Live Music Is Dead. Here's why...
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- Опубліковано 9 лис 2022
- This week I got into a fight, oops. Yes, on Twitter.
Do you think using backing tracks is cheating? Or do you think it helps give you fans the best show possible?
Check out Rick Beato's great video on playing with backing tracks here -
• Is Performing With A B...
PS, backing tracks are NOT cheating!
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Hey! I’m Damian Keyes and I've worked with musicians every day of my life for the past 20 years. The internet is de ply untrusting understandably and here is my background so you can have the full picture.
When I was 18, I was signed to a major label and at 23 I co-founded a Music University in Europe called BIMM (valued at $300M). I’m also a bass player, I’ve played for a number of artists including Eric Clapton, Alanis Morrisette and Billy Cobham. I initially retired at 30, but realised that life gets boring if you’re not building!
I have always been in-between the music industry and education which is how I ended up building my UA-cam channel - I’ve been teaching artists how to release music long before it was a ‘niche’! I now educate artists around the world with my Academy, UA-cam channel and Social Agency.
It’s great to meet you and looking forward to working together on your music!
Wait till the purists hear about drum machines…
Comment of the day
Hahaha...and how Hip Hop was invented with 2 turntables and a mic...
A drum machine doesn't replace the whole band !!!! A drum machine is a powerful tool . But on the drum machine you program what a drummer will play right ? And still people go to see groups like petshop boys or Depeche mode. But they're not hiding it or saying we can't play because we lost our comptures. I'm sure their bringing back ups . Indie bands are running to gigs even sick to play and you are telling me a group that programs they're music with high tech 💩 can't figure out how to put on a preformace..
@@QarreoMusic that was an awesome innovation to new music but that is a rap artist This band was not a rap artist. This band found no easy way to cop out of playing life because if they were trained musicians they would have said okay we're going to strip down the show and do it the best way we can to turn tables in a microphone I'm quite sure if run DMC or Eminem or any rap group or artist they would have figured out a way to make it work if they lost their two turntables and their microphone they probably will would have went down to the local store again and asked do you have to turn tables and one microphone that we can rent and let's get it on welcome to the terror dome
@@12dick hahah welcome to the terror dome 💥😎😁😂 I agree that they definitely would have found a way even if they just end up rapping over someone beatboxing. But that's not to say that backing tracks are a bad thing. However I see your point that it's not worth canceling a show over.
I went to see Keith Urban a few months ago in Hammersmith - they had a guy on stage who’s entire job was samples, tracks and pre-recorded audio. He was presented as a band member and even did a solo of samples, loops, tracks etc. Seems like the perfect way to do it to me - musical purist didn’t feel cheated and general public were educated on an element of live music. Bravo Kieth 👏🏼
I love Keith! Saw him in Vegas a few months back, his live show is insane
Backing tracks are an economic reality for most emerging artists that are not simply acoustic!
Yes very true! And tbh I think it makes everything sound bigger and better in most cases
@@DamianKeyes 👍
@@DamianKeyes or you can get a guitarist that knows his shit and plays through a stereo rig…
I've used backing tracks for years and not afraid to admit it. I was in a 90s dance tribute band, and there were only 3 of us, 2 keyboardists and a lead singer. And even between the 2 live keyboards (each split into separate instruments) it was impossible to have the layers of piano, strings and synths that 90s dance needs. Not to mention a live drum kit just doesn't cut it, we needed a thumping 90s dance kick, and awful sounding snares and claps. Our sound may not have been 100% live, but our performance was 2nd to none. Extremely energetic. And backing tracks enabled us to create a 'show', with synchronised lights (tonnes of lights...) and a projector. We were able to blend tracks together to make the set sound more like a DJ in a nightclub. And we were constantly booked up all year round, we gigged all over the country. I can assure you, when everyones pissed, they really don't care! They just want a good time.
That's two arguments, playing with backing tracks and relying on backing tracks. I used to hate playing after backing track bands they always sounded insanely good, usually had shit songs but they were sonically good.
Way back in 1988 I came to LA as a song writer and used MIDI to produce my songs. My musician friends told me MIDI wasn't real music.
Here's the thing. My older 2 brothers were both professional musicians. My oldest went to Julliard on a scholarship as a classical composer (in the vein of Mozart & Schubert).
