Members Kramerguy Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Much has already been said, but with blanket statements, there's always going to be exceptions. I speak about my region and not anyone else's. Call it whatever you want, but basically if a solo artist is playing to backing tracks (yes, that's what they are no matter how much someone wants to dress it up), he/she will most likely get a marginal response, if any, from most crowds around here. Again, you can always become the exception or find the crowd that is the exception, or both- but my thoughts are that a musician that has enough "IT factor" to make it work probably wouldn't need to use BT's in the first place, and it becomes a moot point. I believe most people want to see live music because they want to see a musician or band create something awesome LIVE. IMO, pre-recorded tracks rob people of that experience while masquerading as a uniquely live experience. While someone may only use BT's 10% or 40% of the time, I still believe that robs the consumer of 10% or 40% of the experience; and again, if someone can't be entertaining enough solo, then maybe they should step it up to a duo or join a band. It sounds harsh, but I really mean it in the most respectful way- Not all musicians are at their best performing solo, in fact, I'd say very few are compelling and talented enough to do a solo act, while at the same time they could be amazing in a duo or band setting. I can easily understand why someone would criticize me as having a narrow view, and I get that. Doesn't make me any more wrong than someone with the opposite point of view. I figured I'd just share my perspective on it, although I imagine I'm probably just going to piss people off. Ah well, it's how I roll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OldGuitarPlayer Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Sorry but anyone who plays three chords to backing tracks is a karaoke singer and NOT a musician.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 and again, if someone can't be entertaining enough solo, then maybe they should step it up to a duo or join a band. It sounds harsh, but I really mean it in the most respectful way- Not all musicians are at their best performing solo, in fact, I'd say very few are compelling and talented enough to do a solo act, while at the same time they could be amazing in a duo or band setting. You're again saying that people that use tracks are doing it because of a talent thing. Me personally why would I join a band? I make $150-$200 a night playing solo gigs 20 times a month? Sure it sounds arrogant but so do these posts...I'd tear it up no matter what part of the country I'm in. It makes no difference where I play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Yeah, I feel I was totally cheated by The Who each time I saw them.Roger Waters too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members niceguy Posted July 17, 2012 Author Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Wow, this quickly devolved into a war about things which weren't my question. I'm bailing now; my sincere thanks to those few who actually answered my question. Much of my material is electronica infused with electric guitars, and there's also a lot of rather orchestral pieces, with full-blown string sections (not synths). I'll be using MainStage to handle those types of songs, and I'll be slipping in my acoustic songs as well. It's all original music. I'll leave you all to your bickering over who is a real musician and who isn't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cephus Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 I worked with this lady who smelled like cat litter every day. Probably her whole house smelled like cat litter - and her car. Since she was constantly enveloped by the smell of cat litter she had no idea that she smelled like cat litter. Backing tracks make you smell like cat litter. Sorry. It doesn't matter how good you are. It doesn't matter what songs you play. It is inescapable. Maybe if you're a hot chick, you could get away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 I worked with this lady who smelled like cat litter every day. Probably her whole house smelled like cat litter - and her car. Since she was constantly enveloped by the smell of cat litter she had no idea that she smelled like cat litter.Backing tracks make you smell like cat litter. Sorry.It doesn't matter how good you are. It doesn't matter what songs you play. It is inescapable. Maybe if you're a hot chick, you could get away with it. Video or links with your music or your post doesn't count. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted July 17, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 17, 2012 I want video of the cat litter lady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted July 17, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 17, 2012 no wait... here she is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Sure it sounds arrogant but so do these posts...I'd tear it up no matter what part of the country I'm in. It makes no difference where I play. Whatever works for you, really- We're all musicians to some degree and a brotherhood. I'm as much the poster-child of the asshole guitarist, but we're all a brotherhood and while I might argue with you feverishly today, I'd gladly sit down and have a beer with you tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shart Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Personally, I'm beginning to think all the time it would take me to build decent backing tracks would be best served writing music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 If someone is entertaining and talented enough to be a successful solo-ist, then why would they feel the need to use backing tracks? The NEXT time I work for The Who, I'll be sure to ask Townshend...