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Tribute Acts – A Good Thing?

• 21st Jun 2010

The Bootleg Beatles are to headline the acoustic stage at Glastonbury. But are tribute acts the sincerest form of flattery or merely pale imitations of great bands?

Ok, The Beatles aren’t around anymore so this may be a great way to hear some wonderful music. And these guys pretty much took tribute acts from being an oddity on the fringes and into the musical mainstream.

But there are so many tribute acts on the circuit these days that you begin to wonder whether the trend has gone too far. Is there something just a little odd about making your living by pretending to be another band? Producing no original music of your own? And trading on the reputation of some of music’s greats?

Or do bands like the Australian Pink Floyd or The Doors Alive offer access to the output of some brilliant bands to those who would otherwise moss out?

There are some stranger acts out there too. Metallica have spawned both Mentallica and female version Misstalica. Then there are the pun names: Pete Loaf and Lez Zeppelin. How about No Way Sis (think about it!) or The Antarctic Monkeys? And I particularly like the North East’s Bon Jordi.

Some tribute bands do put on good shows though and the whole thing can be great fun if you don’t take it too seriously. I will even admit to enjoying Bjorn Again many years ago at a Christmas night out. But that was a one off.

So what are your favourite tribute bands? Or do you find the whole thing just a bit tacky?