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Posted: 07/27/2009 04:40:08 PM PDT
MR. JUDGMENTAL: As a judge, we are nothing if not fair. Honorable and fair. Our record is unassailable, unimpeachable, impeccable. Except for the part about our biases and preconceived notions. We're as human as the next fellow.
The gavel came down on our most recent judicial robe-wearing caper on Saturday at the Summer And Music's Battle of the Tribute Bands at downtown's Rainbow Harbor Amphitheater, a darned pleasant afternoon of famous-sounding rock and roll fairly bursting with verisimilitude.
Some of the bands being given the sincerest form of flattery at the free outdoor event were ones we like: the Stones (as played by tributers Satisfaction), Springsteen & the E Street Band (The Rising), Pearl Jam (Vitalogy); a couple we're OK with: U2 (Hollywood U2), Dave Matthews (Stepping Feet), the Cure (The Cured) and one we're not wild about: No Doubt (No Duh).
We imagined that that would be pretty much the order in which we'd enjoy the tribute bands. Turns out we've never been so wrong.
No Duh, led by the electrifyingly vivacious Heather Lounsbury, scored a Nadia Comaneci-esque [the 1st gymnist to score a perfect 10] number on this solomonic arbiter's scorecard, surprising no one as much as our ownself.
Lounsbury's ultrablondie looks and terrifying pipes make the real Gwen Stefani look like a cheesy Reno lounge celebrity look-alike who you wouldn't pay 20 bucks to play your kid's bat mitzvah. We couldn't give high enough points to the band.
No Duh was also the fans' favorite, scoring top marks on the applause-o-meter, earning the band $2,600.
Coming in a clear second on our ballot as well as in the crowd's response, was Vitalogy's tribute to Pearl Jam, again led by a lead vocalist, this time an appropriately grunge-attired Aaron Saffa, who has the mannerisms and facial effects - and sounds identical to - the real thing's Eddie Vedder. Guitarist Eddie Lucero does a mean Mike McReady, as well.
Vitalogy finished just one vote and a decibel ahead of third-placers, Hollywood U2, a terrifically faithful tributers with Joe Hier doing a perfect Bono and Bart Davis turning in a flawless poker-faced The Edge.
Vitalogy and Hollywood U2 took home $750 and $300.
As for the rest, well, The Cured didn't bother us too much; Stepping Feet was a little sloggy; Satisfaction sounded less like the Rolling Stones than we do when we're hollering at the dog (though we enjoyed seeing ol' Billy Blaze on the drum kit); and The Rising's Bruce Springsteen was ... well, not everyone's cut out to be the Boss....
Press Telegram
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EASY
READER
live
music review
No Duh
By Ryan Beachkofski
If imitation is the finest form of flattery, Orange County’s
own No Doubt has been paid the ultimate compliment by a local foursome
of talented musicians and thespians that call themselves No Duh.
These players are made up of local cover rockers Band X (EJ Curse/bass,
Mark Hawkins/guitar and Dave Sprock/drums) all adorned in costume
with sweet-as-molasses starlet, Heather Lounsbury, playing the lead
in this No Doubt documentary. The visuals are funny and witty, the
attitude is eerily familiar and the sound is dead on – right
down to incorporating samples they clip from Simple Kind of Life,
Hey Baby and any current NBA promo on network television.
The chemistry between the members of the group is a product of great
friendships, and maybe more. Heather claims she was brought into the
act by the guy she was/is dating at the time, the bass player, naturally.
This, for those who may have been living on Pluto for the last 10
years, is the story within the story for the heavily publicized No
Doubt and their personal lives they unfortunately have to live in
the public eye. Or, Heather and EJ could just be hamming it up for
audience while they’re in character. Either way, the crowd gets
the whole pomp and circumstance including the National Enquirer version,
not just Spiderwebs and Bathwater.
