With Michael Jackson, Madonna and the Smiths on the Same Bill, Tribfest May Be the Greatest Festival on Earth

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Friday afternoon. A small field “No foul or abusive language on just outside Hull. The young stage”, a backstage sign instructs. The Man In The The Smiffs girls at the front of the stage look The air doesn’t smell of skunk, Mirror bewildered. Half an hour ago they there’s nobody obviously walking Name Billy Marshall From Barry, Wales were gleefully bouncing around around selling acid, and end-of-pier Name Perry Pullman while a Black Eyed Peas tribute act compering comes courtesy of From Hull performed “I Gotta Feeling”. Now Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist they’re peering up at a dour faux Craig Harper. It’s a cross between Mancunian in a floral-patterned Live Aid and a village fête. shirt and NHS glasses, who’s Tribfest began in 2007, a year brandishing a bunch of lilies and after Ed Faulkner visited a similar singing “Let me get my hands on festival, Glastonbudget, which your mammary glands”. They don’t occurs every May in Leicestershire. know what to make of it. Michael Faulkner, who fronts Beautiful Jackson, or at least someone who South tribute band The Beautiful looks a lot like him, saunters up Couch, wanted to start his own to the stage to have a look, watches event in East Yorkshire, as an quizzically for a couple of minutes, affordable and local alternative to then saunters off again. the big music festivals (“I’d love This is Tribfest, where, every to do a festival with real bands, but year for three days, the Beverley they all want caviar and chips. Polo Club is transformed into I can’t deal with that”). He now a parallel universe where bands boasts a database of 150 tribute pretend to be other bands. It’s bands and says he gets three or four a modest festival devoted solely to emails a day from acts asking to tribute acts, where 3,000 punters play at Tribfest. devoid of cynicism get to see 30 or The last few years have seen the so knock-off versions of the biggest tribute scene explode. What started musicians in the world — for £80. THE It’s extremely family-friendly — ™

Stipe Madonna

Name Rick Southern Name Jodie Jackson great From Cheshire From Hull pretenders With Michael Jackson, Madonna and The Smiths on the same bill, Tribfest may be the greatest festival on Earth. Esquire goes access all areas with 30 tribute bands

