Something old something old
22/09/23 09:09
Its back to the future with Relics and Tributes in the world of music at the moment. The recent wave of nostalgia has washed up a flurry of re-released ‘mature’ albums that first saw light off day in the 60’s – 70’s and created a market for tribute bands re=enacting the songs, the sound and the look of famous bands that no longer exist.
There is clearly an audience for this and for many talented musicians it is proving a lucrative business at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to earn a living and pay the rent.
The Tribute show is a mix of karaoke sing-along, often incredible perfect covers of hit songs or complete note for note performances of iconic albums. Audiences buy tickets, turn out for these shows and enjoy being immersed in music they know and to get a hit of nostalgia.
There is no disputing the current popularity of Tribute shows and it is a great way for talented musicians to ply their trade and get paid for performing at a time when it is hard to create momentum or earn playing original material.
The Tribute effect is a relatively recent trend that perhaps reflects the mood of a post-covid lockdown world. That was a tough time. Having reminders of a past that seemed easier to understand is a good place to go for an evening out and to soak in sung memories.
I must admit the satirist in me has thought of doing a tribute show to myself to see if that catches on – the old songs performed as if I had gone the great gig in the sky - nostalgia for something that is not old yet.
Would that make me a Relic? As a guitar player I see with some amusement that there is a market for expensive new guitars that have been bashed around a bit, given chips and scratches to make them look old with history of life on the road. That strikes me has daft. They do not drop Steinway pianos of the back of trucks to create the patina of age.
I have a very good acoustic guitar that is no longer pristine, courtesy of a cat that mistook it for a scratching post and dragged its claws down the front. The guitar is fine. The deep scratches remain embedded in the wood but it still sounds amazing. Maybe I could now sell it as Relic for twice its value?
The Tribute show is a mix of karaoke sing-along, often incredible perfect covers of hit songs or complete note for note performances of iconic albums. Audiences buy tickets, turn out for these shows and enjoy being immersed in music they know and to get a hit of nostalgia.
There is no disputing the current popularity of Tribute shows and it is a great way for talented musicians to ply their trade and get paid for performing at a time when it is hard to create momentum or earn playing original material.
The Tribute effect is a relatively recent trend that perhaps reflects the mood of a post-covid lockdown world. That was a tough time. Having reminders of a past that seemed easier to understand is a good place to go for an evening out and to soak in sung memories.
I must admit the satirist in me has thought of doing a tribute show to myself to see if that catches on – the old songs performed as if I had gone the great gig in the sky - nostalgia for something that is not old yet.
Would that make me a Relic? As a guitar player I see with some amusement that there is a market for expensive new guitars that have been bashed around a bit, given chips and scratches to make them look old with history of life on the road. That strikes me has daft. They do not drop Steinway pianos of the back of trucks to create the patina of age.
I have a very good acoustic guitar that is no longer pristine, courtesy of a cat that mistook it for a scratching post and dragged its claws down the front. The guitar is fine. The deep scratches remain embedded in the wood but it still sounds amazing. Maybe I could now sell it as Relic for twice its value?