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They say nothing divides opinion quite like Marmite, but tribute bands certainly give our yeast-based paste a run for its money. For years, mimics with a mic have had crowds going crazy by merely belting out household names and wearing similar attire to their heroes of yesteryear.

From The Clone Roses to Peat Loaf (pictured right) there are faux popstars dedicating their lives to impersonating bands from all eras. 70s tribute bands based on the likes of Abba, Bee Gees, The Beach Boys and The Kinks are often the most in-demand acts along with 80s tribute bands consisting of phoney Wham, Bon Jovi, Madonna, Cher and Queen performers.

Love them or hate them, these tribute bands aren’t going anywhere soon. In fact, they seem to be becoming even more widespread thanks to console games such as Guitar Hero and karaoke machines that continually provide tone-deaf punters with a platform to make others wince.

In the US, tribute bands are earning more money than ever, drawing huge respect and performing in front of large crowds – at a time when a pair of tickets to a concert by the biggest rock bands can run in the hundreds of dollars.

Back in the day, a few free pints of beer would be enough to fund a tribute band’s roadshow; they did it for the sheer thrill that derived from trying to replicate their heroes and would try their very best to be as rock ‘n’ roll off the stage as they were on it. Most paid homage to classic rock acts of the 60s and 70s – the Rolling Stones, the Beatles – and heavy metal bands like Judas Priest. But the sheer number and variety of tribute bands has exploded, branching out to modern-era acts such as Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, and even Sheffield boys Arctic Monkeys. And they’re not playing for ale anymore. Today’s tribute bands are playing major nightclubs, concert halls, and in some cases arenas – earning thousands of dollars per gig.