Backing tracks for live performance bashing

[Erock]

Speaking just as a fan of music, seeing a band like Rush using samples, where Geddy is controlling them with his feet, is impressive to me. It looks hard as hell to sing, play bass, and control samples with your feet. If I see a band where the keyboard player is using samples/soundfx and playing live, I still consider that a live performance. If I saw a club band, where I could hear instruments playing on a backing track throughout a whole song without a musician, I would personally think that's cheesy. I wouldn't go to see a band playing a backing track, I would just listen to their CD if I wanted to hear that. Just my opinion, no offense to anyone making a living with it. More power to you if you are doing what you love and making money.

 

[diocide]

Meh, to each his own.

One of my bands is a weird electro project. There's only two of us. My buddy can program drums and synths like nobodies business. He makes tracks consisting of a beat, synth lines, samples etc... And then I usually put bass (either guitar or synth) and guitars over his tracks. Then he/we put lyrics over everything.

We perform this live with both of us singing and me playing guitar. Everything else is on a track.

One big thing is that our drum tracks, aren't trying to sound like real drums. It's all heavily electronic sounding drums. We couldn't really do what we want with a real drummer, because we would need 6 people doing the tracks.

Theres a couple points that make the use of tracks perfectly acceptable.
- We are playing original music.
- We aren't trying to sound like we have a real drummer
- We make EVERYTHING. Nothing is from fruity loops or otherwise. All programmed and done by hand.


Whenever I see a band, regardless if they're original or cover, there's good and bad uses of backing tracks, but everyone's criteria is different.

 

[eljodon]

I'm a musician...a working musician. I get paid to entertain people. The people I get paid to entertain nor the venues that pay me to entertain care:
1 if I can shred
2 if I am an artist
3 if the keyboard is on a track
4 if that extra vocal is on a track

What they do care about is:
1 They can dance and have fun
2 They enjoy what they are hearing
3 They sell lots of alcohol
4 Their customers have a good time and come back

If I am worried about being considered an artist, I'm not doing it in a cover band. If I'm worried about getting paid well, booked regularly and keeping the band busy, I'm being a working musician.....that happily uses tracks.
We use tracks because it helps us entertain more effectively, put on a better show for those that are there and keeps us coming back, gets us new opportunities. All of this allows me to do what I truly love and enjoy--Playing music, playing guitar. Even better, paid to do it.

I've heard the anti-tracks arguments for years. I don't begrudge anyone their opinion. But I can't understand the cheating comments. In the end it's just another tool in the toolbox. I would argue that using pedals and effects is cheating too since in the end, it's augmenting your performance as are tracks. Reverb, delay, distortion, chorus or wah are all adding something to the raw performance to improve it for the listener (and performer).

My name is Scott and I use tracks...

Thanks for posting your point of view, it was short and to the point. I am not as gifted as you when it comes to writing, so it takes me to many words to explain my point of view. If a band has enough talented musicians ti be able to pull it off, that's great. But if you make a living playing live, you to need find ways to maximize your profit. If you have less musicians in your band you make more money and sound as good or better than a band with 6 or more musicians. You don't have to deal with scheduling problems, personalities, etc.With today's economy musicians don't have the luxury to do what they did 30 years ago, so you do what need to do, to stay competitive and get good paying gigs. I hate getting the tracks together, is a pain in the butt! I have to learn the keyboard parts, when I rather be practicing my guitar, also find the exact sound, programing synths, blending the tracks,etc. But it pays off when people are dancing and having a good time, especially if you play a song that a 4 or 5 piece band can't do because of the limitations they have.

 

[jcmlespaul]

I guess I was only saying they weren't playing "to" something. Again, I understand where everyone is coming from on this so it is what it is, I was really refering to its overuse more than anything. I wasnt trying to offend anyone as it seems I did to a few.

No clips of my older bands doing the progressive stuff listed (sadley the technology was very limited at the time), just of my current fun weekend warrior thing. Please don't be too harsh, I'm taking a risk here having been so opinionated on this subject by posting this ...these are just videos shot at a gig by a friend of ours, set it down and let it rip kind of thing..all from one show, no editing, all clams included no extra charge. I am the guy stage right.

