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Bon Jovi is enjoying a meal of fish and chips. Axl Rose is embracing Tina Turner. David Bowie, who is bald and Scottish, is wandering around aimlessly, while something appears to be amiss with Erasure’s Andy Bell. His bandmate Vince Clarke is fully focused on his keyboard, singing out electropop as expected. However, despite his blonde wavy hair, tight patterned T-shirt, and slight club singer aura, Bell seems peculiar. “I actually like this song,” he comments during the performance of “Ship of Fools.”
On a Saturday evening at Tribfest, which boasts of being the largest festival for tribute bands in the world, located at Sledmere House in east Yorkshire, the singer for the Bell tribute band was substituted last minute by someone filling in for Dave Tyler. Tyler, who is typically the lead singer for the Erasure tribute band A Little Respect, recently suffered a stroke. It turns out that his replacement is not a fan of the band. The situation takes an unexpected turn when Tyler is brought out on stage during the performance, dressed in a red sequinned jacket, leather trousers, and sunglasses. He manages to sing a few songs, despite his recent stroke, before exiting the stage once again. His substitute is so eager to leave that they get into a heated argument with Alan Bicknell, who portrays Clarke, after Bicknell announces there are two songs left. The substitute declares, “I’ll only do one and then I’m done.”
Mandy Watson, a former primary school employee who now performs as Kate Bush in Cloudbusting, describes the tribute band scene as “bizarre.” Despite occasional oddities, tribute bands are thriving. As original artists age or retire and ticket prices become more expensive, these imitation acts are gaining popularity and selling out shows all over the country. Justine Riddoch, who has been portraying Tina Turner in Totally Tina since 2011, thought that ticket sales would suffer due to Covid, but in fact, they have been the highest they’ve ever been in the past two years.
Riddoch is talking as she searches through a large suitcase backstage, selecting her glittering outfits for changes. “There are approximately 16 dresses here,” she states. “We have them specially made and it’s quite expensive, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Aside from just mastering the music, a significant amount of dedication is required to perform as a tribute artist. Jack Walker, a 22-year-old employee at 02 Academy who goes by the stage name Jamie Cook in the band Arctic Numpties, spent £2,500 on the same guitar that Cook uses. Another tribute artist, Mike Pickering, who has been portraying U2 frontman Bono for two years in the band U2 2, estimates that he has spent at least £10,000 on his performances. Pickering’s costumes are from the same designer as Bono’s and he owns 10 pairs of sunglasses that can cost up to £300 each. Despite the expense, Pickering loves embodying his hero every night and feels that Bono is a part of him.
Pickering is being very accurate by saying he believes Bono is a part of him. He explains, “It’s hereditary.” He continues, “We were both born in the same hospital and I bear a strong resemblance to him, so my wife and I decided to do DNA tests. Through my family history, there seems to be a connection to the Rankin family, and Bono’s mother is Iris Rankin. Therefore, it’s possible that we are related.”
He describes the experience of portraying his potential distant relative as a profoundly spiritual one. He explains that in order to fully embody the person, he must imagine himself as that individual. The audience expects him to be Bono, and he strives to meet their expectations. After the performance, fans often approach him for photos and he has even mastered Bono’s signature and speaks in a Dublin accent.
Watson has a different perspective on Kate Bush. She states, “I do not try to be her. It would be too embarrassing. On stage, I am always myself, Mandy, and I share my musical journey. It is not a mockery. In her songs, Kate embodied characters, so if I do anything, I simply embody the character, never Kate herself – there is only one Kate Bush.”
Sometimes, there are instances of confusion. According to Watson, “One man traveled all the way from Japan,” she recalls. “I believe he mistook me for Kate Bush. He asked for my autograph, but seemed puzzled by my name, which I had written as ‘Best wishes, Mandy.’ To this day, I am unsure if he still believes I am Kate Bush.”
Watching the Arctic Numpties whip up the audience into such a crowd-surfing frenzy that one reveller loses a shoe, you can feel the hours spent studying their near-namesakes. Walker wears identical outfits to Cook, mimicking his unique stance and sway, while Ben Curry as Alex Turner is alarmingly accurate. “Even the new songs we try and get on top of as soon as possible,” says Walker. “We learn those from fan videos at concerts.” The band have even had to expand their lineup in order to keep up with the sonic evolution of Arctic Monkeys.
As the evening progresses, Morrissey and I are experiencing connectivity difficulties due to signal problems. The singer dramatically laments on stage that he is supposed to be interviewed by the Guardian, but they are unable to locate him. Eventually, I find him and we join Johnny Marr and Andy Rourke on a hay bale. In the background, the sound of the Human League can be heard from the main stage. Jason Alexander Ure, who portrays Marr in Frankly, the Smiths, works at a Morrisons warehouse and was deeply impacted by the band. He shares, “I used to be into rap music, but when I discovered the Smiths, my world was changed. It was because of Johnny Marr that I even wanted to play guitar.”
Similarly, Steven Stafford, who works as an art teacher during the day, relates to the singer on a personal level. He explains, “Morrissey fits me because I am introverted, awkward, and clumsy. I can’t imagine trying to imitate anyone else. It comes naturally to me, even though I am portraying someone else. I feel most like myself when I am portraying Morrissey.” On stage, Stafford gracefully twirls flowers and tosses £16-worth of bouquets from Aldi into the crowd while perfectly capturing the essence of the singer. However, he also acknowledges the delicate balance of not becoming a caricature.
Peter Stretton, known for his role as Bez in Happy Mondaze, has fully embraced the character of a freaky dancer. In fact, he has even written his own autobiography under the name Fake Bez, titled “From the Big House to Brighouse.” Despite spending time in prison like the real Bez, Stretton clarifies that his commitment to the character does not extend to drug use. He states, “I’ve never used drugs in my life.” He also adds that others have criticized him for not fully embodying the role by saying, “Well, you’re not a very good Bez, are you?”
Some artists see tribute acts as unnecessary competition, but others welcome the trend. Happy Mondaze has played alongside the real Bez multiple times, and Bono has expressed being “flattered” by the existence of U2 2. The authentic band has even donated clothes to their doppelgangers at the end of a tour. However, for some bands, the chance of meeting their idols is unlikely but thrilling. Curry says, “I wouldn’t mind if Alex Turner told me I was terrible, just to have the opportunity to speak with him.”
Watson’s interest lies primarily in the music that greatly impacted her as a 10-year-old watching Top of the Pops, rather than in the appeal of fame. She expresses that she does not have a strong desire to personally meet Kate, but if Kate were to attend one of her shows, she hopes that she would leave with the reassurance that her music, which she spent many years perfecting, is being honored and preserved by Watson. This would bring her contentment, and she would be satisfied knowing that she has done justice to Kate’s music.
The mentioned performances will take place throughout the year 2024. Please refer to social media for more information.
Source: theguardian.com
