Tribute band

[catzodellamarina]

My cover band that has been around for years is going through some changes. We are keeping the band but going to do less shows and not add new material. We have a following and name so when we come out of the hole, like the groundhog, we will still draw.

Meanwhile, the drummer and I, and possibly the bass player, want to re-energize and try something new on the side. Our cover band scene has been showing preference to tribute bands = glorified cover bands As a cover band we play about 40 songs a night over 4 hours. As a tribute band it's difficult to fill that time slot AND find 40 songs unless you do the Stones, Who, Beatles. I would say 20 songs, 2 sets, is enough. If so, are we looking at hiring openers everywhere we play? Who has experience with this? Also, my observation of tribute bands show only about half that look the part. How important do you think looking the part is?

[Mudlark]

I think the look is a big part of the draw.

[P I K A]

There's this Aerosmith tribute band that plays around the tristate area that draws tons of people. Only the singer resembles Aerosmith but they are good saw them twice. So do Aerosmith and you just need 1 guy to look like the band. Here's a clip of them to show you what I mean. Ps lot of women go https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUB-p9KyUPk

[catzodellamarina]

Those cats are good! Yeah the singer is a really good Stephen Tyler. The other guys are solid musicians but don't "look" like Perry, Whitford, Hamilton, Kramer.
I have been tossing around the idea of a Jane's Addiction tribute. I did some searches on Youtube. Found a tribute that sounded great. They had 2 singers: a female and a ZZ Top guy. Neither was gonna win a Perry Ferrell look-a-like contest. So is it all that important to be a doppelganger or does swagger, fashion, and skill get you further?

BTW.. it sucks being 50's and trying to look like bands in their prime. We should just wing it and become Fatt Ratt. At least we could grow into the part

Here is the Janes tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gSo1BRvx3s

[P I K A]

Age means nothing if you can play. Yea they didnt look the part. If it was me I'd just focus on the singer looking similar to whoever you decide to copy. Of course should sound close too without the voice ain't going to work.

[Nightbat]

I guess as a cover band you're more likely to be able to score several gigs at the same place
You'll also have more liberty to play different songs/sets whereas tribute bands are limited to crowd favorites of the band they tribute to

[Mudlark]

The Tyler guy is a one in a million, though. Most of us will never find a guy that perfect.
My 'look' comment was more directed towards the clothing. Those guys dress the part.
Don't wear shorts and t-shirts if you're a Behemoth tribute kinda' thing.

Hell, throw on wigs if it works.

[Number Of The Priest]

Since you are accustomed to playing 40 songs over 4 hours (holy moley ), try a "double bill" evening. Half your evening is your cover band, playing just two hours of your wide range of material. The other half of the evening, same musicians but you dress the part of Jane's Addiction, playing your two sets of tribute material.

A band from the neighboring city does this when they visit my town. As an example, they might play a wide assortment of metal covers for their first half as their own warm-up band, then after a short break they shift into Iron Maiden, Skid Row, or Motley Crue tribute mode (depending on what the bill is for the evening). I WISH they would play four sets for four hours like you guys do!

For me, the "look" of the band helps with the immersion/illusion, but not necessary. The music and vocals must be damn good though, otherwise I lose immersion. The musicianship and skill should be proficient but does not have to be a carbon copy for me to personally enjoy it... though replication does help with the immersion.

[lefty]

There are a few casinos in my neck of the woods, and they've got tribute bands every weekend.
I think you may be onto something. Not sure what they're paying the bands though...

[catzodellamarina]

I must have typed too fast and not been thinking accurately. We have 40 songs at any given time in our rotation but only play 3 sets in 4 hours. Sets of about 10 songs.

We too have casinos. See many genre and tribute bands being booked there.
Within the year I had a guy, new from out of town, come see us. During a break he told me he had been in cover and tribute bands in Florida or Texas. He wanted to form a Ratt tribute and from what he saw of me I had the DeMartini looks, the Charvels, and my skills were good enough to play the songs. I thanked him for the compliments but declined. I'm out of practice sharing the leads with another player and I'm really NOT even close to Warren's abilities.

