The success of tribute bands

They have not invented anything, but they have managed to ride the wave of nostalgia. Tribute bands or cover bands that reproduce the repertoire of groups or singers beloved by the public have been very successful in recent years. “The most popular group currently, Goldmen, astonishingly reproduces the hits of Jean-Jacques Goldman and regularly fills venues in France, while other formations pay tribute to ABBA (ABBA Gold), AC/DC (TNT), Pink Floyd (So Floyd), or Supertramp (Covertramp),” highlights the study “The market for musical nostalgia” from the National Music Center (CNM) published in December.

Other recent successes include Nirvana UK, Bohemian Dust, or One Night of Queen that pay tribute to Freddie Mercury’s group. Often, these groups not only reproduce a repertoire, they also adopt the look and staging of the original artists. For the public, it is an opportunity “for those who have never seen these groups on stage, to have the opportunity to benefit from a sort of second chance,” notes the study. Moreover, listening to the copies costs much less than attending the concert of the originals. “The cover band 4U2 recently played to a full house in Renaison (Loire), Champagnier (Isère), and Panazol (Haute-Vienne), with tickets around 30 or 40 euros. At the same time, tickets for the actual group U2 are selling for around 300 euros,” the study points out.