I quickly pointed out to my musician friend "purists" that musical notation and the hiring of a bunch of people to play music in 1770 was very similar in function to MIDI. The difference is that they didn't have digital computers in the 1700s and they, very cleverly, came up with their own version - - musical notation and people to project those notated sounds from their instruments.
Now, do you think Mozart would have said, 'No, I'd rather deal with dozens of musicians, most of which came from a tiny pool of available musicians; others who are dignitary's children with limited talent and bad attitudes, than have the parts played the way I WANT them played?
I seriously doubt it.
Of course, musicians and the art they add have certainly come a long way in 200 years, but great orchestras are STILL few and far between. It's a great art form, to be sure, but should we leave music in the hands of just a few purveyors or hear and watch the music we love?
Nothing wrong at all with backing tracks. No one is being fooled, there's still a band playing live and in the moment, the backing tracks are just there to make the songs feel fuller and more faithful to album versions... with the musicians playing the main parts. Even Rush (yes, THAT Rush) had backing tracks and no one doubt about them for a second, they're recognized legends!
Yes, but they were so good that Neil Peart said that he never played to a click live.
He said this in multiple interviews and documentary DVDs.
Yes, he was that good! I saw them 15 times starting in 1994. I only remember Neil making mistakes less than 10 times for all those shows.
@@jamesogara7053 yes, his talent is unquestionable. I wish I saw Rush live, they're a powerhouse, especially Neil Peart, but all of them are (not "were", because Peart will live forever through his legacy) role models for musicians.
The idea was mostly pointing that even real music geniuses can find good usage for backing tracks. It's not something that makes a band less good or "fake players".
While defending the technology behind it, I'd like add an update about my initial comment: it's a bit of a bummer when a band doesn't have an alternative plan for a possible backing track catastrophe. I'm a huge supporter of using it to enhance the concert experience, but I'd rather see a stripped down show without backing tracks and synchronized stage lights than knowing about a show I was thrilled to see being cancelled. I think Falling In Reverse would get more positive comments if they did that... but I still disagree with the "backing track bad" riot (I know you didn't say it and only reminded that Peart could be just fine without them, just pointing about this side of the discussion in general, the Twitter beefs and all that jazz).
This is one approach, however I’m a touring musician who believes in the power of audience fascination with the flow state reached by musicians. Audiences may not care to see that “bongo” player so to speak in the live version, but they might care about seeing a group of people connecting with each other and the energy in the room to create the perfect vibe for that moment. Not every day is the same, but backing track is always the same. With a backing track people can’t see interaction on stage in the same way. Band can’t turn on a dime and react to the response of the room. It’s a one sided conversation of the musician w an immovable machine. Triggered sounds and even moments of triggered backing tracks could be v cool but to say in black or white either have it or don’t is missing a lot of nuance. Music is no rules, and a lot of the imperfections of live performance is why ppl show up to see it. it’s a cultural and primitive art form connecting w people and showing the power of connection on the bandstand. The machines haven’t quite figured us out yet, maybe one day the backing track would play w the musicians. Speeding up, slowing down, softer or louder and imperfect like all of us 😊 however till then it’s just a live studio take, v cool but not the whole picture to me and I strive for a greater connectivity on stage when possible. To each their own, thanks for opening up the conversation about this tho
Totally agree 👍
Beautifully said. We have little by way of ceremony in this culture. Concerts are one of our ways to experience much needed energy such gatherings create. The more fully authentic a perfomance is must influence the audience and the moment etc. It's a shame to have impersonal and disconnected backing tracks in the way of that potential.
Mmm! This all really depends on the music and the musicians. The bands I’ve been in rehearsed extremely hard to maintain a solid level of keeping the arrangements tight and the same every night. When one of the guys went on a tangent it was a disaster. We weren’t playing jazz or leaving room for improvising. Tell me that’s not like playing with a track. Ultimately it’s about the energy and commitment, the soul of the music/composition/arrangement and the physicality of having people on stage. Ed Sheeran does it on his own with loopers and it’s amazing how he connects with an audience…. And aren’t loopers essentially backing tracks. There are no rules just the truth of a moment wether backing tracks or free form whatever with only live instruments. Stay loose!
In my old band, we didn’t use or need backing tracks because of the style of music but when I played bass for a singer-songwriter who was self-funding, her budgetary constraints meant there were some gigs in which she could not afford backing vocalists so she would use backing tracks on some gigs. It was a last resort for her but in the real world she had to make grown up decisions. Noone noticed or minded in the audience.
