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marsguitars

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Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
114
Location
UK
I play in a general Sixties band... our leader is a very keen Beatles fan so we tend to do very authentic Beatles songs, but other covers can be 'looser'. The authentic stuff is interesting trying to get exactly the right sound, inversions, lead breaks etc... but the other stuff is more relaxed for me - it's good to do both. :)
 

mesadualrec

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Joined
Nov 21, 2006
Messages
759
Location
scotland
I do/have played in covers bands but ultimately I would love to play geetar in a Steely Dan Tribute band :D

or even get my rocks on and play geetar in a Skunk Anansie Tribute band


the only thing that gets me is that I would have to 'be' someone else
play the same guitar,wear the same clothes

living someone else's life basically......minus the wage packet :(


would be good fun :)
 

Tim O'Sullivan

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Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
5,862
Location
Christiansburg, VA
I played for a time in a Blue Brothers tribute band. I was un-employed at the time and it was fun touring up and down the country. Mind you, after the 100th time of 'Everybody needs somebody to love' you do get a little sick of it!
 

Bass-sic

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Joined
Sep 28, 2005
Messages
266
IMHO...as my job is usually being the audience. I love to go listen to Tribute Bands and Cover Tunes. Those are the tunes you can sing, dance and groove to while listening. Nothing more of a Buzz killer than an original song or a B side song that you never heard before being played, after just listening to your favorite hits. I guess it's like going to a concert and they play all your favorites on their album and then they slip in the new song nobody heard before...you notice everyone slowly sitting back down in their seats. People like to listen to what they know and have heard before.
 

Butch Snyder

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Joined
Feb 28, 2003
Messages
971
Location
Lebanon, Ohio, United States
How far do you guys go in your tribute bands; ie, do you just play the songs or do you go all out like the Atomic Punks? If you don't know who they are, they're VH tribute band from the DLR era. Each player has his own character. They look, act, sound, and play like t their respective VH members.

Here are the bands I would like to tribute (not necessarily in this order):

1. Toto
2. Journey
3. Rush
4. Kansas
5. Yes
6. Dregs
 

RitchieDarling

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May 5, 2006
Messages
2,052
Location
Bass Heaven, AZ
I toured the UK in a Smokie tribute band back in the early 90's

We did fine until the REAL Smokie had their solicitor send us a nasty-gram.

They switched to being a Slade tribute, and I came home to the US.

And since no one in America had ever heard of Smokie, they assumed I had spent a year in England drinking tea with the Queen!

Ritchie
 

Tim O'Sullivan

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Joined
Apr 22, 2003
Messages
5,862
Location
Christiansburg, VA
I toured the UK in a Smokie tribute band back in the early 90's

We did fine until the REAL Smokie had their solicitor send us a nasty-gram.

They switched to being a Slade tribute, and I came home to the US.

And since no one in America had ever heard of Smokie, they assumed I had spent a year in England drinking tea with the Queen!

Ritchie

Alice! Who the F**k is Alice! :)
 

TNT

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Joined
Aug 18, 2005
Messages
3,576
Location
Oakland - Raider Nation!
. . .How far do you guys go in your tribute bands. . . Here are the bands I would like to tribute (not necessarily in this order):
1. Toto2. Journey3. Rush4. Kansas5. Yes6. Dregs

Hey Butch,

I like your bands!! Yeah, Kansas just played last night just a few miles down the road from me! Couldn't make it though - respiratory virus.

In my project band(s), Journey, no need for theatrics, (except for maybe having a Diezel Amp in the backline, which I would LOVE to have). The VH band well, my "Frankenstrat" visually speaks alot for that era, my singer should (but doesn't) have long blond hair and wear tight leather pants (and jump around a lot) but doesn't do neither. Oh, well it's still fun.:)
 

JeffreyB

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Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
1,031
Location
Charleston, SC USA
How far do you guys go in your tribute bands; ie, do you just play the songs or do you go all out like the Atomic Punks? If you don't know who they are, they're VH tribute band from the DLR era. Each player has his own character. They look, act, sound, and play like t their respective VH members.

Butch, the Atomic Punks are GREAT!!! They are the ultimate tribute band! their drummer is also in a rush tribute band...i forget the name of 'em.

I've always wanted to do a band where we dress up like KISS, but go out and play Led Zeppelin tunes...(or some band OTHER than KISS)
 

Tim O'Sullivan

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Apr 22, 2003
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Christiansburg, VA
Butch, the Atomic Punks are GREAT!!! They are the ultimate tribute band! their drummer is also in a rush tribute band...i forget the name of 'em.

I've always wanted to do a band where we dress up like KISS, but go out and play Led Zeppelin tunes...(or some band OTHER than KISS)

They are indeed! Their old guitar player Brian Young used to play for David Lee Roth!
 

Straight UP

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Joined
Dec 29, 2006
Messages
166
Location
Port Bolster, Ontario, Canada
To tribute or not to tribute

Been away from this forum for a couple of months just popped in and thought I'd add my 2cents worth..


A few years ago I helped co found a tribute show band.
Our slogan was "Rockn' Sounds of the 60's"
We chose songs from that era and became a tribute to the 60's.
That band worked 8 to 12 weekend stretches at a time with one off in between..
We turned into this well oiled machine. All the trivia to go with it dress..etc.
I lasted 7 years with that band as one person started to ruin it by driving some of us out of the band..by being generally nasty..
Any way getting off topic..
The money was real good even in bars..
We played casino's corporate you name it we played it. Near to home or far out we took the gigs. Even took time off work to get to some thay were that far away.
One year we were booked for the year in just the first month of it, that is how popular the tribute became..
For the record we started that band in 1998, Is still in operation today 10 years later.

My advice if you are going the tribute way pick a time period, then you are not stuck playing one bands material.. and you can change it up as you go.

Regards
 
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amyt

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
18
Location
IL
My Uncle play in a Doors Tribute Band in Chicago. People love them. I personally think if someone can play as good as the original band there as good as gold in the circuit.



I have always wondered about tribute bands. There are some I have thought about either playing in or starting. Can you guys give me some feedback as to the pros and cons?

Cheers,
 

Fred E.

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Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
161
Location
Fort Myers, Florida
I've also been away for a few months--just distracted & for some reason my computer locks up on me when I sign on here--I think it is only coincidence--there are 2 EBMMS hanging right above my monitor so I know the computer likes it here.

Not a tribute band, but I was in two cover bands that were dedicated to: a. The BeeGees; b). The Velvet Underground. The BeeGees cover band frustrated the hell out of me because I could not tell one song from another. P.s. it was way back in the '60s for both bands.
 

marsguitars

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Joined
Mar 9, 2007
Messages
114
Location
UK
Not a tribute band, but I was in two cover bands that were dedicated to: a. The BeeGees; b). The Velvet Underground. The BeeGees cover band frustrated the hell out of me because I could not tell one song from another. P.s. it was way back in the '60s for both bands.

What's the difference between a 'tribute band' and a 'coverband that is dedicate to x'?? :confused:
 

transredray

New member
Joined
Oct 31, 2007
Messages
4
Location
Harrisburg pa
My friends and i did a Screeching Weasel tribute band for Halloween. It was awesome! We drank and hung out everything thursday and learned songs..and then we rocked the hell out of this show. It was a great time.
 
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