never the same

Now that the singer is gone 

where shall I go for the song?

A post came up on Twitter today that prompted me to write about something I've been thinking about for a while. The post was a picture of some granny kissing an Elvis impersonator (not Costello, the other one). I had also sat in a café yesterday having to listen to a bore telling his companions (and dog - who was obviously really bored by the way it was grizzling) about his experiences of seeing The Australian Pink Floyd live. I would love to have told him I'd seen the Floyd free at Hyde Park when I was 14 and they were performing Atom Heart Mother, or at Knebworth when they did both Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. He might have been jealous. Or maybe he didn't care as the Aussies were much better. So, where are we heading? Yep: tribute bands.

I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of tribute acts. There are many reasons for this but I do understand why they have become very popular in recent years. Now, in the case of the Café bore, he may never have seen his favourite band live. He was obviously younger than me by some 20 years and if he's going to see them because they play his favourite Floyd stuff - probably mid-70s - then maybe he missed the boat. Perhaps he did see them then and he just wants to relive his youth. As I was mostly trying to block out his monotonous reminiscences, I didn't hear that bit. still, what I did hear was really what prompted me to write.

Very often I have heard comments that when one goes to see these bands they are "as good" (sic) or "better" than the bands they emulate! Well, we can easily sort that one out. The original bands were pioneers; creative meetings of like-minded individuals who found a whole new way of expressing themselves. Following on from The Beatles and many others, young - mostly self-taught musicians - began playing together, and of course copying their heroes and, eventually, started writing their own songs. The songs were usually derivative, of course, but many grew quickly and began whole new movements in popular music genres. The equipment available back then was expensive and often not that good or reliable. As I said, they were pioneers: challenging the norms and inventing whole new ways to express themselves. Many of these bands and artists disappeared after only a few albums - often only one - and, of course, nowadays there is a whole industry in digging up much of this stuff and presenting it to a modern audience.

I have only ever seen a few tribute bands, and I have never gone out of my way to see any. By the way, we're not talking about covers bands here but acts whose whole raison d’etre is to perform/worship at the alter of their gods. I once saw a Santana tribute band at a festival, at the end of the set the guy shouted out to the audience that if we'd enjoyed his act then please go and buy his CDs! I thought that if I had have enjoyed his set (mediocre) then I'd gone to listen to Santana. Maybe it's just me. I also once saw The Bootleg Beatles - they were a support band - it was quite a few years ago. They were okay and very well-studied. They could play exceptionally well and covered all those songs that the Beatles could never have performed live. It is because they have studied this stuff for years and the availability and ubiquity of online tuition and tablature means many "secrets" can now be common knowledge. Equipment is trustworthy now. Modern keyboards are much lighter - nobody has to try to struggle up the winding stairs of a tiny venue with a Mellotron or Hammond Organ. Amps are reliable, guitars are so well made they stay in tune. Mind you, singers can still be a liability.  At the Cropredy Festival last Summer I stayed up to watch Steve Hackett performing early Genesis stuff. A bit noodly to say the least, but when the singer came on Mrs Dave and I stared at each other in disbelief and decided to call it a night. Let's just say he certainly was no Peter Gabriel, or even Phil Collins for that matter. Anyway, that's a whole other area of discussion, concerning bands that are their own tribute acts*. For another day I guess.

So, for me, the problem is one of creativity. Yes, some of these tribute bands can play well and put on a good show. Many of their audiences missed out on the original bands for sure. The original bands were gigging, writing, making albums and creating their own brands (if I may use such an awful modern term). Many had also spent many years "paying their dues" through playing in covers bands and sensing which way the wind was blowing, went on to write their own stuff. Many fell by the wayside of course. That's why collectors will pay hundreds of pounds for original vinyl lps of obscure acts. My problem has been for many years that with many venues only willing to book tribute bands into pubs and small theatres, any originality seems to have been stifled. There doesn't seem to be the sort of circuit now that inspired so many young bands back then (60s & 70s)  - the 50p circuit we called it. When I was the Social Secretary of Stevenage College in the mid-70s I could book local acts as support for the, slightly, bigger names. Many of the local bands did covers of their favourite stuff but some of us wrote our own material too. I have friends in a band that did 95% original material now but could hardly ever get gigs without putting them on themselves. That was heart-breaking for them but Times have changed so much.

The East Anglian Mark Knopfler

Another thing prompted me to write this today. Jeff Beck died. Now, I have never been a huge fan but have always appreciated his art. On Twitter (yes, I know) Alice Cooper was shown saying that Eric Clapton was a great Blues player and Jimmy Page was a great Rock player but Beck was a great guitar player. There are many tribute bands out there (and many karaoke-style tribute singers) but I bet there isn't a Jeff Beck tribute act. Amongst all the Beatles, Stones, Who, Queen, Take That, T.Rex ad nauseum tribute acts, I wonder if that level of skill can be recreated? Perhaps now he's gone there may be one. Perhaps the player can get up and jam with the David Bowie one.

What was that Marx said about History repeating itself?

* I still maintain that bands that have kept on going with only one or two original members that still write & record new songs are not tribute acts to themselves and their glory days. They are current bands. See Wishbone Ash for example.