Why do people form tribute bands?

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This is a serious question. I want to know why. Why would you do that? What's the point?

― Stupid (Stupid), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Apparently the money's pretty decent.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Suddenly it all makes sense...

― Stupid (Stupid), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Because generally when you learn an instrument you learn other people's songs, often many songs by a band you really like. Or all of them. Then you figure, why let all those songs go to waste?

(NB: I think there are two types of tribute bands, the fun side projects of people in real bands, and bands formed by people who can't write any decent songs of their own).

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:18 (twenty-two years ago)

These people are interesting. They formed a band.

http://www.britannica.com/psychedelic/images/opsyroc094p1.jpg

These people aren't. They formed a tribute band.

http://www.sonicplaygroundstudios.com/Airport/torontoairport2.jpg

Which might seem facetious, but from personal experience it seems to be true, especially with the kind of tribute band that takes itself REALLY SERIOUSLY. Lots of them do seem to have a comically inflated sense of their own importance too.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Friday, 30 January 2004 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I will never grow tired of Leotard Skynard.

Besides, it's not like Japan's ever going to see the real thing.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow. Toronto Airport. That's too tragic to fathom.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I've often wondered. I've never been in a tribute band, but then again, I'm usually the wrong gender. I think it might be kind of fun, so long as you didn't take it too seriously. But I suspect that many of them do.

― The River Kate (kate), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:18 (twenty-two years ago)

The mere fact that they named themselves Toronto Airport indicates they're taking it all way too seriously (the airport luggage tag signifier code for Toronto Airport is "YYZ," which is a song off of Moving Pictures. It pains me that I know that).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:20 (twenty-two years ago)

my only first-hand experience w/cover bands is my trumpet player, who is the soundguy for local Rolling Stones' tribute band "The Unauthorized Rolling Stones" (real creative name there fellas) Apparently they are old, rich, and have massive egos. I saw their promo video where "Mick" explained why they do it and basically it boiled down to him saying "when you learn to play a certain way and you have a certain look to you, the best way to make a lot of money is to play into that." Meaning he learned to sing like Mick, kinda looks like Mick, and people were willing to pay him to see him GO ALL THE WAY.

They seem terrible, btw. They have a white back-up singer/manager named Boudeeka fer chrissakes.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 30 January 2004 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

how can you tell that which is the parody when comparing the darkness and the different darkness?

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 31 January 2004 01:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Forming a Darkness tribute band is like forming a prog-rock version of Yes...

― Stupid (Stupid), Saturday, 31 January 2004 02:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Dressed To Kill is better than KISS. Really...
They actually take they whole thing serious and it so obvious that KISS are really just KI$$ now. And BC/DC are worth seeing 'cause it is way punk just like the early AC/DC which AC/DC will never be again.
My point is that here are two Mega-bands that I liked as a kid but turned into big bucks juggernauts, and their tribute band although as un-original as it gets, keep alive what I liked about the band in the first place.
I have always hated Lynyrd Skynyrd but suspect that I would absolutely love Leotard Skynyd. YEAH!

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Saturday, 31 January 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

people were willing to pay him to see him GO ALL THE WAY.

Is this a The Raspberrys tribute band?

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Saturday, 31 January 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Said onstage by The Machine (Pink Floyd cover band) here in NYC a few years ago (when the Floyd were still touring)....

"Okay, so fine...we're four people who aren't in Pink Floyd playing Pink Floyd's music, but keep in mind that if you go see Pink Floyd, you'll see about eight people who aren't in Pink Floyd playing Pink Floyd's music!"

Thought that was actually rather insightful.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe people form tribute bands because they are talented enough to play an instrument but aren't talented enough to write their own songs. So what they do is, if they want to play badly, play the songs the like by their favorite band.

Just a guess.

― Aja (aja), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Marcy Mays of Scrawl has a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute band called Marcy/DC. I was astounded because the one thing I could see her doing that would make her lack of recent artistic output tolerable is leading a Bon Scott-era AC/DC tribute band.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

they are talented enough to play an instrument but aren't talented enough to write their own songs

They'd probably argue that they just enjoy playing other people's music. Which is fair enough, really.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

They just don't want to admit that if they try to write something of their own it would sound just like a song by their favorite band, so they decide to just play that band's songs instead of being hated for sounding just like that band.

At least that's the way it should be.

― Aja (aja), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Though maybe they're only interested in playing other people's music for fun. Maybe they harbour no sincere aspirations of superstardom. Maybe they just get off on getting together on weekends with their friends, dressing up like Uriah Heep and playing their favorite music. I'm not saying its worth charging other people money to go see, but there are worse things they could be doing.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I actually wouldn't mind forming a tribute band to 92-96 era Guided By Voices. The Official Ironmen Rally Singers? The Alien Lanes? something like that.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Utter, utter dud : tribute bands working some of their own material into the set, as an underhanded way of trying to fool people into liking their useless songs.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

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