Nurse the Hate: Zombie, Tribute and Cover Bands

 

I've been noticing a lot more tribute and "zombie bands" playing big shows recently.  A "zombie band", to those uninitiated with the term, is a heritage rock band that tours despite having no original members.  For example, if you went to see Foreigner at a shed this summer, you'd see band members Luis Maldonado, Kelly Hansen, Chris Frazier, Bruce Watson, Jeff Pilson and Paul Mirkovichon.  Now, I'm not a huge Foreigner fan or anything, but I remember seeing them as part of a classic rock package tour in 1995 or so called "Can't Stop Rocking" which featured REO Speedwagon, Foreigner and Peter Frampton.  I was working it for my radio station gig at the time, and all of us in the station referred to this tour among ourselves as the "Please Stop Rocking" tour, but that's of no further concern to the story.  I remember seeing Lou Gramm and Mick Jones at that show, and they were actually quite good.  Who I didn't see were any of the guys currently on the stage as "Foreigner".  So how do guys that didn't write or record any of the music that is "Foreigner" able to be on tour as "Foreigner"?  I don't know, but it costs between $50 and $160 depending on seats (with whatever insane fees get tacked on) to see a Foreigner cover band play at a shed near you.

Stu Cook and Doug Clifford went out for years as Creedence Clearwater Revisited.  While the CCR rhythm section and a guy pretending to be John Fogarty at least had a shred of legitimacy, I can't imagine getting too excited to hear any Creedence songs without a Fogarty involved.  John, always quick with litigation, finally made an injunction stick and put a stop to that.  However, various CCR tribute bands pull in crowds.  A simple search yields "Creedence Revived"who claim to be "one of the world's most sought after tribute bands",  "Green River: The Nation's #1 CCR tribute band", "Fortunate Son: AXS TV's World Greatest CCR Tribute", "Creedenced", "Ramble Tamble", "Creedence Revelation", "Bad Moon Rising" and "Rad Moon Rising".  

I think you make the move from the community band shell to the $50+ ticket price when the band has one member that can provide a direct link back to an original member.  I recently saw a listing of a band that was playing Music Box here in Cleveland.  When I saw them listed, I immediately thought "How is it possible that those guys are still playing?".  I admit falling into a deep internet rabbit hole.  What I discovered was the band had one member that had played with members that had created their one and only hit 50+ years ago.  Now, he didn't play on that record or even the poorly received records after that, but he at least had played live on a stage with the guy that had written/recorded "the hit".  The current lineup of the band was that drummer and three old dudes that had played in local cover bands all their lives.  Ticket price?  $45. 

Now you'd think I was talking about Herman's Hermits, but I'm not.  But I could be...  Herman's Hermits features drummer Barry Whitwam, who has been in the band since 1964.  He's got three other guys with him, one that joined in 2020 and two in 2023.  The last Herman's Hermits record was in 1968, and yet 56 years later people will go see the essentially anonymous drummer with three other guys pound out those songs.  In fact, in a few weeks, you can go see the original Herman's Hermits drummer and three other dudes play "Mrs. Browns You've Got A Lovely Daughter" at the Blackpool Grand Theatre for $38 (adjusted for currency exchange).  Peter Noone tours solo and occasionally sues Barry for when the promoters try to imply Peter Noone is in the band.  His ticket price at Terrytown Community Theater is $62-$92, so looks like he's got a better draw than Barry.  Please note that the venue Noone is playing has "Magical Mystery Doors- Beatles, Zeppelin, Doors Tribute" playing the next week, so it can be hard to keep it all straight.  They are getting paid more than Barry too, but that might be more about the relatively grim economy in Blackpool.   

I suppose if people want to see these bands (or what they think are these bands), then who cares?  If you see some stranger front Journey but you got to slam down 7 Miller Lite drafts and buy a $50 Journey t-shirt on the way out, then mission accomplished.  It's just sort of a drag to know that these shows are thriving when people writing new material have to struggle so hard to get their music heard.  Maybe I have to see if we can get an opening slot for "Invincible", the Pat Benatar Tribute band, get out in front of some people.  Of course, if we open that show, I'm ending the set with a Johnny Cash version of "Hell Is For Children".