Great Gig In The Sea
Words George Booker
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 6:02 am
The AV Club just brought to my attention an interesting cruise package called Great Gig In The Sea. Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like, finally combining an overpackaged Carnival cruise to Nassau with the majesty of tribute band Think Floyd USA. Kind of a silly thematic combination, this “Pink Floyd Themed Cruise To The Bahamas,” but I certainly wouldn’t mind it.
Tribute bands are usually anathema to me (kind of tragic being that I live so close to the premiere tribute band venue in the world), but this are one of the few bands I enjoy enough that I wouldn’t mind immersing myself in “a musical and visual flight through the Pink Floyd galaxy” (with a side of Carribean fun and sun). Anyway, it sounds kind of trippy taking a metaphorical flight on a literal cruise. Strangely, I don’t think I would be even slightly interested in a boat trip with David Gilmour.
The cruise includes a “VIP Afterparty” at the Hard Rock Cafe as well, so cruisers get to experience the thrill of rubbing elbows with working musicians pretending to be a legendary band at a prefabricated franchise restaurant pretending to rock. One should be warned, however, that “Favorite Pink Floyd Album” is included in the information needed to book a cabin. I imagine this can be used for some not-exactly-amazing tayloring of shows for the exact boatload of rich Pink Floyd fans.
“How are we doing Carnival cruisers? Tonight, because you asked for it, we are going to play 43% material from Wish You Were Here! I’m a bit disappointed that nobody’s favorite is The Final Cut. Sure, it might not have been a blockbuster by Pink Floyd standards, but it does feature some of Roger Water’s most passionate and emotionally exposed songwriting! And, by the way, do you guys have a problem with Syd Barrett or something?”
I don’t know if this cruise is going be successful, but it probably will as cruise packages and tribute bands are both quite popular among crowds willing to shell out way too much disposable income to have their hand held. I’m interested to see if this is the start of a trend. I’d really like keeping an eye on these packages, but for now I can just speculate:
“Knowing Sea Knowing You”
A reaction against the glut of honeymoon cruises, this is a divorce cruise set to the music of ABBA (as performed by Abbapalooza). Fleetwood Hack is speculated to take over the next season, but so far those are just Rumours, if not outright sweet little “Lies”.
“Waterloo”
The same thing as the last one, but more family friendly with an emphasis on water slides and novelty dances. The Kinky Kinks play at sunset.
“Boatlemania”
Take a dip in the Liverpool or go for an excursion in the Yellow Submarine. Relax in the Octopus Garden where guitars gently weep a soft mist onto you.
“The Jimi Hendrix ExSearience”
The worst water-related pun but the best guitarist on the tribute circuit.
“Billy Ocean on the Carribean Queen”
This is just really Billy Ocean on a ship called the Carribean Queen. He won’t sing or anything, but he’ll be happy most of the time to hang out at the bar listening to his own music. If the “Get Out Of My Dreams” sign is left out on his doorknob, do not disturb.
“Born To Sun”
“Streets of Philadelphia” got you down? Get away from the “Badlands” and join Loose Springsteen and the Sea Street Band, performing all week in the “Spirits of the Night” lounge. 5 “Glory Days” getting “Blinded by the Light” in the beautiful Carribean sun to the sound of New Jersey. “Prove It All Night” “Dancing In The Dark” to the greatest hits of the Boss. Don’t miss the special Halloween cruise and the “Brilliant Disguise” ball. No running or yelling “I’m On Fire”.
“Surfer Rosa’s Wave of Mutilation”
Extreme surfing tour with Inspired By The Pixies playing the music of The Pixies. For an extra hundred bucks, the real Kim Deal will follow you around sweetly repeating the last word or phrase of each sentence.
“All Eyez on Sea” or “Sea Against The World” or “Makivelli: The 7-Day Seaory”
We have over 70 dudes who spend most of their time memorizing and scruinizing the lyrical content of Tupac Shakur. And you get to be on a boat with them.
“Yacht Rock: The Yacht”
Rotating cast of tribute and cover bands, including Not Reely Dan, the Newbie Brothers and Moustache Love. Christopher Cross and Toto are always there in the flesh.
“Sea Monkees”
Very controversial in the tribute band scene for their manufactured nature, the Sea Monkees were independently auditioned and hired to pretend to be a great fake band that became real and mediocre. More troublesome is that the boat is fake.
So what about you? Are there any fake tribute band on Carribean cruise scenarios you feel like making up?