I attend a lot of concerts in the jazz, classical and ethnic trad genres. It’s always 100% live, and ticket prices aren’t anything even remotely close to $1,000. I don’t usually pay more than $40 or $50 for a ticket. But the concerts in my favored genres don’t have light shows, dancing girls or retinues of producers, sound engineers and assistants to this and assistants to that. My guess is that you’re talking about rock and pop concerts and forgetting about other forms of music. If rock and pop audiences could get along without the overproduction, the eye candy and the three-ring sideshows, they could get 100% live music for $40/ticket. The real problem is that with rock and pop audiences, most come for the “event”, and the actual music is incidental.
I went to see a Tribute band to The Cult on Saturday proper rock gig , 2 guitars ,drummer,bass & vocals no backing track
& the guitarist used a wireless unit to play out among the audience a lot . Proper job
To perform my sampled sounds live, I’d need a chamber orchestra, a symphonic orchestra, a choir, a DJ, a duduk player, an acoustic guitar player, a keyboard player with a computer monitor and my home desktop, and an angel and demon (for handling all the atmospheric drones) to join me and the band on stage, and that’s me being conservative. If someone feels that that makes me a worse musician, that just means that they don’t like genres of music with symphonic/cinematic elements.
There is art in sitting and creating an entire world made from sampled music to play alongside with the band, a comfort in knowing that it’ll sound brilliant from the stage and on time, and an awesome rush from being able to blast that world you created to an audience who likes it, joining forces with a loud alternative rock/metal band. Purists need to accept that a musician is someone who can bring the beauty in their heads into the real world for others to be touched by. Technology allows different avenues for that.
Beautifully put 👏
Spot on. My nu-metal band uses samples that we trigger in places for parts that we couldn't possibly play live. Either due to them being humanly impossible, or just because it's pointless (and extremely difficult) to get session people for one bar of one song. The main elements are played live. The other stuff adds in more texture, depth and interest to the audience.
I even use full on backing tracks in my EDM band (bass, keys and vocals live) and the crowds don't care at all. They are there for a good time and we deliver. It's about the performance and the entertainment.
Would be weird for like a guitar solo to be on a backing track I think. But general harmony bits and beats work really well.
For me it is just a personal preference. When I see live music I like it to be live music. But I also understand that enough people don't care and if people want to use backing tracks that is fine for them. But it would put me off seeing a live show if it wasn't fully live and as a musician I don't like to use backing tracks for live shows. It's not about better. It's about what you like.
Also depends on the music style. Rap, pop, dance music, etc. is expected to use stuff like that because it is programmed beats anyway. I think genres like rock or reggae, where the band is the supplier of the music and live musicians feature on the studio versions then backing track is less likely to be needed and more likely to be frowned upon because it would be viewed as short changing expectations.
For my own preference, I'd rather a less tight show that is raw and real over a polished show that is is heavily pre-programmed and not truly "live". But each to their own.
Well said 👍 I bet Damian is having a right laugh 😂 after posting this one out. …..Like lets see if we can start World War 3!
100%! When we've played live, we've DJed in backing tracks (musician on stage doing that as well as playing tablas!) but with maybe five or six live musicians on top. It's never been a problem with our audiences.
With technology were it is at, you just have to challenge yourself to make the backing tracks more dynamic rather than static. Cut up looping sections made into clips triggered by a pad controller or broken down to playable parts depending on what the section demands in the song. Hell you can even do it via midi with drums.
If you have a band that is electronic or you need to play synths you can even assign or sample everything to be playable on the original notes stretched across the keyboard if you have the patience.
As long as you are playing something no one cares, you just need the stage presence to sell it to the audience more than anything.
The essence of a LIVE show is connection and sharing. If not, why bother?
I saw The Clash live in 1982, raw, epic, powerful...it was a fully engaged show, no backing tracks, just pure music, Strummer was in our face, shared with fans, connected. That's a LIVE SHOW!
Believe it, I saw Elvis live in 1972, he gave my sister his scarf, he touch our hands, walked into the audience to thank us, a true entertainer, no backing tracks needed...it was just a live inter connected party where we all were together...enjoying the music. Backing Tracks? Ok, but never forget the reason for a live show
So good man. I LOVE playing with backing tracks. It really fills out some dead space that will definitely occur otherwise.
Great video, Damo! What great timing, editing and effects! Of course, the topic is terrific, but your video skills keep us glued every second of the way.
Great video!
