General Music Chat

Planet I quite agree. I have played in bands where we wore 'uniforms.' On was a pathetic cover band with Tom Jones shirts. I felt like an ass but I was broke (etc).

The other was much more - all original - show oriented. The singer actually used a needle and thread to tailor our pants. We wore handmade boots etc. It was a trip. Their rehearsal space was covered with mirrors on the walls. They figured it was a good idea to identify problems like tongues hanging out during solos and so forth, early. It did help. I didn't feel like an ass - I felt like I was young and having a blast - learned a lot too.

They ruined me in some ways though. Shorts...ugh! Sorry...

Talbot

Planet I quite agree. I have played in bands where we wore 'uniforms.' On was a pathetic cover band with Tom Jones shirts. I felt like an ass but I was broke (etc).

that there is some funny shite, mike. when you say TJ shirts, do you mean the ruffled pirate shirt or tee shirts w his image on 'em?

"Tom Jones Shirts" sounds like it would be the ruffly shirts he would wear under a double-breasted suit.

Yod nailed it. Ruffled burnt orange TJ shirts - no buttons - had strings that tied a little but there was lots of room to put your manly chest on display.

What really hurt was that when I got paid, the cheap ass agent who got me the gig kept half the dough for a 'debt' a band I'd been in previously owed him. Plus his fee.

I want to go back to that thread about agents and change my opinion!

Talbot

Creepy? These guys are more successful than most generic cover bands, and what's the difference anyways? Some cover bands focus solely on one genre, like classic rock or country, or the 80's.. and the only difference is the specificity of the act. Clearly people prefer the tributes who dress up and who can argue that one pink floyd tribute band isn't freaking stellar, and they do worldwide tours. They make bank.

Tributes start at a genre and end at elvis impersonators. You don't have to like them, but certainly you can respect their model is pretty solid. I'm a big fan of Misstallica and the Iron Maidens... They rock! What's the big deal?

Why would anyone want to paint Picasso by the numbers over and over and over again, you may get better at it but it is still someone else' work and creation.
It is one thing to throw a cover in to a set every now and then we do it on occasion, a lot of the greats do but generally when my band gets on stage we want to be doing our music our creations not copying someone else'. My Opinion...you asked for it.

Mike Guitar B....spot on!

Bob

Why would anyone want to paint Picasso by the numbers over and over and over again, you may get better at it but it is still someone else' work and creation.
Bob

THAT!

that's exactly why i've never played in a cover band. though i can appeciate the skill it takes to do that well, painting the same picture the exact same way over and over has never appealed to me and that's not why i play music.

In my opinion tribute bands can be entertaining, If i were to do one, it would be a Thin Lizzy tribute. I love that band.

Oh I have an original band, but guess what? Even then you are "painting the same picture over and over". Unless you strictly do improv that is the nature of making music.

gotta disagree. i don't believe it's the "same picture".... even if the subject matter is the same... but instead of watercolors this time you use oils, or monochromatic charcoal, or change up the perspective. doesn't need to be 100% improv but instead, just not married to playing a rote note for note carbon copy. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

True Artistic expression once mature is individual and pure expression from the Artist. Tribute "Tragedies" in my humble opinion are pathetic, immature and without any redeeming qualities. I however see nothing wrong with playing the odd cover from someone who has influenced you and whose music you admire, which in itself could be considered a "Tribute" I guess. But an entire concert emulating someone else sounds to me like childish "playing and dressup". I think that these kind of "bands" are even lower rung than being a commercial jukebow or cover band. At least in a cover band doing a load of different songs by different individuals and bands stretches one and is in some ways excellent training and experimentation ... but not always. I know that some will take issue with my views upon this matter but that is the beauty of the Forum is it not.

Planet, I think that is true for you because you play jazz, which is by definition improvisation on a theme.

well, it's kind of the other way around, jimmy....it's not "because" i play jazz....but instead WHY i play jazz. yeah, jazz does allow the most elbow room for expression, but there's almost as much room for that in the bluegrass band i play with.

i just don't find it challenging and rewarding enough to play things the same way again and again. that's not to say that i can come up w anything "better" than the original parts or solo.

i just like to go "exploring". hey, what would this song sound like if we did this song w a reggae groove?
or let's try this as a waltz tonight! somethimes things work. sometimes not. but that walking across the wire while taking chances makes it so much more fun (for me) when ya make it to the other side!