BUT.. I can nail Navarro's playing. Our styles and use of FX are very similar. I'm also only one goatee, a box of Just for Men, 100 tattoos, and 1000 sit-ups away from being his 6' 1" doppelganger.

[Number Of The Priest]

BUT.. I can nail Navarro's playing. Our styles and use of FX are very similar. I'm also only one goatee, a box of Just for Men, 100 tattoos, and 1000 sit-ups away from being his 6' 1" doppelganger.

Don't forget, also three divorces away from being him.

OK, so my previous suggestion still stands, except reduce the duration of the evening. One set as your own warm-up band playing a wide range of covers, two sets as pseudo-Jane's. Or reverse them (two sets playing covers, one set playing Jane's).

[pianoguyy]

My feelings towards tribute bands is this;
1. if you aren't doing the "look", you are an embarrassment.
1a. if the band doesn't have a look, with at least 2 identifiable characters, the band doesn't deserve a tribute.
2. if you can't find enough songs to fill the night (tribute bands often have an opener), then the band doesn't deserve a tribute.


I know a guy from another online forum that is in a Black Sabbath tribute. He plays a Jackson (right handed). Some brightly colored graphic like a zebra or the neon racing stripes (can't remember what). He's got middle aged middle management gray hair. The Ozzy is a fat mexican fella with a crew cut, and he is always wearing cut off shorts and a sweatshirt/hoodie.
Is that what I want to see when I pay to see BlacK Sabbath? Of course not. It is a joke.

I used to have tribute bands at the bar. They put on some tremendous shows. And I had no problem paying $2-5k for them. They earned it.
Alice Cooper doing the snake and guillotine. Full on Kiss shows with makeup and pyro. GNR. ACDC with the giant bell. But that was before it got watered down.

Today, we see Blink 18who. I've seen a Billy Joel "tribute" where the piano player was a girl and the singer was... he made a better John Popper but sounded like ACDC. Paul Stanley's solo material has a tribute. It really is a mess.


Doing a tribute band is no different than any other band. If you put forth an effort, you are at a different level. But if you waste everyone's time, you don't succeed.

[catzodellamarina]

I want to thank everyone for their input and help. Having a place like this to get input from fellow guitar players and performers is valuable. I think we have decided on pursuing a new band that focuses on the 80's genre. We want to deliver entertaiment from the era when MTV entertained us. We are embracing the "video 80's" and material from Ratt, The Clash, Talking Heads, The Tubes, Bon Jovi.. and we're just getting rollin'. We don't want people to describe us as all metal, glam, nu-wave, or pop. We'd rather have them say they play all the cool stuff from the 80's. We have much work ahead. Are target is Fall of this year to begin playing live.

My recent list of homework has been a perfect storm of solo challenges. I am learning Round and Round, Smooth Up in Ya, Shake Me, Metal Health all at the same time. My brain is about to melt. I have heard these songs for years, fooled around on guitar with them at home, but never really tried to polish them. So much signature phrasing in these solos that are needed . Much more challenging than any covers I have learned recently. A couple years ago I had to learn A7X Buried Alive which took as much time to learn but the payoff was not worth it. The song that sent the whole bar to the pisser, outside to smoke, or get a fresh drink.

BTW.. within the last year we covered Lonely is the Night by Billy Squier for a lady who owned a local bar. The song ends with a tempo change and fade out. We glued that ending in E and the tempo to Judas Priest Steeler. It was seamless and so cool! Caught people off guard. I'm hoping we can re-visit that for this next project.

[Hellbat]

I can't discuss cover bands without bringing up Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. IMO they do everything right. They make the songs their own, but keep the melodies that make the originals unique and they also have their own look and energy. I've seem them live twice and the crowd was totally jacked and into it from the first note to the last.

Anyways it's another angle to explore of the "I want to have a cool unique cover band" idea.

[PowerTube]

Here's a really talented Rush cover band called YYNOT (I guess a spoof of "YYZ"). Their singer is a girl and she does a decent impersonation of Geddy on most of their stuff.