Question, what are your thoughts on bands playing over their own respective instrument/vocal backing tracks? To me that’s a bit different - of course in the studio it’s the equivalent of doubling for emphasis/fullness but when playing live it’s always felt like kind of a crutch to me. It definitely makes for a more full performance, but it’s really just stripping the natural performance away from the band imo. I’ve noticed this particularly with metal bands.. although I sure as hell can’t scream for 3 minutes straight, let alone 2 hours lol.
Laptop is not only additional tracks. It can be used to control almost everything during the set, like your preset changes, mix automations, lights, in-ear monitor setup and etc. Everything could be programmed to a click track. Distortion pedal switch, reverb on vocals in specific parts, louder keyboards during the bridge in vocalists in-ears, lights on drummer during the solo, and list goes on and on. You can have very small laptop based rig comparing to expensive huge rack setups, that will do the same, or even more things with less crew members involved.
100% agree. Audience in 99,99% doesnt care if you have backing tracks or not. They want to have a good time no matter what.
People always say you can't improvise with backing tracks but if you're using something like Ableton you absolutely can. Software & hardware has become so flexible you can do whatever you like.
You nailed it! We've done a lot of shows with a full band and some of the best players in the world out of Nashville. If you have a major hit that you can tour on, then you can afford to have guys like that with you on the big stages with big ticket prices to pay for it all. But for a band with regional success, if you want your calendar to be full, you can't always go out with your best band or sometimes not even a band at all. We go out with a trio fronting backing tracks that I mixed in the studio. I've got a solid rhythm section every time and we can play all kinds of venues, including those that you wouldn't want to take a drummer into. Occasionally our backing tracks will stop working mid song but we just keep on playing because we're real musicians who are making the song happen, with or without the backing track. We can do entire sets of music without tracks too if we need to. But when we have tracks, I can pull up a Chicago tune with a full horn section. Would we rather be out playing with our best players and a full horn section? Heck yea, but that's not real life for where we're at now so it is what it is. And I've got a huge stack of 5 star reviews with people raving about the show they saw with our trio and tracks, so there you go.
Thank you! So grateful you come around with the topic! You nailed it!
We play as a duet with loops and some backing for drones/extra rhythms/bass lines, although we are... a folk band!!! (yes, just imagine that for a sec... )
And yes, we could have a percussionist, and a bass player, and instead of looping the guitar or the violin a cello player! We have guests sometime, but so far there's never been a budget to get tours organized sustainably for such a crew.
As a side note: it got us extremely creative! What was initially an economical constraint has become something we're proud of experimenting and sharing, and ultimately art is about going beyond limits and do what hasn't been done already.
Have a nice day!
We're a symphonic metal band, so we'd need a brass section, string section, timpany player, male and female choirs to get anywhere close to replicating our music live without backing tracks. Guess how many of the above we can afford to bring to each show and rehearsal 🤔
A music historian is a person who studies the history of music preserve an historical archive. Quest Love and Rick Beato are known as such
Hey Damien, I’m here again to ask you
. How do I manage and release my English music in non English speaking countries. I’m from India
Well said! As a touring musician, I strongly agree with all of this
💪💪💪
I agree with you. Especially when it comes to acts just getting started and trying to work their way up. I'm someone who does all the work myself. Composition, production, lyrics, vocals, marketing, distribution etc. And I put a lot of different sounds in my music. I have a song where right in the middle of it you hear someone being repetitively lashed with a whip. If these elitist purist folks volunteer, I'll gladly have someone whip them 30 times on stage. And where am I going to get a flock of birds that caw, chirp and sing exactly what I want when I want it? Also as an indie artist just getting started, how am I supposed to afford an orchestra, jazz band, choir, special effects, etc?
I love the domino way of thinking when talking about a live gig hahah almost no one thinks about everything that is going on behind the scenes! Awesome video damo :)
Years ago we used backing tracks that I composed on a Korg X3. Trouble is they were hard to hear live, so were difficult to play to and we couldn't improvise. That's why I started playing synth guitar.
Now when we get accused of using backing tracks (which we do all the time) I take it as a huge compliment as I playing everything live. It makes the mundane cover gigs much more challenging and interesting. Totally changed my compositional approach on my original stuff too!
When it doesn't work though..........It's like the Bill Bailey skit, power cut at a U2 gig!