Words By Alex Godfrey | Photographs By Dan Burn-Forti

206 | esquire | march 2011 march 2011 | esquire | 207 feature | tribfest feature | tribfest in the Eighties with the likes of band-mates have been performing DWARF FIGHT me real, don’t give me fake,” he Björn Again and The Bootleg Beatles as The Smiffs for three years, “It’s not the size sings as they begin their set with Coldplayer of the dog in has become a booming business, getting together after not making “Politik”, the irony apparently lost. the fight, IT’S the From Stoke where the real McCoy just haven’t a success of their own bands. “The size of the fight Oasish, who formed in 2004, use made it unless they have a tribute dream of living that dream never in the dog,” said the same instruments as Oasis, and Mark Twain. band profiting from their songs. happened,” he says. “And because Clearly he was their set on Friday night is hilarious. Many of the acts at Tribfest do this of that we jacked it in. But through referring to Fake Liam walks the walk, talks full-time, tour internationally and The Smiths we wanted to just play the ongoing spat the talk and thoroughly exudes the between rival reap enviable financial rewards. something we love. If we make midget tribute attitude, nailing the poise, the Oasish average three or four gigs money, fantastic; if we don’t, we’re bands MiniKiss belligerence and the cold 1,000-yard a week, and can’t hang around for still playing music we love.” As with and Tiny Kiss. Tim stare (even if some wag has sent an Loomis, MiniKiss’s Esquire’s photographer as they’re all the bands here, The Smiffs may original SMS to the text box on the screen by leaving for a stint on a cruise ship. lack a certain indefinable magic drummer, left the stage, reading “Looks more like Kazabian (“z” is a popular substitute (and more definable musicianship) the band and Frank Gallagher than Liam started Tiny Kiss letter in the tribute world) formed in that distinguishes them from their after, according Gallagher”). Someone throws a March last year, and by July already idols, but they are, nevertheless, to him, jealousy Huddersfield Town scarf on stage had more gigs booked than their impressively similar. Marshall looks from MiniKiss’S and he wipes his arse with it. Joey Fatale that (almost) namesakes, to the dismay enough like Morrissey from he was “getting “The Prodigy are on next,” he says, of the latter’s Tom Meighan. The a distance, sings like him, moves all the chicks”. referring to the next tribute act, Black Eyed Peaz (see) enjoyed a like him and talks like him in- Fatale Jilted Generation. “I’ve just seen responded by 50-date summer tour this year, and between songs (which makes it sending him a Liam Howlett backstage and I gave played three nights in Shanghai rather disconcerting when I try to cease-and-desist him a good fisting.” before coming to Tribfest. find him backstage after their set notice and, The moment I realise I’ve truly according to “The market is massive,” says and barely recognise the smallish Loomis, fallen through the wormhole is Tim Reid, who runs Elmgrove Welsh man with a floppy fringe threatened him during “Wonderwall”. As with the over the phone. Productions, a company that used to and turquoise Adidas top). The war real deal, Oasish have been joined put on a lot of theatrical shows and There are varying degrees of continues by a string quartet, and the field is pop revivals, but is now focusing on impersonation to be found at rammed. The crowd lap it up, tribute acts. Reid is the mastermind Tribfest. A few of the bands on the lighters and phones in the air, all behind the Peaz, the Scissor Sisterz bill don’t bother with the costumes singing in unison. A man in front of (yup), and Lady GaaGaa, all of and accents and just plough through me puts his arm around his lady, whom are performing at Tribfest. the songs, which is arguably more gazing lovingly into her eyes while Reid, who performs in both Scissor dignified than passing yourself off singing along. As far as this Sisterz (as Babydaddy) and the Peaz as someone else, but infinitely less audience is concerned, the fact that (as Taboo), formed the Peaz a year entertaining. Seth Fullbrook, a this isn’t actually Oasis is irrelevant. ago, noticing a gap in the tribute Stoke musician who moonlights as To all intents and purposes, this market, and says demand has been Coldplay’s Chris Martin in his band is Oasis. They roar enthusiastically overwhelming. “In Asia it’s Coldplayer, looks, sounds and acts at the end of each song. Are they massive,” says Charlotte Marsden, so much like Martin, even in the applauding as they would at an who performs as Fergie in the Peaz prickly way he poses for Esquire’s Oasis gig? Because they love the and Ana Matronic in the Sisterz. photographer backstage, that I feel music? Or are they acknowledging “The guy who booked us in the illusion? Does it matter? Shanghai wants to take us to Hong Paul Higginson, who plays Kong next year.” Marsden was Liam, enjoys the absurdity. “It’s trained in musical theatre, but has absolutely hilarious,” he says now comfortably settled into It’s hilarious. I come off stage backstage after the gig. “I come off a career as a tribute artist. “This and there’s people wanting here and there’s people wanting isn’t where I thought I was going photographs taken. I’m just a guy in to be,” she says. “But there comes a photographs taken — I’m just a wig and a parka. For me this is all time when you have to weigh tongue-in-cheek, but there has to be everything up, and it wasn’t gonna a guy in a wig and a parka a serious business side as well, it’s happen for me. I had to make my full-time job. It’s got to be a good a decision to call it a day, or find performance, I don’t do things by something that would get me half. It’s got to be bang on, otherwise performing and singing with a little uneasy about talking to him. I don’t wanna know. I want people professional like-minded musicians, Friends suggested he get into the to look at me and think, ‘Christ, that which is the next best thing for me.” tribute business because he’s could be Liam Gallagher up there.’ Billy Marshall, who doubles as practically a Chris Martin I watched the DVDs when I got into Morrissey, tells a similar story, doppelgänger, and Coldplayer take this, practising what he does with although his tribute work sprung things to another level, with stage his hands when he sings a certain from a more conventional love of decorations and costumes that ape song, where’s he pointing to, when the source material. He and his Coldplay’s Viva La Vida tour. “Give he touches his hair — all these tiny

