Cover band using backing tracks?

[InnerBass]

so I've decided to add another band to my stable. I auditioned last night with a group doing largely 80s covers. It's a 4 piece: drums, guitar, vox and bass. The vox are strong, the drummer is fantastic and the guitar is above average. Their are targeting small corporate and event gigs.

Where it gets interesting is that they heavily utilize backing tracks for keys, percussion and even some backing vocals. Drummer plays to a click to keep us in time to the track. The tracks are reasonably well done and the musicians blend pretty well. They've still got some cleanup to do, though, especially on levels. And some of the tracks are a bit over done.

At this point they've offered me the slot. I've never done backing tracks like this before, and I'm questioning how marketable and acceptable this will be. Have any of you ever used them, and how was it received?

I did that for a couple of years. Our guitarist ran all the tracks from a laptop onstage and for the most part, it was fine. The drummer had a click in his ear and we just played to him.

The good - made a 4 piece sound freaking huge. Most lay people hear with their eyes anyway so the only people that carp on you are other musicians. It's kinda cheesy and I grew tired of it - but you usually make more $.

The bad - if the drummer gets off the click and you have prerecorded instrumentation playing along with you, the song turns into a polyrhythmic mess. The computer spews horn/string parts in seemingly random places because the song pretty much lost at that point - Ugly.

The grooves seem kinda lifeless too because every tempo is perfect. Not sure about now, but you and the drummer couldn't play with the tempo at all during the song. That drives me crazy.

And the song had to be played the same way, the same length, the same everything at every show - just to match the click. Tiresome.

BTW - I saw White Zombie get completely off the click track during an AMA show on TV. The played More Human than Human and the drummer got off the click - Holy Hell, what a mess.

But they kept mashing and no one seems to notice - quite sad, actually : )

 

[nixdad]

Around here at least, backing tracks have been a staple for many cover bands for a while. It's nothing new or novel, or much of a concern anymore. The only concern is whether you have a drummer that can play to a click track, and that you guys can follow the form of the song.

Nowadays, bands are a lot like professional wrestling. Everybody in the audience knows it's fake, but they don't care as long as the show is entertaining.

I completely agree with most if the comments above. However, if your goal is to improvise and jam at will, playing to tracks won't be for you. If making money is your goal, playing to tracks could be a very big piece to you making the most of your earning potential.

There is a classic rock cover band here in So. Cal which includes not only instrumental tracks, but additional vocal tracks as well - on top of that, they also coordinate their performance with video of the original artist playing the song (how they get away with this and don't get sued is beyond me.) The end result is they are paid very well.

The funny thing is that without all of the electronica, they are dead in the water. Their show is very entertaining and a few of the guys are decent musicians, but to most musicians they are "not a real band, but an incredible simulation." Never mind the man behind the curtain...

You guys sound like you have all of the pieces to be very successful. Take the ball and run with it, and make us all envious of the money you're making.

 

[newmusicmichael]

I'd definitely be against it. Doesn't mean anyone else should, of course.

 

[grinx]

sounds like a live karaoke machine hybrid thingamabob
I'd rather see music by krappy real musicians then see glossed-over hybrid karaoke by awesome musicians
but I bet the paying public doesn't give a sheet and as long as YOU don't care...... \m/ on

 

[1954bassman]

Canned music is here to stay? Most likely, but still sad in a way. Been going on for years from the local level all the way to the pros. Some acts are just that, basically miming to pre-recorded music.

The music business is just that, the music business.

 

[mellowinman]

I have used sound effects for Pink Floyd songs for years. Never used a click; just timed stuff. Never had anything so accurate as actual instrumental parts. Audiences love it; overall it's a pain in the butt.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Done backing tracks in several tribute bands to really help get that authentic sound. Mostly keyboard tracks & light percussion but only need it in half the songs.

Works brilliantly if you know what you're doing.
- Definitely have a click track, and with an accent on the 1.
- Make sure drums keeps time on hi hats during quiet moments.
- Everyone practice with metronome to control tempo 'mood swings'. If you can't play in time, don't do them... they're not for everyone.
- record the full band with tracks live, and listen/practice to it. Really helps you learn to 'groove in time'.
- be able to Switch off the track if it goes wrong.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

oh... oh... OH THAT IS JUST PAINFUL

 

[theduke1]

I saw the Grass Roots 15 years ago and all the horns extra guitars backing vocals and even the bass track was DAT. Rob Grill God rest his soul, was the original bassist, but air based his parts. The amp was on but the bass volume was on 0. The Grass Roots sounded just like we all remembered.
And the crowd went wild!
I know this because I was working for the sound company that setup the backline and I ran the following spot light.
Whatever keeps you working and getting paid.
Rock on dude
Duke

 

[nixdad]

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Man, that was painful to watch and hear.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Only time I've heard drum backing tracks done well is with a jazz/fusion trio (sax/vox, keys/laptop, bass) - all pro players with excellent soloing abilities. We were at the very prestigious outdoor Opera House Bar - had imposed on them annoying volume restrictions, but the music actually suited the venue well.

