Interview by Kris Peters
If there’s one topic sure to divide opinion in the world of music it’s tribute bands and the rapid growth of such bands around the globe. Those who support tribute bands argue points such as providing accessible, affordable entertainment, keeping classical music alive and preserving musical history while those opposed argue tribute bands impact artist authenticity by oversaturating venues and reducing opportunities for original bands who play their own music.
That debate has recently spread to social media platforms like Facebook, whose new META algorythm has censored tribute bands and their videos, to the extent of closing down pages dedicated to tribute acts. With two successful international tribute bands in CHOP SUEY and SLIP NOT heading to Australia this May for a run of shows, HEAVY took the opportunity to sit down with the man behind these two bands and one of the world’s leading experts on the tribute market, ANDRE JOYZI, to get his perspective on the global tribute band phenomina.
“Basically, if you don’t think with your ego there’s nothing wrong with playing in a covers or tribute band,” Joyzi began. “When I was 23 I decided I was going to be a professional metal drummer. There was nothing specific like it’s going to have to be death metal or It’s going to have to be this or that, because there’s nothing I love more than playing metal live and the feeling you get from that. I made the early decision that I was going to do both (covers/tribute and originals), because nothing says that you can’t”.
I’ve always done a bit of both. It used to be covers bands but now the trend is more towards specific tribute bands. I always knew that I was going to be doing something with covers as well as originals, just because it’s a different thing. I very much enjoy the music business; the parts about planning and creating and coming up with ideas. Not necessarily creating songs, but coming up with ideas, planning and booking shows. With tribute bands you don’t have to convince anyone to like your songs (laughs).”
It is important to clarify that Joyzi isn’t just a musician who has settled on tribute bands chasing a quick buck. He has had a lengthy and successful career as drummer for Breed 77 and now Sinsaenum, where he stepped in following the tragic loss of Joey Jordison. He was also Joey‘s drum tech for a number of years, as well as having toured the world as stage manager for Dragonforce for over a decade.
“There are very clear levels to this game,” Joyzi measured, “and that was part of the reason behind my motivation to do this. I come from 10, 15 years of working at a very high level when it comes to original bands and have worked and played all the main stages at all the big festivals with original bands. Sam Totman from Dragonforce is also in Chop Suey so our goal was always… It wasn’t just going to be another tribute band. It was more a case of let’s try to bring our standard to the world of tributes and see what happens, and it’s definitely working.”
Some people are so vehemently opposed to the notion of tribute bands that they lay scorn upon them without even listening or watching a show. It is a mindset that is difficult to alter, despite the growing number of genuine quality tribute bands out there.
“Yeah, I 100% understand why some people are negative,” Joyzi nodded. “The standard can be very low, it really can. Anyone can start a tribute band. You can go to the pub with your mates right now and you can start a tribute to Pink Floyd, but you’re not going to be the same as the Australian Pink Floyd Band are you? There are levels to this game, but anyone can start a tribute band which makes the standard extremely low. Having said that, there are some incredible tribute bands out there. In the UK, for instance, there’s Slip Not and Chop Suey, but you also have a band called Korn Again. You have Stiff Biscuit and Black Charade – which are a tribute to My Chemical Romance – and these bands are just as good as you can possibly be as a tribute to these original bands. I’ve seen a lot of Limp Bizkit tributes and none of them are half as good as Stiff Biscuit, because they are also professional musicians and do a stellar job at it. So it’s not the band’s fault. It’s whoever books them because you don’t look up the bands. You don’t know if they’re good or not. But you know that if you put a Metallica tribute on at your bar, there’s going to be a lot of people there. And nothing says that this Metallica tribute is good or bad. It’s just a Metallica tribute band. The brand will sell immediately and sell a certain amount of tickets. And then a person goes to one of those shows and they have a not so good experience and they assume all tribute bands are shit. But that’s not how it works.”
With the ever increasing costs involved with international touring its fair to say that tribute bands could be the way of the future moving forward. Already a growing number of International Tribute Band Festivals are appearing on the calendar, with events such as Let’s Forge It Festival, Beardfest 2026, and Giants Of Rock seeing thousands of music lovers descend to hear the music of their favourite bands for a drastically reduced price.
“These festivals are becoming massive, and I’m talking about massive like the real ones,” Joyzi elaborated. “Just last year one festival called Dubs of Rock in the UK were interested in and booked quite a few of my bands. As soon as I got there I was like, holy fuck, this is basically just as good as Bloodstock! It’s big, the infrastructure is top level and there’s thousands and thousands of people. It’s a cheaper option and it’s a fun night out. I’m really happy that some professional promoters are tapping into this market and providing a service, again, for the families. You see a lot of families at these events because imagine trying to take your family to a System Of A Down gig? It’s two months worth of mortgage,which is unaffordable to most so there’s no point. The festival is a cheap alternative and it’s a fun night out, and I think most people tend to forget one big thing. The music industry is part of a bigger industry called the entertainment industry. People want to be entertained. So once you understand this – which I did 15 years ago – life becomes a lot easier.”
Australian fans – or those maybe not fans – will get the chance to experience two of the world’s leading tribute bands this May when Chop Suey and Slip Not – both of whom Joyzi drums for and put together – arrive for a run of dates starting in Wollongong on May 20. It’s been more than five years since Chop Suey made their maiden voyage to these shores, with the band undergoing a few moderations since that visit.
“That was a lot of fun,” Joyzi smiled at the memory, “but the world has changed a lot since then. That was just before the pandemic and tribute bands – at least in Europe – exploded right after the pandemic. So things are very different and I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s going to be like in Australia, but I would expect nothing different than what we get in Europe, which is packed venues and hundreds and hundreds of people at every show. We have grown a lot in even the last three years. Also we have a new singer, and he’s amazing. Martin was amazing as well, but Ashley is incredible. I think the band is better than ever now, not because of anyone specifically, but just because we do it so much. We’re always on tour and you can only get better if you’re playing all the time. I think the band now is at its peak, and I’m really proud of that.”
2026 MAY TOUR DATES
20/05 – La La La’s, Wollongong
21/05 – Keystone, Bathurst
22/05 – Ocean View, Wamberal Surf Club
23/05 – Hoey Moey’s, Coffs Harbour
24/05 – Warehouse, Newcastle
27/05 – The Loft On Broadway, Sydney
28/05 – Cherry Bar, Melbourne
29/05 – Golden Vine Hotel, Bendigo
30/05 – Mo’s Desert Clubhouse, Burleigh Heads
31/05 – Paddo Tavern, Brisbane
https://linktr.ee/chopsueyslipnot
