Distinction: Tribute Bands vs. Cover Bands

[MaldonadoArmy]

With the popularity of The Smiths/Moz growing still after 25 years, it is natural for lots of groups to form and play to the music they love especially because the former is no longer a group.

However, a distinction definitely needs to be made in regards to Smiths/Moz cover bands vs TRIBUTE bands. A TRIBUTE band captures the true essence of the experience one might have if they were to attend a concert by said band in the here and now. For example, the TRIBUTE band Led Zepagain (Bay Area, California) provides the fan a real life experience because of the musicianship and stage presence of the group. This experience is so true to form that this band has been saluted by Jimmy Page himself. So like other TRIBUTE bands, (Wild Child - Doors, Fab 4 - Beatles, The Curse - Cure, Vitalogy - Pearl Jam) the fan walks away feeling as if they had just seen their favorite band live...almost.

Just because 4 blokes get together to learn Handsome Devil does not make them a TRIBUTE band. That makes them a cover band similar to those all over the world that we all hear in our favorite pub or bar.

In my limited experience I have heard a number of cover bands attempt to play and, ummmm, sing Smiths/Moz songs but most fail miserably. The Son & Heirs do a nice job but it still sounds like karaoke. Also, having been around 4 or 5 years does not make you a "serious" tribute band either. That makes you 4 dudes who learned the Queen is Dead and sing karaoke over it.

I'm not trying to clown these groups but it bothers me that they are marketed and publicized as TRIBUTE bands because they are not! Anybody can clip cool British art to make flyers boasting their next gig as a Smiths tribute band, and then go out and butcher the catalog. It's false advertising and these acts should be ashamed of themselves.

Please do yourself a favor and listen to The Sweet and Tender Hooligans or even better see them live, and compare them to ANY other group attempting the same thing. There is no comparison. Experience the next best thing to Moz and Marr and you will understand my rant.

There is only 1 Smiths/Morrissey TRIBUTE band: www.sweetandtenderhooligans.com. Anything else is a knockoff swap meet copy, a shell that pales in comaprison. I'm just sayin...


*I am in no way affiliated with the Sweet and Tender Hooligans.

 

[This Charming Ben]

On the contrary, I've always understood it that a COVER band does songs from multiple artists... like an 80's band that will play The Knack one minute and Bon Jovi the next. A wedding band, or a bar band. A TRIBUTE band is a band that focuses on the music of just one band or artist. I'll assume for the purposes of this conversation that The Smiths and Moz solo can be considered "one." I don't know if there's an official ruling on tribute vs. cover, but that's the way I've always heard it.

That's fine to say you're not affiliated with SATH, but with a screen name like "MaldonadoArmy," it's not hard to see where your interest lies. Though before I go on, I realize my screen name probably confesses something similar.

As far as clowning other bands, let me say this: just dressing up like the Smiths doesn't make you good either. That's just doing Morrissey drag. Any old fool can grow a pomp, wear woman's shirt, and flop around on stage. Learning the songs and playing them well -- you know the part you seem to dismiss as just the minor details -- well friends, THAT is the hard part. Take your beloved SATH. Sure, the singer has a good voice and dances around like Moz... but the band is (at least to my ears) mediocre at best, playing inaccurately and without conviction. There are at least a handful of other Smiths tributes that blow them away. If you are able to think critically and rationally... and if you are able to be honest with yourself... and if you are truly familiar with the music of the Smiths... then you are insane if you think the Hooligans are the best out there.

But I don't think that the average die-hard SATH fan takes that into account. I'll never understand the fervor with which some people support them. The impression I get is that SATH became some kind of local heroes, and the people who love them, love them like a sports team: doesn't matter how bad they might be, they're from L.A. and it's the home team. But whatever makes you happy.

For my money, I'd much rather go watch a band that sounds like the Smiths than one that just tries to look like them. It's a lot harder to do one well than the other, and few really pull it off in my opinion. SATH might be in the top 5.

 

[billy scissors]

Best just getting drunk and pretending its The Smiths,its the future.

 

[SweetFA]

Never understood why people want to see Tribute Bands.

I did enjoy the Bootleg Beatles at Glastonbury in 1995 but i'd never have paid to see them.

