Monday, June 24, 2013

The Ins And Outs Of A Neil Diamond Tribute Band

By Lila Barry


Neil Diamond is one of the most popular musicians of modern times. He has had a career spanning five decades during which time he has produced numerous hits. It is therefore interesting to look at the workings of a Neil Diamond tribute band.

It is perhaps best to start with some background information on the man himself. Neil Leslie Diamond was born in 1941 in New York. His ancestry is Jewish, both Polish and Russian. He secured his first recording contract during his final year at university and to date he has sold more than 100 million records. He has enjoyed a successful career beginning in the early 1960s and lasting until the present time.

It is only to be expected that an artist of this level of success is going to have many cover acts. Songs such as "Kentucky Woman" and "Solitary Man" are world famous. They are therefore easy options for outfits who specialize in covering (imitating) famous musicians.

The establishment of tribute acts to this famous artist is not a new phenomenon. There are several prominent tribute bands in operation, with appropriate names, such as Cherry Cherry, Super Diamond (Surreal Neil) and others. These outfits offer his sound to fans who are unable to attend the authentic shows of the real artist.

A cover band needs to resemble the original artist, both musically and visually, and at the same time be able to entertain the audience in its own right. Playing cover tracks is never easy. It may seem easy given that it involves the mere reproduction of already composed material, but there is an art to it that requires a great deal of practice and artistic inspiration.

Since a cover band is still a musical outfit, it needs to be a proper performance vehicle, and also needs to be musically able to reproduce the covered material. This in turn requires the necessary level of talent and skill. Cover acts are sometimes under more pressure to perform than the original artist because, in the case of such an act, the audience has a standard to compare the performance to. Iconic artists such as the one in question are therefore particularly hard acts to follow.

It also helps if the main performer in the tribute band has some resemblance to the artist being covered. This goes beyond mere physical attributes. Dress style, performance habits and even stage jokes are an integral part of this aspect of the band. Of course, it may seem easy to copy an already existent act, but on the other hand it takes class and skill to execute a credible imitation without boring the audience.

A typical Neil Diamond tribute band will need to include a strong vocalist who is able to imitate the star to a substantial degree, a guitarist, a drummer, and a bass player. Part of the fun in tribute bands is in the imitation. Even though it is known they are merely copying the original act, the level of skill in the copying only adds to the entertainment of watching your favorite star in replica.




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