chance to play OUR music at all. We pandered to what they wanted.... and we went away frustrated..... but we got paid. |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Maybe my logic it too simple, but I figure if you've got enough talent to play and pass off as someone ELSE (beatles, zeppelin, floyd, whatever) then you've probably got enough talent to make something on YOUR OWN. Just a thought. Maybe it is too simple, Dave.
How many operas did Pavarotti compose?
How many classic plays did Olivier write?
Not everyone who has the talent to play has the talent to write.
Or on the other hand... you could be right, and Rain does have enough talent to make their own music... but they choose to do what they're doing because they enjoy it. I guess that's not enough to earn some people's respect because it doesn't fall into line with their opinion of 'musical integrity'. Too bad.
On the third hand, they are making a name for themselves, and if/when they do decide to start doing original music, they may already have a foot in the door. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Sorry, I didn't necessarily mean WRITE. Go play cover tunes, I do it all the time. But I don't dress up and try to pass myself off as James Taylor or CSN&Y. Btw, yes Pavarotti sang other peoples compositions, but he didn't try to pass himself off as Wagner himself.
Bring back my old Waskel. |
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Location: closely held secret | Sorry, I interpreted "enough talent to make something on YOUR OWN." to mean composing original material as opposed to playing the "tired" old stuff.
C'mon... it's show business...
You have too much hair and you're not tall enough to pass yourself off as Taylor. Nash, maybe... |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Gallerinski:
Bring back my old Waskel. 10. Bite Me.
...better? |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | .....ahhhhhh. balance is restored.... rather Cliffordesque. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Ah, this is the tension that has haunted artists throughout history. Do you create art (e.g., music) that appeals to the masses and eat, or do you make it for yourself and go hungry? For some artists, success means starting with the former and, for those who are really good, lucky and financially secure, working into the latter. Most never get that far, or if and when they do, their definition of success is not necessarily financially-based. |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | A cover that I like better than the original is Joe Cocker's "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window". Now here's a man who is paying "tribute" to the Beatles by performing one of their songs. He must like it if he's doing it, right? But he is also being true to himself musically, by doing it his own way. That's what I mean when I say doing covers is fine. And if you don't write, there's nothing wrong with doing nothing BUT covers. But to try to sound exactly like the original is boring to the performer and I would think to a lot of folks in the audience. Not all of them maybe, but a lot. We are all INFLUENCED by musicians who came before us. It's how we learned. If James Taylor is one of the people you like best and he influences your music, fine. I would rather hear a James Taylor influence in your version of "Sgt. Pepper" than to hear you trying to sound like Paul McCartney. Be who you ARE. I'd rather hear a meadowlark than a parrot. And if you can't sing like a meadowlark, sing like a robin. (But if you sing like a turkey, take Frank's advice and "shut up and play yer guitar." :D |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
But to try to sound exactly like the original is boring to the performer and I would think to a lot of folks in the audience. Not all of them maybe, but a lot. Apparently it's so boring that people pay money knowing exactly what they're going to see and hear. Just like people going to hear some country-western act that sounds like every other one before them.
You don't know what might or might be boring to another performer. Speaking for you, if you would find it boring (obviously you would), fine, don't do it and don't go see the show. But don't judge how others feel based on how you feel.
Some performers might take a great deal of pride in hitting that note just right so that it sounds exactly like McCartney. I'll wager it's not that easy.
Why not respect their craft and skill, rather than disrespecting their motives based on your opinions? |
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Location: Vernon CT | Hey all, To each his own!
Personally, I admire a musician who can replicate a song exactly. That's talent! I also enjoy covers that are of an artist own interputation. Thats creativity!. Why can't we coexist! :D ;) |
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Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | Well, I don't think anyone can look at any topic without their opinions coloring their ideas. That's what makes us human as opposed to robots. I have stated my opinion, and others have stated theirs. They are not necessarily the same and that's OK. I'm sorry if I insulted anyone. I meant no offense to any of you personally. But in my OPINION, anyone who has the craft and skill to impersonate another artist will only earn my RESPECT by putting that craft and skill to what I think is better use. |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | ...well said. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | "But to try to sound exactly like the original is boring to the performer "
As someone else mentioned... that's an extreme assumption. Of the tribute acts I have known... they live, eat and breath what they do. They love it. They like what they do... they wouldn't have it any other way.
It's funny cause I didn't really have much respect for "tribute" acts as such until this thread came about and I thought about it. Having the talent to pull off the performance is one thing... but the desire to commit to it, is a whole 'nother level.
I don't think I could ever bring myself to go see an Elvis impersonator.... Heck... I wouldn't have gone to see Elvis.. just don't get it.. never have. I don't think I have one Elvis album or CD, unless it was on a compilation of something else... but if offered a gig to be in the Elvis tribute band to back an impersonator... My response would be... when and where? There are several others ,but we were picking on Elvis so I'll stick with that theme.
As I was recently re-reminded of... Sometimes it's NOT about making great music, sometimes it's NOT about talent, sometimes it's NOT about being famous, sometimes it's NOT about getting paid... Sometimes... it's just about HAVING FUN !!!! After all, that's why it's called PLAYING music... And from a business sense.. It's a tried and true philosophy. If you are HAVING FUN doing what you enjoy, you will do it well, and you will be successful. |
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Location: Vernon CT | Originally posted by CanterburyStrings:
Well, I don't think anyone can look at any topic without their opinions coloring their ideas. That's what makes us human as opposed to robots. I have stated my opinion, and others have stated theirs. They are not necessarily the same and that's OK. I'm sorry if I insulted anyone. I meant no offense to any of you personally. But in my OPINION, anyone who has the craft and skill to impersonate another artist will only earn my RESPECT by putting that craft and skill to what I think is better use. I still and will always love you Alison! :) |
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Rain: A tribute show to the Beatles
