Musicians in the US lobbying for new laws to stop tribute bands masquerading as originals have welcomed new rules to that effect in Nevada because that, of course, will cover bands performing in Las Vegas, one of the US' live entertainment capitals.
As previously reported, founding members of a number of legendary bands, and in particular Mary Wilson of The Supremes, have been lobbying state by state for new laws that stop tribute bands from implying they are in some way the original band, or connected to the original band, through their name and marketing material. New laws introduced in Illinois last year set a framework for such rules, and a number of states are now moving to introduce them.
In Nevada bands will have to clearly label themselves as a "tribute act" unless they have at least one member who once performed in the original act. If bands make false claims they will be guilty of "deceptive trading practices" under the new laws.
When lobbying for the new laws in Missouri, Wilson said: "They [the misleading tribute bands] are taking our history, they're taking our legacies. We have given America and the world many hours of happiness. We are American national treasures. We want to get the impostor groups out of the way".
Maxine Porter, who manages Bill Pinkney, one of the original members of The Drifters (a group who have had many legitimate-name-claim issues over the years), who now runs and performs in a group called the Original Drifters, is also a keen supporter of the new laws. Welcoming the new Nevada laws she told reporters last week: "In a town like [Las Vegas], where you have a constant flow of tourists, this is a place where people expect to have authenticity. You don't need to see the Drifters advertised on three different marquees". She added that she now hopes to see the new laws introduced in twenty US states by the end of the year.