The Smiths are too precious to me to want to see someone imitate them.

 

[MaldonadoArmy]

Good point about cover bands, and that is true that cover bands play mutiple artists while Tribute bands sing only the songs of 1 band in particular.

That said, I think your counterpoint is weak is all you can do is call someone old and that they wear women's clothes. Now if you want to talk musicianship you might have a point on a 1 by 1 individual basis. Maybe, "other" bands might have 1 or 2 better musicians in their group but as a whole you cannot say that any one sounds better and pays homage to MOZ and Marr better than the SATH. You make my argument for me when you state "...sure the lead singer has a good voice and dances around like Moz." Isn't that what your supposed to do when paying trubute to someone. Immitation is the greatest form of flattery is it not? More importantly, one cannot dismiss the importance of the lead singer's voice when it come to covering Smiths/Moz music. One of the most unique if not thee most unique (and difficult) voice to immitate in the history of rock music is Moz. NOBODY does it better than JM. Period.

I believe myself to be not only a fan but an objective one at that. When my football team sucks on Sat. I say they suck and why they suck. If someone were to say to me "man your team sucked today" I would agree. Same goes for my opinion about bands. If and when I see someone do it better I will be the first to post on this message board.

As for your allegiance or connection to other cover bandsI could give a shit. I've seen your band and they are ok at best. Nice try but no cigar. I stand by my original point and state that it sounds like karaoke. I spoke to a friend of mine who works the venue at the last SATH show (his first exposure to SATH) and he is a long time fan of the Smiths and saw them live in the 80's and he agreed with me. Close your eyes and you are experiencing the closest thing to a Smiths reunion you're going to get when the SATH are on stage.

Your reply is dripping with "Beat LA!" attitude that we "LA people" come to expect when dealing with our comrades to the north. Ask yourself if that is influencing your opinion moreso that a true belief that the SATH might belong in the top 5.

 

[This Charming Ben]

First off, just to clarify: I didn't mean "old" in the literal sense of the word, and certainly wasn't calling anyone in particular "old." Just as a figure of speech. My point was that the acting part of the performance (the dancing, the costumes) is comparatively the "easy part" I would say, no? Compared to the musical part?

Interesting take on my comments, but in truth it had nothing to do with "beat LA." I've seen and met three or four of the other tributes from SoCal, and they all seemed to be nice guys. I support them 100% and wish them all the success in the world, truly. SATH is the exception for me. I could write much about what I've seen (and heard second hand) about the attitude and ridiculous sense of entitlement they're known for having, but this will get ugly enough as it is. Suffice it to say that outside of their inner circle and such SATH fans as have drank the proverbial Kool-Aid, the mere mention of their name evokes a big roll of the eyes from the vast majority of the people I've talked to. And we're talking fans, friends, and those who work with them in the business. Almost without exception. They're notorious for it.

Now, there are a lot of mediocre tributes out there no doubt. And normally I wouldn't go out of my way to call them out, because again, bless them for trying to honor the music as best they can. But I'm realistic too. As far as comparing musicianship "as a whole," you are wrong. Because I can and will say -- categorically -- that as a whole, These Charming Men are better, Sons & Heirs are better, This Charming Band (yes that's us) are better, and though I haven't seen them live yet, YouTube has led me to suspect that Still Ill is better. These bands learn the songs and perform them more accurately. They perform them with more passion. And from what I gather, they have a much better attitude about it.

And speaking just of (if not for) the musicians of This Charming Band, I'll take the Pepsi Challenge member-for-member with SATH any time. Our drummer is better. Our bassist is better. And our guitarist is better. (Ha!) We learn those parts right, we play them with balls, and we do it for the love of the music. Now as for Jose, attitude aside and based purely on the sound of his voice, sure people have their criticisms about frogginess and all that, but no one would deny that the guy has vocal chops and can do the job well. If we're ignoring the band as a whole and only talking "who's the best pretend Morrissey" then I would have to concede that Jose is among the best.

