Come and feel the noise of great tribute acts
AT the Civic we try to put on a wide variety of shows and activities for everyone and some of these shows are tribute acts to well known names.
There’s always a lot of discussion about tribute acts and whether it’s worth going to see them or not.
Some people will only ever want to see the ‘real thing’ and can get quite snobby about it, but other people just enjoy experiencing their favourite music by their favourite band for a fraction of the cost.
A good tribute act is usually formed by someone who is a huge fan of the original artiste so the chances are they are incredibly happy to be performing and playing those songs and really want to do them justice.
We’ve got a couple of amazing tribute shows coming up.
We’ve got Rocketman on Friday, March 25.
We’ve had this guy on before and we know he’s amazing. He takes you through the many ages of Elton John so it’s like have the young energetic Elton back on stage.
It’s almost sold out but if you like the music of Elton John it’s well worth the £18.
Another one coming up soon is Bootleg Blondie on Saturday, April 16.
Again, for the very reasonable price of £16 you can hear all your favourite Blondie hits performed by a stunning lookalike and soundalike.
Both Rocketman and Bootleg Blondie have played in front of the originals and have their endorsements.
Then there is discussion about what actually constitutes a tribute band or what can be called the ‘real thing’.
Quite often some of the older bands have some original members but over the years have accumulated new members. Sometimes though, there is a point where there are none of the original members are left and have all been replaced over the years.
This is the case with one band that we’ve got booked for later in the year, Dr Feelgood on September 1.
However, some of the current band members have been with the band for 40 years and so it’s fair to say that it is not a tribute act, but a direct descendent from the original line up as the current band members played alongside them.
Another type of show is where the bands play many well known songs by many different artistes.
These aren’t trying to look like the originals but they do try to evoke an era. For example Disco Inferno on Friday 8th April. This is a 70s style disco band playing all the great disco hits from that era.
These shows usually have lots of costume changes and concentrate on creating a great atmosphere. This particular show is one where we’ll expect people up and on the dance floor to enjoy the night fully.
Another one is the Counterfeit 70s on Saturday 18th June. As you can imagine by the name they’re also 70s-based but playing more of the pop and rock classics from that era.
I think the one thing to remember when you’re booking is whether you’ll get value for money and a great night out. So, if you like the music of a particular artiste or era, don’t sit in a quiet room listening to an LP, come along and see like minded people and enjoy the atmosphere of a live gig together. It’s usually very enjoyable - you can dance, have a few relaxing drinks and listen to music you love. Sounds good to me!