TRIBUTES
The story of Tribute Bands in Ireland
Is
it Bob? Is it Bono?
No, it's a Tribute band!
Every week-end around Ireland, some of the greatest rock n' roll legends both living and deceased, perform to wildly enthusiastic audiences.
Tribute bands have
been with us for a number of years, but instead of turning out to be a fad,
they've proved to have lasting appeal on the live circuit. There's no shortage
of original music out there in popland and what better tunes to sing along to
than the hits of ABBA, The Beatles, The Doors, The Eagles and U2? And for only
a tenner, too.
The tribute band phenomenon has become so popular in recent years that Irish
versions of well-known international acts have sprung up to meet the demand.
Perhaps it's the lure of easy money, or maybe it's the realisation that they
can out-perform the better-known tribute acts, but the Irish circuit is now
teeming with some rather good tributes.
Kevin Courtney, Irish Times.
TRIBUTES is an observational documentary about the characters involved in the Tribute Band scene here in Ireland. The evolution and increasing popularity of the Tribute scene here, parallels the growing commercialisation of the music Industry.
There are many colourful characters involved in the Tribute scene in Ireland. Actors, pretenders, both professional and non-professional musicians, all making a living borrowing the personas of the famous. This film is a colourful portrait of these characters, presenting a world caught between the glamorous character portrayed and the ordinary life of the actor. The irony is that Tribute musicians adopt the personas of better known pretenders, so the pretence is doubled for the Tribute artist.