May 8 | Written by Adele Whyte

There is a fine line between an impersonation and tribute of a musician.  The first glimpse of artist impersonations dates back to the 1950s. The rise of performers such as the Beach Boys, Elvis and the Beatles found music lovers keen to show their appreciation. Many friendship groups would come together to entertain those around them and found it a popular hobby. Therefore, people began to see the potential for tribute artists to become a full-time career. With music being constantly rediscovered by generations, this paves the way for tribute acts to become a fundamental part of any musicians legacy.

Fans across Scotland have been treated to some great tribute acts over the last few years. Fans had the opportunity to enjoy both past and present musicians such as Dolly Parton, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, and George Michael. This article will focus on two of these McFleetwood and Fast love: A George Michael Tribute. Each of these performances had characteristics which helped to convey why tribute acts continue to be successful across the world. Some of these characteristics were costume, stage presence and production value.  

Production value helped ‘Fast Love: A George Michael Tribute stand out’. The choice of a screen behind the performers allowed fans to see the artist imitating Michael's music videos. Noticeably, easily recognisable videos such as ‘Wake me up before you go go’ and ‘Outside’. The constant rotation of Saber lights and the artist across the screen while dancing as Michael was comical for fans. This edit was a cringeworthy but a funny addition to the tribute. Although, it could take away attention from the live performance as it was challenging to concentrate on what was happening at the front of the stage. In a positive light, this characteristic makes this tribute memorable because of the vibrant atmosphere and colours surrounding the audience. This decision could have been made to intensify the performance and highlight the 80s visual aesthetic and greater use of green screens during this decade. Let's face it when you tell someone about a performance which has a distinct characteristic, it is definitely a talking point and will stand out against other tribute acts. 

Additionally, several costume changes were made by ‘George Michael’ which helped deepen the distinction between songs and time periods throughout George Michael's Career. Arguably, the standout song of the evening which seen all fans up off their seats was ‘Outside’. Audiences were held in anticipation as the tribute artist disappeared off stage and reappeared  in the iconic police uniform from the video. Not only that but the attention to detail within the outfit and use of pink fluffy  handcuffs fairly got a reaction from the crowd. This paired with the cheesy dance moves on the TV screen behind him made for active viewing from fans of all ages. 

Another tribute band which made themselves stand out was McFleetwood. The most memorable choice they made was to include a short story which explained the song they were away to sing. This added a personal touch to the tribute and made it clear that the performers were knowledgeable about the emotions tied to each song and the notorious chaos that rocked the ‘Rumours’ album in 1977. This conveys to fans how McFleetwood’s knowledge of the band was more in depth than just their imitation of Fleetwood Mac. This is deepened by their understanding put into every song Fleetwood Mac made, not just the iconic songs such as ‘Dreams’ and ‘You can go your own way’. Each member explained how a song reached out to them in a challenging period of their life as a result of mental health, financial or physical struggles. This characteristic brought the humanity of their performance through to audiences and helped fans understand how Fleetwood Mac’s catalogue of music could speak to many people regardless of anyone’s backgrounds. Overall. George Michael and McFleetwood demonstrate two examples of tribute acts which may stand the test of time because of their unique characteristics.

The future of tribute artists could see technology become the forefront characteristic of distributing music to fans. Although not defined as a tribute act, the ABBA Voyage tour in London could raise questions of the type of possibilities available to the tribute industry.  The  concept of projecting a hologram or a virtual concert through pixels could give audiences the closest experience possible to the real thing if an artist has passed away. However, the difficulty with this could be the expense required for the undertaking and locating a venue which could hold the production equipment required. To conclude, the characteristic of tribute acts completely depends on the decisions made by the band, artist, or entertainment company. The most memorable characteristics are the ones which set apart a performance such as costume changes, stage presence and production value. Characteristics could risk becoming a negative or positive experience for the audience but arguably make a great topic of conversation for fans about the performance such as the costume change and props used by Fast love: A George Michael tribute’. No one really knows the future of performers, but it could be interesting to see the boundaries knocked down by hologram performances.

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