The Top 10: Tribute bands

The official UK chart top 10 of clever band names in homage to the originals

John Rentoul
Friday 28 May 2021 14:41 BST
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Not Ziggy Sawdust
Not Ziggy Sawdust (Getty/Ralph Gatti)

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Stacey Murray discovered the first on this list, and Martin McDonald asked if it might make a good top 10. I thought it did.

1. Proxy Music. Thanks to Stacey Murray and Martin McDonald.

2. I Wanna Cher (shares facts about Cher as well as singing). Nominated by Claire Ellicott.

3. Ziggy Sawdust, who played at the Nag’s Head in Only Fools and Horses (“Sleepless in Peckham”). Thanks to Jon Davis.

4. Lez Zeppelin. Top of a subsidiary list of all-female tribute bands which also includes Blonde Jovi, Joanne Joanne, The Iron Maidens and AC/DShe. Nominations from Conor Downey, John Oxley, Elliot Kane and Peter Briffa. There is also a Dread Zeppelin who do reggae versions of Led Zep songs.

5. Purple Reign. Another from Conor Downey.

6. Kings of Leigh-on-Sea. Not made up by Martin Gilson.

7. Antarctic Monkeys. Thanks to Adrian Long.

8. AD/BC, the Christian rock version of AC/DC in The Simpsons. Ned Flanders is a big fan, said Paul Turner.

9. Hayseed Dixie, who play bluegrass/hillbilly AC/DC covers. Third AC/DC tribute band to be nominated, by Conor Downey, Mick O’Hare, Richard K and Alasdair McGowan.

10. Fake That. Thanks to Tedward Edward and Tom Beaty. One of a sub-genre on that theme, including Pink Fraud, the Pretend Pretenders (Conor Downey again) and the Illegal Eagles (Patrick).

Honourable mention for Andy Jaggard, who nominated The Whom, for grammar pedants. And I’m afraid no nominations were accepted for The Obvious, except Sporran Again, a “great Dundee ceilidh band”, a tribute band to a tribute band. Although Colin Jamieson doesn’t think they do Abba covers.

Next week: well-judged breakaways, a sequel to last week’s ill-judged breakaways (which was inspired by the European Super League).

Coming soon: leaders who have left their parties, after Arlene Foster left the Democratic Unionist Party.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk

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