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Tribute Bands


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We are a 4 piece band, guitars, bass, drums. If we tried to cover every song exactly as the original we would be severely restricted. We have no keys, no horns, no strings(except guitars and bass). My voice is what it is and I have hard time sounding like Bonnie Raitt, let alone John Fogerty. So we do the best we can within the boundaries we have to work with.
Jenny S.
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I kinda think that p90jr meant the opposite of how you guys are taking his comment regarding his Mother's Classical piano playing...
.

 

You kinda think correctly.

 

Itzak Perlman, Andres Segovia... brilliant musicians or unoriginal copyists?

 

Brilliant musicians... same as Neil Young, in completely different ways. Listening to any of the three gives me the same joy.

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@ Surfer Girl, +1 you could get every note correctly played by every instrument in a great cover band and still not sound like Fogerty, Elvis, The Beatles, The Eagles, Janis, Jagger, Cocker, Willie, King, Taylor, Croce, etc. They all have a special voice and that's one of the reasons why they are all stars. If you do the best you can, the audience will appreciate it... :cool:

 

@ DBM and Doc, +1,000 on appreciation for Chet Atkins. He's still one of, if not, the best IMHO. :cool:

 

@ P90, Thanks for the clarification...I was with you until Neil Young LOL! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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Neil has written some beautiful songs that are timeless, IMO: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Lotta Love, Harvest Moon, and I suspect hes a far more nimble guitarist than what hes decided to build the electric side of his persona on...

 

But he did come to mind as the exact opposite of a classical music. Hes a raw folkie and rocker who goes for the gut in trying to make listener feel something with his original compositions.

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Neil has written some beautiful songs that are timeless, IMO: Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Lotta Love, Harvest Moon, and I suspect hes a far more nimble guitarist than what hes decided to build the electric side of his persona on...

 

But he did come to mind as the exact opposite of a classical music. Hes a raw folkie and rocker who goes for the gut in trying to make listener feel something with his original compositions.

 

Drifting sideways....

 

Neil Young is amazing. :cool: Damn. From Live Rust alone- performances of "Cortez the Killer", "Powderfinger", "Like a Hurricane", "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"... Damn. Rock monoliths.

Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do?

 

~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~

_ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _

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We are a 4 piece band, guitars, bass, drums. If we tried to cover every song exactly as the original we would be severely restricted. We have no keys, no horns, no strings(except guitars and bass). My voice is what it is and I have hard time sounding like Bonnie Raitt, let alone John Fogerty. So we do the best we can within the boundaries we have to work with.

 

Sure, but then you guys aren't CLAIMING to be anybody's "tribute" band, are ya? ;) So don't sweat it.

 

And FRED?----

 

One isn't "full of themselves" unless they CAN play something "note-for-note" verbatim, and with the same sound(or tone) but refuse to, thinking their version is "better", and not just a "variation on a theme". ;)

 

And the whole NEIL YOUNG thing is subjective. Some think he's "amazing", :rolleyes: And others (like me) generally compare him to fingernails on a blackboard. He did a FEW tunes I liked, ("Cinnamon Girl" among them). But not enough on one LP to go running out to the store.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Here's one of Neil's songs by a tribute band that is a tune that I like...However, I would not be interested in seeing Neil or a tribute band of his. I do not discount his talent or his contributions to our music world. Different strokes for different folks:

 

 

[video:youtube]

 

:cool:

Take care, Larryz
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And FRED?----

 

One isn't "full of themselves" unless they CAN play something "note-for-note" verbatim, and with the same sound(or tone) but refuse to, thinking their version is "better", and not just a "variation on a theme". ;)

 

 

Whitefang

 

I disagree. I was taught and strongly believe that the ultimate goal is to develop your own sound, your own voice. A MUSICIAN should endeavor to sound like himself, not like someone else. My attitude is a direct result of the genres I have chosen to pursue. Jazz and Blues place great emphasis on the improvisational abilities. Pick any Jazz standard and search for the title on YouTube. The results of the search will display dozens of performances, all of which will sound very different from the others. That's MUSICIANSHIP.

 

I would love to sound like Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Bucky Pizzarelli et. al., but I steal ideas from them and make changes to them in order to reflect my own personal aesthetic. I steal ideas, but I don't copy.

 

"Steal, but don't copy".

- Ella Fitzgerald

If you play cool, you are cool.
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Here's one of Neil's songs by a tribute band that is a tune that I like...However, I would not be interested in seeing Neil or a tribute band of his. I do not discount his talent or his contributions to our music world. Different strokes for different folks:

:cool:

 

I know what you mean. I want to love Neil Young, for his passion, commitment, dedication, songcraft, etc. Yet, I really can't listen to out of tune vocals, & Neil sings out of tune.

