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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 6, 2017 7:15:15 GMT
Theres a right load of old tut booked into the ATG venues in Manchester over the next few months including an absolute avalanche of those nasty "tribute" shows. Including
The Roy Orbison story
The Rod Stewart story (consecutive nights, probably the same bloke, different wig)
The Carpenters Story
The solid gold rock n roll show
The ELO Experience
One Night Of Queen
Sensational 60's Experience
Whitney Queen Of The Night (she'll be spinning in her grave)
Abba Mania
Magic of motown
Elvis World Tour
I know theatres have to maximise their occupancy so I don't blame them but god it's a depressing array of what look like pretty low rent productions. I'm sure there's more of these going round than ever before, somebody must be seeing them.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jul 6, 2017 7:30:29 GMT
Theres a right load of old tut booked into the ATG venues in Manchester over the next few months including an absolute avalanche of those nasty "tribute" shows. ....somebody must be seeing them. The material is familiar, safe and totally predictable. The audience will be encouraged to "MAKE SOME NOISE!" and they will respond with enthusiasm. Alcohol will be taken and ...a good time had by all. Why does it depress me so? As you say these are in Theatres, which can offer so much more (IMO of course). I’m happy that these kind of acts are bringing much needed cash to dying pubs but I’m sure there’s many who abhor their pub moving to this. In the end perhaps theatre is just a secular expression of the need to get together and act in concert. The type of entertainment changes with time and I’m just a crusty old fart. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 6, 2017 7:38:16 GMT
Well, looking at the map for Whitney theres barely a seat sold so there might not be a lot of noise!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 7:45:28 GMT
I don't know, if it gets people through the doors and I don't have to see it myself, then I don't really see the harm in these things. It's like reading - as long as people are *doing* it, then does it really matter what the cognoscenti think of the quality of the content? Theatre is for everyone, even *gasp* people who like dreadful cheap imitation shows.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 7:51:11 GMT
We get plenty of (to my ears) awful sounding tribute type concerts at St David's Hall here. Frankly as long as I don't have to see them they aren't hurting me and they keep the struggling venues afloat so crack on with your Roy Orbison tributes or whatnot.
To my mind it's like the big BCC/ITV/Nickleodeon tie in type kids shows- they aren't for me, even if I had kids I wouldn't want to be taking them to them. BUT they aren't impacting on my life negatively (except when Disney on Ice means you can't move in town for kids dressed as Elsa) so I just sort of think 'live and let theatre'
The exception being when I book for a thing, thinking it's perhaps another thing and end up in an awful show. But I guess that's on me for not being observant.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 7:55:46 GMT
"Live and let theatre" would be a GREAT motto, but I fear that some of our members (who have yet to find their way to this thread?) wouldn't want to adopt something so thoroughly against their raison d'être.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 7:57:15 GMT
"Live and let theatre" would be a GREAT motto, but I fear that some of our members (who have yet to find their way to this thread?) wouldn't want to adopt something so thoroughly against their raison d'être. True....
And on a similar note I've just waded into the International section and realised my Frozen example is a poor choice this morning *facepalm*
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Post by Tibidabo on Jul 6, 2017 8:06:00 GMT
I don't know, if it gets people through the doors and I don't have to see it myself, then I don't really see the harm in these things. I hadn't really thought of it like that but you have a valid point @baemax. However, to be avoided like the plague as far as I'm concerned. I've had a look around and will not be buying tickets for any of these: The Explosive Light Orchestra The Sounds of Simon G2 Definitive Genesis The Marley Experience Jive Talking Halfway to Paradise (Billy Fury) Life on Mars Son of a Preacher Man But hey! We get the real Derek Acorah, Sarah Millican and Peppa Pig........ kill me now.... |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 8:08:50 GMT
I've recently discovered a friend of a friend is embarking on a Bowie Tribute act career and my FB and twitter is currently spammed with Bad Bowie (not the name he's going for but it should be!!)