There’s also the element here of creative facilitation. So if I write my bands songs and I want to use loops and synths to help augment but more importantly STYLE the sound of the band I either (a) hire someone who can play synth exactly as I want it played for every tiny local gig I play (b) get an additional band member which is very much easier said than done or (c) change the sound of the band thus removing the stylistic edge that I feel the synths and loops give us. I want to sound like that so tracks it is!!!!!! We’re a 3 piece alt rock band. Maybe when we have 200+ peeps coming from see us I’ll fork out on a session keys player or maybe we’ll have enough profile that a keys player will want to join but until then I do t really see what other option I have.
Great one Damian! This is what I posted on Rick's video on the topic...
Dead on! Thank you for this! We use stems and the pre-production for the live show is a TON of work, but when executed well, worth every hour of time invested. We don't track vocals, guitar, bass or drums. Every person on the stage is playing what you hear from their instrument. We DO track synth pads, sub synth bass, electronic percussion, dialog samples and other production effects - basically all of the elements of the production that are not organic by nature so it's not weird that no one on stage "plays" those parts. Additionally, we do Phrase Triggering via the drum pad and an Akai MPC Live. This means we're not trapped into the pre-recorded arrangement of the song, as we're only triggering a verse section or a chorus section, on their own. This allows us to stretch an arrangement, solo longer, jam a longer Tag or even add NEW sections live that weren't in the original recording. There are lots of ways to use modern tech as an added "spice" to increase the sound palette of the show. It's not for everyone and it's not appropriate for every genre. It is not "lip synching", it is not "easy" and it is certainly NOT cheating.
Love that!! I’m a big fan of Rick 😊😊
You have got a click running though...locked in - no gentle accleration of time to give sections energy or allowing ebb and flow - the human stuff is lost basically.
Thank you SO MUCH for making this video!!
Man, you're really on fire! XD (I make backing tracks for almost every artist I work with, haha...)
I busk on the weekends. I play ambient jazz guitar. If I did not have backing tracks people would just point and snicker. The city does not allow full bands on the street, and tips don't go that far if they did. Most of the folks that pass by seem to enjoy a little bit of street art added to their day. The others straight up hate me, but it is not because of backing tracks, it is because they are miserable in general.
Cheeky and informative, loved all of it, and agree wholeheartedly.
I know that some people makes special arrangements of their songs to be able to play them without extra musicians. What do you think is better, make arrangements, or to play with backing tracks?
Great episode, keep kickin ass!
As an artist, I don't really see an issue with backing tracks if it's high quality and saves the artists from having to pay 3 times more for the musicians. What you've said here is absolutely right, should you be mad if a singer uses a PA or a guitarist uses an amp? The only times I have an "egh" with them is when a lot of modern rappers (nothing against them) just use playback of their own recording, and let the audience do a lot of the singing. In other words, I feel that if you're gonna use backing tracks, there should be just as much realism and quality to it.... JUST MY OPINION, don't attack me.....
Nice video, great points, specially regarding the financial part of things.
This raises a few other questions - maybe ideas for another video:
- Why musicals still have pitch orchestra?
- Why not go all recorded?
- What makes a live performance different than just playing the recording?
when I just now started to recall and make a list of my 10 concert highlights from 30 years... NONE of those had backing tracks involved. and that is NOT a judgement, only an observation. (And no I´ve never attended any Ed sheeran shows) I love LIVE and feeling the musicians in stage
Very very very well said 🌼
Very good topic. 👏🏿
This is why I love Jazz, Soul-R&B (the classic bands/Artistes), Roots Reggae, Country & Western, Rock, Classical Music, Rhumba, Soukoss ....
There's something about a 100% live performance that can't be replicated.
I get it, there's a big number of people in various audiences who might not care/tell the difference, but I feel that Music fans deserve the "full monty" when it comes to live concerts.
As a Musician/Band Leader, I've had my bands for nearly 30 years, it's tough due to the size of the bands, but I'd rather we share what's available, than take short cuts. It's tough though.
I also happen to be a Concerts Promoter for nearly 30 years, even then, I've insisted on Artistes flying in with bands, so Music fans get the best experience! I'm a terrible businessman 😂
Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤
This is an interesting and ongoing discussion! I’ve always been more interested in live bands over tracks, but then again, I’m one of those people who froff Snarky Puppy.
I do think though Damien that regular punters are smarter that you make them out to be in this video. I think there are more people than the 2% percent you outline here who appreciate a full band, choir or orchestra, who would shill out the extra dosh to see an larger experience over an 5-piece show with tracks because of the way it hits.
