ARE COPYCATS REALLY GOOD NEWS?

Recently I glanced at the entertainment page in our local newspaper and thought all my wildest dreams had come true. It seemed that virtually every famous band in the world were booked to appear at a nearby theatre during the next few months -- but that's when reality kicked in.

On closer inspection Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd, and the Eagles became something like Punk Floyd, the Illegal Eagles and Fleetwood Mick (or should that he Fleetwood Micky Takers). The Beatles and Led Zeppelin turned into Dread Zeppelin and the Bootleg Beatles, and Abba tribute bands seemed to proliferate everywhere. Only good old Charlie Landsborough was actually going to appear as himself.

The whole tribute industry, shamelessly promoted and exploited by programmess such as Stars In Your Eyes, always leaves me with mixed feelings. I have no problem with bona fide bands doing cover versions of other people's material as part of their act -- after all The Beatles and every other Liverpool group (including mine) spent years covering US songs in the early Sixties as they learnt their trade. However, I can't ...