What's the point of tribute bands?

boldfox3 said:there’s actually a big difference between a tribute, a true tribute, and just a standard cover😁

A tribute isn't the same thing as a cover.

On the contrary, I've heard plenty of covers that actually blow the original out of the water.

I don't really see the point either. It’s one thing when a band with their own original material throws in a cover here and there just to mix things up, but dedicating their entire setlist to playing someone else's songs? That feels pretty pointless to me.

I have to say, I’m really digging that Cold Snap cover of Wish You Were Here. It’s actually quite impressive. Bongo Bongo If it were just some cheap tribute act, it wouldn't hold any water.

On the other hand, a buddy of mine who caught the APFSa tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl told me that while their technical execution was flawless, it just wasn't the real deal. He felt like that version of Wish You Were Here lacked the soul he knows; there’s just something missing when you aren't hearing the actual legends. 🤷

I think you guys missed the mark by posting in the wrong subforum. 😬
This one would definitely be a better fit:

brightridge59 said:I have, I’ve certainly stumbled upon some truly dreadful tribute bands 🙂—but even then, I find myself thinking that even if they were the absolute best in the world, I still wouldn't grasp the underlying purpose. I don't see much in the way of significant artistic merit in the whole concept. 😳

But why on earth does everything require some level of "artistic merit"? 😁
Take a random punk show, for instance—a crowd of people losing their minds, having a blast, feeling completely alive and happy. Why bother overanalyzing whether there's any profound artistic value to be found there? 😁
(Just an NHF punk talking to the forum 😁 )

I firmly believe the whole point—the actual essence—of tribute bands is simply to ensure people have a good time. And frankly, the bands themselves are likely having fun too (after all, why would anyone spend their night playing music they don't enjoy?), while picking up a paycheck along the way.

P.S. There is a Jimi Hendrix tribute tonight at The Blue Note featuring Vedran Božić and a group of incredibly skilled musicians—I’d suggest you check it out, if only so you can finally claim to have attended a truly high-quality tribute act. 😁 👋

I’m pretty much totally on board with what the OP said—honestly, cover bands are just pointless... personally, I can't stand covers at all...
I actually caught Physical Graffiti recently. They were alright, tickets were dirt cheap, but even though I'm a huge Led Zeppelin fan, I just couldn't get into it.
To be real, it's not just that covers are useless, but this whole thing where they try to act and look like the "originals" is just absurd—I'd go as far as calling it idiotic.
There was an "Abba Mania" show around town lately. Every time I saw those four morons on the promo poster, I just had to facepalm...

Someone brought up APFSa. I was just talking about that concert with my buddy who is a Pink Floyd fan through and through. My take was that if Pink Floyd fans go to a show, there's room for improvisation and they'll get a standing ovation. But with APFSa, they have to play everything perfectly and stay strictly true to the original just to avoid getting booed off stage.
My buddy went anyway, and when I asked him how it was after the show, he just gave me a hand gesture, a "fuck" grimace, and said, "Nah, it just wasn't it"...

Anyway, that's just my take on things, and I totally get why some people don't mind seeing a band cover someone else... everyone's got different tastes...

Look, I think you’ve gotta tackle this question from two totally different angles if you want the full picture. First, there's the whole "why" behind the tribute bands themselves—what's the actual point for the band and the people playing the music? And then, on the flip side, you've got the perspective of the fans in the crowd. Those two viewpoints are worlds apart.

Look, regarding the first point, I think we’re all pretty much on the same page here: there is zero point in dedicating your entire career to just being a carbon copy of some other band. It's fine when you're just starting out, or maybe if you throw in an occasional track later on because that specific group had a massive influence on your sound and you genuinely love them—fine, whatever, why not. But that's it.

But look, when it comes to the other side of this—the people like us who actually listen to and give a damn about that original band—this is the bottom line:

crimsonotter12 said:Why even bother sitting around at home listening to the original record when you could just head out? Get out there, grab a drink with your buddies, have a blast, and get absolutely rowdy—all while hearing that live music hitting you right in the face.Copies.So, what band are you actually into? Don't give me some boring, mainstream answer either. Give it to me straight. 😁

Look, let me give you a straight-up example—you’ve got Vedran Božić, Ervin Baučić, and the rest of the crew playing... they're basically just a Led Zeppelin tribute band.
Hell yeah, I'd go to that concert in a heartbeat. You don't just pass up an opportunity like that. We're talking about world-class musicians playing top-tier tracks from a legendary band—the kind of lineup you're never gonna get another shot at seeing live. Period.