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Post by Mr Snow on Jul 6, 2017 8:14:40 GMT
It's like reading - as long as people are *doing* it, then does it really matter what the cognoscenti think of the quality of the content? I've never quite got this. If someone reads the same type of thing over an over, what are they getting from it that’s valuable? If their sole choice of reading is train timetables/knitting magazines/sci fi/crossword books/mills and boon/pornography/golf instruction manuals.... Is this really the same as reading widely i.e.? Does anyone think its supporting the printed word? Or starting readers on a path that will lead them to Shakespeare? I know it’s a dreadfully unfashionable view to hold, but I do believe certain things that happen in theatres have more value than others. WE may not agree which shows are better, but I’d be interested to hear the argument that Tribute shows are any different from adding sugar to food to make it palatable to people who don’t think about what they are consuming. Tribute shows lack nutrition and fibre. It’s fine when it’s an occasional night out, but if it’s your main diet? The OP was not complaining that they exist, it was that there were so many of them coming up in legitimate theatres. There, I’ve said it. Let the stoning begin. |
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Post by Tibidabo on Jul 6, 2017 8:19:21 GMT
^ Mr Snow are you turning into a herb? |
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Post by boybooshka on Jul 6, 2017 8:32:36 GMT
Live and Let Theatre needs to be on a t-Shirt immediately  I can be pretty snobbish about such shows, particularly when, with increasing frequency, they get booked in at the Venue I work at. "A Whitney Houston tribute act? Are you sure? You do know the Actual Liza Minnelli has been on that stage don't you?" That said, there is a market for them, and like any other type of show they vary tremendously in quality. We've had the Bootleg Beatles and Brit Floyd shows a few times each in the past and although I wouldn't buy a ticket, the quality can't be denied. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 8:35:32 GMT
I used to work in a bookshop. Some of you may be familiar with the Rainbow Magic series? Formulaic little volumes about two human girls helping fairies do... whatever it is fairies need help with, I guess. There are over 200 of them, churned out by the half dozen by a group of authors under the collective pseudonym Daisy Meadows. Parents would ABSOLUTELY DESPAIR over having to buy these books, but the kids loved them and would clamour for more. If a kid is allowed to read the books they want to read, then they'll enjoy reading. If a kid is told their books of choice are tosh and encouraged to read something the parent considers worthy, then the kid is more likely to consider reading a chore. I watched my regular customers graduate organically from Rainbow Magic to Narnia to His Dark Materials, all the while trying not to scream when people would ask for "something for my daughter who's a reluctant reader, she loves those fairy books but I want her to read *real* books".
The first key to getting anyone to do ANYTHING in a specific venue is getting them through the door. The Site We Don't Mention had an article recently about playwrights who first entered theatres for entirely prosaic reasons and ended up hanging around. Terry Crews's advice for people seeking workout motivation is to just GO to the gym, not even bothering with DOING anything at the gym at first, as it's the habit of GOING to the gym that is the important part.
If these tribute shows get people through the door, then that's the important thing. The theatre welcomes everyone, and it is more than possible to graduate from Thank Abba For The Music to Mamma Mia! to Hairspray to Caroline Or Change to Fences. And - here's where the sugar analogy falls down, sorry - even if a person doesn't graduate beyond the tribute acts, so what? They're not hurting anyone. They're not watching tribute shows for three meals a day so they're not even hurting themselves. People aren't *only* what they see in the theatre, or watch on TV, or read, or listen to. So... live and let theatre!
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Post by boybooshka on Jul 6, 2017 8:38:57 GMT
Stands up and applauds loudly!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 8:42:09 GMT
AND ANOTHER THING
What if people just REALLY like the music of these acts and can't see the real deal because they don't tour near them/are retired/dead. If it's a good act in the realm of 'lets me relive a band I just really love' then I don't have a problem with it, with y'know people having fun.
With the books thing it's boiling down to snobbery again really. I first set foot in a theatre because I wanted to see Gillian Anderson. I make no apologies for that. And that's just as 'low brow' a reason as 'I like Abba so saw Mama Mia' if we're being pedantic about it!!
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Post by crabtree on Jul 6, 2017 8:47:48 GMT
If you want to see a simple, brilliant, respectful and very musical tribute act, catch Bookends - the Simon and Garfunkel story. No attempt to look like them, but oh the sound really is superb.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 6, 2017 8:54:29 GMT
Damien Hirst, in response to the question "but is it really art?" replied "if it's in an art gallery it's art". I didn't agree with that and I don't agree that just because something is performed in a theatre, it's theatre. I also think that the notion that someone who goes to see The Solid Gold Rock n Roll Show is going to have an epiphany and start progressing to legit musical theatre, plays etc is a lovely idea but hugely improbable. In addition to the consecutive Orbison/Stewart shows in my list, five of the later ones are running on consecutive nights which means the Opera House is giving itself over to this stuff for a full week. It's sad that something with a bit more substance can't be found to fill the place for that, and let these acts slot in on the odd days when there's a gap, Sunday nights etc. Also I'm far from a theatre snob, because as you may have noted my taste is more populist than most on here (I drew the line at The Wedding Singer though  |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jul 6, 2017 8:56:56 GMT
AND ANOTHER THING What if people just REALLY like the music of these acts and can't see the real deal because they don't tour near them/are retired/dead. If it's a good act in the realm of 'lets me relive a band I just really love' then I don't have a problem with it, with y'know people having fun. Then go see your ELO experience at the Dog and Duck where it belongs. The drinks are cheaper and you can munch your crisps unencumbered by theatre etiquette.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 9:05:07 GMT
AND ANOTHER THING What if people just REALLY like the music of these acts and can't see the real deal because they don't tour near them/are retired/dead. If it's a good act in the realm of 'lets me relive a band I just really love' then I don't have a problem with it, with y'know people having fun. Then go see your ELO experience at the Dog and Duck where it belongs. The drinks are cheaper and you can munch your crisps unencumbered by theatre etiquette. I mean I don't disagree...but then what if I want a quiet drink in the Dog and Duck hmmm? |
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Post by anita on Jul 6, 2017 9:16:10 GMT
Not all tributes are rubbish. Emmanuele Angeletti is still touring in "Macca - the concert" & is amazing. He is joined on stage by several others from "Let it Be". Would recommend this to all Paul McCartney fans.