I do see value in both, but all of the best shows I’ve ever seen have been live where the vulnerability and risk of improvisation was executed remarkably.
I do agree with you though. We shouldn’t judge each other for our choices in how we perform live, but support and uplift all forms of live music for the sake of the industry’s survival :)
I just saw Sheryl Crowe, Lionel Ritchie, and Billy Joel at Mercedes Benz stadium. Fantastic show. No backing track with incredible musicians. When there was a technical issue with the light show for Billy Joel , it didn’t matter because the musicians just kept playing. Not taking a side here-just saying it was a great show.
if it makes you happy
Had some weird experiences with this in an old band where we played with tracks. Live drums/bass/guitsrs/vox but synths and fx on track. People often assumed we had actual extra musicians offstage. We were playing absolute dives with no backstage so idk where they thought they were hiding.
This reminded me of ancient history when Pink Floyd toured their "Atom Heart Mother" album. As you may know, the main suite it's a 20 minute instrumental with choir and brass. And the tour sucked big time for two reasons: when they got away with taking the choir and brass section with them, touring was awful because of people not being comfortable. Onstage, they where far from perfect as bootleg records prove. And when thay had to play without the extra musicians, the song got incredibly boring (I love them, but its true). All that could've been fixed using a good backing track to play with. Wich they used, a couple of years later, when touring that ridiculously complicated show called The Wall.
Ok, now boomers are definitely gonna kill me
Loving your videos Damien 😊
Or you can obviously have a different arrangement for live playing from what is on the record... And about that argument that I people don't want to pay the extra musicians, I certainly won't go watch a Dream Theater show again because I don't seek half-playback shows. I would rather go to a Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited show because that is, as you said, pure. Just a matter of taste.
Very interesting point of view! Changed my mind
Eye opener👌
Nothing against backing tracks. But I'm old school... We don't write anything we can't play live with our respective instruments.
Before I could play guitar there was Karaoke backing tracks. Good stuff Damo!
It's all about capturing and sustaining the attention of the listener, as much as possible, from start to finish
Very true :)
It’s about putting on the best show possible. People spend their hard earned money on tickets, travel, drinks, and merch. You gotta pull out all the stops and give them the show worth the money. How ever you decide to do it. It’s about the fan experience.
Totally agree. Love this
This is exactly the point. It's about people getting what they paid for.
@@thashilramdass we agree 😊 a great show!
go Live; stream tracks separately as NFTs; mint a Limited edition of the Master; Open it up as a song Mashup Contest; create your own Token based on the song; go to Hawaii
Amen to that!
Look at hip hop artists. They rap over 100% backing tracks. To make it interesting, they have a couple dancers to perform on stage with them. And guess what? No one cares that there isn't a drummer.
1 more thing!…. ColdPlays first album was absolutely brilliant 🤩
…Eat that one Damo!…plus I’m off to a Jazz gig tonight! Thanks for the videos 👍
Haha love that! I love Coldplay lol. Have a good gig bro
I don't mind backing tracks if the front line is live. It's been going on since at least the 70s.
Good points.
Sleaford Mods. No one gives a shit how its delivered, its what you're delivering!
Truly on point and relevant commentary on the current state of things
Thank you!!
I did a gig in a small pub with my duo, Guitar plus 2 vocals and a backing track which we produced and played ourselves in the studio. We had two guys that shouted if your not going to play live don't bother....the fact we were playing live was not accepted because we use a track....it was obvious to everyone there was one guitar and two voices live....but they insisted we can't sound that good without miming...... Purist
There was a stage that musicals in the west end used backing tracks after a kick back back from the musicians union this kind of stopped. Look into any orchestra pit and you will find a very small band I wonder how this is done?
personally never had the need to use a backing track, but mostly because I do like the freedom to jam etc AND my music has never needed the extra instruments (vocals, guitar, bass, drums done) but more and more of the newer stuff we are writing has tonnes of extra parts that can't be played by anyone on stage, i'd gladly use tracks live if the songs 100% needed them.
there has to be a time when musicians stop trying to impress other musicians and realise that the bigger audience is likely not a musician at all and just want a good show
It's all about context really. I've got no problem with backing tracks in certain scenarios. I've seen the likes of Ed Sheeran and The Script, who are mainstream pop acts, put on a fantastic show completely live. I've also seen a very mainstream pop artist play a show that was pretty much one big backing track and it was completey shit. Then there's the in between who use it for choirs, strings etc, and I've got no issue with that either. Bottom line is if you're a singer and your entire lead vocal is on a backing track, I don't see why anyone's gonna bother seeing you live...
the bongo bit made me spit my coffe
People whining about laptops onstage haven’t had to carry amps. I’m an acoustic player and am branching out into looping and fx pedal assisted improv flute with percussion and we are careful to make sure we can back line as much as we can. SO not used to all the damn gear! We don’t want to use computers but it may be required to minimize the size of van we need!
