• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

A new wedding band trend?

D

dougjwray

Jul 20, 2005
7,043
7,896
#1
Recently, I attended a wedding reception where the entertainment was live musicians playing along with tracks. I mean the tracks weren't backing tracks, but original hit versions of classics, and the guys (sax, keyboards, drums) were either doubling their counterparts, or, in the case of the sax player, noodling over the top.
I found it incredibly annoying. I mean, if Aretha is singing "Respect", I REALLY don't want to hear a young hipster scribbling his laidback smooth jazz licks over her.
But, just in general, the whole thing sounded messy.
Is this an unfortunate new trend?
 
  • Like
  • Wow
  • Sad
Reactions: andruca, MrAB4003, rodl2005 and 11 others
#5
OP, I've heard this myself. Its odd and I don't care for it either. I also notice that the hired band will often do almost as much DJ stuff (just spinning songs) vs actually playing live. It's likely that its all about getting the gig and the fact that most people at events/venues (weddings, restaurants, wineries etc.) could hardly care less about how the music is delivered, they just want to dance and have fun while hearing music performed in a familiar way. There is a sax player locally who gigs quite a bit. His thing is to play familiar songs from the past with featured sax parts (think Pink Floyd/Money, Foreigner/Urgent, Billy Joel/Just The Way You Are etc etc) while he plays over them ... or just doubles the sax parts. I call it Saxophone Karaoke. He does know how to play pretty well but I really dislike it, but I've heard non-musicians rave about the guy. 🤷‍♂️

Several of my friends around the country who are still full-timers report that brides are perfectly happy with DJ and Karaoke music.

Players gotta do whats needed to get the gig and get paid I guess.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Sad
Reactions: hieronymous, rodl2005, DJ Bebop and 2 others
#6
I played at a grand opening for a restaurant a couple years ago and they had another player follow me. I had time and decided to give some support and listen for a while, but even though his guitar playing sounded perfectly competent between songs, it was so low in the mix that all you could hear was the karaoke track and his vocals. Total yuck from my perspective.
If someone uses backing tracks, they should only allow them to be backing and not the main sound.

On another note, a friend who played professionally for years was totally irate over the players using drum machines...until he started using one too.
Still, he would never stop berating the entire concept and hobby of karaoke. Nothing worse in the world! Well, that is, until he found his present niche in life as a weekly karaoke star!

For live performance, all vocals and solos should be live.
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: Craig22221 and oldandbold
#8
Killing Floor said:
Correct. Notorious for playing partials over multiple backing tracks. Maybe the Eagles played at the wedding.
Click to expand...
No, I think this is different.
Performing your own stuff over backing tracks goes back at least as far as the Beatles' videos for "Hey Jude" and "Revolution", where they sang live over the finished recordings, which had the vocals scrubbed off.
What I'm talking about is this: Three instrumentalists with no connection to the original music blast the official album versions over the PA, and basically jam along with them, often obscuring the classic lead vocals or other elements. To continue with the "Respect" example, the sax player I saw stepped out for a solo OVER the original sax solo on the bridge. Cacophony ensued.
 
  • Like
  • Wow
  • Angry
Reactions: pcake, Winoman, Polfuste and 6 others
#12
roccobass said:
It's rampant in my area. (probably in yours too).
Yes, non-musicians just rave about it. Venue owners love it because it's just one musician and not so much clutter.
Showing my age. I remember when making live music meant there was something "happening".:thumbsdown:
Click to expand...
I admit (sheepishly) that at my very own wedding we used a DJ. I did create the song list, and the DJ did not deviate.
No live musicians, but at least the music I love wasn't being marred by irrelevant, totally superfluous live musicians jamming along with it!
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: groovepump and roccobass
#18
Jeff Scott said:
I've never seen the Eagles, but all the times I have seen Yes (1974-2013) they never did such.
Click to expand...
In the olden times when I paid less than 1/10th of they’re charging now, I saw the Eagles perform in the pre Walsh days. No backing tracks and no other musicians. Definitely, they were the real thing back when.:sour:

Sorry, I ramble on. I see some clouds that need some yelling at. I’ll see myself out.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: nixdad, Schpeaker and Jeff Scott

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back