There is a great backing story from February 2005 that endorses these
entertainers’ talents and ability to mimic so credibly. Apparently
word got out in the No Doubt camp some time back about a little South
Bay tribute band trying to cover America’s playlist sweethearts.
This piqued the curiosity of the members of No Doubt and the real
deal began to follow No Duh in the local media and online. One story
of admiration led to another and No Duh found themselves in mid-set
one weekday night at the Lighthouse staring down at Tony, Tom and
Adrian from No Doubt - staring right back at them. 30 seconds later
Heather must have jumped over the moon from the excitement to find
her artistic heroes climb up on stage to sit in and play along with
her. There’s something to put on a resume.
Heather paraphrased the experience by saying, “My fourth gig
with a band and I was on stage with No Doubt. It was surreal.”
She continued, “I am a transplant from New York who made her
way to UCSB to collect enough units to complete 7 majors and I end
up singing with these great guys. I couldn’t be happier.”
The fan following for No Duh has been relentless for some time and
the celebrity sightings don’t hurt. Having benefited from covering
one of music’s hottest international selling acts, and doing
it well, the band is in great demand. As such, the Lighthouse was
in solid form last Friday with the dance floor full to capacity. And
with the enviable list of hits to cover from one band’s litany
of chart-topping singles, the audience was regaling.
I have a great deal of respect for tribute bands that can play up
to their mentors’ high standards. Last Friday was a compilation
of a decade of high standards. And much respect to No Doubt for giving
back to those who recognize this talent and taking part in what was
clearly a memory of a lifetime for a great tribute band.
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www.TriniJungleJuice.com
Summerfest 2006
Date: Saturday 17th June 2006
Location: Pier 1, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies
Promotions: 95.1 FM
Summerfest, Summerfest ... Summerfest!! This was a much anticipated
event and TJJ was there as usual to bring you the inside scoop. Although
gates opened at 7:30 pm, we bounced in at about 10 pm with our usual
late selves, and my ohhhh my ... if you [ could ] see [ the ]people!
We couldn't help but stop and gape a lil' bit. T&T truly has beautiful
people yes.
...Next up on stage was No Duh (tribute band to No Doubt) and
wow ... we had to look twice because we swore it was really Gwen Stefani.
Aside from the looks, that duet had the voice down to a "T"
as well. They sung hit after hit like "Hey Baby", "Holla
Back Girl" and the song everyone was singing along to "Don’t
Speak." There was only one word to describe their performance ...
Cool!! No Duh really set the mood right and there was still lots more
to come.
...Although 2U, No Duh, Queen, Separate Ways and Hells Bells were
all tribute bands, they all could definitely pass as the real deal.
It was a fantastic concert.
(For photos & the entire article go to :)
http://trinijunglejuice.com/summerfest/index_2.html
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No Doubt Tribute
Gets Respect
Press Telegram
Article Launched: 03/03/2006 12:00 AM PST
No Doubt tribute band gets respect from the originals
Ryan Ritchie, Staff writer
LOS ANGELES-based No Doubt cover band No Duh's live shows find the
group dressing, singing and acting like the multi-million-album-selling
pop rockers, but the quartet's tribute doesn't end there.
"Heather (lead singer) and I have dated for two years,"
says No Duh bassist EJ Curse, "and I didn't even know she could
sing. In the real No Doubt, the bass player Tony (Kanal) and (lead
singer) Gwen Stefani were an item for a good portion of the band.
Hopefully, we won't have the same demise as them."
No Duh began on a whim, when lead singer Heather Lounsbury was asked
to sit in with bassist Curse, guitarist Mark Hawkins and drummer Dave
Sprock in their jam band named Band-X. The foursome performed a No
Doubt song, and the rest is history, Curse says.
"As a fluke, I said we should start a No Doubt tribute band
and call it No Duh," Curse says. "We laughed, and the next
week I brought in a CD with a bunch of No Doubt songs and everyone
said they thought I was kidding."
