Top 10 Fanatical Tribute Bands
What’s the story with tribute bands anyways? Often the musicians playing in tribute bands are amazing musicians in their own right so why are they devoting their energy to copying someone else? Is it the ultimate compliment, a cash grab, or just a lack of original material? Playing in a tribute band takes more dedication than just being in a cover band; in fact, many tribute band members seem to have made the leap from fan over to fanatical.
The really good tribute bands celebrate their love for a specific musical group together with their audiences. They are motivated by love, not just money. They also have that little extra something that sets them apart from the many other tribute acts out there. Here are my top ten tribute bands:
Guidelines I used:
- 100% tribute band (not too many other covers, no original songs)
- Active (if I didn’t see recent activity, I disqualified them)
- Tribute to a band, not a single performer
- Musicianship (must actually sing and play instruments)
- Can not contain any members of the original band
10. Fan Halen (Van Halen)
So that’s what David Lee Roth is doing now… Just kidding! He sure looks like David Lee Roth, if David Lee Roth had a time machine (I bet he is trying to find one so he can go back to the old days. Hopefully Axel Rose finds it first.)
9. Lez Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin)
(”All girls All Zeppelin” www.myspace.com/lezzeppelin) They made the list because they are working their butts off touring like crazy right now and because I listened to their stuff and it’s very good. But most importantly, their name is hee-har-hilarious!
8. Pink Fraud (Pink Floyd)
They focus on Pink Floyd circa 1968-1979. According to their website, the use ‘authentic period clothing and equipment, and [stay] true to the bands arrangements and touring line-ups’ to ‘create the suspension of belief for fans who were there at the time, and offer the original experience to new fans’. (www.pinkfraud.co.uk) They wouldn’t normally make my list just for looking and sounding exactly like Pink Floyd but I’m including them because they’ve been kicking it pink style for over twenty years and also their band name is both funny and painfully honest.
7. BC/DC (AC/DC)
This band hailing from British Columbia (B.C.) Canada insists they are not a tribute band but the real thing and that AC/DC is actually a tribute band of BC/DC’s. Those wacky kids! Also, going by the photo below, the guitar player wears a cow costume on stage. Weird. (www.bcdc.ca)
6. Gabba (ABBA/The Ramones)
They play Abba songs in the style of the Ramones. Or is it the other way around? Hard to tell from their song names: “Surfing Queen”, “The Pinhead Takes it All”, “Hej Ho Disco”. (www.gabba.co.uk)
5. Mini Kiss (Kiss)
At first I wasn’t going to include this one because their wikipedia article said they didn’t play their own instruments but after watching a few videos I’m pretty sure that they are playing them. There is also apparently a rivalry between this band and another Kiss tribute band featuring little people, which makes them even more interesting. (www.minikissonline.com)
4. The West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys)
Two Swedish women covering Pet Shop Boys songs. Very euro-pop, funny, yet catchy (hmmmm, kind of like the band they are emulating?). www.westendgirls.se
3. Beatallica (Beatles/Metallica)
Songs such as “Hey Dude” and “…And Justice for all my loving” how could these guys not be on the list? Just look at them! (www.beatallica.org)
2. The Bootleg Beatles (The Beatles)
In 1982 the Bootleg Beatles became “the first western rock group to ever tour the USSR” (www.bootlegbeatles.com). There are a lot of Beatles tribute bands out there that go to a lot of trouble to look and sound just like the originals; however this is the only one that also made rock’n'roll history! And, in true crazy tribute style, the Bootleg Beatles arrived for their US tour from London exactly 20 years after their favorite group - on Pan Am flight 01A on February 7, 1984. Coincidence? I doubt it.
1. Bjorn Again (Abba)
Began as a tribute band in 1988 and is now, from what I understand, somewhat of a franchise with several versions performing all over the world simultaneously. According to their website www.bjornagain.com, their band is “not labeled a “tribute” or a “copy” but seen as a band in it’s own right”. Well, I’m going to go ahead and still call them a tribute since they perform Abba songs, dress like Abba and have names based on the original Abba members (Björn Volvo-us, Benny Anderwear, Frida Longstokin and Agnetha Falstart). They have earned the number one spot on this list for several reasons: their longevity (20 years and counting!), their arrival at Heathrow Airport dressed in full costume for their UK tour, one of their songs made the UK Charts, and the fact that band Nirvana had them added to the line up for the Reading Festival. Oh, and they have toured with the real versions of Cher and Shania Twain.
Honorable mentions (did not meet criteria)
Hayseed Dixie - ACDC tribute to ACDC songs with a country spin. They also have a lot of their own original material so not qualified.
Iron Maidens - All female tribute to Iron Maiden. Has not played a show since 2007 so disqualified.
Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine - www.richardcheese.com He does a variety of rock covers (not just Rage Against the Machine) but all in a cheesy lounge style. Awesome.)
No Way Sis (Oasis) - Hit UK charts with cover of “I’d like to teach the world to sing” in Oasis style. Signed a 5 album deal with EMI but could not find evidence they still exist.
Apocalyptica and Dread Zeppelin
Sources: Wikipedia and websites included in list, as well as: www.tribute-band.com, www.canadiantributebands.com
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19 Responses to “Top 10 Fanatical Tribute Bands”
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Okay, I’m a huuuuge Journey fan so I couldn’t let this tribute bands list pass by without a nod to this excellent Journey tribute band. This guy is a dead ringer for Steve Perry in both voice and appearance.