crimsonotter12 said:And why the hell does everything have to have some kind of "artistic value" anyway? Seriously. 😁

Look, I’m telling you right now, the whole point of these tribute bands is simple: people want to have a damn good time. That’s it. That’s the whole game. And let's be real—the bands themselves are probably having a blast too. I mean, why on earth would anyone get up on stage to play music they actually hate? It doesn't make sense. They get to jam out to hits they love, the crowd goes wild, and hey, they pull in some decent cash while they're at it. It's a win-win.

That’s it. Period. Nothing else matters—it's just pure, unadulterated fun.

brightridge59 said:Why would I even bother with some bootleg live recording when I can just spin the studio original at home? It makes zero sense. 😁

It’s definitely not the same thing. You can't just sit at home and expect that vibe. You aren't listening to those tracks with 100, 200, or even 1,000 other people who are just as obsessed with the music as you are. And don't even get me started on how much the atmosphere and the actual sound change when you're in a crowd like that. It's a totally different beast.

Look, let's be real—none of this even matters if the tribute band sucks. Period.

I've been to a Pink Floyd show myself, and honestly? It was an absolute blast. 🤷 I was hanging out with a few buddies who also obsess over Pink Floyd almost as much as I do—though, let's be real, it’s probably impossible to love them as much as I do. 😳 😁). Man, we had an absolute blast. Singing our hearts out to all those classic tracks, surrounded by thousands of other fans who were there for the exact same reason... just soaking up the light show and the whole vibe. It was killer. 🤷 But let’s face it—I’m probably not getting another shot at hearing Pink Floyd live like this, at least not with the original lineup.

I think some people here really need to take a chill pill😁

Sure, tribute bands aren't nearly as good as the originals, but I don't see the mystery in it. You get four, five, or six musicians who love a specific band and decide to play their hits just for the hell of it—or because they realize there’s a huge crowd willing to pay to hear them. It's simple math.

Look, it's derivative, I get it. But honestly, people play at weddings and in backing bands for artists like Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran; at that level, a tribute act isn't even the worst gig a musician can land. And for the listener? It's not the end of the world either.

I’m actually a huge fan of tribute bands... I mean, I’ll probably never see Azra or Led Zeppelin live, but I absolutely love hearing people cover their tracks, and I definitely won't be sitting at home crushing three beers while jumping around to their studio albums... it’s just not the same, right? So if the band isn't total garbage and they actually bring a little something unique to the table, I'm all in. Even with the bands that are still touring today... what are the odds I can catch every single one of my favorites every year instead of just picking one or two? Or what are the chances I'll ever get to see every artist I love in my entire lifetime?? Zero. It's zero. You don't have the cash to fly out to New York or LA every weekend, but if you spend a fraction of that, you still get to enjoy the music and actually have a blast.

When I’ve had a few drinks, I find myself genuinely enjoying tribute bands. But once I’m sober and start rationally evaluating their actual artistic merit within the narrow, snobbish confines of my own musical tastes—I can't stand them.

I honestly rarely see the point in recycling anything—tribute bands, remixes, I don't even see much value in a DJ who isn't actually producing their own tracks. But hey, that's just my take. ☕

We had a pretty much identical thread going last year, and honestly, the power dynamics haven't shifted one bit since then: back then, it was just banderas and me holding the line against the massive horde of tribute band haters. 😬

I think banderas is spot on and that everyone is overthinking this way too much. 😁 There’s no grand cosmic mystery to solve here, no searching for the meaning of life or whatever: look, we all come here because we love music (and if you don't, I genuinely have to ask what the hell you're even doing on this subforum), and some people just happen to love playing instruments. Maybe they lack the spark or the raw ambition to write their own stuff, but they love jamming out to their favorite band's hits. What's the harm in that? Instead of just messing around in a garage, they take it to a stage, play for a crowd, and everyone has a blast. Is that really such a crime? 🤷

crimsonotter12 said:you go to some random punk show and a huge crowd is losing their minds, having the time of their lives, totally happy. why bother stressing over whether or not there's any "artistic value" in it? 😁
(It's basically NHF punks on this forum 😁 )

You should probably just be glad that Herp hasn't had the time to hang out on the forum or handle any moderating lately. 😬