I will elaborate and will try to explain what this "Oh, please" mean, knowing Mark through his words more than 10 years.
For me, as an amateur musician, this is a very hard topic. Especially when I try very hard to find some time to record Mark's songs.
In one form, I'm a cover band, or a tribute band if you will, sort of. But with some major differences, though, this is my take on it:
1) My goal is not to copy MK, I just play good songs that happen to suit my voice perfectly as I can't really sing.
2) I never ever earned any money by performing other people's music, and if I performed it live it was free anyway.
3) I don't care about views. I will never do 'Sultans of Swing' because I know it will inevitably gain an attention, a click bait.
4) I believe it's better to do a song with 1 instrument, but do it good, rather than to get 10 musicians and do no justice at all.
5) I believe if one is truly able to play songs of any artist, he would become an artist on his own right, it's just a matter of time.
Nostalgia is a good thing, but my message to all the tribute bands, cover bands and enthusiasts out there, if you are going to tackle songs of a calibre like fine crafted MK songs, check the song, check the chords, double check the chords, check the arrangements, work hard at it.
When I hear songs like "The Ragpicker's Dream" done with a chords taken from a book like "Play Guitar in a Day" it almost offends me. This is not at all how composer intended. If you decide to steal money — steal a million, this is what I'm talking about. Live and breathe it.