Hi Guys . . . I've been doing a few tribute shows over the past couple of years or so and am using a great piece of software you may be interested in.
The shows consist of a live band using some additional pre-recorded backtracks (strings, brass etc...). We're running 7 tracks of Audio (could be more if required), 1 audio 'Click' track, and a MIDI file which operates lights, reverb presets, my guitar pedal patch changes and keyboard prog. changes, Video, and just introduced recently, still images (great for band/show name and logos etc).
This is how I'm doing it . . . the whole lot is being run from one laptop (I actually have one running on XP and the back-up is running on VISTA), but you will need to have the facility to prepare the tracks and MIDI files beforehand . . I happen to be using Cubase.
From Cubase I create sub-mixes of all the tracks I need . . . these can be a mixture of mono and stereo. I then export a MIDI file containing any info I need . . . prog changes, note ON/OFF for lights etc... .
Now this is where it all comes together . . . The laptop is running a program called SCS (http://www.showcuesystems.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=100) where all the required files are loaded into and then it is used as a very sophisticated sort of jukebox. You can get a free demo from SCS . . . tell Mike I sent you.
Into each song created I then load the relevant audio files, MIDI file and Video file all programmed to start at the same time or with delays if required. You then build up a whole load of songs that are then simply displayed as a list on the main screen. Each song is started by the space bar, or a MIDI/USB footcontroller and at the end of that song it automatically cues at the beginning of the next song. You can easily scroll up or down if you change your running order on the fly.
The 'Click' track is actually an audio file and I use a drum 'stick' sound playing on every beat but you can use whatever you like . . . the beauty of using audio for 'Click' purposes is that you can also add voice prompting such as the count-in or lead–in chord for example.
At present the output for all this is running via an Edirol UA-101 but you could use any USB or Firewire interface (did have some problems with Firewire and VISTA combination) giving you multi-track audio outputs and a MIDI out.
The audio is then run to the mixer for FOH purposes (the 'Click' track is only fed to the drummer and anyone else on stage using in-ear monitoring). The MIDI signal is distributed to the devices mentioned above.
I'm not a lighting person so I can't actually tell you how the lights are working but anyone with some knowledge of MIDI->DMX will know what to do.
It sounds complicated but is in fact a very cost effective way to go.
Hope all of that makes some sort of sense . . . I'd be happy to assist anyone who wants to give this a go. Check out an article I wrote on SCS at http://www.soundachievements.com/SA_Web-Site_3/Live_Show_Control_-_Home_.... There's a link there to SCS when you've read the article.

Cheers . . . Martin