Keep live music live!

[acidbasement]

Does anyone besides me have a problem with the fact that half of the bands this year played with pre-recorded backup tracks? I am relatively new to enjoying metal, but I enjoy it a lot, and I have gone on many road and air trips in the last few years to see my favourite bands perform. I find it very sad when so many of them cheapen the collective experience by playing along to a cd. Thankfully, not every band goes this route, but it's kind of sickening that the practice is about as rampant among metal bands as it is among top-40 pop bands.

Here's extending the horns to Freak Kitchen, Mercenary, Zero Hour, Thunderstone, and Jorn for having the spirit to create live music! Your courage and effort paid off in spades!

Here's some advice for the others, all of whom I respect and recognize as very talented performers:

1. If you need backup vocals, give someone onstage a microphone. Chances are good they're already singing along anyway.

2. If you want synth/string sounds, hire a keyboard player, or outfit a guitarist with a guitar-synth rig.

3. If you recorded your albums with a choir and orchestra, but you can't afford to tour with them, you may change the arrangements of songs to suit a 6-piece band. Good songs can stand up to such treatment, and the result is increased communication between the stage and the audience, which can only be a good thing.

Anyone want to agree with me or tell me off?

 

[Nightmare1z]

Which bands are you referring too?

I can't really recall a band using backing tracks for that many songs. The only exception would be Epica - but I didn't see too much of an issue with it as I think their songs would be pretty shallow without the choirs/orchestra.

 

[TychoCelchu]

Savage Circus repeatedly used taped intros to their songs.
I heard taped/flown in harmony vocals during Vision Divine and (I think) Pyramaze

honestly this doesn't really bother me, but I could see how it bothers some people.

 

[Nightmare1z]

Yeah, I heard the harmony vocals in Vision Divine in a couple songs, but that was the only one besides Epica for vocals (that I heard).

I knew the VD were coming though because of their live DVD. They used them on every single song it seemed like on the DVD. It was toned down more for ProgPower.

 

[Kaosaur]

From what I heard, Lance King was having problems with the sound on his mic...Don't think they were doing it after I heard him say that...

The other ones mentioned, yes.

 

[Yippee38]

I definitely noticed it during Pyramaze. The recorded part was singing high and Lance wasn't singing quite as high. When he sang in that range without the backing track, he sounded great. Lance was the only person with a microphone in Pyramaze, but there were other voices in the choruses.

I agree with you acidbasement. It lessened my enjoyment of the performance. It always makes me wonder how much is actually live, even though I know that these bands have more integrity than to do that.

 

[Angrafan]

Pre-recorded stuff doesn't bother me at all...

 

[Hajeka]

Pre-recorded stuff doesn't bother me at all...

Seconded. Almost everyone does it, I don't expect any band to tour with a full choir and orchestra.

 

[acidbasement]

Which bands are you referring too?

I can't really recall a band using backing tracks for that many songs. The only exception would be Epica - but I didn't see too much of an issue with it as I think their songs would be pretty shallow without the choirs/orchestra.

I refer to every band that is not Freak Kitchen, Mercenary, Zero Hour, Thunderstone, and Jorn, and I am not considering Evergrey, whom I missed, nor am I considering the Pre-Party.

Specifically, here is the pre-recorded stuff that I noticed in nearly every song played by:
Pyramaze - harmony vocals
Savage Circus - synths/strings throughout most of their songs (their "ballad" was practically karaoke)
Vision Divine - harmony vocals
Epica - most of what you heard (I exaggerate)

I think the idea that any band needs to play along with a cd in order to avoid a shallow sound is insulting to both the performers and the audience. A real musician can adapt a song to a new arrangement, and a smart audience can adapt to enjoy a song even if it doesn't sound exactly the way it did on the cd. If you enjoyed any of the cover songs played on the weekend, you should know what I mean.

Now, I enjoyed every set of music that I witnessed at PPVII. The calibre of musicianship was exceptional, and almost everything sounded kickass. However, the reason that I travel for live music is not just to listen to music - it's to share amazing moments with performers and other audience members. The give-and-take relationship between the stage and the crowd is a positive feedback cycle, in which good music gets the audience more into it, which in turn inspires the musicians to higher levels of intensity, which gets the audience even more into it, which makes the performers.... you get the point. This is what makes live music worthwhile, and this is what suffers when the music we hear is not being crafted by real people in real time. It might sound good, but it's disconnected.

 

[AngraRULES]

It didn't bother me. I'd rather have that than to hear a completely different song than what I'm used to in the cd.

 

[Hajeka]

Exactly.

 

[IceQueen_]

I didn't like it on Epica's set...

lmao
just kidding!
it doesn't bother me at all.... good thing they do that

 

[Bear]

I definitely noticed it during Pyramaze. The recorded part was singing high and Lance wasn't singing quite as high. When he sang in that range without the backing track, he sounded great. Lance was the only person with a microphone in Pyramaze, but there were other voices in the choruses.

I agree with you acidbasement. It lessened my enjoyment of the performance. It always makes me wonder how much is actually live, even though I know that these bands have more integrity than to do that.

I thought that was a harmonizer?

 

[Hajeka]

I didn't like it on Epica's set...

lmao
just kidding!
it doesn't bother me at all.... good thing they do that

Oh, Paula, my dear

 

[IceQueen_]

Oh, Paula, my dear

Come on, you just love me
LOL

 

[Hajeka]

Sometimes, yes..

 

[KaptainKrude]

Eh...it doesn't really bother me all that much, although I do tend to notice it from time to time. Hey, if you're gonna fly stuff in during a set, when you introduce the band, at least give props to the CD player.

I keed, I keed...

 

[Undershadow]

I thought that was a harmonizer?

I think you are correct sir

 

[GrantFanning0001]

i dont mind backing tracks at all, as long as its not over done. I would much rather have another musician in the band sing harmony parts, im sure many of them can do it well enough to sound good.

 

[SharkBlack]

This Argument has been going on since Rush had to do that to perform their albums live in 70s and 80s and probably even before that. ZZ Top used play with themselves (no not their naughty bits )Two bearded guys and Mr Beard on Stage and then the same three guys on screen playing Saxes, it was killer!)

Fact is, I don't have a problem with it as long as there is no lip, guitar, drum or key syncing. If they in anyway are faking it STONE THEM!!!!!!!!!!! :zombie: :zombie: :zombie:

Many bands like Epica just can't recreate their songs and tour without the orchestral parts and the choirs. I don't need to hear it dumbed down just so all of it's live. As long as the ones that are up there are doing their thing I'm more than happy!:Smokin: