MSM Story

Powered By SirLook

Hope you Guessed My Name

By David Malsch

For Chris LeGrand and a few friends, Satisfaction is a most loaded word.

Not only is Satisfaction the namesake of a quintet, a Rolling Stones tribute band---but it is also a perfect description of benefits reaped from musical artistry and meticulous imitation.

Created in 1999 by LeGrand and fellow founding members, the band's birth was itself a culmination of sorts. After a few years of playing Ark-La-Tex venues with a Top 40 or classic rock sound, LeGrand said, "We wanted to do something different."

The desire for a niche LeGrand shared with drummer Jerry Howard had a visual aspect that accompanied the group's use of lots of Stones covers. LeGrand grew accustomed to hearing himself compared to Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Tribute bands that imitated KISS, the Beatles and even the Rolling Stones had found success in larger areas such as California, New York City and Philadelphia, but none seemed to travel beyond the boundaries of their local success. LeGrand saw opportunity in the South and capitalized on the region's lack of its own tribute band.

The success the band would find in that area and beyond lies in the thorough measures members take to ensure complete success in the audiovisual show they produce. From the beginning of recruitment in 2000, the simple policy of "look-alikes and sound-alikes" took on their own meaning. LeGrand expands upon the basic tenet of Satisfaction as someone who can convince a fan base of "grandfathers to teen-age girls," all of whom seem to know the most minute detail about their favorite performer. "We're always looking for someone who's got the look, sound and attitude of the Stones," LeGrand said. These fundamental characteristics are perfected after members carefully scrutinize thousands of hours of footage spanning the Stones' 40-year career, thus guaranteeing precise mimicry of mannerisms or concert moves.

On the other hand, the visual dimension of Satisfaction is subservient to the musical basis. The "total package" LeGrand looks for in a potential new band member naturally depends heavily upon the individual's musical strengths or weaknesses. Finding a full-time commitment from one who satisfies the band's unconditional demand for appearance and sound can be equally difficult, and adjustments are often made with regard to the newest member's attributes.

The demands upon a tribute band performer often make this search a common occurrence, but the success of Satisfaction shows the formula works: 250 performances across 35 states in 18 months speak for themselves. The group enjoys a following throughout the USA in cities from St. Louis to Seattle, and in particular the state of Florida, where, says LeGrand, "the international community, particularly English and Irish pubs," show strong support. Since relocating the band to Florida would mean being based in an entertainment mecca, Satisfaction is contemplating the move.

While they enjoy national success imitating an international phenomenon, the group does not anticipate forgetting the source of its success. While LeGrand notes that "we have a lot of fans here," he is most thankful of Freddie Mac’s Nightclub in downtown Shreveport, LA., whom LeGrand credits with giving Satisfaction its first break: "He let us play a solid month of Thursdays. From there, things started happening."

Like the band's lucky break, that chain of events began with local approval. Stones fan Charlie DeFriend responded to the selection of songs and resemblance Satisfaction offered in their audiovisual portrayal of their British counterparts. "They looked just like them and had their high energy," he said.

Back to Satisfaction Main Page