The members learned four songs and gave themselves aliases based
on the real names of No Doubt members (Curse performs as Bony Yanow,
Hawkins goes by Tom Doomee, Sprock as Aintso Young and Lounsbury as
Spen Gjormani). No Duh were then asked by a staff member at Interscope
Records to perform their first show at a Gwen Stefani album listening
party on Nov. 4. The quartet learned a few more songs, and the publicity
from that show has enabled the band to perform once or twice a week,
Curse says.
Recreating the live show and sounds of a popular band was more difficult
than expected, Curse says, but thanks in part to live DVDs and homemade
costumes, No Duh has earned respect from No Doubt fans and was mentioned
by name by Stefani in an interview for a UK publication in August.
The group had the opportunity to meet Stefani
recently at a taping of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and spoke with
the singer at length, Lounsbury says.
"She walked straight up to me and said, 'I've been dying to
meet you,"' Lounsbury says. "She introduced me to her parents
and was so sweet."
The highlight of No Duh's short existence came in February 2005 when
at their fourth show, No Doubt members Kanal, guitarist Tom Dumont
and drummer Adrian Young not only came to a performance in Hermosa
Beach, but sat in with Lounsbury for a rendition of the group's song
"Spiderwebs." The experience was mind-blowing, Lounsbury
says. She had had just a few live shows under her belt before playing
with the real deal.
"I about peed in my pants," Lounsbury says. "I could
not believe it. I kept telling myself, 'Just get through the song.
Don't freak out." It was pretty darn amazing."
The show was also a unique experience for the rest of the band, as
Curse believed No Doubt showed up not to support No Duh, but to keep
them from performing.
"Rumor got out that No Doubt was there," Curse says. "Then
I saw one of them and I thought they were there to sue us. We got
a little nervous, and by about the third or fourth song into it, someone
from their entourage came up and said they'd like to jam. People came
in off the streets and started going crazy. They stuck around for
the entire show and took pictures and had cocktails with us. They
were in really good spirits and said they were honored because as
far as they knew, we were the first to do it."
Ryan Ritchie can be reached at (562) 499-1257 or ryan.ritchie@presstelegram.com
NO DUH; KARMA DELUXE; HEARTLESS, 8 tonight. The Blue Cafe, 210 The
Promenade, Long Beach. $10. 21 and over. (562) 983-7111 or www.thebluecafe.com
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Campus
Circle.com
‘Manicures & Martinis’ Featuring No Doubt Cover Band No Duh
March 23, 30 @ The Lighthouse Café, Hermosa Beach
By Kym Parsons
Ladies pay attention, this one’s for you! Diva night has arrived
and it’s hella-good news. Featuring a full night of pampering,
performance and plenty of alcohol, the famed Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa
Beach will transform its casual, beachy atmosphere into a relaxing
yet hip retreat for the night.
If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, there’s more.
While spoiling yourself with tasty beverages, the tunes of No Doubt
will be playing in the background. So even though No Doubt may be
on hiatus, with Gwen starting her solo career, you can still get your
No Doubt fix.
Cover band No Duh will be performing all of the band’s top
hits. Despite the not-so-good reputation that cover bands usually
acquire, this band is possibly one of the best things to come out
of Orange County since No Doubt themselves.
If you don’t believe me, ask the originals. No Doubt recently
showed up at one of their shows and rocked alongside the band.
At first glance it’s hard to believe that No Duh aren’t
the real deal; the singer and the rest of the band emulate No Doubt
in almost every possible way. From head to toe the band is decked
out in full-on gear – even by the simple mannerisms it’s
obvious that the band has done their homework.
Those who opt not to get a manicure or drink at the bar are still
welcome at The Lighthouse. Those wishing to rock steady with No Duh
can do.