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Post by Mr Snow on Jul 6, 2017 9:20:43 GMT
I used to work in a bookshop. Some of you may be familiar with the Rainbow Magic series? Formulaic little volumes about two human girls helping fairies do... whatever it is fairies need help with, I guess. There are over 200 of them, churned out by the half dozen by a group of authors under the collective pseudonym Daisy Meadows. Parents would ABSOLUTELY DESPAIR over having to buy these books, but the kids loved them and would clamour for more. If a kid is allowed to read the books they want to read, then they'll enjoy reading. If a kid is told their books of choice are tosh and encouraged to read something the parent considers worthy, then the kid is more likely to consider reading a chore. I watched my regular customers graduate organically from Rainbow Magic to Narnia to His Dark Materials, all the while trying not to scream when people would ask for "something for my daughter who's a reluctant reader, she loves those fairy books but I want her to read *real* books". The first key to getting anyone to do ANYTHING in a specific venue is getting them through the door. The Site We Don't Mention had an article recently about playwrights who first entered theatres for entirely prosaic reasons and ended up hanging around. Terry Crews's advice for people seeking workout motivation is to just GO to the gym, not even bothering with DOING anything at the gym at first, as it's the habit of GOING to the gym that is the important part. If these tribute shows get people through the door, then that's the important thing. The theatre welcomes everyone, and it is more than possible to graduate from Thank Abba For The Music to Mamma Mia! to Hairspray to Caroline Or Change to Fences. And - here's where the sugar analogy falls down, sorry - even if a person doesn't graduate beyond the tribute acts, so what? They're not hurting anyone. They're not watching tribute shows for three meals a day so they're not even hurting themselves. People aren't *only* what they see in the theatre, or watch on TV, or read, or listen to. So... live and let theatre! Please let’s not involve the Children in this! Let’s talk this through like mature adults. I could make the argument that its better to take developing curious minds to a Pantomine than to a Justin Bieber tribute act, but that’s not the point. If the theatre is full of tribute acts, then there won’t be times to put on a Panto and that thought makes me sad. Re the thought that just need to experience where the theatre is falls down because these acts aren’t really offering live theatre at all. If they were spoofing the act, or interpreting the songs they would belong to the grand tradition. Being a human Juke Box only teaches us how good and hard to impersonate the originals are. And like the diet analogy, take sugar you’ll just crave another fix. Arguing that eating the lowest quality food (IMO of course) is a satisfactory way to get people involved with choosing a varied healthy diet, is a very strange argument. Any if you really think obese people and alcoholics are only affecting themselves...I suppose it comes down to how much you believe value, if any, Theatre adds to society. As I said its not a popular viewpoint today. But not all experiences are of equal value. PS MMM "Snobbery" - that’s done it. I won’t be liking any threads from Welsh posters this week! PPS I’ll tell Gillian Anderson you compared her appeal to that of a tribute act. I don’t think she’ll be pleased. Anyway note to self. I should be doing some work! |
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Post by infofreako on Jul 6, 2017 9:24:00 GMT
I thought this was going to be a post about the current state of Wicked...
The ATG venue in Brighton also gets these shows, its depressing but if it keeps said theatre from being dark I dont have a massive problem with it.
Last year my Aunt was very excited about what she believed was Fleetwood Mac in Eastbourne. It was only on the day of the show she twigged that it was a tribute show
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 9:33:21 GMT
Well Gillian does a mean Bowie in American Gods so she wouldn't mind And not liking Welsh posts is racist. This post, like most of my others should be taken with a hefty dose of sarcasm and a pinch of salt.... |
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Post by Tibidabo on Jul 6, 2017 10:14:46 GMT
Tribute shows lack nutrition and fibre. It’s fine when it’s an occasional night out, but if it’s your main diet? The OP was not complaining that they exist, it was that there were so many of them coming up in legitimate theatres. Well, I'm sort of coming round to the idea of 'so what?' If it gets people out and keeps local theatres open and, therefore, people in jobs it can't be so bad can it? And, whilst at the theatre, posters for an up and coming piece of 'real' theatre starring Him Out of Strictly or Her Out of That Band Wot Came Fifth in X-Crapster will be spotted and who knows who might be converted? (Not that I'm a massive fan of z-lebs doing 'real' theatre, but that's a whole other argument.) |
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Post by firefingers on Jul 6, 2017 11:03:10 GMT
Some of them are rather good. The Australian Pink Floyd Show has such a high reputation it can fill Hammersmith Apollo. More seats to sell means a better scale of show with set, lighting, video etc. And hey, today's tribute show audience might be tempted by a jukebox musical tomorrow, and then who know where they might end up.
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