start in the middle of “It’s The End the site dressed as him,” he Of The World As We Know It confesses, although once we’re out Lady GaaGaa (And I Feel Fine)”, which they’d of sight it doesn’t take him long to never done before, as well as getting Morrissey himself up. It’s soul-destroying getting a Name Emma Watkins them to change the words (to “It’s Seth Fullbrook — Coldplayer’s From Bristol the end of the show and we know Chris Martin — is just as defiant. reaction singing other people’s it”). Stipe applauded and told them More a respectful admirer than a songs if you’re a songwriter they were awesome, although “he fan, Fullbrook only started doing couldn’t wait to get his glasses on this properly a year ago. His main for the photograph”, says Southern. aim is to succeed with his own band “He didn’t want to look like me.” (who all double as the Coldplayers). Sixteen-year-old Perry Pullman He had a wig made for his Chris regular thing. Because I got sick of looks like Michael Jackson, at least Martin act, not just to replicate being made redundant, and I can’t after he’s applied his make-up and Martin’s most iconic hairdo, but deal with the stress of it again.” wig. He doesn’t sing like him — he also to physically separate himself doesn’t sing at all, miming his from him when he’s not on stage. Lines blur at Tribfest. It all gets a way through a half-hour dance set “That way it’s easier to change back little confusing. “This one’s for No in the VIP marquee on Saturday to me when I come off,” he says. Way Sis,” says one of Prodigy tribute afternoon. His plan is to be singing “Sometimes it’s soul-destroying Jilted Generation during their set, live in the next couple of years, but singing other people’s songs and paying homage to the band who he can’t yet, he tells me, because getting a reaction. Certainly if were on before them, but name- his voice has only just dropped and you’re a songwriter yourself.” Doing checking a different, now defunct he has to work on it. He’s been the tribute circuit is a means to an tribute act instead. “Thank you, copying Jackson’s moves since he end, a way of funding his own band, Glastonbudget,” says Stipe’s Rick was four, despite his insistence that The People Involved. “I got made Southern at the end of his set, before when he’s not doing this he can’t redundant from the past three jobs correcting himself. And during dance at all. “He can’t,” confirms in six years,” he explains. “That’s Guns 2 Roses’ show that night, a his mother, who makes some of his one of the main reasons why woman on stage dressed like Lady costumes and is sitting next to us I’m trying to make this more of a Gaga films the crowd. She is, it while we talk. “He’s got no rhythm turns out, Fake Axl’s fiancée, and at all.” “I really can’t,” says Perry. a tribute act called The Lady Gaga FAKING IT him feel arrogant. Gavin Willbourn “Only Michael Jackson.” He’s Experience. But she’s not the Esquire’s TOP FIVE meanwhile, a part-time actor from been performing professionally for Oasish same Lady Gaga who sang in the favourite tribute Wales who has Axl Rose down to two years and wants to make a VIP marquee earlier that day. band names: From Reading 1 | Surely Bassey a tee in Guns 2 Roses, says it’s “very career of it. “I just want to make That was Lady GaaGaa, performed 2 | Definitely easy to get lost in the moment when everyone happy,” he says. “You did by Emma Watkins, one of the Mightbe 3 | Bogus Quo you’re drunk”. During their set an that,” says an earwigging lady performers on Elmgrove 4 | Fred Zeppelin argument breaks out between two sitting near us. I ask her what she Productions’ books. 5 | Oasisn’t teenagers behind me. “How can thought of his performance. “It can be a bit crazy at times”, you say he’s better than Slash! He’s “Superb,” she says. “I got quite says Watkins, “especially with kids not better than Slash!” says one. emotional at one point.” Really? because I don’t think they “He is!” insists the other. “Bullshit!” Why’s that? “Well, because Michael understand — they just think you’re Steven Adler, Guns N’ Roses’ Jackson’s dead now,” she says, Gaga. Every time you move your original drummer, was also pausing. “And watching him do it... arm they’ll do the same thing.” And impressed — in 2006, when his own it’s so realistic.” sure enough, when her gig starts band imploded in the middle of a In contrast to Pullman, who there’s a troupe of goggle-eyed tour, he hired Guns 2 Roses to play spends the entirety of the festival in young girls at the front, singing Kazabian the remaining shows with him. costume, posing for photos with along. This is what it’s like in “It was fun, but I’d rather be doing punters, The Smiffs’ Billy Marshall Tribfest’s parallel universe, a place From Hull this to be honest,” says Willbourn. is something of a wallflower. I’d where reality and fantasy become

“It was too choreographed.” X GODFREY bumped into him earlier in the day one and identities get fuzzy. Rick Southern has never played and asked him to meet us here at the “It’s just fabulous,” says Jodie with Michael Stipe, but he has met VIP marquee for a photo. Having Jackson, an impressive, full-time little things that Liam Gallagher an Oasis gig,’” says Higginson. him. Southern’s another one who, not been around for The Smiffs’ Madonna lookalike who sounds like never has to think about, because A few of the bands I spoke to if your vision was impaired, you set, Esquire’s photographer is a sassy New Yorker when she’s on he’s Liam Gallagher.” expressed similar sentiments. One might mistake for the real thing on mildly concerned upon meeting stage, and Su Pollard when she’s SH PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALE Watching these bands bask in of the reasons REM fan Rick stage. In 2008, the BBC brought I Marshall, who turns up with his off. She prefers this to her years reflected glory is a surreal Southern (from Cheshire) formed Southern’s band onto The One Show fringe flopped down, and encased in musical theatre, and spends all experience, a lie everyone’s aware of tribute band Stipe was because to surprise guest Michael Stipe in an enormous parka buttoned three days in costume. “Nobody a AND OAS GA

but happily buys into. Including the he wanted the same buzz Michael with a performance at the end of a up to his chin, lest anyone should can tell me anything,” she says. bands. “Even for myself on stage, Stipe gets on stage, and says being the show. The band were nervous recognise his distinctive floral “I’m my own boss. I can be

sometimes it’s like, ‘This could be up there performing as him makes because the BBC asked them to LADY GA shirt. “I can’t bear to walk around whoever I want.”

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