BILL POSTERS

[quote name='spinynorman' timestamp='1347121842' post='1797207'] Is that Swordfish? Most of the small shops in the centre seem to have gone. Reddingtons is only online, and has the worst website you can imagine. [url="http://www.reddingtonsrarerecords.co.uk/"]http://www.reddingto...erecords.co.uk/[/url] [/quote] Had a quick look on Google Earth, yep its called Swordfish. Assuming its still there of course.

Nearly forgot. Theres also City Music. in the railway arches near the junction of Livery St and Gt Charles St. not huge, but worth a look. Also +10 for The Diskery, especially if your a jazzer, bit of a Birmingham institution that, been around forever and a really nice guy. Theres a good little second hand Vynil shop in Temple St as well. Cant remember what its called, but just down the hill from Maplins.

I dont get back there much, nearest I think is Fairdeal, on Smallbrook Queensway, more or less opposite the entrance to New St Station. PMT is within walking distance, 10 minutes walk. Junction of Lawley St and Curzon St.

[quote name='Count Bassy' timestamp='1346955142' post='1795349'] Does Elvis actually write anything? [/quote] Not recently. Spends his time DE-composing these days I expect.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1346949457' post='1795266'] ... and this is Lieber and Stoller writing a cover for Elvis: [/quote] I dont see a pen anywhere. They could be reading the daily mail - or maybe the U.S Male... And what about a number written by someone who never records it, and different artistes release it in different territories at roughly the same time. Who is covering, and who is the original artiste. Cilla Black/Dionne Warwicks Anyone who had a heart for example. Big hits at more or less the same time. Although some pedants will say warwicks was out a month or so before blacks i expect But you get the point..

Just a thought. But what about 'Standards' that were made famous by more than one artiste, none of whom wrote it. As were a lot of early rock n roll & 60s pop songs. If you play Leiber and Stoller numbers, for example, which were not recorded by the composer and have been done by countless others. is that still playing covers ? If it does, then does it follow that the The Coasters for example, were a covers band ?

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1346946630' post='1795204'] We just play Motown songs and our singers are white anyway, no pretence. [/quote] Aaaw c'mon, there are limits. They should at least [b][i]try[/i][/b] and look the part. A bit of time with the makeup could work wonders..

Theres loads of bands covering covers of covers, that dont mention who its by, if its old, or a bit obscure punters dont know when its a cover, or maybe a few recognise the odd one. But mostly, unless the rest of the set is the same old stuff like Mustng Sal, or Honky Tonk Women, punters will assume you wrote it. Up to you to put em right of course. How many punters think Jagger/Richard wrote Route 66, or Lynott wrote Whiskey in the Jar ? And how many actually really care ? theyre just there to have a good time.

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1346857432' post='1794106'] [pedant alert] The Beatles first album had fourteen tracks of which eight were credited McCartney-Lennon (not Lennon-McCartney). [/pedant alert] [/quote] Oh, you mean THAT first album... OK, I stand corrected. Aaah, but the Stones first abum....

[quote name='JellyKnees' timestamp='1346854329' post='1794069'] Oh no it wouldn't... Who would the tribute bands impersonate then? Each other??? [/quote] Like Bjorn Again again ? Sounds like Tellytubbies.

Am I the only one whos noticed that impersonator usually gets applied to elvis, otherwise its just a xxxx tribute. I wonder why that is. To me a tribute band plays the stuff, while a tribute act dresses up and parodies. Pesonally, I'd feel a prat dressing up as somebody else to play pubs, maybe I'd feel different on a big enough stage or in a theatre. Then it would be more like acting, or in my case, panto.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1346844372' post='1793879'] Very true.Fortunately they didn't concentrate on being in those bands just so they could play and get paid.. [/quote] So they all knew they were doing it to learn their craft, thinking of their future and all had a plan ? Doubt it, they were young, most were just having a good time and hoping for the best. It was much better than working in a factory, there were loads of bands, and loads of gigs, back then you could make a living out of club gigs. Not a Beatles fan myself, but remember their first album was all covers from their set, and they never expected success to last more than a year or two.

[quote name='Dr.Dave' timestamp='1346837680' post='1793766'] Besides - something I'd impress on young bands in particular - Playing other people's music is a good way to see if your skills are developing enough to be able to recreate your original ideas with a degree of competence. You can't bend or push the rules unless you know them first. [/quote] Good advice that, Things change, kids dont always realise that most of these big names with all their 'artistic integrity' will have started out playing covers in workie clubs, and before those days, in dance halls.. They didnt just wake up one day and start to write great stuff. Gone are the days of dance halls and workie gigs, 3 gigs a night etc. Todays covers bands and trib bands are just whats replaced it thats all.