Scott Fraser
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@Scott I get really annoyed with out of tune AND out of time players. When I was a young buck just starting out on guitar for real, I remember the frown from the older guys when I was a little behind or ahead of the beat. One (pretty famous who I won't mention) would begin to furiously stomp his foot to the beat when I was off time.
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Here's one of Neil's songs by a tribute band that is a tune that I like...However, I would not be interested in seeing Neil or a tribute band of his. I do not discount his talent or his contributions to our music world. Different strokes for different folks:

:cool:

 

I know what you mean. I want to love Neil Young, for his passion, commitment, dedication, songcraft, etc. Yet, I really can't listen to out of tune vocals, & Neil sings out of tune.

 

:thu:

Take care, Larryz
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And FRED?----

 

One isn't "full of themselves" unless they CAN play something "note-for-note" verbatim, and with the same sound(or tone) but refuse to, thinking their version is "better", and not just a "variation on a theme". ;)

 

 

Whitefang

 

I disagree. I was taught and strongly believe that the ultimate goal is to develop your own sound, your own voice. A MUSICIAN should endeavor to sound like himself, not like someone else. My attitude is a direct result of the genres I have chosen to pursue. Jazz and Blues place great emphasis on the improvisational abilities. Pick any Jazz standard and search for the title on YouTube. The results of the search will display dozens of performances, all of which will sound very different from the others. That's MUSICIANSHIP.

 

I would love to sound like Joe Pass, Barney Kessel, Bucky Pizzarelli et. al., but I steal ideas from them and make changes to them in order to reflect my own personal aesthetic. I steal ideas, but I don't copy.

 

"Steal, but don't copy".

- Ella Fitzgerald

 

Well, bear in mind Fred, that the discussion is "tribute" bands, which I suppose would include tributes to individual artists. And so then...

 

Who do you suppose would pay good money to see someone who claims to be an ELVIS impersonator only to find this dude comes on stage with a shocking orange MOHAWK haircut, and sings like SATCHMO? And would ELVIS feel honored?

 

I think not. :eek: And to go back and address the classical music thing.....

 

Years studied professional symphony orchestra musicians likely DON'T feel playing pieces "as written" is a "waste of time". Much of the classical(if not all) catalog is some of the most difficult and challenging music for any musician to play( and play well) that they strive for the achievement to do "verbatim" well. And another POV

 

I've been a "patron" of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra since '77, with certain personal situations causing me to cease attending concerts in the late '90's( and still the NEEME JARVI tenure). And you can bet the rent that I, and practically ALL those who went to a DSO concert of Beethoven's 9th symphony, preferred to hear Beethoven's 9th! ;) Not somebody's idea of a "salute" to the work( if ya get my drift ;) )

 

And I have to sheepishly admit that when in the bands I was in, we NEVER did "note for note" either. But it wasn't because we preferred to stretch our "creative legs" :rolleyes: But mostly because we weren't GOOD enough to, no matter how hard we tried! ;)

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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June 5th will go down in my personal history as it is the 1st time I have ever paid money (big bucks at $150 a seat for me and my wife) to see and hear a tribute band. They are Beatles impersonators that not only play note for note, they sing vocal for vocal, look for look, mannerism for mannerism, banter for banter, you get the idea...I'm truly looking forward to it and will report back after the show.

 

 

+1 on your comments Brother Fred. In the great note for note vs. improvisation discussions, I will choose improvisation every time. That is how I like to spend my musical time and I have always honored the jazz standard teacher that taught me that I-word. I was only with him 3 or 4 months back in '79, and have been on the trail of that self discovery ever since...he taught note for note on about 5 tunes so that you could sound more like him and get the chords and lead ideas (that came from his own improvisation). Then your job was to make it your own. It was the concept that led me to using scales and theory in my practice sessions. Then forget about them and come up with my own little lines...each of us must determine what we like or want to do with this beautiful instrument and with the music we like to play. It's how you spend your time that counts IMHO. :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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McCartney played in New Orleans a few days ago. I told the wife we should take the kiddo, so she could say one day that she saw a Beatle in Concert. The wife's response was "which car do you want to sell to buy the tickets?"
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Y'know, it gets tiring when supposed intelligent people keep taking things OUT OF CONTEXT. like....

