Take this for what it costs you....nothing. But you asked. lol
When we started UV, originally formed UltraViolet, it wasn't our first choice of names. It ended up over time being our favorite for obvious reasons, it just works for us. There is another band out of Italy (I believe its Italy anyways) called the Ultraviolets. Similar, not the same, and far enough away that if someone were to look for UV online, they would find UV, and not a mixture of UV and The Ultraviolets.
You'll notice that there are a few tributes out there that have also used the same name of other tributes. I will choose not to mention any other band names other than ours and the previous (as an example only) for obvious reasons.
But the fact of the matter is, if you're planning on "piggy backing" on someone elses name for exposure or notoriety reasons, I dont think thats a great idea. If its an honest thing like you see a band on another CONTINENT, with the same name, I guess that's your call.
Alot of these bands travel extensively. Some are very reqional and dont travel much past their own back yards.
I don't think (at least to my knowledge) that anyone has a trademark on their name yet, maybe some do, I'm not sure. So technically, you could use just about anything you want. If you're wondering about whether there's some unwritten rule or something, I guess you should really think about it and if the band that you're thinking about copying is mildly successful, and does in fact or has in fact played in or about your area, you might want to brainstorm some more on a name.
We did. And it took awhile to find the right fit for us. There are a bunch of names we wanted, but chose NOT to go with them because we thought it would be a little unfair for that band that has already put in alot of work getting gigs, etc, and developed a "branding" of sorts to reap any benefits of their name.
This turned out to be a little longer winded than I intended, so I apologize. But I think if you are creative enough, and spend a little extra time, you will probably be able to find something just as good, that's unique and your own. Remember, you will probably be stuck with this name for the life of the band, so make it count. It would be a shame if you chose the name of a not-so-friendly band and you got blasted before you ever had a chance to prove yourself. Not saying that would happen, but since I can't speak for the rest of the people in other tributes, its a possibility that you'd bump into the wrong crowd.
You could always ASK the named band how they would feel about it. It's quite possible that they may not be playing anymore, or broken up, or maybe they only play a couple times a year for St. Patty's etc. They may not object at all.
But if it's one of the bands where it is their full time job, and they depend on it for their living, that might be a little hairy.
Best of luck on the new project, do our boys justice on the tunes, and have fun. Good luck on the naming too. And I hope this came across the right way. Its tough to hear tone of voice over email, IM, etc. I was as sincere as I could be here.
Eddie