Campus Circle
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SUMMERFEST 2006
Trinidad & Tobago, West indies
Blogger.com
posted by Elspeth at Sunday, June 18, 2006
The featured bands were 2U (imitating U2), No Duh (imitating No
Doubt), Almost Queen (for Queen), Separate Ways (for Journey) and
don't-know-their-name-because-thankfully-we-left-during-their-second-song
(for AC/DC). 2U opened the show and I wasn't impressed. They didn't
look or sounded like U2. I was also unimpressed for 'Journey'. During
their (second-to-last) performance I sat on the ground amidst empty
plastic rum/beercups and water bottles and slept.
Out of all the bands, I found 'No Duh' did a good job. At
least the singer looked, moved, dressed and sounded like Gwen Stefani
- so at points it felt like looking at 'the real thing'. And they
incorporated strong stage presence and humour into their act which
made it at least more interesting to look at. I held my breath
for 'Almost Queen' ... wondering if their Bulgarian lead singer would
look like Freddie Mercury. He was somewhat shorter and not as angular,
but managed to pull it off, getting the swarthy complexion, trademark
sideburns & moustache, skinny legs, strut, the mannerisms and
the pouting/open-mouth movements - but minus the famous buck teeth.
He was also impressive on the keyboards. Breath was held again as
they launched into the classic "Bohemian Rhapsody", which
everyone must have been waiting to judge them on. Amazingly, they
pulled it off, aaaaaaaaaaaalmost sounding like 'the real thing' and
managing to turn a potentially sacriligeous opportunity into one worthy
of cheers from the crowd.
http://nowiswow.blogspot.com/2006/06/queen-waves-tt-flag-for-soca-warrior.html
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No Duh The Galaxy Theater – Santa Ana, CA
People say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and because of this, cover bands are typically perceived as the highest honor a band can receive from their loyal fanbase. Over the decades, tribute/cover bands have demonstrated not only their loyalty to the bands they pay tribute to, but also to the fans who are unable to experience original live acts due to bands being broken up, or worse, death in older bands. Friday night, The Galaxy Theater paid homage to 3 bands who composed a large portion of the 90s and who today still rein as some of the best bands of the 1990s. No Duh, a No Doubt cover band, headlined the 90's tribute night with support from Vitalogy ( Pearl Jam cover band), and Joshua Tree ( U2 cover band).
Once it was time for No Duh to hit the stage, No Doubt's melodic "Rock Steady" intro played and initiated the band's arrival onto The Galaxy's large and colorful stage. No Duh opened up with "Sunday Morning" and immediately began their performance with a raw delivery that was augmented by vocalist Spen Gjormani's quirky stage presence. Those who were on the floor all sang along word for word and appeared allured and awestruck by the band's ability to completely manifest No Doubt's irresistable music.
Three songs into the band's set, vocalist "Spen Gjormani" announced to the audience that the next song they were about to play would be played in honor of another famous Orange County band and that she hoped we would all recognize the band and song. No Duh then followed that statement by performing "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit, which caused the crowd to cheer wildly and vividly. No Duh went on to impress the audience by playing a set entirely composed of No Doubt's most popular songs, including "Spiderwebs", "Total Hate '95", "Ex-Girlfriend", "Bathwater", "Hella Good", "It's My Life", "Excuse Me Mr.", and "Don't Speak" among several others. Props also augmented the nature of the band and consisted of a wedding veil during "Simple Kind Of Life", banana costumes for the men, and a doll with a No Doubt t-shirt on; all items which were displayed at different times during the band's performance. The band also went out of their way to give treats to their fans by playing other covers such as Sublime songs "Santeria", "What I got", and "Saw Red".
During the middle of the band's set, No Duh paid special tribute to Gwen Stefani specifically by covering songs from her solo albums "L.A.M.B" (Love.Angel.Music.Baby), and "The Sweet Escape". Spen Gjormani came out on stage with marching band attire, and while dressed in it, performed "Hollaback Girl". The energetic Gwenabee then performed "Sweet Escape" and ended the Gwen covers to continue on with No Doubt's music. Before No Duh's set ended, in true Gwen Stefani fashion, Spen Gjormani got on all fours before "Just A Girl", and began to do Stefani's signature prelude push-ups to reiterate the strength of all women. Bassist "Bony Yanow" then followed by also getting on all fours to do push-ups, and after he finished, the band resumed the song and ultimately ended the show and night with the empowering anthem.
