U2 Tribute Bands and thoughts about them.

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i don't think anyone's upset, Headache :lol:

artistically, i just find it a bit naff and uncreative really...

and yeah, not a little bit cringeworthy :D

but, it's alright for a laugh and harmless entertainment, i mean, i've seen Bjorn Again and Bootleg Beatles - they were FANTASTIC! (disclaimer: i was a drunk student at the time and they played at my uni) :wink:
 
I generally don't like the majority of tribute bands and I think i've said this in another thread before but the only U2 tribute band I'd be interested in seeing if I HAD to go and watch one would be those guys U2 Lemon Chile guys, and they're unlikely to play anywhere in Britain so I suppose it's a moot point.

However, they're like The Australian Pink Floyd who I saw a few years ago insofar as they just put on a great show with note-perfect renditions, not dress up like them, re-enact any famous onstage antics or whatever. Both are excellent live bands with a real love for and fantastic musical/technical understanding of the band whose music they're playing and that's all I'd ever want. they appear to just walk onstage as if they've come straight from work and play the music well and everyone enjoys it.

I know there are people who enjoy the ones who dress up as U2 and copy all their mannerisms and so on, but I can't stand those kind of bands. Some guy who looks very unlike Bono wearing a leather jacket and shades and acting like him just makes me feel awkward and almost embarrassed watching it...I've watched videos of some U2 tribute bands and just felt weird and actually blushed watching it, strange as that might sound!

And that might sound unfair, but I genuinely just find it a bit weird. The Bootleg Beatles, the only other tribute band I've seen live, are the only ones who I've thought have "got away" with that kind of stuff since The Beatles are on another level as these massive cultural icons/historical figures even. The band members do it in this pretty caricature-y manner, and really really well as opposed to some guys pretending to be U2/pick a band, who just look like they're doing they're just doing hairbrush in the mirror stuff in front of a crowd.

I know some people will disagree with that and I don't know if it's hypocritical separating The Beatles and saying any other can't be copied in such a way but it's the only "dress-up" tribute band I've come across that hasn't made my skin crawl. But like people are saying in this thread, each to their own of course and I obviously respect people going to see other bands like that and enjoying them. it's all just a bit of fun at the end of the day..
 
gareth brown said:
I generally don't like the majority of tribute bands and I think i've said this in another thread before but the only U2 tribute band I'd be interested in seeing if I HAD to go and watch one would be those guys U2 Lemon Chile guys, and they're unlikely to play anywhere in Britain so I suppose it's a moot point.

However, they're like The Australian Pink Floyd who I saw a few years ago insofar as they just put on a great show with note-perfect renditions, not dress up like them, re-enact any famous onstage antics or whatever. Both are excellent live bands with a real love for and fantastic musical/technical understanding of the band whose music they're playing and that's all I'd ever want. they appear to just walk onstage as if they've come straight from work and play the music well and everyone enjoys it.

I know there are people who enjoy the ones who dress up as U2 and copy all their mannerisms and so on, but I can't stand those kind of bands. Some guy who looks very unlike Bono wearing a leather jacket and shades and acting like him just makes me feel awkward and almost embarrassed watching it...I've watched videos of some U2 tribute bands and just felt weird and actually blushed watching it, strange as that might sound!

And that might sound unfair, but I genuinely just find it a bit weird. The Bootleg Beatles, the only other tribute band I've seen live, are the only ones who I've thought have "got away" with that kind of stuff since The Beatles are on another level as these massive cultural icons/historical figures even. The band members do it in this pretty caricature-y manner, and really really well as opposed to some guys pretending to be U2/pick a band, who just look like they're doing they're just doing hairbrush in the mirror stuff in front of a crowd.

