Members percyexpat Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 Live looping is great. Canned loops are rubbish. If you're playing solo then go solo, make your musicianship fill the stage. Good musicians can hold a crowd with any level of instrumentation, sparse or dense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members houseofglass21 Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 That just kind of screams "I can't put a band together" to me Whatever dude. It screams more "I'm having trouble putting a band together, but I'm not going to let that hold me back from making music in the meantime". And at least the drum machine is always there, does exactly what you tell it to do, and doesn't want to play in 6 other bands. Which is exactly what I would want from a real drummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OMTerria Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 I've got some friends who do this. They're pretty cool I think [video=youtube;eo5OJReod8c] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cryptosonic Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 If its what you enjoy doing then no. Who gives a {censored} what folks think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onyxrhino Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 So, explain why I should pay a bass player and drummer, and split the money five ways, when they can be replaced by Pro Tools. Maybe you should explain to the audience why they shouldn't just replace you with a jukebox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members El Glom-o Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 It seemed to work pretty well for Les Paul and Mary Ford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stevemcb Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 Live looping - Great when done well...[video=youtube;lJju07ge7o4] Drum machines and pre-recorded loops/tracks are OK, but each extra instrument/programmed track is an additional hurdle to overcome to live greatness IMO. It can be done, but you have to be even more spectacular than you need to if you have all live instruments.Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goodhonk Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 It seemed to work pretty well for Les Paul and Mary Ford. rip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reauchambeau Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 there's always some cool examples but in general I don't like it. the St. Vincent Coachella set on the weekend was awesome, the only thing weird to me was that the basslines, some keyboards and even backing vocals were sequenced, I would rather see/hear a real bass player (she should hire me) and keyboardist play all the parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pedaltones Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 Creating live loops, building and bringing them in & out is a very creative way to perform.Playing to a backing track isn't so much. This poll is asking for one opinion for two different processes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deanmass Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 Whatever dude. It screams more "I'm having trouble putting a band together, but I'm not going to let that hold me back from making music in the meantime". And at least the drum machine is always there, does exactly what you tell it to do, and doesn't want to play in 6 other bands. Which is exactly what I would want from a real drummer. +1 This. ALL of us have been there....Putting a band together is hard in the best of circumstance, especially as people get older and have family commitments, etc. I think ALL of us would RATHER play in a band with other people, but sometimes, it just does not work that way or is not financially feasible for the gig. And if the person cutting the check wants backing tracks with a live performer, and I can get one night a week out of it, {censored} it, I'll take that gig. Doesn't mean I am not with the band 2 other nights, or as a duo other places. I think the person hiring you being willing to hire a live person as opposed to a juke box says something about the reason people want live music. Variety, oddity, uniqueness, etc. There are certainly people playing solo with computers/etc that suck. But there are many who don't. You play where you can, when you can, how you can. I'd be on tour with a Polyphonic Spree type group if I could. More music is better, but it is not realistic in this economy for most people in most areas. These examples put up are both excellent. As a reminder of how it can be done in the Big Leagues... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SwingingAx Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 IF they are original backing tracks that you've made yourself, why the hell not.(I'd rather play with a DJ/Keyboardist with a Workstation, than a group of idiots) That's what I might end up doing, for playing an open mic night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SwingingAx Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 If its what you enjoy doing then no. Who gives a {censored} what folks think? I would add 'and it sounds good', if it's being done for an audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JRBain Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 I wouldn't stop to watch some dude playing an acoustic guitar along to backing tracks. Totally lame. I'd much rather than see it stripped down just the guitar if you don't have a band to play with you. Basically this. I'd rather watch someone play a solo guitar performance (of something else, if necessary) than use a backing track to replace their band. But I do appreciate the problem. Music doesn't promote itself, and if you have a gig but no band, needs must I suppose; particularly for players that do clinic tours and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members HP Hovercraft Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 Creating live loops, building and bringing them in & out is a very creative way to perform. Playing to a backing track isn't so much. This poll is asking for one opinion for two different processes. Yeah, that's why I didn't vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members arthurdent'd Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 it is cringe-worthy in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zephyrside Posted April 17, 2012 Members Share Posted April 17, 2012 This threads got me worried.. I usually use my looper to add pre-recorded octaves, harmonies (yes I know I could get a whammy,pog,hog etc for that), or add a second guitar part. Is that acceptable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keithtoxic Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 DJs and electronic acts can get away with it because everyone shows up to dance, not watch the band.Not so much with singer/songwriter/rock acts. Tell that to him [video=youtube;GjEsAEsYCw4] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ben_allison Posted April 18, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 Most people are responding the way I figured they would: live loop creation can be cool, canned backing tracks is lameness. But if you're going solo, just go solo. It's interesting though that hiphop artists can get away with, not simply using backing tracks, but ones that could very well be 100% someone else's music. Horses for courses I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members spentron Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 I think if you can use it [EDIT: backing tracks, mainly] to bring music to a situation that otherwise wouldn't have that kind of music, that could be cool. Not on a big stage. Self-limiting however. Also, someone doing part of set as solo guitar doesn't mean the whole set has to be that, or should. I was in a duo, we played some songs drums and guitar, other songs to backing tracks of drums and rythm -- so it was clear we played everything they heard. No great gigs, but actually got a good reaction in a hick dive bar where we were more unusual musically for the place and the space available was small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members keithtoxic Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 I'd like to refer you to my video. That dude plays near stadiums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ILOVEMYFENDER Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 Live looping, not backing tracks. Only acceptable "backing tracks" are metronomes if you're running in-ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members x-ray specs Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 I think it's ok if you wrote the song. If it's a cover, it is kinda lame imo. But I've seen a lot of peeps playing along to what looks like a cd in the background, usually solo artists. On the other hand it is art, so who's to say what is really best or not, right? In the end, do what works best for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fetch Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 having to ask is lame. otherwise everything else is cricket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bkd Posted April 18, 2012 Members Share Posted April 18, 2012 I usually don't like seeing solo acts, but Joe Preston is always an exception. The second time I saw him was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. Drum machine and thunderous bass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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