Tuesday, June 25, 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 seems appropriate to commence the discussion with some details of the original artist's life and work. Neil Diamond started life in 1941 New York, born into a Jewish family of Polish and Russian ancestry. He first recorded tracks in the first half of the 1960s, as a university student. Since those first recordings, he has gone on to establish himself as an internationally recognized performer with a vast CV, having shifted more than 100 million records and posted chart hits in every decade since his career started, both in the form of albums and individual songs.

Of course, this level of success makes him an obvious choice for cover artists. He has produced many internationally popular hits such as "Kentucky Woman" and "Sweet Caroline". Songs such as these are instantly recognizable and are therefore prime candidates for cover tracks by other artists.

There is a strong tradition of tribute acts to Neil Diamond in the music industry. Two of the top acts are Simply Diamond and Cherry Cherry. Bands such as these offer the sound and entertainment of the original artist to those who are unable to afford him or who are unable to arrange for his presence.

A successful tribute band needs to have a significant resemblance to the original act, both visually and musically, while retaining the ability to perform as a band on its own. Covering tracks is not as easy as it may seem. The reproduction of original material may sound easy, but such reproduction requires artistic skill and panache, just as the original work does.

At the same time, a tribute outfit is a musical entity, and so it needs to have the necessary musical capacity to perform the chosen work, which in turn translates into a need for talent and experience. Cover outfits are under extreme pressure because the audience already has the original artist to compare them to. This frame of reference means that top selling artists like the one under discussion are exceptionally hard to imitate.

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 Neil Diamond tribute band needs to consist of at least a talented main vocalist, a guitarist, a bass guitarist and a drummer. Most of the fun in a tribute band lies in the quality of the imitation, and a good imitation is sure to entertain the audience. Ultimately, there needs to be a comprehensiveness to the imitation that is both appealing and accomplished.




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