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I hate Zeppelin tribute bands


CBR_1000RR

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I don't want to single out any particular band as I hate all of them. 

It might seem like a strong opinion, but it's really got more to do with how highly I think of Zeppelin. 

For example, I was listening to one well known tribute band's version of Black Dog before and then I was flipping back to the Led Zeppelin performance at MSG July 28, 1973. It doesn't matter how good their equipment is, and how closely/identically tuned things are, it sounds like an empty song. Everyone knows what I mean about that....Jimmy Page IMO is the only guitarist I ever felt like I could feel the emotion in the guitar work....well him and Hendrix. :P But Page's emotions I felt I could identify with more than Hendrix, and don't ask me to explain that....but he just could make the guitar sing in ways that didn't seem possible. Plant's voice could never be replicated, same with Bonham's drumming, and Jones is just impossible to duplicate. 

Given the choice between listening to one of those tribute bands in person or spending the evening with Zeppelin bootlegs and albums, the latter will win out 100% always. No offense to the tribute bands because it definitely is a tribute to the band, but they cannot ever produce the emotion the band had that I never felt with the Stones or The Beatles for that matter. I look at it that Zeppelin only could ever convey the true sense of these songs because of that emotional drive and kick. Why even try to play something you can't do real justice to? Black Dog in 1973 at the Garden was untouchable and just made the tribute band cover look like amateur hour. It's everything that made the band so great...the raw emotion, the musical work at hand, the timing, and the way they just feed off of the energy they all had collectively. 

Yes it's a trivial matter I suppose, but it's just been a pet peeve of mine for a long while. 

I'd sum it up as why would I want to watch someone try and paint their "cover" of the Sistine Chapel ceiling? I'd rather go to the Vatican and see the real thing created by Michelangelo. Zeppelin is the same thing. 

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I don't care how good any tribute band is, Lez Zeppelin included because it comes off as both lame and creepy IMO. I dislike ALL tribute bands and the only emotion which comes to mind is pity. The reason being is, for a group or person to have the talent to pull it off yet waste it on being a pale imitation of something else is quite pitiful. I remember the Beatlemania hit in the late 70's...what a disaster and what an embarrassment. The same goes for Zep. Seeing four or five people on stage pretending to be other people is sad. Of course I hold a special place of sorrow and pity in my heart for the tribute bands which go balls deep, that is they wear their hair and clothes in the same fashion, the singer doing his best Plant impersination, and the guitarist in the dragon suit jumping about. 

Correction: There is one tribute band I really like and that is mini-KISS. After all, if four midgets can glam up and play the songs better than the original KISS, god bless em. And they are likely a kinder set of guys than those pompous KISS jackasses. Nothing like mini-Paul Stanley working his Love Gun and putting the X in Sex. 

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10 hours ago, FL6 said:

When they start wering wigs and are overweight:angry:..,

Anyways just kinda bugs me when they take up all the gigs, then again if they sell well then what does that say?

People love their nostalgia, that's for sure, just not my bag. Lightning in a bottle is just that, eventually the power is gone. Kinda like running into a girlfriend from 20 years past. She may look and sound the same but the spark is usually gone and everything a wee bit awkward. Always makes me sad and long for the real thing.

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3 hours ago, IpMan said:

People love their nostalgia, that's for sure, just not my bag. Lightning in a bottle is just that, eventually the power is gone. Kinda like running into a girlfriend from 20 years past. She may look and sound the same but the spark is usually gone and everything a wee bit awkward. Always makes me sad and long for the real thing.

Absolutely. I think its totally cool to play covers, but to actually dress up and posture in mimicry is not interesting to me, especially musically. It's like bad theater, there is an air of pathos for the players. Playing Zeppelin tunes is so much fun, I love doing it ...but I would look totally ridiculous in a wig and moustache. 

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My reply to this is, I do not know. I have not seen any. I keep saying i would like to see Whole lotta Led. They are full-time and i have been told they are good. Of course they cannot be anywhere near as good as the real band. I do not know if they should try to look like the proper band members. i will come back to this one day hopefully.

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14 hours ago, craigled said:

My reply to this is, I do not know. I have not seen any. I keep saying i would like to see Whole lotta Led. They are full-time and i have been told they are good. Of course they cannot be anywhere near as good as the real band. I do not know if they should try to look like the proper band members. i will come back to this one day hopefully.

I have seen Whole Lotta Led. They do not dress up and are a good rock band. Fair play to them. The setting was outside in an old stately home. We picnicked on the lawn and had some good wine and some joints. It was a lovely summers day and they played Zepp 1V and some tunes from Presence. I quite enjoyed it

I have seen another one. I think they were called "The Led Zeppelin Story" They did dress up and were outstanding musically but hilarious visually.

Last summer at the village "Rose Queen" there was another LZ tribute band - we didn't go as the weather was shit.

If you want creepy though seek out "Mr Jimmy" on You tube. Now he is scary?