Anyway, I don't mean to sound so militant, and I don't mean all this as a "rah rah, we're great, you suck" thing. In general, I'm totally supportive of any band getting out there and doing their best. But I love the Smiths (just as we all do), and if I'm going to get on stage and try to represent their music, then I take that responsibility very seriously. SATH is fortunate enough to have access to a very big audience in SoCal, and so in my mind they should be at the absolute top of their game. They have a responsibilty to be. And I guess I just bristle at what I see as them -- both in performance and in attitude -- not taking that privilege and responsibilty seriously. I almost view it as disrespectful to their audience and to the music.

Maybe that's harsh or overly dramatic? Either way, I suspect you will not agree with my assessment or characterization, and that's fine. But if you wanted to understand where I'm coming from, there it is.

 

[MaldonadoArmy]

Well said Ben and I appreciate your candor while presenting your view on this topic. It's unfortunate you are in one of the bands I mentioned because I don't think it's fair for you to objectively comment on my rant. I am solely speaking from a fans perspective and you are not. Since you claim to be in the know and in the inner circle of California tribute bands you have insights that few of us have. Your reference to Jose and the boys sense of entitlement and poor attitude seems to have a "we know what you dont't know" type of slant and is irrelevant to my point. It's almost as if SATH are hated for having success, touring in England and getting mentioned by Moz himself. One cannot dismiss their longevity. 20 years doing this and they still pack em in. That's 3 times longer than anyone else. In my FEW personal contacts I've had with the band they have been gracious, friendly, and took time to chat and answer my questions. That is especially true of Jose who is as approachable and accesible as any band member I have ever had contact with. That said I guess I'm not cool enough to be in the inner circle to know what a crappy attitude the guys have so I'll take your word for it.

I respect that you defend your bandmates and feel they are a superior act. While responding to your reply, I gave your band a good listen to and you do a great Marr no doubt. I also watched some youtube and noticed that Orlando (I won't refer to him by any other name) did his share of gyrating and posing on stage himself. So why is his immitation ok and JM's is not? He gives it a valiant effort singing but lacks the range necessary to pay justice to our hero Moz. I also noticed he won't be taking his shirt off any time soon either. And, what's with the hat?

The band sounds great and I'm sure lots of bay area peeps would come to your defense. The other bands you mentioned could't carry Joe Escalante's bass case. They are murdering the music I love and I take offense to that. I think maybe this is a case of their band (SATH) sucks because I don't like that dude personally. Also, I'm not sure I get your point about the responsibility of the Hooligans and their behavior. On one hand, you say they might be in the top five, but on the other, you say that their succes forces them to show reverance to the music by playing better and having a better attitude. Which one is it? Either they suck and are irrelevant or they are the premeire band and therefore should not be dicks and practice more. I think your hate and subjectivity is clouding your thinking and maybe should leave the defense of your band to a fan just like myself.

It will be my pleasure to see you guys when you come back to LA. Until then, keep playing for your fans in the bay area. I'll be here singng along with my favorite Morrissey immitator.

 

[This Charming Ben]

You make a fair point. While I am a fan just like you (not only of The Smiths, but of Smiths tributes, and even some other tributes), and I feel I know good and bad when I hear it... it would be disingenuous for me to act as though being involved in one myself hasn't impacted my viewpoint somehow. I know I must be seeing things through my own prism just as you see things through yours. And to your point, I guess in a way we're arguing about different things.

I feel like you have the impression I've denounced all mimicry of Morrissey on stage, so I'd like to clear that up. I don't universally hate it, and in fact to some extent I would agree that it's necessary. At times I do feel it can tread into like cheesy Elvis impersonator territory and possibly take away from the dignity of the music. But to be fair, and as you said at the beginning, if the goal is to provide a comprehensive Smiths-like experience, a certain amount of Morrissey impersonation needs to happen. Personally, I always thought Orlando did a good job of carefully balancing that, but everyone's gonna have their own idea of where to draw that line. Personal taste, no right and wrong way to do it you know. I should mention though that Orlando is no longer with our group. As far as the hat and all... maybe not what I would have done, but that was the angle he wanted to take with it (believe it or not, there really were a few early shows where Moz wore a fedora). Anyway, if Orlando ever reads this and feels compelled to chime in, of course he's free to discuss/defend those aesthetic choices.

Side note: In my previous member-for-member comparison, that's why I didn't include a comparison of singers. At the moment, ours is an open position. And of course Jose would win against an absent singer. At least like... 90% of the time. (I kid, I kid.)