90's night at The Galaxy Theater proved to be a night that fully paid honor to a decade worthy of nostalgia and rememberance. Whether you still disagree with shows like 90210 or eccentric MC Hammer pants, one thing everyone can agree on is that the bands of the 90s truly continue to shape music and culture today. No Duh's performance Friday night captivated the venue and demonstrated the band's creative ability to perform the songs of No Doubt in such a precise manner, while at the same time delivering their own unique style. If you can't wait until No Doubt's next tour or you have a feeling you won't have the funds to catch their next big concert, give No Duh a chance and fulfill yourself with an experience that will cause you to wonder if you're watching No Doubt impersonators or the real thing.
http://www.bigwheelmagazine.com/show_reviews/no-duh-and-vitalogy-at-the-galaxy-theater-santa-ana-ca-october-1-2010/
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In my world, every little girl wants to grow up to be just like Gwen Stefani. So in my opinion, No Doubt cover band front woman, "Spen Gjormani" aka Heather Lounsbury is kind of my idol for making that happen. No Duh is not just a No Doubt cover band, they're a No Doubt experience! {Be prepared for a photo overload!}
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Last weekend they played at a local swap meet and I couldn't miss the opportunity to see them play 3 hour long sets! That's three hours of No Doubt... errr, well, No Duh! Once they start performing you almost don't know the difference!! They are so authentic to No Doubt's live performance, it's both hilarious and impressive...
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No Duh's show is such a fun experience!! They replicate the sounds and stage presence of No Doubt so precisely and make fun of themselves in the process. Making light of Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal's history, "Spen" and "Bony" {No Duh's bassist} banter back and forth throughout the set at times, especially playing on the relationship during their cover of "Don't Speak".
The band also recognizes Gwen Stefani's solo career with a mock breakup mid-set where "Spen" performs, "Hollaback Girl", "What You Waiting For" and "Sweet Escape". The band uses a lot of props and costumes to accompany their performance visually {yes, the band members dress up like sh*t and bananas...}.
I got an extra special experience with the bubbles they shoot during "Bathwater" when the bubble machine shot right into my face {that thing is powerful!}. Fortunately "Bony" saved the day and directed it toward "Spen" so I could breathe and take these awesome "bubble pictures".
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| This little machine is POWERFUL! ;) |
One of my favorite parts of seeing No Duh perform live is that you get to hear songs you'll probably never hear No Doubt play; this show for example, "Stricken" and "Different People" were amongst my favorites. Their set also included covers of Sublime, Cyndi Lauper, Save Ferris and Lit among other artists. In the past I've seen No Duh cover Blondie to promote their other cover band, Blonde Day {who I have yet to see officially perform}. With the other covers, No Duh still performs in the style of No Doubt, so it truly feels like you're hearing No Doubt do a cover. As I explained to a friend: it's not every day you get to hear No Duh cover No Doubt cover Save Ferris cover Dixie and the Midnight Runners! ;)
I kind of felt silly taking so many pictures of No Duh because they're not No Doubt {I took 500, that's insane!} - but they are so photogenic and fun!! They even hammed it up for my camera at times! :)
This one kind of reminds me of a live picture I got of the real Gwen Stefani 5 years ago haha {it actually makes Spen look way better, too lol}. . .
If you ever get the chance to see No Duh perform live, I highly suggest you check them out! I'm hoping to go see them again in Lake Elsinore next month! While they're based in southern California, I've seen performances on their website for all over the country. Even if you're not the world's biggest No Doubt fan, I assure you that you'll enjoy yourself! Tyler went with me this time and he said he was highly entertained the whole time. And if you are a huge No Doubt fan, you have to check them out! This was my fourth time seeing them play and I'm blown away every time!!
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