Sure, I guess you could insist on seeing the actual bands instead, but if you enjoy low ticket prices and remarkable simulations of your favorite ’80s New Wave acts, you may want to visit the Los Angeles-adjacent Gibson Amphitheater on June 21 for the Save New Wave festival. What you’re saving “new wave” from is debatable (irrelevancy? active rock?), but some of these fake bands aren’t that bad.
It’s hard to be partial to any concert in the greater Los Angeles area where you can get front-row tickets for around $50, but any show where you can see New Order tribute act Love Vigilantes (now featuring a Gillian!) seems too good to be true.
As previously mentioned on the site, the Smiths tribute act Sweet And Tender Hooligans is remarkably entertaining.
Blasphemous Rumours, the Depeche Mode tribute act, seems good enough, although at this point, would anyone be able to tell the difference?
Also featured: an Oingo Boingo tribute act; and a Cure tribute band that will apparently have former Cure member Lawrence “Lol” Tolhurst on drums and depression. The show’s site promises more “special guests”, but what more could you ask for? Besides the actual acts performing, of course.
Save New Wave Festival [Myspace]
I’ve wanted to see the Sweet and Tender Hooligans for years, but have always been out of town or something whenever they played. But Mexican, fake Smiths, plus fake-DM, fake-New Order, fake-Cure and fake-Oingo Boingo, hosted by the technically-real-but-who-is-he-kidding Richard Blade. I might seriously have to attend this.
They really should have scheduled this show on June 18th … the 20th anniversary of Depeche Mode’s “Concert For the Masses” at the Rose Bowl.
OK, maybe not.
@Audif Jackson Winters III: Gasp! my life just flashed before my eyes. twenty years?!
Anybody out there in the Philadelphia area interested in forming an East Coast Oingo Boingo tribute band? Seriously. It’s the brainchild of my bass player, and we’ve got a few participants already lined up. We figure we’ll do one gig a year, since that’s pretty much all anybody will want. :)
Maybe it’s just the dry soundboard mix, but the “Morrissey” in the Smiths tribute band has kind of a Kermit The Frog thing going on.
@bbernardini: Well, for what it’s worth, one of my college roommates made that comparison after hearing the real deal.
About five minutes into this concert I’d feel dirty and cheated.
@owenmeany: Are you sure you’re talking about the concert?
What’s with all these so-called “dual-purpose” tribute acts? Like Ozomotli Crue and Urge Okkervil . . .