Tribute band
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A tribute band (sometimes tribute group) is a musical group created in order to specifically play the music of a well-known band, often one which has disbanded or ceased touring. The members of a tribute band will not include any of the members of the original band.
The typical tribute band differs from a cover band that simply plays songs by other artists by striving to capture every nuance of the imitated artist's actions and appearance for a perfect imitation. Some tribute bands imitate the appearance but re-interpret the original works in a particular genre or for comic effect. For example Dread Zeppelin plays Led Zeppelin songs in a reggae style with a lead singer who looks like Elvis Presley, while Gabba perform the songs of ABBA in the style of The Ramones.
The first tribute bands to emerge may have been Beatles tribute bands, who attempt to look and sound like The Beatles while playing their songs. However, one might argue that Elvis impersonators qualify as well.
Although intially created to honour the original bands, many tribute bands have grown to have their own fan base. Tribute band names are often a pun on the original name or the names of band members, or are derived from a famous track or record album released by the original band.
Those bands and artists that have inspired a cult following in their fans tend to have a significant tribute band presence as well, such as Led Zeppelin, KISS, The Grateful Dead, Van Halen, ABBA, The Rolling Stones, and Neil Diamond. At the 2003 Edinburgh fringe festival the Japanese Beatles appeared, accompanied on a few songs by someone billed as the Japanese Eric Clapton. It made for an incongruous sight, since the former wore the familiar Beatle suits while their guest dressed in contemporary clothes.
In 2000, filmmakers Jeff Economy and Darren Hacker produced a documentary film ...An Incredible Simultation that examined the tribute band phenomenon. Produced separately and independently in 2001 was the the documentary Tribute by directors Kris Curry and Rich Fox which also covered the movement.
Am exception to the impersonation style are The Muffin Men, who play the music of Frank Zappa in their own style, do not look like, or attempt to look like original members, and often tour with former band members. Jimmy Carl Black is a regular in the band, and they have in the past played, recorded and toured with Ike Willis, Bunk Gardner and Don Preston.
Some well-known tribute bands include:
- playing music by ABBA:
- Björn Again
- Voulez-Vous (http://www.voulez-vous.u-net.com/)
- playing music by AC/DC:
- playing music by Aerosmith
- Draw The Line (http://www.drawtheline.net/) (Officially Endorsed)
- playing music by Alice Cooper
- Alike Cooper
- playing music by The Beatles
- The Bootleg Beatles
- The Counterfeit Beatles (http://www.counterfeitbeatles.com/)
- The Silver Beatles (http://www.silverbeatles.de/frame_eng.htm)
- Beatlemania
- playing music by Bon Jovi
- By Jovi
- playing music by David Bowie
- Space Oddity
- Young Americans
- playing music by Def Leppard
- Pyromania
- playing music by Deep Purple
- Fireball
- Cheap Purple
- playing music by Genesis
- Regenesis
- In the Cage
- playing music by Iron Maiden
- The Iron Maidens
- playing music by Led Zeppelin
- Whole Lotta Led
- Led-Zepagain
- Letz Zep (http://www.letzzep.com)
- Swan Song
- Stairway to Zeppelin
- playing music by Metallica
- Creeping Death
- Disposable Heroes
- Sad But True (http://www.sadbuttrue-band.com)
- Trapped Under Ice
- playing music by The Misfits
- Devils Whorehouse
- playing music by Motörhead
- Ace of Spades
- Motörheadache
- We're not Motörhead
- playing music by Pink Floyd
- Pink Fraud
- playing music by Queen (band)
- Ga-Ga
- The Royal Family
- Magic, "A Kind of Queen"
- playing music by Sex Pistols
- Never Mind the Trossachs
- The Sex Pistols Experience
- playing music by T-Rex
- T-Rextasy
- playing music by Thin Lizzy
- Limehouse Lizzy
- playing music by U2
- 2U
- Achtung Baby
- playing music by Yes
- Fragile
- Roundabout
- Yessongs - Brazil
- playing music of Frank Zappa
- The Muffin Men
See also
External Links
The Internets #1 Tribute Band Listing Site (http://www.tribute-band.com/)
- ...An Incredible Simulation (http://pages.ripco.net/~economy/ais.html) -- Tribute band documentary website
- 1964 - The Tribute (http://1964thetribute.com) -- NYC band that performs all early Beatles songs.
- Beatlemania Alumni (http://beatlemaniaalumni.com) -- Website for former cast members of the Broadway musical Beatlemania
- The Bootleg Beatles (http://www.bootlegbeatles.com) -- British former Beatlemania cast members.
- Lightning and Thunder (http://lightning-thunder.com/) -- Duo that performs tributes to Neil Diamond and ABBA.pl:Tribute band