I took my son to see Guns2Roses at a mini festival this weekend and they were amazing. I love how much effort they put in, how good the sound was and how much better small venues are than arenas. Beers were reasonable too.
We were so impressed that we are now probably going to try and get to the big fake festival with acts such Oasish, Really Hot Chili Peppers, Antarctic Monkeys and the Fillers.
Who have you seen? Best pun name? Who would you recommend?

McTallica – a tribute band from Aberdeen

Nearly Dan. Brilliant cover band.

We saw Pork Pie a couple of years ago, brilliant.

I’ve seen G2R, they were great, I wouldn’t say the singer was a particularly authentic soundalike although he had the mannerisms down well!
There’s a really good yearly tribute fest just down the road from me (away though this yeah, gutted!) and I honestly prefer it to seeing the real big-name bands now 😃 Probably just getting old but it’s so much cheaper & less hassle!
Born Giovi especially are excellent, better than the real thing!

I get people like live music & I get there are bands out there some like but may never see such as maybe Pink Floyd so a cover band is all you have but I’ve never seen the appeal in paying to go see someone fake when you could just go see them anyway.

What am I missing?

Nearly Dan are ridiculously good. First ever tribute band to play Jazz Cafe I believe (I was working in a recording studio that mixed the live recording of it) I’m mates with several of them and they’re genuinely top level players.

I’ve ‘depped’ for a few over the years…..Killers Kollective are great.

Played for a mega Amy Winehouse tribute a few years ago too….can’t remember the stage name though.

Fleetwood Bac are great too.

I used to see Slack Sabbath in Hastings.
Their lead singer was called Ozzy Eastbourne!

What am I missing?

My son likes the music, not necessarily the band and so we payed £ to see a live band, up close performing superbly rather than £££ to watch screens of the real band not performing as well as they used to in a characterless venue. Plus it was local and just a fun evening. A friend who is in a tribute band said that the real bands can get away with under par performances because of who they are.. Tributes can’t.

Years ago I saw the Japanese Beatles, who were amazing. Half way though they introduced on stage the Japanese Eric Clapton

Who was equally as good!

Opinions are awesome aren’t they?! I took my son to watch Guns2Roses and we left after about 20 minutes as they were so bad. The band were OK but we couldn’t stand the singer. They were supported by Motley Crude who were excellent.

DirtyDC and Stipe were two that seemed better than others.

Disappointed in the Australian Pink Floyd, I think they are now too big for small venues, but not big enough for medium sized stages.

Best pun name?

Pete Loaf. A real dead ringer apparently.

Back in the day I used to be involved in promoting at a local large venue. We had the Australian Pink Floyd who were amazing ( turned out an ex of mine was together with the bass player). Had a super chat with them on how they got started; all in other bands but couldn’t get taken seriously in their own right. At the time they were all living in Crewe! ( poor sods ). We also put on the Brazilian Beatles. They really looked like the fab4 and between songs even sounded like them, too. Tried to have a chat after the show but none of them could speak English. They had just learned the lines and accent for the shows.

This is bound to be a popular thread on here. Tribute bands make me vomit! Play your own music you artless waste of space 😛

Letz zep were excellent, but it’s possibly 20 years ago that I saw them so no idea of they’re even still around!

Seen the clone roses a few times

Always thought fakin Stevens was and excellent name

No idea what they are like but I do like these names
The offspin and The clone roses (my favourite i think)

Dread Zeppelin – Reggae Led Zep covers with an Elvis impersonator lead singer, saw them at the Barras.
Hayseed Dixie – Bluegrass AC/DC, At Stirling Toolbooth. Fantastic musicians.

Mate of mine is in the Really Hot Chilli Peppers, he always said that if you like the way your favourite band sounds on an album etc. Then you will enjoy a tribute act. He makes a good living out of it.

I’ve really enjoyed some tribute acts over the years, some cracking ones at the Matthew St Festival in Liverpool over 20 years ago for example.

Not a cover band as such, but still the best band name I’ve heard: The Lazy Boys of Banknock

(they originate from a local town to me called, obviously, Banknock)

The Illegal Eagles are very good.
Having seen the real Eagles three times (which was awesome, if you can get anywhere close to the front), I prefer the Illegal Eagles and the extra spare cash.

The Kate Bush Experience ( who we like to call Fake Bush, but no-one is buying it) also good value.

Tribute bands make me vomit! Play your own music you artless waste of space 😛

How do you feel about musicians and bands who do covers of other musicians songs, because they love them, and often wish they’d written them?

Thea Gilmore, for example, has recorded an album of unfinished Sandy Denny songs, at the request of Sandy’s estate. None of those songs would ever have been heard otherwise, and Thea has made them her own, and hearing and seeing Thea perform them is the closest I’m ever going to get to Sandy performing them.