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I saw one Led Zeppelin tribute band in the late 90's... I believe the band is called No Quarter and they are based in Milwaukee. They were good but I could not get into the music. They took a little break/intermission so I bolted to my car and left listening to some of the 2nd show from Mannheim 1980 toking a a fat spliff which made me feel a whole lot better. 

One day, My Dad suggested we check this cool band he discovered on Facebook called Led Zeppelin 2... obviously another Zep tribute band that had no affect on me whatsoever. He plays a promo video for their upcoming appearance at Rosemont theater (how the fuck they can play a venue that big for a cover band is beyond me) and he is telling me how cool it would be to see these guys and they we should go together. I immediately flashed back to my experience to my one and only admission to a Zep tribute act and cringed at my split-second of reliving the whole thing. 

I never ever seen any tribute band since and while it may be fun to play Zep songs live in front of an audience, Zeppelin should charge some insane licensing fee to cover bands playing their songs so eventually the band could not afford to play them live ever again. 

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15 minutes ago, chillumpuffer said:

Yes that is a great version. If I ever wanted to be a groupie, then this would be it;)

Hot women (and great musicians to boot) playing my favorite music VERY well?  Who could possibly NOT enjoy it?

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I usually check out the cover bands when the come around. Some are really good players. A few are great.

I usually watch the audience and their reaction. It does my heart good to know I had the intuition to choose the greatest band over 40 years ago to be my favorite.

Watching the younger crowd mouth the words and really get into a good show is actually pretty awsome from my vantage point in life.

I think ZOSO is probably the best CB I've seen to capture the live feel with the musical talent to make it realistic.

Nothing is ever as good as the original but to dismiss the experience of almost being there, listening to good music is silly in my mind.

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Covers are one thing, that's cool with me. A cover band plays an interpretation of the material.  TRIBUTES are weird! They actually try to play the part, mimicking the look and gestures. Mr Jimmy is a good player , but he is indeed creepy. Often times these guys are twice the age our beloved heroes were at the time of their reign. That's bizarre to me, a 45 year old playing a 22 year old. ?

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I was asked to play drums in a Led Zeppelin tribute band years ago, I declined on the grounds that some things are sacred.

I went along to see them when they got a drummer eventually, I left after three songs & went home to watch DVD instead.

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"Get the Led Out" describe themselves as a tribute band.  But they don't dress up or even try to look like LZ.....they even tell the audience they are just a bunch of guys that LOVE Led Zeppelin's music and have worked to try to create it as accurately as possible.  They will have three guitarists on stage for some songs, just so they can get all the overdubs!  Incredible Tribute band! 

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On 3/11/2017 at 0:09 PM, CBR_1000RR said:

I'd sum it up as why would I want to watch someone try and paint their "cover" of the Sistine Chapel ceiling? I'd rather go to the Vatican and see the real thing created by Michelangelo. Zeppelin is the same thing. 

Of course the problem with that summation is one can go to see the Sistine Chapel, but one cannot go to see Led Zeppelin. Look, I'm not nor have I ever been that excited by or interested in Led Zeppelin tribute bands, but even so I can see they are serving supply to demand and appreciate the best among them. I challenge anyone to come away from a Jimmy Sakurai (Mr. Jimmy) gig and not be completely blown away the tribute performance he delivers.   

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You can take tribute/cover bands in three ways:

-- A hard core fan in which nothing can ever replace the original, and it is insulting to even try, and degrading to listen to.

-- A casual fan that just likes to hear the songs and doesn't care who plays them.

-- Musicians that like to see the songs performed live, just to see what the chords are and how parts of the song are played. It is kind of like a learning tutorial experience if you will never see the actual band play live.

An average person might get to see their favorite international band perform live maybe five times ever in their own lifetime. It can be a good substitute. You know it is not the real deal, and if you accept it as such, it is just a fun night out - if the band can play well. Trying to impersonate with the wigs etc is ridiculous though, just play the songs.

Where does the Jason Bonham LZ Experience fit in? It is just a cover band, one of many, in reality. A bit sad to be riding your father's coat-tails, but it also lets people see and hear the songs live when there is no way ever of seeing the original band again; which I think was the whole well-intentioned point of it.

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So, we won't be seeing  "The Australian Led Zeppelin Show," or something like that, anytime soon.

Wonder why something like this hasn't yet been done???

TAPFS has sold over 4 million tickets to shows in 35 countries since 1988. http://www.aussiefloyd.com/

I have seen YT videos of bands that have nailed Zeppelin songs with feeling and delivery, except, of course, the vocal parts, which, unfortunately, only Robert Plant can effectively do, imo. But, I'd like to hear someone who could, 'cause Robert's never jumping back on the Zeppelin train. He'll always be on the RP Train, doin' Zeppelin songs the "RP" way...

Zeppelin tribute bands are mainly for those that never got to see Zeppelin in person.

But for those that got see Zeppelin live, no tribute band existing would be worth my attention.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm sorry but tribute/cover bands ..its all good..I've lucky enough to see Zep twice..in 70 and 73  and I've seen a few  tribute/cover bands ....its all about the music..sit back a enjoy..not be a uptight purist.

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