Good tribute bands are better than the artists IMO
 

I expect the original artists to sound like their records while playing live but I’ve been disappointed so many times. I don’t put the same expectations on tribute bands so I’m always pleasantly surprised when they sound like the real thing. That’s why I hate going to concerts. The only artist that impressed me live was Kenny G. Yeah, Kenny G was the bomb back in the day.

I’ve seen some videos of some good Journey tribute bands.
They are probably better than Journey would be today (Steve Perry is 70).
I showed this to my wife, she thought it was Journey and Steve Perry.

https://youtu.be/1IFRTi9mdGM

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Kind of freaky!

That's why you've got to see Gogar and his band. They sound as good as the tracks on their records...and then even better. So polished.

I went to see Mark Knopfler a couple years back, and it was a very similar experience.

I am tempted to agree.

Except for that AWFUL cover band I heard yesterday. They simply suck.

When going to a Dead concert the last thing you wanted was for them to sound like the album version.

Brit Floyd is amazing. Best "Great Gig in the Sky" ever.

Journey IS a tribute band now.

For the most part I'm with Charlie on this .... Live isn't supposed to sound exactly like a recorded track (the version that was selected out of many versions in some cases) in my world. Back in the day... 70s ... Springsteens' shows/songs were scripted note for note like his first few albums, but if you see one show on tour, the next night will be exactly the same.... even the dialog between songs. And his shows were epic... yet scripted. Gimme improvisational shows .... for the most psrt....

Within reason..... Dylan could be halfway through a hit song before you could even recognize what song it was.

Stevie Ray "never played it the same way once, much less twice" according to his bandmates :D.

Different strokes .... but if it is good, and rocks your world, then that's what matters :)

Rock on....

I went to a lot of live music events in HS, college and in San Diego...cover bands and the original artists.

Nothing prepared me, however, for the all Filipino cover bands in Subic Bay and Olongapo...just so freaking talented in all different genres of music depending on the bar, from Metal to Top 40 to C&W.

"Close your eyes and we'll there, it's everything they say, the end of a perfect day..."

I can't think of one tribute band that is / was better than the original. Live or on-air

These folks are pretty good. They are going to do a concert in December in Atlanta and I am going.
https://www.youtube.com/@FoxesandFossils/videos

Dave

Many of our rock idols were sorta tribute bands to blues guys..... Stones, Zep, Allman Brothers, Clapton ....

That's different imo.... I've never seen a "cover band", and I'm sure many of them can play it just like the record... Nuthin' wrong with that.... just not my thing.

Keef .... Keef! Yer playin' it all wrong mate - MJ :D

Cover band

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LOL .... Good stuff ... But if I don't know who they are covering .... It sounds original to me :D.

I enjoy a good cover.

The only 'original' artists I saw that were on their game were Joan Jett and Joe Cocker.... Yes, he was technically a cover but he nailed his hits in 2012 at PNC.

Speaking of cover's, I really like this one:

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And the Live from Daryl's house jams.

You guys have simply been going to see the wrong bands. I can think of plenty of bands that I saw while in junior high, high school, and college that were actually better live than they were on their records. Granted, most were not "pop" bands with strings of Top 40 hits, and were thereby not as commercially successful and well known.

I got really tired, however, of going to see the popular bands of the day and not even being able to recognize what they were playing. It didn't take long for me to discern, even by listening to their albums, who had the real talent and who was simply over-produced with multiple takes mixed to get the song to sound good on the album. I just started avoiding their concerts, and was afterwards rarely disappointed with who I chose to go see.

Interestingly, too, is that those bands never really did spawn these "cover bands". Maybe because, in part, their music was not as popular, but I think to the largest degree because of the level of talent required to play their stuff.

I don't really care too much about tribute bands.....but really enjoy a good guitar solo cover........and sometimes just add some of those to my playlists! :)

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<iframe width="656" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9w994Mii4Fg" title="Rosanna Outro Solo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

One current band that sounds as good live as recorded is Volbeat. Those guys are machines.

I have started to appreciate more the artistic expression that comes from a live show. When the band and audience are feeding off each other, you get magic that you generally cannot get in a studio recording.

I also think its unfair to compare a tribute band to an original. You may like the tribute band better, but they are imitating something because it is special or unique or iconic or because it resonates with them. Of course a current tribute band could “sound” better than a band that was in their prime 30 or 40 years ago.

They are playing locally in a few months. I’m trying to convince my wife to see them.