 

I never said anything against improvisation, only that it HAS no place in a "tribute" band or a classical recital. The only changes ever given a classical orchestral piece is, when a conductor gives his "interpretation", it goes no further than tempo, pause and rest changes that are SO subtle you'd have to be REALLY familiar with the piece to notice. Like for example.

 

Former(and late) music director of the DSO, ANTAL DORATI, although one of my favorite conductors, plays MAHLER'S symphony #1 WAY too slow for my taste. and on the other hand, revered Boston Pops conductor ARTHUR FIEDLER seems to race though most of what he's conducted.

Whitefang

I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left!
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Y'know, it gets tiring when supposed intelligent people keep taking things OUT OF CONTEXT. like....

 

I never said anything against improvisation, only that it HAS no place in a "tribute" band or a classical recital.

 

Whitefang

 

What the hell are you talking about?!!! No one has taken any of your comments out of context and no one has disagreed with your position regarding improvisation and tribute bands/classical repertoire. You argue for the sake of arguing.

 

BTW: Winston Smith has quit the forum, thanks to you. Winston and I have communicated via email and he told me that he was so disgusted by your argumentative posturing during the WF/Surfergirl conundrum that he quit. So, we lost another knowledgeable, experienced, highly skilled member thanks to you.

 

Winston was right. You're nothing but a godamned troll. I've had it. I'm blocking you. Go to hell!

If you play cool, you are cool.
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wow, that escalated quickly.

 

Back loosely on topic...

 

With regards to "making it your own" and improvising vs note for note - I don't feel like it's an "all or nothing/one or the other" proposition. There are varying degrees of "making it your own". Also you can do things like improvise a solo while covering the rest of the song note for note - after all, often the original artist will change things up live, no?

 

As Fang alluded to, I've far too often encountered people who just aren't good enough, or are too lazy to learn the song, so they half-ass it and use the excuse that they're doing "their version". This, of course is not always the case. The rule I kind of use with band mates is show me you took the time to learn it and can play it like the CD, THEN embellish it as you see fit. Seems to me that the best place to do that is in a solo, or maybe intro/outro, or just changing up the arrangement in some cool way.

 

For me though, my favorite way of "making it your own" is to completely transform it. Closest I've come in any band I've been in was a 5-pc acoustic band I was in. Most people think of acoustic bands being solo or duo, but being 5-pc we could do a lot including 5 part harmonies on the vocals. I played acoustic bass in that band, but we had 6 and 12 string guitar, mandolin, banjo, and occasionally a 6th on violin. (not all at the same time, we all played multiple instruments depending on the song). Anyway, we did some of what you might expect for acoustic music, but also did Rush, Daft Punk, One Direction, The Who, Rolling Stones, Soft Cell....you name it. The unifying element was the all acoustic part.

 

Here is an artist I really like who writes originals, but also has a ton of covers that she definitely makes her own. She uses looping software to build up all of the parts.

 

Hear Shaped Box

 

[video:youtube]077UlBtrqWs

 

Closer (NIN)

 

[video:youtube]ItosTQ4PVlI

 

Joga/Army of Me

 

[video:youtube]oCVeM5ArHAw

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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@ Brother Fred, don't let the Fang get under your skin. He tires easily when dealing with us "supposed intelligent people" who have a different view point from his (no matter the subject). Just ignore him and no longer try to communicate with him as he will never get it once he is on his own tracks to nowhere. +1 As you say, he just likes to argue for argument sake. :cool:

 

@ J Dan, Have you ever heard the Stones or the Who or ? use banjos, acoustic bass 12 and 6 acoustics, resonators, etc. There are tribute bands that play from different genres (like bluegrass) but specialize in covering certain groups. I have seen solo artists specialize as well. You go with what you have got. Even if you can play note for note along with everyone in your band, you will never impersonate the lead vocals from those hit bands (some get close). Many people think those that improvise are too lazy to learn the originals or unable to do so. I know there are some that fit that category. But there are others that can do a great job/arrangement without ever learning the original. Tribute bands just do the best they can with what they have (this goes for cover bands as well)+1 good post! :cool:

Take care, Larryz
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To be clear, my examples were strictly with regard to "making it your own", not with respect to Tribute Bands, which I consider a different animal. I am in the camp that a Tribute Band by definition should try to replicate the artist in every way. And that DOES mean that if you're going to do a Journey Tribute, for example, you need to find somebody who can sound like Steve Perry.

