Thinking of starting a tribute act

[The Lukas]

After a very successful 50s/60s/70s party put on for family and close friends (about 60 people came), our 3 piece band is considering performing more often, pubs and functions ect.

One idea is to become a Buddy Holly + the Crickets tribute act. I personally love his music. We all do. And I believe there is a lacking of young people (I'm 21) playing rock n roll music well.

I will shortly upload a video to YouTube of some songs we played on Saturday.

EDIT here they are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Jl9_uWxrs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDPn9Vir1C0

So how exactly shall we go about this? Practice like mad and do some free shows at some pubs? What about copyright? Let me know your thoughts.

Edited by The Lukas on Friday 17th September 13:57

[lockhart flawse]

I would think very long and hard.....I suspect your market would be pretty limited and wouldn't include anyone I know.

L.F.

[HOGEPH]

Don't travel by plane....

[useyourdellusion]

Very good!

OP, yeah you're right. I believe you may be on to a winner there. I too love Buddy Holly's music but you just don't see tribute acts for him and The Crickets.

[Meteor Madness]

There are plenty of young bands playing Rock'n'Roll well (like this one), most will only do a few of Buddy Holly's earlier songs however because later most of his material is commercial pop music.
To get the early sound (Blue Days Black Nights, Midnight Shift etc) you'll need a double bass, of course, but the later (pop) music requires a full string section (True Love Ways, Raining In My Heart etc). That could be tricky to carry off as a tibute act.
Good luck !

[chevy-stu]

Speak to a few agencies that look after tribute bands and see if they actually get any calls or requests for Buddy Holly type acts..

[davepoth]

lockhart flawse said:

I would think very long and hard.....I suspect your market would be pretty limited and wouldn't include anyone I know.

L.F.

When was the last time you went to see a tribute band? They actually do huge business, much more than 95% of all the self-penned bands ever make. I've never heard of a Buddy Holly covers band, but a quick internet search found a half dozen in the UK, so it must work.

Big question is though, are you going to just do the covers, or are you going to be a full blown "Tribute" act, and dress up and act too?

[dudleybloke]

you dont have to worry about copyrite/royaltys for live performances.

[The Lukas]

This has more replies than expected. Firstly I will say thanks

Meteor Madness said:

There are plenty of young bands playing Rock'n'Roll well (like this one)

Very good Enjoyed watching that.

Meteor Madness said:

you'll need a double bass

For sure. I wouldn't attempt without one! Any suggestions for purchasing such a device? Our bass player is keen to get into it too but it will take time to learn I'm sure.

chevy-stu said:

Speak to a few agencies that look after tribute bands and see if they actually get any calls or requests for Buddy Holly type acts..

I never knew agencies like that existed, but I'll give it a go. Must be one for the Isle of Wight! Allot of tourism/OAPs

davepoth said:

Big question is though, are you going to just do the covers, or are you going to be a full blown "Tribute" act, and dress up and act too?

Would you agree that image is a big thing to people when they see a tribute band? I'd be more than happy to dress up (did Saturday, suit, bow tie and glasses ).

dudleybloke said:

you dont have to worry about copyrite/royaltys for live performances.

Thanks. Is this 100% legal or just 'the way it's done'? Either way, I don't mind.

[lockhart flawse]

Well apart from still questioning the real interest in Buddy Holly tribute acts I would ask why a 21 year old musician would want to spend what are usually the most creative years playing someone else's music. It's not as if it is even particularly challenging to play. Tribute acts are where you go when you're in your 40s although I suppose playing Buddy Holly covers doesn't preclude you doing anything else. But good luck with it if you decide to go ahead - any music (almost) is better than no music.

L.F.

[chevy-stu]

dudleybloke said:

you dont have to worry about copyrite/royaltys for live performances.

The Lukas said:

Thanks. Is this 100% legal or just 'the way it's done'? Either way, I don't mind.

Virtually all venues that are put on live music will have an entertainment licence and be registered with PRS and pay a fee to to cover copyright etc.... So nothing dodgy or illegal.

God luck with it. !!

[Lucas CAV]

lockhart flawse said:

Well apart from still questioning the real interest in Buddy Holly tribute acts I would ask why a 21 year old musician would want to spend what are usually the most creative years playing someone else's music. It's not as if it is even particularly challenging to play. Tribute acts are where you go when you're in your 40s although I suppose playing Buddy Holly covers doesn't preclude you doing anything else. But good luck with it if you decide to go ahead - any music (almost) is better than no music.

