The Ultimate Classic Rock Cover Band
Well, this is going to be interesting. Billboard is reporting about a major concert tour that will feature the Mystic Orchestra, a Trans-Siberian Orchestra type outfit, performing classic rock tunes at arena shows.
Inspired partly by Paul O’Neill’s Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), which features a full rock band, a string section, multiple vocalists and a laser/light show, “Flashback” boasts 14 musicians and singers, along with an 11-piece string and horn section. The concert’s approximately 30-song set features such classics as Hendrix’s “Purple Haze,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Pink Floyd’s “Money,” and the Doors’ “Light My Fire.”
“I don’t think there’s ever been a large-scale arena event produced like this,” veteran promoter and “Flashback” producer Rick Bowen tells Billboard.biz. “I tried to pick artists that were either not going to be able to tour, or were touring very little.”
The idea to create “Flashback” came after seeing a TSO concert in 2006, Bowen recalls. “In a lot of ways [TSO has] plowed the ground for us, because we combine rock music and orchestra music together,” he explains. “We’ve just taken it to the classic rock platform and tried to play the very best of the music in the era of the late ’60s and early ’70s.”
As it is, every time one of those tribute bands dressed up in Kiss, Van Halen or AC/DC costumes comes to town, we get our asses kicked. But, what those guys are doing is bush league compared to this…
“Flashback,” which cost about $5.5 million to produce, will feature six truckloads of LED lighting, lasers, pyrotechnics and 30-foot inflated zeppelin that will hang in the center of arenas. Additionally, seven video screens will play vintage video footage from some of the artists whose music is featured during the nearly three-hour show, according to Bowen, whose Mystic Music Enterprises is promoting the tour.
The first leg of “Flashback” will visit 6,000- to 25,000-seat U.S. arenas through the beginning of November. Ticket prices cost between $17-$55. “We want to build a fanbase, have a fair-priced ticket and have the show proliferate with other versions that come out in the future,” Bowen says. “We’re looking for an eight-to-10-year lifespan on this show, not a one-time go-around.”
I don’t care what kind of fuzz pedal you got, that’s tough to compete with.
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4 Responses to “The Ultimate Classic Rock Cover Band”
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Pribek At Zazzle
The post to blame: Most Peculiar Mama (Don't Eat Your Cat)
Thirst-N-Howl should buy a 30-ft zeppelin and advertise those Bigfoot ™ coolers with ‘em. “Bigfoot coolers, for that Howlin’ big thirst…”
While the music industry is reinventing the tribute show, the Chinese are stealing our music!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/21/AR2008082103668.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local
Soon we’ll be saying “They took our jobs!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2fGl9587X8
Wow J! Pretty comprehensive analysis, allow me to respond in order.
“30-ft zeppelin”; I’ve been trying to get Roger Waters on the phone all morning.
Chinese music theft-Do you know this guy that did the arrangements, fellow Alabamian?
Good luck suing China.
Great quote from the link:
insufficiently muscular!!?? Wasn’t that the title of a Captain Beyond song (obscure wiki scavenger reference for the
enquiring mind)
South Park-that did cross my mind
Yep… South Park really captures the flavor of Chinese humor. Wasn’t Team America done by those same guys?
BTW, I’m giving away my jazz version of SSB for 5 male voices (if you can imagine the voiceleading ’cause I hyperscribed it in Finale) to anyone who has the guts/ears to sing it. Some Alabamians are patriotic like that.
http://spectrum.troy.edu/~jinright/bin/ssb.mp3
RE: the arranger of note: -no, I don’t know him, but I would be interested if that gig ever came open (who wouldn’t?)…but I wouldn’t charge for arrangements of the SSB.
Uhhhhh…I’m afraid you can add “Team America” to this list right here
http://pribek.net/2008/08/18/movie-talk/
That’s an excellent vocal arrangement of the Anthem. I think we’ve all heard enough of the barbershop version that every group has been doing in recent memory. It would be refreshing to hear a bunch tackle this but, you ain’t just a kidding when you say they will have to have the guts and ears to pull it off and, a eunuch on speed dial I might add.
If you don’t mind I would like to post that link on the front page. Maybe for the Labor Day Spectacular.