Forming a tribute band?
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crdirtRider856
Silver Member
I was in a Zep. tribute band for a short time, wasnt as fun as you might think. Also a DMB tribute band, didnt last for more than a month or 2. The problem I found, was that unless your band is absolutely perfect at recreating the original, alot of people will only see you a few times and they will get bored with hearing just one artist's music. The ones that do well usually have alot of money to re-create the whole "concert experience".
The best one I saw was "The Machine", a Pink Floyd tribute. They are internationally known and have the whole package including all the lights and a huge following. Theres a well known Beatles cover band, they even look like the originals. Hair, clothes, gear, etc...
The average bar crowd these days would rather hear songs they know, can sing along with,dance to, and most of all want variety. Unless you have the money to travel all over and can perfectly replicate the band its easier to find one thats already well-established that needs a new member. Or just play covers of different bands, and maybe "specialize" in 1 certain known group. This is only my experience though, so by all means, if you want to try it, I d say go for it and good luck! : )
The best one I saw was "The Machine", a Pink Floyd tribute. They are internationally known and have the whole package including all the lights and a huge following. Theres a well known Beatles cover band, they even look like the originals. Hair, clothes, gear, etc...
The average bar crowd these days would rather hear songs they know, can sing along with,dance to, and most of all want variety. Unless you have the money to travel all over and can perfectly replicate the band its easier to find one thats already well-established that needs a new member. Or just play covers of different bands, and maybe "specialize" in 1 certain known group. This is only my experience though, so by all means, if you want to try it, I d say go for it and good luck! : )
Class A Drummer
Pioneer Member
I was in a SOAD tribute band for a couple months. I didnt really enjoy it that much because it was just that one band, so i stopped.
I bet you would enjoy doing a cover band more.
I bet you would enjoy doing a cover band more.
M
Mediocrefunkybeat
Guest
Like has been said, you've really got the nail the entire concert experience. I saw 'Think Floyd' about five years ago and they were absolutely excellent. They really nailed the sound and feel of the originals, whilst re-creating a concert experience, albeit on a smaller scale. Go and see a few and work out the faux pas and do's of the tribute band scene. The good ones are really good, but there isn't really a middle ground.
The Floyd concert experience is so intrinsic to the music. Being the 'original music video artists' and Gilmour's one in a million guitar tone ( which is apparently constructed through one of the most complex mazes of signal processing, I might add ), make Floyd, Floyd, imo.
Floyd was unique.
M
Mediocrefunkybeat
Guest
Well Gilmour's tone, whilst exceptional, isn't too difficult to re-create. Basically you have to have a nice Strat with a medium output, the right delay settings and most importantly, the right compressor and distortion/overdrive. I can get quite close with my Rocktron compressor and MXR Zakk Wyde, but for 'true' Gilmour (depending on the era) you want an MXR Dynacomp (at least) and a Fuzz Face (for up to 'Meddle'-era tones) or a Russian Big Muff for some of the slightly later work. Gilmour has actually used a number of compressors as well and uses several on a single concert depending on the sound he's after and often uses more than one at a time. I'm not an expert on Gilmour, but there are some good web resources on his tone.
http://tonefromheaven.com/ is probably the best resource I've come across. Another good one: http://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=205
http://tonefromheaven.com/ is probably the best resource I've come across. Another good one: http://www.gilmourish.com/?page_id=205
I remember reading a very comprehensive article on how Guilmour created his sound.
Though I'm quite limited in my knowledge of guitar processing, this article read like a NASA space shuttle launch procedure. I'll see if I can pull it out and PM it to you.
great links.
M
Mediocrefunkybeat
Guest
I'd like to read that.
The thing is with Gilmour that people make incorrect assumptions about his processing. They assume he's running fairly clean and they also assume that he's running a reverb module. Both, very incorrect, he actually uses a lot more gain than people realise, but this is tamed by the delay and the compression. Because he uses so much compression to drive his distortion, his tone doesn't tend to peak in the same way that some distorted tones do and so cleverly gives the impression he's running cleaner than he is. He really does saturate it though. Of all the Gilmour I've heard, the best I've ever heard is the 'Live At Pompeii' film during the instrumental section of 'Echoes, Part 1'. He unleashes this guitar part that sounds absolutely seismic. Godly. It's magnificent.