Queen used to get by as a four piece despite their multi layered records.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 PERFECT !!
The three best gigs I have ever seen were Australian pink floyd, which was probably a 10 person band, hans zimmer, which is like a 30 person band and nothing but thieves, who use backing tracks. and also a lot of pads with samples on them which they can tap instead of playing a piano chord or whatever. All 3 were incredible, the way aussie pink floyd replicated all the sounds of the classic albums with synths and such was spectacular, hans zimmer was incredible, a whole orchestra beautifully mixed in an arena was incredible, but nothing but thieves was just as good with the full sound their b tracks brought.
Damian, honestly I was more on the purist side with my view on the topic but you convinced me to change my perspective and not seeing things so black and white...thank you!
This is so interesting! Thank you for saying this!
I completely agree, yes love instruments would be perfect, but they shouldn’t have to be the norm at every gig, they should be treated as special as they are
I think it depends on context. Some music it can be a boon, for others it would be a complete disaster. But that's for the musicians and their fans to decide. I think it also matters if you're treating it as an additive, or as a substitute for actual musicianship.
And yes, you're right!
Tell it!
I just went to/worked at several shows that were packed shoulder to shoulder from stage to the bar
I am old school, love the feel and flexibility of playing with other musicians. But I also perform with backing tracks. And for the purists, I say, play a set one night with backing tracks since you think it is easy and a shortcut and let me know how it goes. You will screw up...a lot. It is a discipline like playing together with other musicians...it is not easy, it takes a LOT of time and dedication, and it takes rehearsing with the tracks until you cannot play them wrong to really be successful. That is NOT easy. That backing track cannot correct itself on the spot like, say, your drummer can, so you better be intimate with the track. Try a song that has dead space in it. If your internal metronome is not spot on with the track, coming back in will be disastrous. Backing tracks are not for everyone. But having seen first hand what it takes to perform successfully with them, I have maybe even more respect for the groups that pull it off flawlessly. Damian is SPOT ON... We are playing for an audience. The audience doesn't give a flip if there is actually a live saxophone in the song, they want the experience that that saxophone provides. Think about Bob Seger's "Turn The Page". Sure a band could perform it without a sax, but the audience will be expecting that signature sax part. Backing tracks allow that to happen. Good video Damian. A great topic that will probably cause Twitter fights as long as Twitter is still around!!! 🙂
All my life i was in bands who playd live regularly, I used to promote and arrange the gigs myself, but now i just spend all my time in my little home studio writing and recording for whatever reason i do, and I just can't imagine playing live now, Ive become a studio zombie. it's hard though to live with no reason, no purpose just recording becase i cant think of anything else to do any more. I wonder if i'll ever relearn how to Live Life Live.
The digital age is massively empowering for smaller bands to play live as it reduces touring costs and complexity. Take one AxeFx board (or equivalent), all effects midi triggered from the backing track (no tap dancing on fx pedals), no hulking great amps to lug around, some in-ears, DI to the PA and you're pretty much job done. Gotta be better.
I have nothing against recorded backing tracks in general. Sounding good with a backing track is a whole nother thing. What I do dislike is bad musicians who get shit backing tracks and do a shit job with the music anyway but they get respect 'cause of all their toys.
I play solo and use a looper. Allows you to sound bigger and put on a show. It's hard to get a band together. Practice. Schedule clashes. I do think live should be different though but ppl expect the record live. I always liked queen they did stripped versions had an extra keyboard/guitarist but no choir etc.. Still worked I think a show should enhance things a bit more extend track take it sonewhere else. Make it unique. Pre done tracks can help do that. The tech is there use it
Totally dude --- Everything you said!
If you're a good musician you don't need anything or anybody.