I know some people will disagree with that and I don't know if it's hypocritical separating The Beatles and saying any other can't be copied in such a way but it's the only "dress-up" tribute band I've come across that hasn't made my skin crawl. But like people are saying in this thread, each to their own of course and I obviously respect people going to see other bands like that and enjoying them. it's all just a bit of fun at the end of the day..
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:up:

i think the Bootleg Beatles and Bjorn Again for instance are just so deliberately out-there and camp, and spectacular, they manage to get away with it - plus the Beatles and Abba aren't exactly contemporary and putting out new albums and touring, so it's a more of a fun nostalgic colourful extravaganza celebrating their music, whereas the U2 tribute bands seem to take themselves pretty seriously, maybe that's why it creeps me out a bit...
 
gareth brown said:
I generally don't like the majority of tribute bands and I think i've said this in another thread before but the only U2 tribute band I'd be interested in seeing if I HAD to go and watch one would be those guys U2 Lemon Chile guys, and they're unlikely to play anywhere in Britain so I suppose it's a moot point.

However, they're like The Australian Pink Floyd who I saw a few years ago insofar as they just put on a great show with note-perfect renditions, not dress up like them, re-enact any famous onstage antics or whatever. Both are excellent live bands with a real love for and fantastic musical/technical understanding of the band whose music they're playing and that's all I'd ever want. they appear to just walk onstage as if they've come straight from work and play the music well and everyone enjoys it.

I know there are people who enjoy the ones who dress up as U2 and copy all their mannerisms and so on, but I can't stand those kind of bands. Some guy who looks very unlike Bono wearing a leather jacket and shades and acting like him just makes me feel awkward and almost embarrassed watching it...I've watched videos of some U2 tribute bands and just felt weird and actually blushed watching it, strange as that might sound!

And that might sound unfair, but I genuinely just find it a bit weird. The Bootleg Beatles, the only other tribute band I've seen live, are the only ones who I've thought have "got away" with that kind of stuff since The Beatles are on another level as these massive cultural icons/historical figures even. The band members do it in this pretty caricature-y manner, and really really well as opposed to some guys pretending to be U2/pick a band, who just look like they're doing they're just doing hairbrush in the mirror stuff in front of a crowd.

I know some people will disagree with that and I don't know if it's hypocritical separating The Beatles and saying any other can't be copied in such a way but it's the only "dress-up" tribute band I've come across that hasn't made my skin crawl. But like people are saying in this thread, each to their own of course and I obviously respect people going to see other bands like that and enjoying them. it's all just a bit of fun at the end of the day..
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The Aussie Pink Floyd show?...they may not do exact costuming but that's only because they don't need to - did the original band have any distinctive clothing that made them instantly recognizable? Not that I recall, they always looked like they just came from work themselves! Lol. But almost everything you see at the Aussie Pink show is visually a carbon copy. Saying its just normal guys playing the music well on stage is really misleading. They look like a Pink Floyd concert and are definitely trying to recreate that live Pink Floyd experience! And it's what makes them the standard bearers for tribute bands worldwide and commands the high ticket prices to see them.

As for Lemon, they are indeed a great band. But they too use visuals that leave little doubt as to what you are looking at. Do they always not dress up? I don't know, I mean haven't researched them. Maybe they do for some events, who knows. I will say that their market is a bit different than North American or European markets, not the least of which difference is that they are very much one of the only ones down there. And, as you say, some guy who personally looks nothing like Bono wearing shades and leather would look pretty bad..the dude from Lemon is IMMENSELY talented, but there's nothing you can do to make him look like Bono. He just won't no matter how close the costuming is. And that's ok!

As for Beatles and Abba tributes, they do what they do largely because their original counterparts are no longer touring. People go to a Beatles tribute expecting to see 4 lads in the dress that they remember the Beatles to have been famous for. Abba is the same thing. U2 is currently the same, and when they ever stop touring the demand for bands that look and sound like them will be just as strong as for Beatles bands that look like the Beatles.

Sometimes I wonder if its just because Bono's dress is so out there, so recognizable that it bugs some. I've seen a Bruce Springsteen tribute and also Bryan Adams and the dudes were dressed exactly like them, but that just means jeans and a Tshirt...which in itself is largely inoffensive. I wonder if a minority of Bruce fans hate on those bands online..i dunno something makes me doubt that very much. Maybe its because, in particular, Bono and Edges stage look is so far out that it bugs a small number of fans to see someone else do it too. I mean, people in general find Bono's look silly/cringeworthy! :lol:

You have to realize though that bookers want the look. And for that matter so do the majority of the audiences that they are booking for....somewhere that had Bon Jovi band the week before, AC/DC before that, KISS, etc..so their audience has expectations. And you're gonna walk in there like 4 guys who just walked off the street? Not gonna fly.
 
i never thought of U2's look as "out there" :lol:

(apart from characters like MacPhisto obviously!)
 