The thing is with Gilmour that people make incorrect assumptions about his processing. They assume he's running fairly clean and they also assume that he's running a reverb module. Both, very incorrect, he actually uses a lot more gain than people realise, but this is tamed by the delay and the compression. Because he uses so much compression to drive his distortion, his tone doesn't tend to peak in the same way that some distorted tones do and so cleverly gives the impression he's running cleaner than he is. He really does saturate it though. Of all the Gilmour I've heard, the best I've ever heard is the 'Live At Pompeii' film during the instrumental section of 'Echoes, Part 1'. He unleashes this guitar part that sounds absolutely seismic. Godly. It's magnificent.
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crdirtRider856
Silver Member
Ahh yes, Pompeii,Echoes is Magnificent indeed, along with Saucerfull of Secrets. Man I love that movie, mindblowing in a way, considering the circumstance of what they had for technology at the time, true innovators in everysense of the world. NOW as far as tribute bands, what say we start a Syd experience, as long as I can take the drums...seeing that you can play guitar and all. I guess for practice we could meet in the middle, which would probable be somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. I m all for it! lol!
M
Mediocrefunkybeat
Guest
We can practice over a hyrdothermal vent in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Any drug dealers here own a boat?
I'll try and learn the rest of 'Astronomy Domine' then...
I'll try and learn the rest of 'Astronomy Domine' then...
Yes! that was exactly the point of the article. As Lord Mounbatten once said of Gandhi : " It costs the country a fortune to keep him in poverty".
crdirtRider856
Silver Member
LMAO!! nice man. Ok so you get on with the guitar eccentrics, and I ll unlearn my prog-backfround for some credit to the authenticity, It ll be a first, and I think we could find a descent audience that, while they assume is headed in the right direction and will enjoy at the time...til the lysergic wears off, and at that point we just load up the dingies and aim 'em in what we can assume is the right course to their desired location(the true "psyconauts will get this). I m gettin on it right now, I have a bit of work to do in regards to strippig down my set for that"authentic starving artist with too much creativity than be managed by a mind gone "haywhire" phsyche. I see big things comin up! : P Its good to fantasize though... I think if we can find our nitch, keep up with it, this could go furthur then one might expect. Hit me back, MFB! HaHa! I m feeling some motivation seepin in through my 3rd eye....I m just full of em today. : )
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for the first time lol woohoo
Deltadrummer
Platinum Member
I was in a tribute band for a while and really came to not like it. I found it to constricting and also found that the musicians were more attune to be like their 'heroes' than actually doing something musical or original like playing Four Sticks with four sticks. After you're thirty, being Dave Gilmour or John Bionham seems a bit silly to me. think it could be a lot of fun if you don't take it too seriously. But I don't know that you'd go too far unless you took it too seriously,
I just got an ad this morning for a Def Leppard tribute band that is seeking a one armed drummer. It says "This is not a Joke."
I just got an ad this morning for a Def Leppard tribute band that is seeking a one armed drummer. It says "This is not a Joke."
basscase
Senior Member
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crdirtRider856
Silver Member
Well put Ken, for instance-in the zep tibute, the singer really thought that he WAS Plant. He had this attitude about it, but the only resemblence between the two was his hair. Along with a severe case of "L.S.D"(lead singers disease). He could pull of a few of the more laid back songs, but when you needed that essential Plant "whail"...well lets just say it was more like a banshee with a case of strep throat.
As for the Def Leppard thing...ehhhh lets just leave that one alone. Its just more fun to provide variety and crowd response to be positive, not "you missed that part where the drums went____________(insert comment here), cause as we all know, the audience knows best, right? (sarcasm by the way})
rhythmjunkie
Senior Member
If you're going to start a tribute band. Make it sound and look just like the original. I believe that a good tribute band is like going to see the original; without the cost, and maybe that band is out of the limelight or not coming around town, but you can see them at your local bar or night club. Don't dis-appoint us!