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ABOUT THE WRITER
George Booker is writing this about himself in the third person. He was considering second person, maybe making this the "Bright Lights, Big City" of bios. He was looking into casting Micheal J. Fox in the forthcoming film adaptation, as the disabled actor would likely portray him with ample charm, sympathy, and fifty-something boyish handsomeness. Recently, however, Booker has realized that only Anne Hathaway or Chiwetel Ejiofor could really capture his essence. Late 20s, Norfolk raised music writer. Former DJ and production head for WVFS Tallahassee, former staff clerk at defunct Norfolk music stores DJ's and Relative Theory. Current Film Editor and Contributor to No Ripcord Magazine, contributed blurbs to Link and Port Folio Magazine.
Other posts by George Booker.
Other posts by George Booker.
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I am filled with strong urges to participate in this fun little game, but I’m just not that clever. I was really hoping to come up with a gothic-themed cruise because that would be awesome. Alas, another comedic opportunity gone to waste by the David Alan Grier of blogland…
how about this:
“Into the Sea, Baby You And Me”, an arctic cruise from Maine to Newfoundland presided over by the Lovecats, Canada’s finest tribute to The Cure.
i was strongly tempted to call the tribute act “The LoveCanucks”, but that seemed to be tossing too much in there.
How can you not love tribute bands? They are fun and sad to say, the only way some of us will ever get a chance to see anything that might have to do with some of the music we love. That being said….How about….Wait for it….are you ready?……Sea Cruise featuring the hits of Frankie ford, who really one had one hit, called Sea Cruise. Get it? Sea Cruise, song hit, 7 days in the Bahamas, on a boat….I never said I was witty.
Fun blog.
i don’t mind musicians being passionate about their influences, but there is something just very diminished and sad to me about tribute bands. if you love ac/dc so damned much, why not build on what you like about it by trying to give the world some new music with that kind of swagger? because it is easier and more profitable in the short term to give yourself a punny name and pretend to be an older beloved act.
many artists i like have been saddled with people accusing them of being too derivative of an older act. interpol sounds too like joy division, cee-lo sounds too much like al green, lcd soundsystem sounds too much like new order, lcd soundsystem sounds too much like bowie, lcd soundsystem sounds too much like talking heads, etc. it really doesn’t bother me when influences are visible, because the artists are still using the styles and devices of their idols as tools to do something personal and new.
there’s nothing wrong with covers and homages working their way in there. a band i love, r.e.m., started out their performing career doing covers in athens frat houses. it helped them to build their muscles and define themselves, influences and all. when a band defines themselves as a “tribute”, however, and the highest goal becomes to be a facsimile of the past, a lot of the excitement and expression i look to music for is just sapped from it.
i confess it discourages me when this area has a venue acknowledged as one of the nation’s best in the norva, and the most consistent business that place does is in tributes. yes, there have been a number of great bands to pass through the norva, and occasionally a wonderful local showcase, but most of the time if you look at the marquee the biggest upcoming show will be a tribute. a night at the norva isn’t cheap, and most of the time there are great shows packed with local talent at the boot or the taphouse and a number of other places.
so why shell out the extra money to see some dudes pretending to be queen? because you know exactly what you’re getting, more or less. it won’t be shocking or surprising. you get the thrill of going out, but you can be sure not to have your expectations challenged. very much like getting the thrill of traveling to a beautiful island, but paying for the security blanket of a massive boat crammed full of consumer comforts and packaged excursions to protect you from the possibility of running into any scary poverty or locals who are not paid to cater to your every whim.
this gets more discouraging when i reflect on how many talented musicians i’ve seen and known here who have given up on the area, either by traveling to more supportive areas or putting performance aside. i’m not talking about people who didn’t have it together, either. i’m talking about charismatic, entertaining performers completely capable of pleasing an audience, but constantly running into the problem of not having enough people bothering to even show up and give them a chance. going to shows costs money and time, and there are plenty of legit excuses from parenthood to employment to a tight budget to make the decision not to go out. it gets kind of infuriating, though, when tribute shows prove that there is an audience out there with ample time and money, but they would sincerely rather not bother trying something new.
also, one for jerome that i’m surprised i didn’t think of earlier:
“the diamond sea”
daydream nation plays just that song for the whole damn cruise.
Well, george, to play that whole song the cruise would need to be extended a few more days. am i right?
i guess, but we’re starting to get pretty extravagant given that “time takes its precious toll.”
ahem.