 

Again, for the ones that make it their own, I would put them more in the Theme Band category, or just a plain old cover band if they have no theme or don't stick to a specific artist, etc. If you're a guitar-only band playing nothing but Duran Duran, you're a cover band that only plays Duran Duran songs. If you want to be a Duran Duran tribute band, you better have a keyboard player and somebody who sounds like Simon LeBon.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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Agreed J Dan, I covered that idea in my 5/27 post above. If you want to be a tribute CCR, Stones, or other artist tribute band "you need to find somebody who can sound like" [insert name]. Note for note back up is great, but it's not enough. :cool:

 

Take care, Larryz
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Going to see Tribute bands is a cheap way to get a shot of what the band that they were paying tribute to, was like live. I saw a lot of those 60's bands in Philly during the 60's at the Electric Factory in Philly, The Arc in Boston and the stadiums in Philly. Sometimes they would have 4 or 5 bands in one night in some of the stadium shows. No tribute band nails it exactly like the originals, but some come close in their presentation. The tribute band shows usually are $20 a ticket, vs the real band in a reunion, at hundreds of dollars a ticket.

 

I do not have to see the real band as I probably did see them live in their heyday. I went weekly to see shows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Even at colleges in Atlantic City and Toms River NJ.

 

Plus there was Reggie Edgehills bar in Atlantic City NJ. An all black bar on the north side of town. Many times me and the boys were the only white faces in that bar. But we usually sang some a-Capella outside which warmed the folks up to our presence. Reggie Edgehills was a venue that many of the soul groups played on their way down. So we got to see many of the Motown singing groups and Philly soul groups live right up front. it was great.

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https://www.raintribute.com/rain/?pixlee_album_photo_id=3990274 <---went to the show last night in Folsom California. You can check this link and find the Rain tour dates in your area. I would recommend this show to any Beatles fans out there (and even those that just kind of like the Beatles!). Show started at 7:30 and ended at 10:00 with a 20 minute intermission. The standing ovation was well deserved. Get tickets early as the price goes up quickly as each show sells out.

 

The note for note guys are going to love this band...they are spot on. How they can remember the non-stop tunes and lyrics is beyond me. I did not see any teleprompters. The group was a 4 piece and all of the performance was live. Then there was the 5th piece which was a guy on keyboard in the back on stage that could get all of the orchestra instruments, piano leads, effects, etc. The guys were multi-talented. Their lead vocals were very good (not exactly impersonators but very well done). The harmonies and backing vocals were exceptionally well done. The light show and live camera background shots was exceptional. The lead work and acoustic guitar work was spot on.

 

 

I normally would not go out of my way to see a tribute band but the reviews were solid and the wife and I grew up on the Beatles. The time and money was well spent. It reminded me of the Love show in Vegas but on a much smaller scale. However the Vegas Love show was taped while these guys are live. Either show is worth seeing at least once IMHO. That's my review... :cool:

 

 

 

Take care, Larryz
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The Local Pink Floyd Tribute I mentioned earlier, El Monstero is playing tonight at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - seating capacity 20,000 - to give you an idea of how successful this sort of thing can be. They are playing with "Celibration Day", the local LED Zepplin Tribute, which just so happens to be mostly all the same band members.

Dan

 

Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth.

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https://www.raintribute.com/rain/?pixlee_album_photo_id=3990274 <---went to the show last night in Folsom California. You can check this link and find the Rain tour dates in your area. I would recommend this show to any Beatles fans out there (and even those that just kind of like the Beatles!). Show started at 7:30 and ended at 10:00 with a 20 minute intermission. The standing ovation was well deserved. Get tickets early as the price goes up quickly as each show sells out.

 

The note for note guys are going to love this band...they are spot on. How they can remember the non-stop tunes and lyrics is beyond me. I did not see any teleprompters. The group was a 4 piece and all of the performance was live. Then there was the 5th piece which was a guy on keyboard in the back on stage that could get all of the orchestra instruments, piano leads, effects, etc. The guys were multi-talented. Their lead vocals were very good (not exactly impersonators but very well done). The harmonies and backing vocals were exceptionally well done. The light show and live camera background shots was exceptional. The lead work and acoustic guitar work was spot on.

 

 

I normally would not go out of my way to see a tribute band but the reviews were solid and the wife and I grew up on the Beatles. The time and money was well spent. It reminded me of the Love show in Vegas but on a much smaller scale. However the Vegas Love show was taped while these guys are live. Either show is worth seeing at least once IMHO. That's my review... :cool:

 

Some tribute bands are becoming icons themselves. I saw Rain about 25 years ago at the El Dorado County Fair in Placerville. Free with admission.

 

 

"Let me stand next to your fire!", Jimi Hendrix
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