It’s not always a comfortable idea to go see a covers band or a tribute group. The quality and interpretation of the original music can be highly variable. I also still stand by my view that it’s rare to find a cover song that is better than the original, although there are definitely exceptions to that.
It can be a fun night out, though, and it’s not necessarily a bad idea. I went to see the Australian Pink Floyd a year or two back and it was a superb show. I was convinced to pay out for the slightly hefty priced tickets for what I labeled as a tribute band, by seeing that they had been asked by David Gilmour to play at his birthday party.
I also realized that there was no chance of seeing Pink Floyd play live and so you have to take what you can get. I did refuse the idea of VIP tickets with a meet and greet which seemed a step too far for a tribute band. Likewise, I couldn't see any need for their CDs, the real Floyd was still very available in that respect.
So, putting Pink Floyd from wherever to one side, when it comes to another 1970s prog rocker in Jon Anderson and his joining up with the Band of Geeks it’s hard at first to know what to make of it. The Band of Geeks is in effect a covers band, although the lineup does include Richie Castellano from Blue Oyster Cult. The Geeks had been playing Yes songs in their act for several years when, in 2018, Jon Anderson contacted them.
Covers band says Yes to tour with Jon Anderson
Unlike Gilmour, he wasn't looking for a party act. Anderson told the band He wanted to play with them. Anderson was thinking of far more than a fun studio drop-in session. He wanted to go on tour and play the classic Yes songs from the 1970s. That's quite a tribute to the musicianship and sound of the Band of Geeks.
Covid intervened, and it took a while to get a tour underway, but they hit the road together in 2023 and again in 2024. An album, True, was released in August 2024 under Jon Anderson and the Band of Geeks and has been getting rave reviews from Yes fans and beyond.
Now comes the news of a quick follow-up album and a live DVD too. March 2025 will see the release of Live - Perpetual Change. It will have ten of the best Yes tracks from their classic seventies era. The track list covers their early seventies period, with eight songs that appeared on the live Yessongs album plus “The Gates Of Delirium” and right through to the later 1977 epic “Awaken” from Going for the One.
Live - Perpetual Change - Tracklist:
- "Yours Is No Disgrace"
- "Perpetual Change"
- "Close To The Edge"
- "Heart Of The Sunrise"
- "Starship Trooper"
- "Awaken"
- "And You And I"
- "Your Move"/ "I’ve Seen All Good People"
- "Gates Of Delirium"
- "Roundabout"
The combined sound of the Band of Geeks with their close attention to the original Yes music, when matched with Jon Anderson's unique voice is exceptionally good. It’s not whatever remains of Yes as a band now, neither is it the spin-off Yes with Jon Anderson. It's not quite a tribute band with Anderson in there, neither is it a covers band with the focus entirely on Yes. And as with Pink Floyd earlier, we won’t be seeing the peak Yes lineup from the 1970s again. The album, though, looks highly appealing, and I’m sure it will get a huge yes from myself and many others when it arrives.