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Dear John

Who should I be a tribute to?

Question:
I've been looking into doing a tribute act to make some cash until I get my own music career established. Is this a good idea - and who should I be?

Answer:
One of the most useful skills one needs to develop in any industry these days is adaptability, and this is no less true of the entertainment industry than it is of any other. I certainly know of 'cutting-edge independent artists' who may spend their nights in the studio concocting next year's hottest white labels - but the money for said studio time comes from spending their weekends on the cabaret circuit, decked out in the outfits of the big names of yesteryear. Some of the musicianship on display in the best tribute bands is easily the equal of the originals.

Having said that, it's equally true to say that there's a fairly obvious distinction between those who do it properly, and those whose attempts to milk someone else's success are less tribute acts, and more insults to the name of the person they are supposedly trying to emulate.

Here are two top quality tribute acts to make sure you're clear on what exactly it takes to do whoever you do properly.

What the experts say:

Kimberley Dayle

Like Kylie, and Britney Spears before her, Christina Aguilera is well represented on the tribute circuit - and, like the aforementioned performers, there is a great diversity in the quality of these tributes. It is perhaps the best indication of Kimberley's level of commitment that, having been a successful Britney tribute, she has now developed her Christina-based act to a level where even those who are not natural fans of the original, acknowledge the high quality of presentation and vocals, resulting in invitations to perform increasingly larger scale venues, both at home and abroad.

"Whether you do it as your full-time act, or as a means to develop your own career in the future, doing a tribute act properly is by no means an easy route to success. I've worked hard to develop my Christina act to the point where I can comfortably handle big corporate stages, as well as smaller venues. It has taken a lot of hard work to do so, and a lot of investment too, because I also work with a team of dancers.

"As well as studying the original artist's videos in minute detail, we rehearse weekly - or more when we have a big gig coming up.

"Because I have chosen to be Christina, though, this dedictation isn't just about delivering the best quality act I can, it's also because Christina herself is a stadium act, and part of duplicating that aspect of what she does is recreating that 'stadium' quality as much as I can. This wouldn't be such an issue if she was primarly a cabaret-style Vegas act, no matter how famous - and what a lot of people miss when they try to do Christina, is take away the glamour and full on presentation style, and you still have to reproduce an incredibly powerful voice.

"My own voice has a four octave range so I enjoy the challenge of stretching myself, but I would advise anyone embarking on the tribute route to think carefully about the artist they are choosing. It needs to be someone whose songs are in your own vocal range and the scale of whose shows is something you can comfortably reproduce within the market you are aiming to reach. Success in this area comes from being as close to the original as you can, not from being a cut price version of the original."

Scott Dee

While it is not unusual to find a Tom Jones tribute as a staple on cruises and corporate stages, Scott's Engelbert Humperdinck tribute may be operating in a slightly less crowded market, but the growing success of the act is due in no small part to Scott's determination to make his the best Engelbert in the business.

"I didn't so much choose to be Engelbert, it was more Engelbert that 'chose' me. I had been doing my regular act of songs from the fifties and sixties for more than 15 years and one of the songs that always got a good reaction was Release Me. I used to get quite a few requests from audience members for more Engelbert songs, and when I started to take a serious look at his back catalogue, I realised there was a real treasure trove of great material he has done over the years, a lot of which doesn't get the airing it should.

"By coincidence, I discovered that Engelbert and I are basically the same height and build, and we both have green eyes. When I put the wig on, there is even a strong facial similarity, but I didn't stop there. I have invested a lot of money in very expensive stage outfits, and a lot of time learning, not just the hits, but more than 22 songs which can be presented as a full 80-minute show, or broken up in a variety of ways to suit the requirements of each individual audience.

"I suppose the acid test for any tribute is performing to fans of the original, so when Beryl Garlick, head of one of the biggest Engelbert fan clubs in the UK, said she and her members enjoyed my show, I knew the hard work we put in was starting to pay off."

John sums up

Having seen both Kimberley and Scott as themselves, preparing for their performances, and as their alter-egos, I can vouch for both the commitment they display to what they are doing, and the quality of the finished product that results.

What is common to both approaches, even though they perform as two very different artists, is that developing an act of quality, be that as yourself or a musical icon, involves investment of time and of money.

It is also an ongoing process. What this means for you, whether you are being a tribute as your main act or as a vehicle to support some other activity, is that, yes, you need to consider vocal range, resources and market when deciding who to choose, but, as with any career decision, you can only make the best choice at any given time with the information you have available. What is far more important in the long run is being prepared to commit to your choice and put in the effort and perseverance needed to follow it through to the very best of your ability.

* Kimberley Dayle and Scott Dee are both bookable via the Showcall website at www.showcall.co.uk

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

Also see:

Dear John: How do I become a lookalike or tribute act?

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