Not to me. Either it's live or it's not.
Same as a guy with a toupee. It may enhance his looks, but it's still fake.
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'Live' bands with backing tracks
- Thread starter Buzzgroove
- Start date
Not to me. Either it's live or it's not.
Same as a guy with a toupee. It may enhance his looks, but it's still fake.
Barenaked Ladies use a backing track when they do that "it's going to be all right when we go shopping" song - they do like a synchronized shopping-cart dance, it's totally hilarious. Phish used a backing track at one of their New Year's Eve shows to pull off that huge Meatstick dance party.
I saw Train several times between 1996 and about 2002, and there was never a bass player on stage. They were either tracking the bass or someone was playing it offstage. Lately, though, they are using a live player.Good point. I know of bands that do track the bass. It is what it is. With today's technology, you can track everything, including guitar so, I guess we're all in trouble.
I feel the same way. Even in their modern, guitar-driven mode, their music is too busy and complex by half. And by that I don't mean that they are playing too many notes, I mean that there are too many tracks. The only way to recreate that sound live is through sampling.
It just isn't necessary for Rush to do that in order to be great, and my ears might find them more accessible if they did not. I'm not really that excited about seeing Rush live these days.
I remember seeing the Spazmatics a few years ago, from way back in the venue, thinking that these guys were just nailing every tune. I finally got to see them again last year very close to the stage to see them play close up, watch the fingerings during solos, etc. and was shocked at how everything was pre-recorded. What was sadder still is that people didn't seem to care - they were eating it up.
And you'd be wrong in a lot of instances.
And you know this how for so many bands?
Ok. If you're adding a sound effect that is signature to the song intro, ok. If you are adding a minor horns track to some song that's needed. OK.
But, sorry, if you are using fake harmony tracks, it's because the band can't pull them off and that's a fraud. Even worse if you are piping in things like bass and other guitars. it's fraud. You're not much more than a karaoke act.
I want to hear music live. Not pre-recorded.
And no, comparing yourselves to Rush, or BNL or some pro band who are adding in tracks to recreate their albums because that's what fans who pay big $$ to see them on tour is ludicrous. Most of you play in bars. It's not the same thing at all. That being said, if I thought a pro band was faking it's harmonies, I'd be more than pissed.
Do you think they have it outfront and show it to you? It is all backstage,under the stage etc. Most tech's run guitarist effects and amps setting for them along with tracks for vocals. I used to work security on stage and saw the laptops and efects first hand.
I heard that they are known for that. We have a band in my area that I thought the same thing...that they were killing it untill I seen the soundboard and the laptops
The people there did not know or could care less.
Yeah I know that. I actually have played those shows. Our tech tuned our guitars. Our drummer handled the tracks with a DAT machine. We just had a few sounds triggered.
Just because you see a laptop doesnt mean the bands are not playing their parts. Usually, as I have already posted, it is a backing track for a vocalist. I think it's lame, but its common now. A good sound guy is riding the fader of that track if the singer comes off the mic.
Trust me, I know all about it. I was not "out front", I was either playing or standing with the techs of the bands playing. Insinuating that bands are not playing their parts because they needed a night off and you saw laptops is simply wrong and uncool. Running security on stage is not going to privy you to that info anyway.
This thread seems to be more about local wedding bands that are faking it, so thats a whole different thing I know nothing about.
I think this is a thing now. I saw a "band" in Brooklyn a few weeks ago where it was a singer with a laptop on which she had backing tracks. Otherwise known as "karaoke." I don't get it. If I were a singer, I wouldn't WANT to play a gig as literally just a solo artist. I would want at least SOME live element besides singing over prerecorded material.
I've been actively looking for a band to play in that's more in the synthpop/electronic vein, and it's killing me how many bands just don't even seem to feel they "need" a bassist or can't get it together to figure out what they want me to play on. I got jerked around for months by this band who claimed to not have it together as to which tracks they "needed" bass on..it was ridiculous.
I've been actively looking for a band to play in that's more in the synthpop/electronic vein, and it's killing me how many bands just don't even seem to feel they "need" a bassist or can't get it together to figure out what they want me to play on. I got jerked around for months by this band who claimed to not have it together as to which tracks they "needed" bass on..it was ridiculous.
You are right allot of it was for vocals . What I should of said rock bands used less of it more of the prog and goth bands and diva's did. There was everything from backing tracks, samples to vocals being covered. I just figured it was the norm and in many ways I was told it was..right or wrong.
Being a security supervisor opened me to a world of information and sights I had no idea that happened backstage. Some of this I can't discuss here
When you are hired to be the boss and watch over everything on the stage including opening and closing the doors ... I can say I learned and saw plenty.
My first exposure to a "band" using backing tracks was a bike ralley my cover band played 2 years ago. They had 2 stages set up. We were on one side and another act (Something Something Entertainment) (don't remeber their name) was on the other stage. We alternated sets with them.
The other act was one good looking male lead singer guitarist, one good looking female lead singer bassist and some not so good looking guy to the side with a laptop running all the tracks. Both singers played their instruments but the volume was very low. It was strictly for show. Pretty much all the instruments you heard were coming from the tracks. They weren't really trying to hide the fact that they were nothing but glorified karaoke singers. The singers were good. They were entertaining. But...
I don't think anyone there except my bandmates and I cared one bit that it was all recorded music. Sad.
I believe we will all be seeing more of this type of entertainment taking our gigs.
The other act was one good looking male lead singer guitarist, one good looking female lead singer bassist and some not so good looking guy to the side with a laptop running all the tracks. Both singers played their instruments but the volume was very low. It was strictly for show. Pretty much all the instruments you heard were coming from the tracks. They weren't really trying to hide the fact that they were nothing but glorified karaoke singers. The singers were good. They were entertaining. But...
I don't think anyone there except my bandmates and I cared one bit that it was all recorded music. Sad.
I believe we will all be seeing more of this type of entertainment taking our gigs.
Still going strong in an 80's chick music band where there are always about 2-3 keyboard midi tracks running in addition to the live keys, bass or synth bass, edrums & guitar. It can't be done any other way at club level pay and no one gives a damn. It's called entertainment. get over it.
Reminds me of a story.
In the late 80s, in high school, I played in a pretty decent band in Austin; we had professional management and got ourselves on a couple of the notable local stages at that time. But never any national interest and never any further than that.
A couple of years later, the guy who had been our singer started singing country hits against recorded backup at a Mexican restaurant. A year later, Sony found him and signed him. In the 20 years that followed, he charted 3 albums in either country or Tejano and won a Grammy as part of a Tejano "supergroup".
So, it can work.
I agree.
However, most paying audiences don't care in the least if it's faked or not as long as it's entertaining. A sad state of affairs if you ask me.
This is what I was getting at earlier. Karaoke on steroids. There will probably always be a market for real live music, but I think that it will be a shrinking market as backing tracks and samples gain popularity.
You may not like it, but that won't keep it from happening.
