Being in a tribute band is...

[70strathead]

Here is a question for you guys in tribute bands. Did you say I'm going to join/form a Judas Priest (or whoever) tribute band and them learn all their material, or did you get the gig then learn all the material? And where you looking to cover a particular band or did you just get the opportunity and it was a band you were ok with so you took it? I had the chance to join a CCR tribute but I don't know one CCR song.

I grew up with the material and knew most of it note for note prior to starting it, I wasnt looking for anything other than a fun project paying tribute to a band that no one had covered yet ( at least in So. Cali) and was musically cool to so, i made calls, put it together and started gigging. I would never start a project i didnt have passion for the music, easy for me to say/do because i dont make a living doing it...so i play what i want and when i want. : )

 

[Greazygeo]

What happened to that guy George? He was pretty good.

I guess he got hit with a divorce. We did one show after the Alrosa show, which went alot better. That was it. We tried out another guy but that didnt work out. Would have been a fun gig too.

 

[Wagster]

I think it's lame,just my opinion. I like being original,and the people who
come see us really dig what we play.
But if playing covers gets your rocks off then so be it.
I've only heard one cover band that had the songs down
cold and they are the "Mega 80s" here in Detroit.
Haven't heard a band that good ever.
Some cats can't write songs,riffs etc and that's to bad.

Some of us make a living playing music and do whatever we have to do to put food on the table

 

[Zachman]

Here is a question for you guys in tribute bands. Did you say I'm going to join/form a Judas Priest (or whoever) tribute band and them learn all their material, or did you get the gig then learn all the material? And where you looking to cover a particular band or did you just get the opportunity and it was a band you were ok with so you took it? I had the chance to join a CCR tribute but I don't know one CCR song.

Got a call asking if I would do the gig, so I guess I just got the opportunity. At that time, I kinda knew some of the material, but dug in and really learned it, after I accepted the gig.

 

[Cornfordcrunch]

Not Gloating.... but my house that I built 5 years ago has 6 months left of payments.....by playing in a cover band and a tribute band. It also just bought me a Malibu ski boat as well as my Cornford and Axe FX. Im a cover band sausage and my legacy may never be more than that but it's allowed me the lifestyle most original artists are never allowed.....starving artist....boooo.

 

[RaceU4her]

RaceU4Her, I understand what you're saying and I agree, somewhat. Music is slightly different than many other fields since it requires two aspects that can, indeed, stand alone - art and craft. Playing the guitar requires a physical skill - the actual playing. Some people can play the guitar quite well. But if you lack that artistic ability to create something unique and original then what are you? Terms like Musician, Artist, Guitar Player, and etc. all basically mean the same thing but there are slight differences in emphasis and connotation.

The real question that should be asked is: Are all guitar players musicians? And are all musicians artists?

This entire debate is one of semantics and language, though. Does it really matter at the end of the day? Maybe.

its all just different lingo, i said i link artist and musician together and i guess others dont do that. i worked for a wedding band in nyc for years that had a revolving door of guys and we would describe most of them as great players, awful musicians because most of them couldnt write anything on their own but could play any song asked better than the original.

 

[vchizzle]

For me personally, I don't think I could put the time and effort in to get down all the nuances to do a tribute band properly. I probably would not make any effort to see a tribute band unless I already had proof that they were REALLY good. I would go see Zachman's Journey trib cause they seem to have that sound down rock solid.

Guys in tribute bands can make a shit ton more money than I do in my original rock band. I give props to those that are really great at it. I'd also love to have bought a house and have it paid for in 5-6 years. I doubt I could take that role because the creative, composing, writing side of brain works much better/harder than the learning side of my brain. I can learn stuff just fine but ADD kicks in at some point and I'll wander off and start writing instead of learning I know several people that have both and can do both awesome. Pete Thorn is one of those dudes. Before he was doing the high profile gigs he does now he was in a great band called Forty Foot Echo that did commercial hard rock. Can't really call him a tribute player though, as he plays the real gigs.

 

[Zachman]

to me you have to have something you can call your own to be a musician or artist. like you said, hired "players" for the artist. if you have never been part of anything original and only play other peoples already written songs be it a cover band, tribute, hired studio/tour guy, i look at you as a guitar "player" in a band at the end of the day. i wouldnt call the guy working on a building from a set of blue prints that he had no part in designing a architect much like i cant call someone who plays something he had no part in creating an artist or musician, they just play guitar

Love ya' man, but that is absolute nonsense.

With that rationale in mind, half of the "musicians" out there aren't musicians. Some of the biggest earnings acts right now don't even write their own songs! From rock bands, to jazz to soloists like Celine Dion and Shania Twain. Wow, are the amazing individuals playing their string instruments and horns in symphonies across the world not "musicians" just because they're playing Bach and Mozart?

Let's settle this once and for all.....

[And just to help those out that might struggle with the English language, the use of "or" in the below definitions implies the mutual exclusivity of all items included in the related list]

Definition of a "musician":

www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musician
a composer, conductor, or performer of music; especially : instrumentalist

Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus
A musician is a person who plays a musical instrument as their job or hobby.

Webster's Dictionary
1. Someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession).
2. Artist who composes or conducts music as a profession.
3. One skilled in the art or science of music; esp., a skilled singer, or performer on a musical instrument.

www.thefreedictionary.com/musician
One who composes, conducts, or performs music, especially instrumental music.

www.yourdictionary.com/musician
a person skilled in music; esp., a professional performer, composer, or conductor of music

dictionary.com
1. a person who makes music a profession, esp. as a performer of music.
2. any person, whether professional or not, skilled in music.

www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Musician
A person who plays or sings music.