Yeah actually that's a very good point about the aussie pink Floyd, gvox. maybe I'll just shut my mouth... :hmm:
 
Around the time of Elevation I was working in Manhattan and went out with friends on a Friday night for dinner and drinks. On the way home, we were walking to the subway station and passed a pub named Flannery's, where we heard Gloria blasting through the doors and people bobbing up and down. I thought to myself, that's strange for a bar to be playing Gloria so loud- and people in 2000/2001 excited for it.

So, we stopped at the door and asked the bouncer what's going on? He said a U2 Tribute band named Unforgettable Fire. At the time I had no idea what a tribute band was, so of course we went in to check it out. When we got inside, we were blown away by the experience. It actually looked and sounded like a U2 show. At first it was strange seeing these guys seemingly acting like the band, so I was just enjoying the music off the the side, but a few songs in you just get sucked in.

I've seen them about 5 or 6 times since then, they're great.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
There's nothing wrong with them... They're just uncreative, cringeworthy, cheesy, corny twats who have no business playing Sunday Bloody Sunday because the lead singer were Bvlgari sunglasses on stage.
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Well, finally we agree. :)

Seriously, the OP in this thread asked what we thought of tribute bands, and now a couple of you are freaking out because some of us answered in a way you didn't like. Everyone's entitled to their opinion right? Why take it so personally?

And yeah, while I think they are mostly just fun & harmless, I do think performing SBS while playing dress up as rock stars is a little cringe-worthy, I don't care if your audience are a bunch of drunks at an Irish day festival...give me a break. Some guy playing Bono singing "Broken bottles under children's feet, bodies strewn across a dead end street" while stoned people pump their fists in the air? No thanks. U2 can do that, but not some naff tribute band.

And BTW, it's well known that U2 struggled whether they should continue to play that song after the War tour. They almost didn't include it in R&H (though I'm glad they did). In his monologue during the song in R&H he even commented on Americans who don't know WTF they're talking about when it comes to the "revolution back home". And U2 expressed, many times over the years, their hesitancy to play the song, particularly in Ireland. Yet it's somehow a "tribute" to U2 for a bunch guys one step removed from Elvis impersonators to play the song? Um, no.

And even U2 realised the song had to be updated to keep it in context, and this helped them resolve their issues with playing SBS....hence the evolving themes of the song related to gun violence, religious violence, etc.

So yeah, if you're in a tribute band, and are afraid to NOT play the song, or because you want to please the guy paying you for the gig, you probably do have an issue with your own principles, and certainly don't understand the band or music that you're paying "tribute" to. I'm sorry, but it's one thing for an artist to cover a song because it means something to them, but for a tribute band whose whole point is mimicry, I think it's a bit unseemly. And the playing dress up part does make a difference...context is everything.

Again, don't misunderstand me, I think there's a place for these bands, it's just for fun, so whatever. And some of these guys are genuinely talented (like the band in Chile). I'd rather just see some musicians up there in normal clothes banging out some U2 in their own way, but to each his own. But crikey, U2 has a huge catalogue of hits, so how about these guys just show a bit of judgement and stay away from songs like SBS...to me at least, they'd be a little more fun and look a little less ridiculous up there.

Just my opinion.
 
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Here's the thing: lots people do lots and lots of things that seem trivial, lame or cringeworthy to anyone who does not have some sort of meaningful personal connection with it. That could be anything from scrapbooking to sport hunting to improvisational jazz to online gaming. It's just really easy to judge something that you aren't connected with.

But people don't usually spend huge amounts of time on things that are not meaningful to them. If you see somebody making space in their lives for something that they pursue with passion and do the the best of their ability, chances are it has some sort of significant human value for them. And saying "Hey, whatever floats your boat" with an eyeroll is not a really respectful way to acknowledge that. If you're a person who has never liked anything that is not one hundred percent cool, then lucky you. But it would be great if even though you totally don't "get it", you can trust that there may be good and valuable things about it that you just have no experience of and don't know about.
 
jeevey said:
Here's the thing: lots people do lots and lots of things that seem trivial, lame or cringeworthy to anyone who does not have some sort of meaningful personal connection with it. That could be anything from scrapbooking to sport hunting to improvisational jazz to online gaming. It's just really easy to judge something that you aren't connected with.

