NWB - Community Blog

I think we had a similar blog to this not long ago John, but I think:

Nail on head.

Tribute bands need to be musically spot on. If you are going to see a trib it's presumably because you love the music and so know what to exoect at all points in any given track. This means you don't want to hear someone elses interpretation - you want to hear the definitive.

Although Black Rose don't call themselves a tribute, they are very faithful to the music of Thin Lizzy and Fink Ployd were like listening to the albums as were Genes-ish - which is exactly what I wanted to hear.

Covers bands, on the other hand, can get away with their own renditions and messing about (I know Kingpin do!).

It is one of the reasons I have avoided playing in tribute bands - I'm too lazy to learn the songs with that level of dedication!

AYP

Hmmmmm interstin point john, I have to admit i do improvise a little on the likes of comfortably numb, but i also keep all the "key" elements of the guitar in too. But thats only cos Gilmour never really plays the same solo twice when playing live. I also think cos of the nature of the song with the fact that the audience who watch us love the guitar part and therefor look forward to it, i go to town on it an drag it out for a good few minutes in order to give them what they want, which is a big fat f*ck off guitar solo lol

best wishes

Kev

@ Alyerpal - I completely agree with you and I feel the same about being too lazy to learn the songs to a level of painstaking accuracy :) Plus I would find it hard to limit myself to playing only one band's songs every weekend. Unless I could get together a mammoth ten piece parliament funkadelic tribute. That'd be worth it!

Hi John, On a personal basis, I prefer to see a band do 'their' versions of numbers rather than trying to replicate the original - on most of our numbers, we've tried to put our own take on things, but clearly some numbers will end up mirroring the original (Stuck In The Middle for starters..... I can't stand it, yet it never fails to go down well, wherever we play. We also borrow Deaf School's arrangement of a Flaming Groovies number, which is a tribute in itself).

Overall, and in answer to your end question, I'd prefer to see a tribute where the band played the songs as they saw them, rather than simply tried to copy the original.

Regards,
Norman

This lot are the sexpistols experience

Agreed John. A tribute needs to do exactly what it says. That's why I've never been in one. It's no detriment at all to the players who clearly dedicate a lot of time to nailing the vibe. I just can't see myself in the box. That's why when I was in Renegade we never mentioned the word tribute. I like to go walkabout with my playing and would feel uncomfortable confining myself to the totally faithful reproduction of someone elses music.

I have mixed views on this one.

To me it depends a little on the bands and songs you play - there are some that are just sacrosanct such as RUSH there are others that when the originals play live are never played spot on to the record e.g. Heaven and Hell/Sabbath. There are certain solos/riffs/drum fills that just have to be played as is.

Then there is the question of "dressing up" to be the part in a tribute band - not something I have ever considered .

From a Black Rose point of view I think the music is very authentic but i dont think we will ever be able to "blacken" Roj up - he sweats too much...lol

NIB - we do with poetic license - some of the songs spot on others not so.

Quite happy to be billed as a Thin Lizzy covers band or Sabbath/Ozzy covers band.

Baz

We tend to play the songs on the record but add live elements which the band themselves do on shows.

as for dressing up, i add a black shirt and the drummer takes his off (as he is a skinny git!!!)

Although i dont actually think Dave G is 5'6" with a belly and erm...... wears glasses lol

Gary
BOF

Hi again John - I do think a band / singer could focus on one single artiste/band for it's repertoire, without needing to replicate the sound of the original, and still be a totally valid tribute act. I wouldn't wanna do it myself, mind..... anyhow, in my book, bands like the Bootleg Beatles (excellent tho' they may be) fall into the Novelty category.

To wig or not to wig?......!

i reckon i've seen a lot of damn good tribute bands in me time-in my view those that "costumed up" were, at times, in danger of becoming charactures of the original bands they were representing and that did, to some extent,detract from the music and the quality of their playing. ;-D