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession); or
artist who composes or conducts music as a profession

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musician
A musician is a person who performs or writes music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music: * An instrumentalist plays a musical instrument. * A singer (or vocalist) uses his or her voice as an instrument. ...

www.wordiq.com/definition/Musician
A musician is a person who plays or composes music.

Based on the above, it seems there is no argument that a "musician" is simply one that plays music. "Conducting" music also seems to qualify one as a musician, even though they are not actually 'playing' anything. What is clear, however, is that one does not need to compose music to be considered a musician.

Now, if there is someone out there that honestly believes that they are more qualified than the PhDs and teams of researchers that go through exhaustive efforts (including soliciting feedback from hundreds of highly respected scholars, professionals in the fields for which they seek a given definition for, etc.) to arrive at the definitions included in dictionaries and encyclopedias, by all means, have fun refuting the above. I'm going to tune you out though.....

And, for what it's worth, I have been a "musician" for the better part of 22 years, including many years spent in tribute bands and many others spent in original bands. I count them all in my quoted '22' as, clearly, they all qualify as such.

WORD

and... that is supposed to make sense to those who would argue that composing is a requirement for a musician?

 

[Zachman]

For me personally, I don't think I could put the time and effort in to get down all the nuances to do a tribute band properly. I probably would not make any effort to see a tribute band unless I already had proof that they were REALLY good. I would go see Zachman's Journey trib cause they seem to have that sound down rock solid.

Guys in tribute bands can make a shit ton more money than I do in my original rock band. I give props to those that are really great at it. I'd also love to have bought a house and have it paid for in 5-6 years. I doubt I could take that role because the creative, composing, writing side of brain works much better/harder than the learning side of my brain. I can learn stuff just fine but ADD kicks in at some point and I'll wander off and start writing instead of learning I know several people that have both and can do both awesome. Pete Thorn is one of those dudes. Before he was doing the high profile gigs he does now he was in a great band called Forty Foot Echo that did commercial hard rock. Can't really call him a tribute player though, as he plays the real gigs.

MOST appreciated... Thank you

 

[Tawlks]

no choice in the poll for my thoughts....

If you like it, and there is a demand for it to play live, why not? lots of people make decent money doing things like this, plus the live experience is always fun as well.....

If it's something YOU want to do who cares what anyone else thinks.

FWIW: if I could find the right guys to do a TOOL tribute, I'd joing in a heartbeat.

I would love to play either guitar or bass in a Tool tribute band.

 

[Meathead]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

 

[Zachman]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

DING DING DING


We have a WINNER!!!!!

 

[SkyhighRocks]

There's some definite crack smoking going on in this thread....

 

[RaceU4her]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

not by my definition, but i guess my definition is wrong and/or different than most. im listening to maceo parker and candy dulfer perform their own music using some of the same horns the horn players in the symphony are using though right now and i consider them great musicians

 

[Shiny_Surface]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

not by my definition, but i guess my definition is wrong and/or different than most. im listening to maceo parker and candy dulfer perform their own music using some of the same horns the horn players in the symphony are using though right now and i consider them great musicians

I'm with you, as was stated previously it's all semantics at this point imo.

 

[Meathead]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

not by my definition, but i guess my definition is wrong and/or different than most. im listening to maceo parker and candy dulfer perform their own music using some of the same horns the horn players in the symphony are using though right now and i consider them great musicians

I have more respect for guys that write and play their own music, but that doesn't make people that just perform not musicians.

Lots of great session players didn't write the song they are playing on in the studio, but their performance sure brings it to life.

I don't make my entire living on playing but I'm in the union and play in clubs and larger stages with a full symphony. The guy that arranges/composes the stuff I play is a guitar player. He arranges/composes amazing charts but he's not capable of playing it, so he hires me (a musician) to perform it for him and I charge him a fee.

I think people are confusing arrangers/writers/composers with performers. Performers to me are musicians.

 

[70strathead]

I seriously doubt that a person that's skilled in their musical craft has never wrote a musical note/song in their life. Jazz players,among others, are composing as they improvise and like Ed mentioned in the thread, there are certain levels. Just because someone plays in cover bands or tribute bands, does not mean they are limited to just that, thats crazy...The classical reference is right on. I know a girl who plays cello occasionally for the San Diego Symphony, but she also plays in a folk band as well, all her tunes. she is an amazing musician. this thread is becoming more comical than the "tone in the hands" threads".

 

[70strathead]

Another example is my high school buddy Wayne Findlay who's been playing with Michael Schenker since the 90's. He doesnt write the music, just tours with him, he's classically trained and has a whole catalog of original stuff that he doesnt make a living on and is still plugging away with it. The MSG gig feeds him. He's written Fugues and sonata's for several intruments, a complete musician.

 

[Meathead]

Another example is my high school buddy Wayne Findlay who's been playing with Michael Schenker since the 90's. He doesnt write the music, just tours with him, he's classically trained and has a whole catalog of original stuff that he doesnt make a living on and is still plugging away with it. The MSG gig feeds him. He's written Fugues and sonata's for several intruments, a complete musician.

Sorry...when he's playing music he didn't write he's not a musician.

 

[rlord1974]

So...symphony musicians that are in the musicians union and make their entire living playing playing classical pieces that they didn't write aren't musicians?

That's silly...if you wrote it you are a writer...if you are performing it you are a musician.

not by my definition, but i guess my definition is wrong and/or different than most.

You said it. You're definition IS wrong.

You should learn the meaning of a word before you start using it. Otherwise, you come across as an.....

I know, I know.....I have gone WAY too far.....