U2 Tribute Bands and thoughts about them.

[gvox]

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.

Haha, well, he was reenacting a show from the Joshua Tree tour, right, so no sunglasses from that tour, for sure...Bono didn't start with the sunglasses until a few years later To be fair, they were all in full costume that night, appropriate to the era they were recreating, from what I recall from the pictures and videos they shared.

Elevation does dress up and do the sunglasses and costuming stuff pretty much always too, including at more recent shows at the Commodore. It is what it is, I see nothing wrong with it per se, they're doin their thing and giving people what they came to see.

As you mention though, repeating speeches from R&H would be a bit awkward.

 

[Mount Temple]

Good point Gvox. Certainly during the ZooTV era, Bono was on purpose trying to play a "cad Rock Star" and inject cliched actions into his performance.

The band were light years ahead with ZooTV tapping into the media obsessed culture and 'me first" actions of people. Today, with social media and a world wide "self indulgence of ones sense of importance" it reveals that back in 1992, our 4 Irishmen were ahead of the curve and revealed the future.

So when a "fake" Bono tries to copy all that. Then it's really tacky as they miss the entire point why the "real" Bono did it in the first place!

 

[brooklynmike]

I don't have experience with any other Tribute bands besides UF, but I guess some bands try to recreate the experience of moment, and some just play the songs as themselves. UF does an outstanding job of recreating the experience, mannerisms and speeches and all, and it's great. The crowd loves it and is fully engaged. It certainly adds to the experience. When they do a War or Zoo TV set, everyone suspends disbelief and goes all in. It's entertainment, after all. If they do an old speech or whatever, the whole bar is celebrating that moment in time, and memory.

 

[brooklynmike]

As far as U2 being "real" in the 80's, then only putting on a persona for Zoo TV, I'm not so sure about that. Keep in mind, in the late 70's they were into the whole performance art thing. I tend to think a good portion of the 80's earnestness and whatnot was a persona just like ZooTV.

 

[gvox]

Maybe so, to an extent..but at the end of the day there isn't a heck of alot of difference between a tribute band guitarist for example dressing like "Hobo Edge" from the JT tour and "#7 Edge" from Elevation tour etc..they are both just representations of the band at that period in their history. I mean, it's not like one look is "less" a costume than the next look, really..

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't have experience with any other Tribute bands besides UF, but I guess some bands try to recreate the experience of moment, and some just play the songs as themselves. UF does an outstanding job of recreating the experience, mannerisms and speeches and all, and it's great. The crowd loves it and is fully engaged. It certainly adds to the experience. When they do a War or Zoo TV set, everyone suspends disbelief and goes all in. It's entertainment, after all. If they do an old speech or whatever, the whole bar is celebrating that moment in time, and memory.

UF doesn't do recreations of speeches or anything like that... lighting and video? Sure. Costumes? Sometimes more than others, but yea. Mannerisms? Only tony, but then again only bono has ones to copy.

Haven't really even done a "theme" set in s number of years (although I miss them). Mostly it's a mix and match sorta thing, crossing over all eras... with the hits vs deep track ratio depending on the venue/crowd. Frankly the setlists are still being figured out sometimes right up until they take the stage... and it always changes.

When I do video for them, I make sure to have at least a few generic visuals ready to go in case of a while card.

It's more about the experience than anything... and not necessarily an exact replica either... more the general feel and vibe.

Mike if you haven't been to a show in a while you should absolutely come down to Canal Room on October 25th.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb4Cxf2ELfw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[brooklynmike]

UF doesn't do recreations of speeches or anything like that... lighting and video? Sure. Costumes? Sometimes more than others, but yea. Mannerisms? Only tony, but then again only bono has ones to copy.

You're absolutely right, they don't recreate the speeches. What I meant to say was they sometimes recreate certain memorable performances which include symbolic acts or "speech snippets" that most in the crowd would know. Like bits from Red Rocks or Rattle and Hum, or the Zoo TV DVD. I remember specifically they did Stay and he slipped the "this is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, we're stealing it back". Memory is foggy of it, but I remember watching the War years set and thinking "oh shit, they're doing the Red Rocks bit". You'd know much better than I would.

Haven't really even done a "theme" set in s number of years (although I miss them). Mostly it's a mix and match sorta thing, crossing over all eras... with the hits vs deep track ratio depending on the venue/crowd. Frankly the setlists are still being figured out sometimes right up until they take the stage... and it always changes.

Yeah, I noticed they got away from the theme sets a few years ago. They were great. Maybe because U2 now mixes the show up and hasn't done a strong theme in a while?

In the shows I've seen they never played a POP song, I would love to see that.

When I do video for them, I make sure to have at least a few generic visuals ready to go in case of a while card.

It's more about the experience than anything... and not necessarily an exact replica either... more the general feel and vibe.

Mike if you haven't been to a show in a while you should absolutely come down to Canal Room on October 25th.

My favorite venue was Flannery's and the place in Bay Ridge. I can't remember the name, maybe Wicked Monk? Lily's? I lived close enough to walk. Always a great time. I saw them a couple of times at BB Kings for the St. Patty's day event, and once at Canal Room.

I'd love to hit the next Canal Room show, but I'm out in San Francisco until at least February for work.