.https://www.youtube.com/user/splband

Really liked stranglehold

 

[supersonic]

I guess I was only saying they weren't playing "to" something. Again, I understand where everyone is coming from on this so it is what it is, I was really refering to its overuse more than anything. I wasnt trying to offend anyone as it seems I did to a few.

No clips of my older bands doing the progressive stuff listed (sadley the technology was very limited at the time), just of my current fun weekend warrior thing. Please don't be too harsh, I'm taking a risk here having been so opinionated on this subject by posting this ...these are just videos shot at a gig by a friend of ours, set it down and let it rip kind of thing..all from one show, no editing, all clams included no extra charge. I am the guy stage right.

.https://www.youtube.com/user/splband

Really liked stranglehold

Yeah good stuff, you old fellas rock!

 

[Rushtallica]

But then is it live, or is it something else? Live performance is supposed to be just that, never used em in all the years I've been gigging. If you can perform all the parts as you say then why not just do that? Its fake and Kareoke band in my book. Key phrase in your OP is "live performance". It isnt really live performance if you play to prerecorded tracks now is it? Or just somewhat live? Or...? Where is the line on what is too much of it?

Dude, seriously. Nobody cares about your "book" or the performing nobility of your weekend cover band. Situations arise where the use of backing tracks is desirable or even necessary. Doesn't automatically mean the musicians are any less skilled.

That ^. It's fine to be happy with doing things the way you like and I can understand the feeling of honor in it, but as long as it's not something like lip syncing all the vocals or air guitaring it and as long as the instrument you play is clear and you're doing it live, it's not a problem for me. I don't think it's a problem for many prominent musicians such as Devin Townsend or previously with Frank Zappa, either, and is not something that kept them from kicking ass live.

I love Rush, for example, and I will never have enough money for all their Moog gear to try and emulate it. If I had a Rush tribute band together I'd have no problem using a backing of some sort for those sounds unless I could figure out a way to emulate them fairly well with guitar fx. I'd be much more impressed with a band that was able to pull off everything accurately, of course, but sometimes it's just not possible.

 

[dallasb]

Not a fan of it. Have seen many cover bands with 3-4 guys doing it. Using harmonizers on vocal parts too. Many patrons have made comments to the effect of boooooooooooooo you suck!!

IDK in today's world of auto tune and wanting that perfection if cheating gets you there, I suppose it can work for that group. Of course I have seen it flop and LOL hard when it does. Serves them right. Backing tracks btw are far from using stompboxes on an amp. Can't believe guitar players would go there.

Whats more funny than that are the bands that do the hip hop shit along with the other covers and are straight up backing tracks 1/2 the night. Recent band tossed in country covers with backing for fiddle and steel guitars. WTF lame imo!

The bars and clubs don't give a shit I know. For what they pay most bands I say F em!! Most patrons don't care either these days. Some have yelled obscenities to the front man. pre recorded horn or sax sections. "Booooooooooooooooooooo you suck. May as well hire a fucking DJ you POS!" I can say recently one prime cover act is not getting the gigs as much. Club owners figured out they were paying $1000+ for 3 or 4 guys using a computer for vocals instruments and more. Said they can hire a dj for less than half their price and it will sound perfect. Their patrons won't care either way. They make more on DJ night than they do with most bands.

I suppose if the cover band is only doing the usual free or poor man's $300 for a 4hr gig then they can use what they want. I have a different opinion of bands I know in the higher earnings scale cheating to save from having that extra man. That's not a performer as much as it is a lame magic trick. I lol when I hear parts of those gigs trainwreck. Its even funnier to see the faces of the performers.

 

[eljodon]

Not a fan of it. Have seen many cover bands with 3-4 guys doing it. Using harmonizers on vocal parts too. Many patrons have made comments to the effect of boooooooooooooo you suck!!

IDK in today's world of auto tune and wanting that perfection if cheating gets you there, I suppose it can work for that group. Of course I have seen it flop and LOL hard when it does. Serves them right. Backing tracks btw are far from using stompboxes on an amp. Can't believe guitar players would go there.