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1346829523' post='1793632'] I'm guessing here but there's probably very few members of a tribute or covers bands that didn't start of with the dream of making it big by writing there own material, after years of playing to 1 man and his dog in some flea bitten hell hole they realise they've missed the being in the right place at the right time boat, so because we all love playing live music to an apreciative audience we start playing the songs of their hero's. As far as I'm concerned there's still no better buzz than leaving the stage with the cries of more ringing in my ears, yes, some might accuse us of selling out but it's a lot of fun. [/quote] Yep, your right.

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1346785093' post='1793266'] We are endorsed by Donald Fagen's nan. [/quote] I got 3 endorsments off Droitwich magistrates once.

[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1346783123' post='1793223'] What if I want to see my granny who died in 1995? Hire an impersonater? [/quote] I'll do it for a grand.

[quote name='gareth' timestamp='1346781676' post='1793185'] So if you want to see/hear thin lizzy - how you gonna do it bearing in mind that phil is no longer with us??? You go and see limehouse lizzy - so good that they are endorsed by phil's mum [/quote] Or Dizzy Lizzy. Endorsed by Phils mum [i]and[/i] Eric Bell apparently.

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1346761959' post='1792758'] So here's a question - if there's only one or two of the original members left, is it still the original band or a tribute act? (Especially if the gig is primarily made up of their old 'classics' & little/no new material) [/quote] You mean like The Feelgoods, No original members left, although Phil Mitchels been with em years and years. I have heard them described as 'Just a tribute act now' Which is cobblers isnt it ? Theyre still a good band. Wilko is still playing stuff from the feelgoods heyday, so is he a tribute act ? Of course not. Lets go one further, A large proportion of the well known Feelgoods numbers were actually covers of R&B standards. So were they a covers band, or a tribute act, or just a bloody good R&B band. ? So what would that make a feelgoods tribute band playing early feelgoods stuff if not just an R&B outfit. ? Now if that band was called, (say) The doctorfeelzgoods they would be a tribute act, but if were called something completely differen, but they played the same set of R&B standards, what would they be ? and does it really matter as long as they are entertaining people ?

Theres a few lousy quality youtube vids with me on them that I hate, just have to put up with them. and as has been said, take the opportunity you wouldnt otherwise have had to put right what you dont like seeing. I bet its not as bad as it seems to you anyway.

Pretty well every post on this thread has been in support of you, all saying image isn’t important.. Trying to be the voice of reason here, and I have no idea how good a Bass Player you are, nor how good the band is, or whether its poppie commercial stuff stuff or heavy metal. Image wont affect the music, but depending on what your target market is, it might well affect record sales. Therefore it does matter. No on ever became a houshold name in the music business without sales The rest of the band were, at least to the best of their knowledge, being honest. And it looks to me, like they were trying to leave you room to save face by claiming to others that you left to focus on other projects. Its hard, but don’t let it get you down. And whatever you do, don’t stop playing. Lick your wounds for a bit then press on.

i think theres a distinction between singing along to records, miming, backing tapes/kareoke. which might be entertaining, but I wouldnt bother to watch. Also between Tribute bands, who will maybe play a set consisting entirely of numbers by a particular band, and a tribute act, that dresses up, which I find a bit weird to be honest.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1346604627' post='1791101'] Then maybe you should consider giving them something worth coming inside and looking at? Otherwise you might as well just stick on an iPod. [/quote] Or play outside. Pubs are closing down fast. Some parts of Brum there not a pub you'd want to go in for miles. When you do get there you cant smoke, cant drive there, theres hardly anybody else there, and its too expensive. On the other hand, you can get beer in cans for under a pound a pint from a corner shop. Over the last few years, every corner shop sells beer cheap, all day long, Almost every customer who buys a paper or a packet of fags also buys a few cans, regardless of the time of day. Wonder if theyre just too pissed to go out by the time the pubs open. .

Its all entertainment isnt it ? If you want perfection, then I guess rock n roll aint your thing. Mate of mine made a reasonable living for years playing accordian in a German oompah band, sometimes playing sets of stiuff like Knees up Mother Brown, he even dressed up in lederhosen and a little hat wth a feather in it. a good laugh, and it went down well. But you wouldnt go home and play the records would you ?

vistaprint do em.

Did a door money gig once at what used to be a large and popular pub gig. There was a fairly big stage, a really nice hired PA with an engineer, door security etc. What we didnt know at the time was the promoter had quit a few weeks before. The gig which was booked months and months before hadnt been advertised [i]at all. [/i]Not even a poster in the pub, even though we had supplied them a month before the gig. There were two punters in, neither of who had paid as they were mated of the landlord. Didnt even bring a dog Most of the regulars thought they had stopped putting bands on. Just have to be philosophical about it and treat it as a rehearsal. Shyt happens.