A tour of over eighty dates over a year and a half in venues such as arenas and large halls until April 2027, a tour bus crisscrossing the country every morning to bring the sixteen musicians and technicians of the group to safety. This is not the daily routine of recently awarded Victoire de la musique winners but of the Goldmen, a group that hasn’t even written a single song.
Since 2010, this group from Hauts-de-France has been performing the repertoire of Jean-Jacques Goldman. “Today, we benefit from exceptional conditions,” enthusiastically exclaims singer Alain Stevez, who has experienced the days of musicians doing it all at dance halls. “My guitar is brought to me on stage, I no longer have to tune it. It’s such a comfort.”
The Goldmen are part of the tribute bands family. These specialized groups that focus on covering songs from a group or singer who generally no longer performs live, like Jean-Jacques Goldman, whose last appearance was in 2004 at the Francofolies de La Rochelle.
While dance bands have always played standards, 21st-century tribute bands have brought a new dimension to covers by specializing in the repertoire of an artist, often adding a stage set evoking the original concerts. They offer real shows that can attract hundreds, even thousands of people for the most ambitious performances.
“People are willing to pay tens of euros to see a tribute band today,” notes Philippe Tassart, the producer of Goldmen, who has contributed significantly to the success of one of the earliest tribute bands, the Rabeats, who filled venues for twenty-five years, including the Olympia in Paris, while covering the Beatles.
The nostalgia for artists like Edith Piaf, Queen, Abba, Dire Straits, and others has led to a proliferation of tribute bands. Gone are the days when performance venues looked down on them, now municipalities even organize festivals to showcase them. The trend shows no signs of slowing down, as fans find enjoyment in reliving the music they love in a live and authentic experience.
The future of tribute bands remains uncertain, but as long as the original artists have enough hits to inspire full tribute shows, the appeal is likely to continue. The dedication and authenticity of tribute bands have created a thriving subculture that resonates with fans seeking a shared musical experience.