The group I follow is called The Musical Box. They don’t just cover the Peter Gabriel era Genesis, they completely re-enact the concerts given by Genesis, right down to the stage backdrop, the costumes used, and even the jokes and monologue used by Peter Gabriel between songs. They have actually been sanctioned by Genesis and all the members of the original Genesis have joined them on stage or watched them on their European tours and have said they do that era of Genesis better than Genesis did.
They are currently touring Europe re-enacting the Trick of the Tail tour as seen from their URL at:
http://www.themusicalbox.net/
Tanya, I would love to see an all-girls Pixies tribute band. That would so rock! I saw the Pixies open for U2 many years ago.
This is an incredible list. I love Beatallica and Lez Zeppelin, but the rest I had never heard of before today.
Unfortunately my absolute two favorite tribute bands (both Metallica) couldn’t make your list. So I’m sad panda.
Harptallica (website’s now gone)
and my favorite Apocalyptica (done original music & other covers since their Metallica only early days)
“They have actually been sanctioned by Genesis and all the members of the original Genesis have joined them on stage or watched them on their European tours and have said they do that era of Genesis better than Genesis did.”
LMAO.
Apocalyptica should be on my honorable mentions - the drummer in my band told me about them and then I forgot…
Thanks, Tanya! See you on the road, touring for the next record….
jaymz/beatallica
I SAW MINIKISS AND THEY DO PLAY THERE OWN INSTRUMENTS AND I HAVE TO SAY I COULD’NT STOP TO GET A DRINK THEY HAD THE PEOPLE GOING CRAZY THE WHOLE WAY THEY PUT ON AN AWESOME STAGE SHOW….NON-STOP FUN…..BIG FAN
MINIKISS ROCKS
Don’t forget Mike Rhyner’s Petty Theft featuring Mike Rhyner…
I don’t get it … The pet shop boys? Do they actually warrant a tribute band? I can only recall one hit song from the eighties and it sucked… there are so many more better bands to pay tribute too… you failed to mention an ozzy tribute… and abba? maybe they are good but who under 40 actually wants to see them…
here’s my bid… A Motley Crue tribute
Sara - if you want to give me the name of a specific Motley Crue band that meets the guidelines the list is following, I’ll check them out…
O.K. it’s not a “pure” tribute band, but Dread Zeppelin has to get an honorable mention for having an Elvis impersonator doing reggae styled remakes of Led Zeppelin songs. Don’t they?
I’m with you on that one, Brian - Dread Zeppelin should be on there: like the rest of the bands on the honorable mentions list, they don’t meet the guidelines but they are damn funny. They also deserve recognition for their staying power, they’ve been around for a long time! I’ll put a request in with the site to have them and Apocalyptica added. I’m standing firm on the Pet Shop Boys tribute, though- pop bands can be influential, too.
You guys forgot about THE WHO! Check these guys out, they’re called Bargain The Who Tribute band.
http://www.whotribute.com
The guy sounds exactly like Daltrey and their laser show is unbelievable. Best who tribute band I’ve ever seen!
The Original Achtung Baby were formed in 1993 by Luke Pepper and Dean Bush. The band were the second U2 tribute ever formed and quickly went on to over shadow The Dopplegangers, playing hundreds of sell-out shows all over the world. The original members were, Luke Pepper, Dean Bush, Steve Kean and Gary Kean. After the band were established, the band hired Wayne Taylor and made their way through massive European tours, culminating in a performance at Feyenoord Stadium, along side U2 on the ‘Pop’ tour. The band were even led into U2’s changing room by mistake!
In 1998, the seond singer was asked back and the band went onto play shows all over Britain, Ireland and even the middle east. At the start of 2000, the band had split and ’son of’ Achtung Baby were formed, although never attaining the earlier success of the original band.
After eight years, the original band are back, complete with the world’s finest Bono ’soun-a-like’ - B.B.Mitchell and they are ready to take back their position of finest and nearest thing to ‘official U2 tribute’ ever.
Don’t accept pale imitators - The original Achtung Baby are the originals!
B.B.Mitchell - vocals, harmonica, guitar
Luke Pepper - guitars, keyboards, vocals, programming
Steve Kean - Bass, Taurus Moog pedals
Dean Bush - Drums, backing vocals
Hey, Who Fan- I checked out their website and they do look pretty cool. They meet all of my guidelines for the list, too, but they’re missing that extra something necessary to bump anyone off my list of top ten. If their name was funny I might consider it…
I am a Who fan as well, actually a pretty gigantic John Entwistle fan, so I’m glad to know about them, thank you for spreading the word!
What about Dread Zeppelin? They do raggae versions of Led Zeppelin songs, only their lead singer is an Elvis impersonator. Think about it. They sound great! They have at least 2 CD’s out.
Dread Zeppelin is in the ‘Honorable Mentions’ list at the end of the article - they aren’t eligible for the top ten list because they don’t meet the guidelines.
I have seen Kiss Army and they were so much like the real deal, it was scary. I have seen Dread Zepplin also.
Iron Horse does kickass bluegrass covers of Metallica and Ozzy. One word: awesome.