Tribute bands are all the same aren’t they? Well no, actually they aren’t. Like all things there’s good and bad.
If you start with the premise that they aren’t going to be as good as the original band, then you could be right. At least, they can’t BE the original band, but does that mean that you won’t have a great time at one of their gigs? No, it doesn’t, you can be pleasantly surprised.
Let’s take Rolling Stones tribute acts as an example. There are plenty to see throughout the world. Some of them look very much like the Rolling Stones and act accordingly (!).
They have authentic period ‘costumes’ to play their parts. They use similar instruments - guitars, amplifiers, bass, drums etc, and there is a large attention to detail to get the ‘look’ of the Rolling Stones. Next comes the sound, which needs to be as authentic as possible. The whole mix of vocals, guitars, drums, bass keyboards etc needs to sound as close to the original as possible to have the biggest impact.
Some tribute bands achieve this level, but if one of the pieces of the jigsaw is missing then it just doesn’t work. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you won’t have a good time at one of their gigs, because it’s not all about appearances - there’s that rock and roll sparkle that is also required. It’s hard to define but you notice when it isn’t there. It’s something to do with the interplay between the members of the band, which all bands of any type need if they want to be successful.
In my opinion it’s probably more important for the band to be able to add that ‘sparkle’ than it is for them to look the part, because the music is the most important element, especially at a live gig. Stones tribute bands aren’t the only ones to consider - take a look at Stones cover bands too. They aren’t trying to look like the Rolling Stones, they are just playing the songs.
The Rolling Stones started out playing other people’s songs - so they were a cover band themselves. It was only when they started writing and recording their own songs that they moved away from being a great cover band.
Their music has influenced generations and one of the reasons that Stones tribute bands are so popular is because it’s very difficult to see the Rolling Stones live, even if they are touring and you manage to get a ticket! They tend to play the largest venues, like Twickenham and Wembley in the UK, so unless you have binoculars, you can only really see them on the TV screen at the venue.
The next best thing you can do is go see a Stones tribute band near you. At least you’ll get to see them a little closer to you, so you can get some of that Stones buzz. It will certainly cost you less than seeing the Rolling Stones Tour 2012.