What you describe is a SHOW. That is not a gig. It's about the spectacle. I don't go to those, but others like to see a show and care less about the actual performing of the music. There's a distinction. I do think yeah go and see a show (big gig, screens, expensive tickets etc) or go and see a performance which would be in a smaller venue and therefore not requring the smoke & mirrors of a performance that sounds like the record. Thing is many bands create a sound in the studio they cannot reproduce live. Too much technology required and not enough HUMAN in the music. If people like watching a playback gig fair enough, I've seen people lose their shit watching a DJ headline at Glastonbury after all. But yeah leaves me and a lot of others very cold.
A lot of synthparts aren't even really playable on a keyboard cause they were written in a daw specifically to be backing tracks and midi is a lot more flexible than a keyboard is
As a live Keyboarder who is used to make the sound of bands fuller by playing layers of synths/ organs etc. I can understand both sides. What's worrying me is when people do not recognize the significant difference. When they cannot appreciate when sb. really plays difficult parts well when others only press one button for the same result. For example I think Coldplays shows are absolutely stunning. But when people cry when they hear the amazingly orchestrared strings in viva la vida and later say Coldplay is such a good liveband because of such things they've been led on a false track. I know too many friends who don't believe me when I tell them that they're favourite band or artist is not playing everything live
Glorification for wrong reasons is what annoys me.
Ethically backing track is cheating. 2 Songs is fine for one concert with 10 songs, but if all performance played by backing tracks, that's is a BIG N O N O.
Why do you think? :)
@@DamianKeyes Because it looks like Karaoke 🎤. The worst part happens when the Singers also lipsync. It's better listen at home with great headphones rather than spending hundred of dollars tickets and wasting time.
My opinion since 2016. Great video lml
Maybe it depends more on the genre! To play JAZZ, HEAVY METAL, BLUES or COUNTRY music with the pre-recorded instruments from the laptops (or from any other recording devices) is maybe NOT so good idea, but if you are doing for example SYNTH-POP, Electronic, IDM or any DANCE music with good vocals = in that case that will be OK! It depends as well how important the singer (or frontman) is! In many bands (acts) the singer (frontman) takes all the audience`s attention on his person, and in such case maybe it is NOT important to use even the real drums on the stage, let alone about some violin, which is playing 10 seconds long in only ONE song!
I laughed all the way through this, thank you :)
Thank you for watching! 😊😊
I don't go to shows if the artist is using backing tracks. Never have, never will. I expect to see amazing guitar players, drummers, keyboard players, hopefully a Hammond B3 organ. I get why musicians do it, have nothing against them personally.
How did the Who, with 3 musicians, do Baba O'Reilly on tour? Umm, backing track?
I don't have a problem with bands using backing tracks...what I don't understand is why they can't play live without them when technical issues come up like in this case...you really have to cancel the show? What happened to the show must go on? You can't just play versions of the songs without the computers? Image how awesome that would be and what an experience for the audience knowing they're getting a surprise show.
The problem i have with backing tracks, commin from a young kid in this generation and yes I've played with them many times, is the reliance on them rather than using tracks as a music choice.
Sorry to the guitarists but yes usually its you guys and singers who reley on quantized tracks for timekeeping.
Also In my view most of the time the bands using tracks , use them because its "just the way its done" rather than questioning why they are used.
Plus as mentioned in the video, its kills the energy of a live gig, whos to say you might not discover a new section of a song or improvise a section into a new musical moment, that to me is what makes live music special, if you come to a live gig to hear the album, your comming for the wrong reasons.
From experience 100s of drunk punters don't care if a synth part is missing from a song they like, its the vocals their interested in. Unless of course its an intro to a song then, obviously a synth track is the way to go, but I've never yet been I a situation where that was needed .
I'm gig plenty with no backing tracks or click but I'm definitely not against backing tracks for one simple reason; they're only as good as the musicians that make them and use them. Thus it is not cheating ;) I hear plenty of local bands that bring a laptop in to substitute a drummer or recreate a part on their album, but oddly enough if the musicians are low tier or not well rounded enough to compose for other instruments by themselves, the backing tracks end up being the worst part of the show. They often sound poorly thrown together, purposeless, or tonally just completely off. People that know what they're doing will make that laptop indispensable.
A music historian is just somebody who has an encyclopedic knowledge of music or at least of the last 50 to 60 years. In other words they know Rock history.
I recently accepted that music how I used to know it is over. Like what's the point of playing live with a band when a rapper can just play a pre recorded track and shout some of the words and people will love it the same... I guess I learned to play the guitar for nothing...