Whats more funny than that are the bands that do the hip hop shit along with the other covers and are straight up backing tracks 1/2 the night. Recent band tossed in country covers with backing for fiddle and steel guitars. WTF lame imo!

The bars and clubs don't give a shit I know. For what they pay most bands I say F em!! Most patrons don't care either these days. Some have yelled obscenities to the front man. pre recorded horn or sax sections. "Booooooooooooooooooooo you suck. May as well hire a fucking DJ you POS!" I can say recently one prime cover act is not getting the gigs as much. Club owners figured out they were paying $1000+ for 3 or 4 guys using a computer for vocals instruments and more. Said they can hire a dj for less than half their price and it will sound perfect. Their patrons won't care either way. They make more on DJ night than they do with most bands.

I suppose if the cover band is only doing the usual free or poor man's $300 for a 4hr gig then they can use what they want. I have a different opinion of bands I know in the higher earnings scale cheating to save from having that extra man. That's not a performer as much as it is a lame magic trick. I lol when I hear parts of those gigs trainwreck. Its even funnier to see the faces of the performers.

We had issues a couple of times and I have a kill switch just in case things go south. When it happened it wasn't a big deal because we actually sing the parts and use the track to make the background vocals thicker so nobody noticed, if it's a keyboard part, I just cover the part with my guitar.

 

[muudrock]

Not a fan of it. Have seen many cover bands with 3-4 guys doing it. Using harmonizers on vocal parts too. Many patrons have made comments to the effect of boooooooooooooo you suck!!

IDK in today's world of auto tune and wanting that perfection if cheating gets you there, I suppose it can work for that group. Of course I have seen it flop and LOL hard when it does. Serves them right. Backing tracks btw are far from using stompboxes on an amp. Can't believe guitar players would go there.

Whats more funny than that are the bands that do the hip hop shit along with the other covers and are straight up backing tracks 1/2 the night. Recent band tossed in country covers with backing for fiddle and steel guitars. WTF lame imo!

The bars and clubs don't give a shit I know. For what they pay most bands I say F em!! Most patrons don't care either these days. Some have yelled obscenities to the front man. pre recorded horn or sax sections. "Booooooooooooooooooooo you suck. May as well hire a fucking DJ you POS!" I can say recently one prime cover act is not getting the gigs as much. Club owners figured out they were paying $1000+ for 3 or 4 guys using a computer for vocals instruments and more. Said they can hire a dj for less than half their price and it will sound perfect. Their patrons won't care either way. They make more on DJ night than they do with most bands.

I suppose if the cover band is only doing the usual free or poor man's $300 for a 4hr gig then they can use what they want. I have a different opinion of bands I know in the higher earnings scale cheating to save from having that extra man. That's not a performer as much as it is a lame magic trick. I lol when I hear parts of those gigs trainwreck. Its even funnier to see the faces of the performers.

I guess if the tracks were implemented poorly, or perhaps if the band just wasn't that good to begin with....

I've never heard a negative comment about it from any patron watching in all the years we've used tracks. The only negative I've heard has been from a select few fellow musicians, generally speaking out of frustration or dare I say jealousy for not getting booked in the rooms they want, in part because they abide to some idealogical principle that tracks are cheating.
I'm in a 4-pc cover band and a 5-pc tribute and we employ tracks in both to varying degrees. Both bands are very successful and between the 2 bands I am booked to play every month, a minimum of 8 gigs a month, on average 10-12. I only say this to illustrate that we are working consistently, for good money, because we weren't afraid to embrace the benefits of using tracks. All the musicians in both bands are very good and could be successful w/out tracks, but the benefits of augmenting the performances only helps increase potential.
For me, it's about being able to play and perform...I live for it, I love it. I view the tracks as just another instrument in the band, and perform with them the same. Granted, we don't do crazy, extra keys, some crazy high backup vox part and other effects. Point being, it's just another tool in the toolbox, another instrument in the band.
To each their own....