First time hearing a cover band with backing tracks

[Jason Hollar]

First time I saw it was back in the 90s in Chicago. I was in a funky 4pc rock & blues band from Colorado that worked a lot. We had some Midwest gigs one summer and opened for some disco band with a generic but fitting name like “Boogie Nights” or something like that.

It was four young dudes with big Afro wigs and bell bottoms. Singer, bass, guitar, & drums - that’s it. Synced up all the strings, horns, and keys, and of course backup vocals. They could all dance quite well and drew a huge crowd.

Around the same time we opened for the Isley Brothers in Denver at a nice theater. They had a couple adats (remember those?) on stage with tracks upon tracks of vocals. Even though they had a large group with several amazing backup singers on stage! Sounded great though.

 

[turf3]

Well, as usual we find ourselves talking on different sides of the "horses for courses" equation.

For me, at the kind of pay rates I'm going to command, I'd rather play the music for real, with the instrumentation that's available, than add layer upon layer of technology to try to reproduce something on a record. The kinds of audiences I'm playing for now, or the kinds I'd be playing for in those circumstances, aren't going to be looking for a seamless lacquered presentation of "music-like sound entertainment product" anyway.

Basically, since I'm not going to earn big money from music (I've thoroughly proven that), I might as well present "genuine handmade music" and let the chips fall where they may.

If those pay rates were a lot different, and the audiences were truly paying me high pay rates to present a "music-like sound entertainment product" that was a near exact duplicate of a record, then I'd either take the gig and keep my mouth shut, or decline it.

 

[bucephylus]

IMHE/O, there are two things going on in this thread.

For one thing, professional performers use backing tracks for their tour dates; and if you are hired as the bass player for some of those, you do your part and smile.

Regarding bar band cover gigs, there is a world of difference. Said bar band isn’t the original artist. They are being paid to sound somewhat like the original artist, at least to the extent that the audience is familiar with and enjoys the show, and fills up the cash register till. So to speak.

Bar bands can certainly choose to just play the licensed music on their PA, and mime the performance, as long as the venue is paying their licensing fees. I have no doubt it has been done, and will be again.

From a musical standpoint, miming original recordings is not terribly creative musicianship. I did that when I was 7 years old, using my drafting table T square as my first bass. Popular music has spontaneity and circumstantial relevance at its core; audiences generally respect that aspect; and there can be interesting creative content, for example, covering keyboard parts or guitar parts on the bass. Bar gigs are generally NOT renditions of Beethoven’s 9th, to be played a certain way, same way every time.

All that said, audiences are less interested in popular music these days; and venues have lower entertainment budgets. So, more common gigs these days are solo and duo performers; who often do use pre-recorded parts so as not to sound like solo or duo performance. I’d prefer to hear a more talented player using their own skills; but, it is what it is. A sign of the times.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Perhaps it is the arranger (and control-freak) in me that sees things from the other end of the telescope. The 'drummer' plays exactly what I write without fail every time. With respect to constriction, it you produce the tracks yourself you can put as much "me time" as you like into them. But I get your point, especially if you have no control over the tracks yourself, or if the person making them is unwilling to modify and adapt them.

Drums aside, making tracks has allowed me to include things that would be otherwise impossible, due to not having an orchestra, string quartet or horn section on call, and not having a room full of actual vintage synths, organs and the like.

In my first 'band' back in the mid '80s (me, a keyboard player and two vocalists) we used a ¼" tape machine for tracks. The machine itself was a stage 'feature'. Whilst sequencers were around they were pretty rudimentary unless you sold the house to fund them, MIDI was in its infancy and the existing interfaces were either flaky, incompatible with each other, or overly complicated for transporting from studio to stage. So the tape was recorded by people playing instruments, including an acoustic drum kit. To use modern terminology, it was all "Out of the box". Perhaps I formed my perspective way back then...

Of course between then and now, some 40 years, I've played with plenty of 100% 'carbon-based' bands and I have found merit in all of the approaches provided one doesn't get too evangelical or puritanical about it either way, and you maintain a critical ear.

Yeah Steve. Our drum track was controlled by the sound technician, so we had no leeway. Plus personally, I know a drummer that I like when I hear him, but I'd have no clue how to program that. So I much prefer a live drummer.

 

[turf3]

Yeah Steve. Our drum track was controlled by the sound technician, so we had no leeway...

Yeah, just that first sentence tells me that you'd fallen into the world of "music-like sound entertainment product". Me, I'm old, I'm crusty. I've been round the block a few times. I'm no longer interested in providing "music-like sound entertainment product" - I'm gonna make handmade music from here on out. At the prevailing rates of pay, why would you bother to invest in all the computer doohickeys and time spent programming, to earn $75 a man in a beer bar? I'll just show up with my instrument and make it up as I go along for that kind of money.

 

[pb9717]

I make between $200 & $500 per gig in a "bar" band, that draws large crowds with a "music-like sound entertainment product" (huh?) . Our tracks are minimal and often non existent, ( humorously we call it "going commando" when zero tracks are coming out of FOH) but we have video's that we're sync'd to. It's a multimedia show with lights and videos run by a computer. But the music is as "hand made" as any other type. The players are full on pro's with decades of experience in theatre, television, recording, and live artist support role's. Don't think a player is any less capable, or the playing isn't heartfelt because it's being augmented by a track, which may only include a string pad, or a tambourine.

I love playing Jazz, Latin, classic rock, and any other non tracked formats. But experiencing all formats of live performance is essential to being a well rounded player. Playing with tracks included.

Oh, and I'm old and crusty too. ( as if this post didn’t prove that point)

 

[pb9717]

What about loopers?

I was in a band that opened for this trio once where the singer/guitarist ( her, bass and drums - trio) was performing her all original music. Stone Pony, Asbury Park NJ. Every song was her starting the loop, then the band came in, and the verse and chorus used the same changes, over and over and over. For the bridge she would mute or freeze the loop, and then go back to the loop to finish out the song. This went on for umpteen original tracks. I remember after the 1st or 2nd song asking my drummer, “who’s playing that 2nd guitar?” It was then I realized she was looping. Later in the set she all but stopped playing in some songs, and let the loop do the comping.

When the set ended I approached and confirmed that yes, she was looping all her tunes. And I then said, stupidly, to her great displeasure..”wow, if that thing fails, you’re really F$%#@‘d”. She walked away, disgusted with my observation. ( yea, brain/mouth filter disengaged)

But I guess playing with a robust backing track provides that same risk. The PC goes down, audience is gonna really know what’s goin on.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Yeah, just that first sentence tells me that you'd fallen into the world of "music-like sound entertainment product". Me, I'm old, I'm crusty. I've been round the block a few times. I'm no longer interested in providing "music-like sound entertainment product" - I'm gonna make handmade music from here on out. At the prevailing rates of pay, why would you bother to invest in all the computer doohickeys and time spent programming, to earn $75 a man in a beer bar? I'll just show up with my instrument and make it up as I go along for that kind of money.

Just as an FYI, that was the only time I played with a drum machine and like I said I far prefer playing with real musicians.