But people don't usually spend huge amounts of time on things that are not meaningful to them. If you see somebody making space in their lives for something that they pursue with passion and do the the best of their ability, chances are it has some sort of significant human value for them. And saying "Hey, whatever floats your boat" with an eyeroll is not a really respectful way to acknowledge that. If you're a person who has never liked anything that is not one hundred percent cool, then lucky you. But it would be great if even though you totally don't "get it", you can trust that there may be good and valuable things about it that you just have no experience of and don't know about.
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Perhaps. But I think you're talking more about tribute bands in general, which are fine even if they're not my thing (who's stopping them?) and the choice to play a song like SBS. Again, I think it's a bad choice, for the reasons I said. Just my opinion.
 
Haven't posted in a while, but this thread certainly caught my eye.

I was never against tribute bands per se, just never thought in a million years I could enjoy one. Especially since I've seen the real U2 plenty of times.

A few years back, I started to hear a lot of good things about the Joshua Tree, a U2 tribute band based in Boston that travels a substantial amount around New England as well. I figured I'd see them- and finally did in January 2010. I loved them- they do not try to look like the band members and they have no cheesy stage mannerisms or anything else described in this thread. They just do their best to sound as much like U2 as possible, and they do it with their own little style that adds to the experience. I have written in the tribute band threads about these guys, and I can't say enough good things. They're all great, but the drummer is so Mullen-like in the way he plays the songs, it's incredible.

They changed my views on tribute bands entirely. I've now seen Joshua Tree about 8 times and except for one time (when I'm pretty sure the new guitarist was playing his 1st show), it was extremely enjoyable.

I had some of the best nights of the last few years with the Joshua Tree and fellow U2 fans at various bars and small clubs. If you're on the fence about whether to see a tribute band, definitely, 100% do it. At worst, it will be a comical story to add to your U2 fan experience and at best, it will be a great, high energy, intimate performance of all your favorite songs.

If you are lucky enough to get a good tribute band like Boston's Joshua Tree, you will be highly entertained. Hearing all the U2 songs we know and love played live by people who know what they're doing with real equipment should be a great time for any true U2 fan.
 
Joshua Tree from Boston is amazing. I've loved what they do for years.

They play SBS, as far as Im aware.

As does Lemon.

And play it absolutely should, sadly and unfortunately for current reasons which have nothing to do with disrespecting the memories of those lost in the Irish Troubles, or whether or not the band is going to get a free pitcher of beer. When the world becomes a place where a song like SBS is *not* relevant or important to hear and play, I'll be elated.

I was going to write that not playing SBS (or any of the other meaningful songs of U2, which amounts to what, half of them?) because someone on the Internet said that one shouldn't is pretty much the same as playing SBS because someone else said one should...but it's not. It's worse.
 
Tribute bands are the enemies of art. :sad:

But seriously, I've seen the band Unforgettable Fire in NYC several times and I absolutely love the great show they put on! Tribute bands offer nothing but a fun evening out... great entertainment! :up:
 
mikal said:
I generally think the idea is laughable. Being a musician that preferred to play in bands that only played original music, I tend to look down on cover bands, though I know they serve their purpose and that's fine.
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Aye.
 
Mount Temple said:
This was a fun performance of a song I have long loved but our band ignores! Even when Achtung Baby was "new", U2 still only played it for the first few legs of the tour. I expected more coverage overall considering it was a. "Single".
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Hey Mount Temple I asked earlier but I guess it got buried..what made you think of this subject? Seems random..did you see a U2 tribute recently? Are there any out in your neck of the woods?
 
gvox said:
Hey Mount Temple I asked earlier but I guess it got buried..what made you think of this subject? Seems random..did you see a U2 tribute recently? Are there any out in your neck of the woods?
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No I haven't watched a tribute band lately. Because it 's October , I think of my cousin Scott who passed away last year at this time. Him and I were close and he being 12 years older than me is one of the reasons I love U2.

