Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Any thoughts on Byrds tribute bands? I've seem mentions of a couple, but I thought it might be interesting to have a thread. Does anyone know how McGuinn, Hillman, and Crosby feel about Byrds tribute bands?

Bands that I know of are:

Byrds of a Feather - California, USA
The ByrdBrains - Oregon, USA
The Earlybyrds (mine: inactive just now) - Lancashire, UK
Second Flyte - Virginia, USA

If it's possible to apply the term "tribute band" back 40 years, The Blokes (who became The Rose Garden in early 1967) must count as just about the first.

The Blokes/Rose Garden were clearly massive Byrds fans. If McGuinn, Crosby or Hillman were not around to give their approval, Gene Clark certainly did give his. Not only is the following commentary about their detailed learning and performing of Byrds songs fascinating, but the male members even played exactly the same instruments as The Byrds did in 1966, on the Rose Garden's American Bandstand appearance on 30th December 1967. Look for the mapleglo 360/12, Gretsch Country Gentleman and cherry red Guild Starfire II in the set of 9 pictures down this page:

http://www.electricearl.com/dawson/rosegarden.html

Most notably, there's a capo on the Gretsch and the lead guitarist's even wearing McGuinn's white polo neck from The Byrds appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour back in the October!

Here is Second Flyte's website:
http://www.secondflyte.com/
They do pretty good versions but the wigs and clothes, I think, are kind of creepy.
(I hope they're not close friends with anyone here. No offense intended.)

The Rose Garden are mentioned in Unterberger's "Eight Miles High" book.

Some of the other groups working around the fringes of good-time Southern California folk-rock, like the Rose Garden ... put some of the most studied imitations of Roger McGuinn's 12-string guitar on their discs without coming near the brilliance of the Byrds' songs. (The Rose Garden, in fact, was produced by early Buffalo Springfield manager-producers Charlie Greene and Brian Stone ... )

Just when you thought it was safe . . . The Byrdz - appearing next week!

https://www.therobintickets.co.uk/ticketshop/giglist.asp#789

I'll try and get to this gig and report back.

I saw "The Byrds" about 20 years ago. It was Michael Clarke and a bunch of other guys. I considered them a Byrds trib band. They sounded good till they said "And now, some new songs".

I saw The Byrdz at the Robin 2 in Bilston, West Midlands, UK, last night. The one-hour set list was impressive, they were tight together and they harmonised well. However, their characterisations and stage banter are a crude parody and I wouldn't send anyone to them for Byrd guitar lessons. Soundwise, the drums were vastly over-amplified. The weakest amplifier cranked up high, with compression, helped make the Rickenbacker the least audible instrument.

Here's the Line-up:
"Ravid Crosby"
Left-handed Gretsch Country Classic re-issue through a 1970s silverface Fender Dual Showman Reverb and a mid-60's Fender Tremolux cabinet. Good singer, but on some songs he really didn't know the basic chords at all, never mind the correct inversions, tunings and capo settings. Crassly outspoken in an accent in which I've heard Americans doing George Harrison. Wore a suede parka.

"Freak Gene Clark"
Tambourine and guiro. Good singer. Wore a wig and suit.

"Jim McGuinn"
Left-handed Rickenbacker fireglo 370/12 with Hi-Gain pickups and 24-fret neck going into a 1967/68 blackline silverface Fender Super Reverb possibly through a Boss CS-3 compressor. Hardly sang at all and forgot a line from Mr Tambourine Man. Wore a wig, suit and oversized granny glasses. The coolest in appearance and not an outstanding 12-string player, but he really had to compete to be heard.

"Chris Pillman"
Epiphone Rivoli into a Peavey Combo 115.

"Michael D. Clarke"
Ludwig drums

The Show:
"Ravid Crosby": "We got ****** off with the British invasion in 1965 and decided to do something about it"
All I Really Want To Do
Wasn't Born to Follow
Bells of Rhymney
"Ravid Crosby" introduces "Freak Gene Clark"
I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better
It Won't Be Wrong
Change Is Now
"Ravid Crosby": "We got through booze and pills and decided marijuana was the best. This is from our album Fifth Dimension, while Gene goes and . . . what's Gene doing? Chatting up another girl? He's already had five wives . . .
(lights cigarette) anybody want a spliff?" (The audience was standing so far back from the stage that there were no takers).
What's Happening?!?! (vocal phrasing completely wrong)
Here Without You
5D
Turn! Turn! Turn!
Draft Morning
Renaissance Fair (Rickenbacker was in standard tuning with no capo)
Everybody's Been Burned
Goin' Back
Mr Spaceman
Wild Mountain Thyme
John Riley
He Was A Friend Of Mine
My Back Pages
Younger Than Yesterday version of Why? (Gretsch was in standard tuning with no capo).
I See You (Gretsch was going Em to F#m)
So You Want To Be A Rock ‘n' Roll Star

Encore:
Eight Miles High (short guitar solos)
Mr Tambourine Man (forgot to sing "Hands can't feel to grip")

On the face of it, The Byrdz only need a bit of tuition for the guitarists and, ideally, JBL-equipped cabinets, but with such an obnoxious parody of Crosby and two left-handed guitarists anyway, I came away feeling that the group was best left to its own devices.

The Byrdz play The Brook in Southampton on Saturday 27th January, the Greenwood Inn in Northolt, London on Friday 9th February and The Ferry in Glasgow on Friday 16th February.

Two leftys in one band, that would be odd anywhere.

If it was me I wouldn't be so worried about how I looked as to how the music came off...that is really what matters IMHO...I don't look like any of them, LOL!!

I went to see the Byrdz on Saturday night at the Greenwood Inn, Northolt. It was a quiet night with only around 30 or so people there. But the gig was great. The band features John Butler and members of Diesel Park West so needless to say musically and vocally, they were very good. Although I have to agree with Mark's review, that the 12 string could have done with being turned up a couple of notches. And the stage banter was a little too corny for me. The fake American accents did seem to fade in and out of the west country from time to time, rather than the west coast But I was very impressed overall. It was just nice to go and see a band playing my favorite songs. Certainly worth a tryp out to see them if you can

They're also the mainstay of a great 'Last Waltz' night that's done a couple of shows in Leic., all with local musos.The lefty 12 was a devil to get hold of ,as some of you know,and I shall have words about the 12 in the mix...outrageous!

The fake American accents did seem to fade in and out of the west country from time to time...

Yeah, even Joyce Penelope Wilhelmina Frankenberg has a difficult time holding the pose, as it were, at times.

JimK

OK, folks, if anyone spotted the coincidence of my posting about my new Rickenbacker 360/12 MapleGlo and my curiosity about Byrds Tribute Bands...

Meet...

The Mockingbyrds from Houston!

And on MySpace.com!

Cool, Stephen!

The guys now have a web site up and running...........

http://www.thebyrdz.com/