I’ve only seen two, the Kate Bush Experience, and an ELO one, both played the Neeld Hall in Chippenham, and my late partner really wanted to see them. They were both extremely good and really enjoyable.

I was one of two people in the audience wearing a Kate Bush tee shirt from the ‘Before The Dawn’ concerts in 2014, so I can make a direct comparison, and the tribute singer carried it off very well. It’s highly unlikely that Kate will ever perform live again, these shows are the only chance people will ever have of hearing the songs performed live in a way that’s like the original performance.

I’m not fussed about going to tribute shows myself, but I made an effort for Joey, and enjoyed them because she did.

took my son to watch Guns2Roses and we left after about 20 minutes as they were so bad. The band were OK but we couldn’t stand the singer.

…which really is going the extra mile to be like the original!

Best pun name is obviously Oasish, simply not a matter of controversy.

I’ve never actually seen a tribute band that I can call to mind, but what’s the harm in it? It’s just a covers band with the dial turned up a notch or two.

How do you feel about musicians and bands who do covers of other musicians songs, because they love them, and often wish they’d written them?

What, not tribute bands then?

How do you feel about musicians and bands who do covers of other musicians songs, because they love them, and often wish they’d written them?

You answered your own question there, I think:

None of those songs would ever have been heard otherwise, and Thea has made them her own,

I think that Sandy Denny’s vocal in Fotheringay is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. Can Thea Gilmore come close to Denny’s voice in a straight cover? (Genuine Q because I’m not familiar with TG other than recognising her name.)

The spirit levellers out of Richmond North Yorkshire are dare i say it better than the levellers. I think they have probably played more gigs…

The spirit levellers out of Richmond North Yorkshire are dare i say it better than the levellers. I think they have probably played more gigs…

I just played one of their tracks on Youtube and one of the comments sums it up – levellers without marks voice and the energy. There’s something missing – not just a neon painted didgeridoo player! If I saw them in a pub I’d be happy to hear a Levellers tune, but not sure I’d go out of my way to see them.

Rollin Stoned – great fun, in a tribute band kind of way. First saw them for a laugh with mates, we’ve now 5 times, always come away smiling and laughing.

Small Fakers (Small Faces tribute) – Brilliant band in their own right, seriously good (rather than good time gals like the Stones tribute)

Bruce’s Juices (Springsteen tribute) – seen once, wouldn’t go again unless they’re very local and cheap door price. A shame because I love a couple of the Springsteen’s live albums, but I guess it’s lot to live up to.

Summary- Tribute bands can be good, it helps if you know some of the songs, go with an open mind, don’t cry if they butcher your favourite ever song?

At the Big Bike Bash this coming weekend we’ve got the Foo Forgers, Green Haze and Cydonia Knights (Muse) among others.

Always great fun for a bit of jumping up and down, that’s what its all about really. I don’t think we’d attract (or afford) the real deal!

Local Queens of the Stoneage tribute band….The Hommesexuals

While we are at it how the **** did we end up with a commitments tribute act?

Hayseed Dixie.  Rock covers in a banjotastic bluegrass stylee (I think they call it ‘Rockgrass’) – awesome, especially at a small venue.

like this?

🕺

The best tribute act has to be Elton John himself!
He’s sounded like a club singer tribute version of himself for years 😂

We did a gig on Friday opening for a Sex Pistols tribute. They were good, the singer looked a lot like Johnny Rotten, he had the same eyes and mouth, and they all had a good good solid impressions and stayed in character the whole show. It was impressive.

The crowd lapped it up, and I think the venue owner was more than happy with the bar takings.

Recently started following We are not Devo on Insta.
Loved the originals and would really like to see the tribute act!

On the “why go and see them?” question, sometimes it’s about a tribute act reliving a particular moment of a band’s history instead of always being obliged to play the new stuff or newer versions of classic songs. Sometimes it’s simply because a good tribute singer / musician can do a very good impersonation of a band member who’s now died / lost their abilities.

Having been to see actual Genesis live in March this year, I’d rather see a more youthful tribute act playing the songs in the right key with a charismatic singer who can actually hit all the notes, if I get a chance.

Surprised nobodys mentioned Elvana yet, musically very very good and hilarious too.

Seen Tragedy a few times, metal covers of BeeGee and other bands of that era’s songs. Brilliant fun.

Post Modern Jukebox. Covers not tribute. Saw them recently in Bristol and it was brilliant.

As others have mentioned, Rollin Stoned and Fleetwood Bac never dissapoint.

Glory Days (Springsteen) and Foreigners Journey are great too.