L.F.

why on earth would someone not want to play simple and fun music that people know? whatever their age

[Chris71]

lockhart flawse said:

Well apart from still questioning the real interest in Buddy Holly tribute acts I would ask why a 21 year old musician would want to spend what are usually the most creative years playing someone else's music. It's not as if it is even particularly challenging to play. Tribute acts are where you go when you're in your 40s although I suppose playing Buddy Holly covers doesn't preclude you doing anything else. But good luck with it if you decide to go ahead - any music (almost) is better than no music.

L.F.

I'd say quite the opposite. I think there's a market for someone who's young playing music the way it's meant to be played rather than as some sort of geriatric sing-along. I'm way to young to have heard rock and roll in its day, but I suspect old music is rather like classic/vintage racing cars - they're at their best when driven hard like they were designed to be, not pootling down to the shops. At some stage that music was cutting edge and exciting, not Radio 3 material.

On a similar tanget, my missus used to play in psychobilly band. They were playing basically big-band swing type stuff (albeit with some rather modern themes/lyrics and a gothy slant) but they packed out bars and clubs in London with people younger than I am. And I'm 27.

I'd say there was a definite opening for a '50s style act, providing it was played like it was when it first came out, not like a crusty nostalgia event.

[lockhart flawse]

Fair comments both but how is a 21 year old supposed to know how it is supposed to be played? It was what it was because the instruments used were what were generally available and at the time it was near the edge of taste. That is absolutely not true today and is a waste of creativity IMHO but fine if you just want a jolly night out.

I just think the OP needs to be a bit more ambitious.

L.F.

[Chris71]

Put a modern spin on it maybe? I didn't mean the instruments had to have 1950s dust on them, just that they needed to be played like a 21 year old plays music, not the way a misty-eyed 60+ year old plays something from his youth.

I do get your point about playing your own music rather than someone elses, but that's true of all covers, whether it's '50s rock and roll or today's modern (and probably soon to be very dated) electro-indie stuff. Also, unless you have aspiration to be a full time professional muso (and one does not preclude the other) it's probably easier to make money and get gigs playing music which is already established. People will pay to go to a rock and roll night (or a punk night or whatever); they won't necesarily pay to go to a 'something me and my mate Dave just concocted' night unless you've been very successfully publicised and you're exceptionally good.

I can see somewhere like The Last Days of Decadence paying good money for a suitably good retro/rock and roll type act, providing it's fresh and energetic in the same manner as it would have been when it was the next big thing...

[davepoth]

lockhart flawse said:

Fair comments both but how is a 21 year old supposed to know how it is supposed to be played? It was what it was because the instruments used were what were generally available and at the time it was near the edge of taste. That is absolutely not true today and is a waste of creativity IMHO but fine if you just want a jolly night out.

I just think the OP needs to be a bit more ambitious.

L.F.

Playing your own songs is overrated. It's only in the last 20 years or so that it became "compulsory" for bands to only play their own stuff. Covers make things a lot more fun because everybody knows them.

And Buddy Holly was 21 when he wrote "That'll be the Day". One would hope he knew how it was suppose to be played.

[chevy-stu]

"I could play "Stairway To Heaven" when I was 12. Jimmy Page didn't actually write it until he was 22" ...

[The Lukas]

I write and record my own music, but would think people wouldn't necessarily want to listen to it. So thus comes the idea of playing I enjoy playing, and which I believe I'm not bad at playing anyway, maybe with more focus could become quite accomplished. Reasonable?

[Gaspode]

I would imagine that doing covers of Buddy Holly stuff will mean you end up playing mostly to old farts at rock'n'roll revivals.

The good news is that chasing the grey pound is where the money's at. Us old farts are quite happy coughing up 20 quid or so to go to a gig, whereas the yoof probably can't afford it or would rather spend it on bottles of WKD or whatever. Plus of course we like to be in bed early, so you can finish the gig by 10:00pm and do another of your own stuff down at the local pub afterwards.

On the downside, your audience will consist of 60 year-olds, so the groupies might not be up to much -unless you can persuade them to take their false teeth out, of course....

[The Lukas]

Gaspode said:

60 year-old groupies taking their false teeth out

Sounds good Our group are going to an open mic night next Tuesday (just to check it out may I add). We shall then rearrange a set for the week after and see what happens.