Another side note: According to their websites, These Charming Men started just a couple years after SATH, so they're nearly equally long-lived. Though SATH is clearly king of the hill in SoCal, I think These Charming Men are generally regarded as the best worldwide. It's safe to say TCB spent our first few years trying to catch up to them, and one might even argue they're still a bit better than both TCB and SATH. Just sayin'.

As far as the contradiction you point out, I don't think it's either/or. Really it's a combination of both: they are successful without question BUT that doesn't mean they're the best out there (or even in the top five). I assume there's no need for a side bar about why popularity does not necessarily equal quality. They've been at it for a long, long time, and they're operating in the heart of what I would assume is the biggest concentration of Smiths fans outside of the U.K. (Believe me, there was no automatic audience in NorCal!) They've got Escalante who -- while I understand is not a renowned musician or person -- certainly doesn't hurt from a promotional clout aspect I would think. They have all the advantages they could ask for in having a Smiths tribute. So it's no wonder they've had a big following! But I'll tell you flat out, one of my personal motivations in playing in TCB has been that I feel like SATH has taken their audience for granted. And as a Smiths fan, I was insulted. This was long before TCB even existed. In all these years, SATH could be such a better band than they are. And they could also be such a supportive and positive force in The Smiths fan community. It disappoints me that they don't seem to treat it with the reverence it deserves. But again, this is all through my own skewed prism, so who knows? I don't know if that clears up the perceived contradiction at all?

This is all ultimately just one man's opinion, I know. And I may be too close to it to see the bigger picture. Your opinion is the one that counts, being the ones who actually attend these shows. Without you, there's no us. Like you said, there are going to be people in both NorCal and SoCal who like SATH better, and there will be people in both who like TCB better. And also no shortage of those who think we both stink! In a perfect world, I hope the people who like us best do so because they feel we do the most justice to the music and provide the most fun at our shows. Know what I mean? Like, I hope that we've "earned" it in that way... because they think we do a better job, not because we were the first, not because we represent a certain community, etc. Smiths fans our the only community we answer to, and I hope that shows in our playing and our attitudes.

I respect your thoughts on this and your taking the time to discuss them. Always interesting to hear another viewpoint! When you strip all the bullshit away, it comes down to who do you enjoy seeing more as a fan, whatever the reasons might be... and I guess there's no arguing with that! I hope you do make it out to a TCB show next time we're out your way. Let me know, we'll put you on the list.

 

[splink]

Hi guys,

I have been reading this thread intently and the one thing I have taken away from it is just how passionate you both are about the Smiths. The whole tribute band scene is a very odd one indeed and I should know because I am in one. I have heard many people decry the existence of trib bands but I think they fail to see the inherent fun and in most of the cases the love of the musicians of their chosen band. When I started our band I said that I wouldn't even step foot on a stage until I got the best musicians and hardest of all, the best Morrissey that I possibly could from the local UK musical community. Now you may look at our band and disagree with me (I will provide a link below) and that's subjectivity for you. But I assure you that we all love our chosen heroes and try our best to recreate the sound and energy of the band live. It takes time, money and effort to be in a band and people who join them who don't have their heart in it are easily spotted.
I do like all of the bands that have been mentioned, SATH, TCB, Sons & Heirs etc and as Americans I think you are very lucky as the UK sometimes has a very jaded and apathetic view when it comes to live gigs. I went to see a well established Smiths tribute band in the home of the Smiths - Manchester last year and the venue wasn't by any means full. I shan't mention the band name, as I didn't particularly like them myself, but once again some people thought they were great.
As long as there is room for several bands within a scene and they don't go around viciously undermining each other then vive la difference! We would love to play in the US someday, but as I'm sure you are all aware unless you are The Australian Pink Floyd or the Bootleg Beatles, then tributes (at least in this country) don't make a heck of a lot of money.
Anyway I wish you all the best.
We are all from Manchester UK and our band is Smithdom... We are a Smiths tribute band. Bet you didn't see that one coming
Please feel free to eviscerate us in prose if you wish www.smithdom.co.uk

 

[Abrahan]

check out this tribute band:
www.depechetribute.com

they are missing an andrew fletcher, but they've even got the outfits correct:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyiF_G9cN9s