While bands in Detroit
are generally battling against the woeful economy and unscrupulous promoters,
cover bands are still doing good business.
From the mega-production tribute acts to the bar room cover
bands, punters will always flock to hear something familiar when it’s done
well. With so many bands competing for just a few club slots, a certain level
of rivalry is perhaps inevitable.
When asked whether the Detroit
cover band scene is competitive, we get a mixed response. Scott Schroen of
Frank Zappa tribute band Ugly Radio Rebellion says, “I’m not too familiar with
the tribute band scene in Michigan but I am familiar with the music scene, and
to be blunt I would say that it pretty much sucks: Working with bar owners,
getting ripped off, not getting paid, etc. The fans are great. I love playing
in Detroit for
that reason. We always get a great turn out and a great response. But the lowest
paying gigs that we do in the States are in Detroit. But we still do them because that’s
our hometown. It’s getting worse because of the economy.”
But Eli Echevarria of Beatles' tribute The Backbeats gives a
different answer entirely. “I honestly don’t think there’s any rivalry,”
Echevarria says. “There’s almost a brotherhood. We’ll get together and have
lunch, and it’s almost like the heads of all the families in a mafia movie.
We’re not really competing, especially in Michigan in this economy. But when we do
play the same venues, we can compare notes, see what everybody’s doing.”
It’s probably fair to say that a Kiss cover band won’t be
battling for business against a Beatles’ tribute. But whether or not there’s
any genuine rivalry between bands, it does seem that Detroiters love to go out
and listen to songs that they’re familiar with, marveling at the left-handed
Paul McCartneys, the blood-spitting Gene Simmons and the wall-breaking Dave
Gilmours.
Familiarity breeds contempt? Apparently not, so here are
seven of the region’s best cover bands.