Scott was his name. You see Scott was fortunate enough to see U2 in March of 1981 at Vancouver's Legendary Commodore Ballroom!
His love of the band early on led to my introduction to U2 when I was 10 years old.

Scott loved cool music and played in his own band too. He used to make me "mixed tapes" of all the now classic alternative bands of the late 70's and early 80's. ( The Clash, REM, Depeche Mode, Joy Division-New Order and of course U2)

Much of my early music I owe to him and my "classic rock" parents too.

Last October , about a week before he passed away. I went to the Commodore Ballroom and watched a Toronto based U2 Tribute Band called "Elevation".

It was coincidence that I was at the same venue as Scott watching a band paying "homage" to a band and a U2 gig way back in 1981 that my cousin saw and became a "life long U2 fan".

The tribute band was a fun night and they mentioned that early show while duplicating "The Joshua Tree" set from U2's performance in Vancouver way back in 1987. That was my first U2 gig.

So the long and short is that Scott was on my mind and I was thinking about the Commodore Ballroom and that U2 tribute band.

Thanks for asking. :)
 
Thanks for sharing that Mount Temple. I had forgotten that Elevation played that room. Sounds like being there at that venue where it all began for your cousin, and hearing all those same songs from your own first U2 show, certainly brought back some very special memories. You are lucky to have had such an awesome cousin, to supply you with such great music at such a young age! :up:

I was similarly introduced to U2 at about 11 myself, by a family friend who was like a bigger sister to me who brought back bootleg and mixed cassettes from a trip she took to the UK. Very much the same list of bands, also. To this day when I hear certain songs I can remember her enthusiasm and excitement when she called me and told me to get on my bike and get over to her house, because she had some tapes that i just had to hear!

I imagine it may have been difficult, but did you by chance get to meet any of the band (Elevation) afterward? Im sure they would have loved to hear your story and felt privileged to help you relive that memory. They're very nice and classy guys.
 
gvox said:
Joshua Tree from Boston is amazing. I've loved what they do for years.

They play SBS, as far as Im aware.

As does Lemon.

And play it absolutely should, sadly and unfortunately for current reasons which have nothing to do with disrespecting the memories of those lost in the Irish Troubles, or whether or not the band is going to get a free pitcher of beer. When the world becomes a place where a song like SBS is *not* relevant or important to hear and play, I'll be elated.

I was going to write that not playing SBS (or any of the other meaningful songs of U2, which amounts to what, half of them?) because someone on the Internet said that one shouldn't is pretty much the same as playing SBS because someone else said one should...but it's not. It's worse.
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I must say that the singer's voice of the LEMON tribute-band is uncanny ! Expect for the thick latino accent, the voice is an exact replica of Bono's
 
gvox said:
Thanks for sharing that Mount Temple. I had forgotten that Elevation played that room. Sounds like being there at that venue where it all began for your cousin, and hearing all those same songs from your own first U2 show, certainly brought back some very special memories. You are lucky to have had such an awesome cousin, to supply you with such great music at such a young age! :up:

I was similarly introduced to U2 at about 11 myself, by a family friend who was like a bigger sister to me who brought back bootleg and mixed cassettes from a trip she took to the UK. Very much the same list of bands, also. To this day when I hear certain songs I can remember her enthusiasm and excitement when she called me and told me to get on my bike and get over to her house, because she had some tapes that i just had to hear!

I imagine it may have been difficult, but did you by chance get to meet any of the band (Elevation) afterward? Im sure they would have loved to hear your story and felt privileged to help you relive that memory. They're very nice and classy guys.
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Thanks Gvox! I did get a chance to speak with the guys and enjoyed their company. The "Bono" one was a mega fan and he injected his own take on the real guy so I enjoyed it. No sunglasses and posing!

While looking at U2 tribute bands on You Tube I came across too many "try-hards"! AS was posted earlier: The Bono one was always the worst offender. Injecting politics and other lines from the Rattle And Hum movie make it look dumb and this is clearly why some of the posts on this thread seem to be spot on.
 
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