Punters could talk, place was packed & pumpin', band was a reasonable volume, and several smaller PA speakers spread around meant it could be heard easily everywhere.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

Holy $h|t, this is the most depressing thread I've ever read here on TalkBass. Why is this OK? I saw a band we shared a bill with do this and it was shocking. You should sell yourself as an act and not a band if you do this. It is one step above Karaoke in my opinion. Bash me if you want, but it's not a band at this point. Ugh.

glad im not the only one.

 

[Savage_Dreams]

In my warped opinion, as long as *you* (or your band) made the backing tracks, anything goes. Well, and it sounds good. If you've got your act together and know how to get the levels right and make it sound natural, it works fine.

We live in a time where if you want to just play other people's music and occasionally trigger a bullhorn sample, you're a DJ, and if you mix in a track you actually made, you're an artist. Do you feel good about the musicianship of the band otherwise? I wouldn't let backing tracks stop you.

We were working on an act where the lighting would be sequenced, but all the music would be performed live. Is it cheating to pre-sequence the lights? How is this different from sequencing a backing track? Discuss.

so bands are now on the same level as the lights, good to know. no wonder so many djs are getting gigs instead of bands now.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I don't like it, and would rather hear a sparse arrangement with just real musicians, but lots of people do it. If you don't mind the lack of spontaneity, take the gig.

 

[StayLow]

You are not a "lighting artist." Lighting generally is part of the look of the show. You are not billing yourselves as "The amazing lighting technicians." Patrons come to the event to see music PLAYED if you are billed as "live music." If you want to be musical karaoke, promote yourself as such.

The sad reality is, no one gives a **** but us. The ignorant public is happily ignorant and doesn't know the difference. That's why DJs take the jobs of live bands all the time.

DJ's take the job of *some* live bands because too many live bands suck. Too loud, no groove / poor song choices, dress awful, unreliable, etc. etc. and indeed etc. DJ's also cost less, take up much less room, and can play anything an audience might want to hear as opposed to "sorry, we've just been playing these same 30 songs for two years and that's all we can play." I mean in general, of course. So too when I write...

I've been in bands using backing tracks. It can sound good but I despise it. Often sucks the life and fun out of the performance, and getting the levels right from night to night and room to room is very difficult. It also takes an unusually high level of competence from mainly the drummer and singer (presuming vocal backing tracks).

That said the standard rule-of-thumb applies; as long as you're not hurting anyone then do what you want and have fun.

 

[denhou1974]

This topic has been discussed ad nauseam.

Yes, if it's done well then it's marketable. Audiences don't care anymore because they just want to hear their favorite song. If they're tracking an instrument(s) that's not in the band (horns, percussion) then, well, okay. If they're tracking backing vocals or other instruments that are in the band then they are chumps. Etc, etc.

 

[nofrets5]

Groove Doctor has it nailed, and this is FAR from becoming a DJ. When there suddenly becomes a plethora of keyboard players that play well enough and have a handle the actual sound programming/design, it could change things but I've waited 20 years and it hasn't and won't happen I don't think.

Also, if the drummer is really slick, the click disappears and they can play AROUND it, pushing and pulling so it DOESN'T have to sound sterile if they and the band internalizes the pocket. Have played in this manner for more years than I want to think about and if you prepare correctly, it's far less of a live cluster than a too drunk guitarist or vocalist.

 

[Altitude]

80s cover bands are a thing, and I think they get booked to play the songs exactly as people remembered them. There were a lot of layered synth parts in that music and some horns too; I don't know how a normal working cover band would be able to do it all live even if they wanted to. Recorded tracks make it possible. Audiences love the resulting product. What more is there to know?

Basslines were super fun in the 80s. I'd have a ball with a gig like that. The challenge is to play the tunes without irony.

 

[pbass2]

- be able to Switch off the track if it goes wrong.

This is probably the #1 thing to have nailed! If things go awry, be able to switch off the tracks and spontaneously "remix"(for lack of a better term) the tune with just your live instrumentation so it sounds like it was intentional. Like if there's a keyboard hook going and it suddenly disappears, the guitarist should be able to pick it up, or even more drastic moves like you go into a breakdown and get some audience participation going, or whatever. If you just keep chugging along and a bunch of parts drop out, it sounds very weak. Cover up the technical malfunction in a way that sounds like you meant it. A good reason to ALSO practice the entire set once in a while with no backing tracks, doing "your" version of them, even power trio style!

 

[mpdd]

for me the bpms ends up being an issue for some reason, i either want the cover to be faster or slower, not sure why