6/25/2013

What Goes Into 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.

Obviously, the magnitude of his success has attracted numerous cover acts and tribute performers. Many of his songs are household names, such as "Hot August Night" and "Solitary Man" which are world hits. This status as an internationally successful artist makes him a top choice for cover versions.

Cover acts of this musician are an established sub-industry in the music scene. At present, the most popular tribute bands include acts like Super Diamond (Surreal Neil), Cherry Cherry and more. These outfits perform his songs for die-hard fans who are unable to see the original artist in concert or who want his sound at their events and functions.

In order to succeed, a tribute performer must have some resemblance to the original musician, both in terms of the music and visual appeal, while being able to put on a show independently. Cover songs are not easy to perform. They may seem so, given that they are imitations of original material, but reproducing that material is an art form in its own right.

A cover ensemble is also a musical act and so it needs to be able to produce the required musical performance. Its members therefore need to possess the requisite level of talent and performance acumen. Pressure on the band is high because there is an original artist for the audience to refer to. This makes musicians like the one under discussion especially difficult to cover.

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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