Tribute bands anyone?

[alexreinhold]

I saw a few people mention that they play or played in tribute bands. I'd be keen to learn more about some forum members' hidden passions - who has a tribute band on the CV?

I for myself played in a Metallica tribute called The Five Horsemen from 2006-2011.

 

[stratamania]

I once played in a band that did little else than Rush, and Rush inspired tunes. But this was many years prior to tribute bands even being a thing. I am going back a little over thirty years ago...

    Moving Pictures exiting thread left

 

[Lbpesq]

I’ve played a lot of Grateful Dead music with bands, but I wouldn’t call it a tribute band - we weren’t trying to copy songs note for note - but then the Dead never played the same thing twice, note for note.

I do love some of the tribute band names I’ve heard, like Petty Theft (Tom Petty); AC/DShe (all female AC/DC); Dread Zeppelin (Reggae Led Zep).

Bill, tgo

 

[swarfrat]

Not a tribute band per se - but... I have no interest in touring, bars, or any of the other usual places musicians play.  But I'd still like to work with a good group of guys for a good hang and keep our chops up. And to that end - I think playing out is sort of necessary and gives a nice goal.  And I grew up on a lot of 70's and 80's Christian bands  - that never really got huge but the music is still a part of me and my generation of peers. 

What I have considered doing is aiming to play out maybe 2-3  a year, and basically do them as a series of concerts. Rather than be an XYZ tribute band where we dress up and do that stuff.. bill it as 'Bunch of middle age dads performing an evening of the music of XYZ'.  So you get 6 months to work up 20 Petra tunes. Or 20 Don Francisco tunes.  (Maybe two big 'Music of ...' concerts a year and shoot for once a month playing a tune at the member's churches - so we can keep the horns busy with something to do if the next concert doesn't make heavy use of them.)

That gives you a couple months to work up a 2 set concert. It's not anybody's pet project, so you get to cover a wide variety of stuff, but still in some depth.  And since this is a keeping up your chops band... that suits the concept just fine - we're not trying to hone the same 30-50 songs to razor perfection ( or however deep your average tribute band is).

Man - I've had the idea before but writing it all out... I need to make this happen.

 

[Jebberz]

Not really a tribute band, but I just started a Georges Brassens covers duo with my dad. Very fun to play, and it pushes me out of my comfort zone, which I like.

(I also play in a Rock/Pop cover band and in a Thrash Metal original band)

 

[aarontunes]

I have a fairly massive tribute band history. I have played/do play in five:

• Second Sting (Scorpions) - 8 years and counting
• Infinity Project (Journey) - 6 months and counting
• Non Jovi (Bon Jovi) - 5 years and counting
• Problem Child (AC/DC) - 5 years
• Third Stage (Boston) - 7 years

I also organized a yearly tribute festival in the PNW called "Northwest Tribfest".

I've know/am friends/have played with all the premier tributes out there (Atomic Punks, Hell's Belles, Iron Maidens, Queen Nation, etc)

Playing in these tributes has taken me places and given me experiences I never thought I would have. It's great money playing reasonable hours (no more 9:00 - 2:00 for $75!)  for huge crowds. It's been a great ride that I intend to stay on as long as I can.

 

[swarfrat]

Aaron, how long do you guys normally play, and how deep is the catalog you typically perform with these bands?  I imagine it's more than radio and somewhat short of every song ever (unless you're in a Hendrix tribute band, where it's a much smaller set than say AC/DC)

 

[aarontunes]

Most shows are 90 minutes. Occasionally we get asked for 2 hours, which we will do for extra money.

How many songs we play really depends on the artist's catalog. Boston, for example, only has enough songs people will know to get through about 90 mins. There just isn't anything else there.

Scorpions, OTOH, have a massive catalog. We are constantly moving things in and out of the set list. Altogether we have maybe 30 songs ready to go at any one time. Maybe 20 core songs, and the rest rotate.


Bon Jovi and Journey have as many hits as you could ever want....90 mins, 120 mins, whatever. We just keep adding to the pile. Usually when we add stuff it's because they are songs that we want to play. Escape, e.g.