[facepalm] But really, I know Townshend supposedly played that intro to Baba O'Reilly originally, and I'd always assumed Rabbitt Bundrick was certainly no slouch on keys himself...i guess i was mistaken that Pete is both entertaining and talented enough though, because as you point out, there couldn't possibly be any other explanation as to why he would use tracks. Sorry, everyone is welcome to their own particular POV and opinion, but...your thinking on this particular angle is totally and completely borked. Perhaps taking a breather and thinking about it more would allow you to avoid making such ridiculously preposterous and easily countered proclamations... By your logic, Prince isn't talented or entertaining enough to be a solo artist.Neither is Roger Waters.Neither is Madonna.Neither is Pink!Or Tom Jones.Or Rod Stewart.Or George Michael.Or David Bowie.And on and on and on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Wow.. I can't believe I'm even doing this but... You said Not all musicians are at their best performing solo, in fact, I'd say very few are compelling and talented enough to do a solo act, while at the same time they could be amazing in a duo or band setting. I said... And if a singer/guitarist can't perform solo then chances are they will never be amazing in any band situation. You said And exactly what basis do you use to make those claims? If someone can play guitar and sing and cant do it in a "solo" environment, chances are they lack the talent to carry their weight in a band. If you're a singer and you cant pull off singing (insert song here) solo, putting a band behind that person is not going to do a thing for their ability to sing or perform. The only think I could think of that may be an influence is performance anxiety and even then that's a strike against a potential bandmate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Tracks are like any other piece of technology or tool. They are only as good as the person using them. I've heard them used brilliantly and skillfull and entertainingly. I've heard them completely suck and make me want to walk out. I can also say those sames things about every performer I've seen who didn't use them either, and probably in about equal proportion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tim_7string Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 If a solo artist needs a backup band but prefers to use BT's so they can pocket all the money (aka not share), well.. that's just greedy and self-serving, which isn't in itself a horrible thing, we all want to do best for ourselves, but the key words in my former sentence were "needs a backup band". You still IMO are serving a lacking product. That is just not my way, and that's how I see it. Do what you want, but don't expect me to slap you on the back for using a midi-footswitch to turn your virtual backing band on and off. If a gig were to only pay $400 max for a live band and I had to hire four other people to play my songs along with some other cover songs and none of them will do it for less than $150/man, who is really being greedy here? I would have to pay them out of my own pocket an additional $200. Basically, I'd be going in the hole. I wouldn't get paid at all. But it's somehow greedy if I were to play all my stuff with backing tracks for $150 for the night in some hole in the wall place (because the same bar wouldn't hire me for $400 by myself)? I guess I'd rather be in the black than the red. Otherwise, I'm just literally paying to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 17, 2012 Members Share Posted July 17, 2012 Tracks are like any other piece of technology or tool. They are only as good as the person using them. I've heard them used brilliantly and skillfull and entertainingly. I've heard them completely suck and make me want to walk out.I can also say those sames things about every performer I've seen who didn't use them either, and probably in about equal proportion. God! All the writing I did and you summed it up in a couple of sentences. Next time be my spokesperson please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 God! All the writing I did and you summed it up in a couple of sentences. Next time be my spokesperson please. Another 20,000 posts or so, and you'll be good at it too..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Another 20,000 posts or so, and you'll be good at it too..... LOL..I've been slowing down since that "I'm Old" rant of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 LOL..I've been slowing down since that "I'm Old" rant of mine. You're too old for that. If you slow down now, you'll never get there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 You're too old for that. If you slow down now, you'll never get there.... By slowing down I mean 5 gigs in 5 days... At least schools over Friday. I don't go back until Monday... lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kramerguy Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Kmart- I thought I made it pretty clear that my statements were regarding LOCAL talent and even specified those statements to be about MY region. You are being dishonest in your statements by applying my point of view to national talents that were never referenced or factored in my point of view (and why would they?). This whole thread has been about solo artistry in local venues. Making comparisons between a local players and national acts, and then applying my statements to them is disingenuous and it takes any honest debate out of the equation. Potts- I re-read your point, and I agree. If someone is a bad singer, then they are a bad singer. I don't see where the disagreement is there. Tim- Why do you need to be either solo or oversized band? Is there no in-between? You could do a duo if you need more filler, and both make money. You conveniently ignored that I already made that point. I also made it a point to say money and greed aren't bad traits- but you still tried to throw that back in my face and twist my meaning. So let me spell it out- It's only bad when you overly compromise the art for the profit and ultimately deliver a flawed or lacking product because of the greed / $$. That statement could apply to much more than just art, and while there's always exceptions, it's still the general rule. My suggestion from the beginning was that perhaps ( All, Clearly I struck a few nerves with my statements on this. I don't use and would probably never use backing tracks. Maybe this is because I've never once seen it done properly; maybe I'm overly biased? I don't know, but if you want to use them, knock yourself out. If you find a crowd or niche that works for you- hey good for you! I know only what works for me in my own area. Now, if you use BT's AND music stands... then we got a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Now, if you use BT's AND music stands... then we got a problem Where else are you going to put your iPod? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators BATCAT Posted July 18, 2012 Moderators Share Posted July 18, 2012 If we're actually addressing the situation that the OP expressed, keep in mind he is NOT talking about doing 3 hours of covers in a restaurant or wherever as a solo performer. He's talking about playing a music festival thousands of miles away where he'll do one set of his own original material. Now, you can argue he's be better off going solo/acoustic or whatever, but I'd say that matter has a lot more to do with the overall tone of the festival and his spot, as well as the kind of music he's doing. Also, he mentioned it was somewhat electronic in nature... so even if he were performing with a band everything might not be 100% live anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kmart Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Kmart-I thought I made it pretty clear that my statements were regarding LOCAL talent and even specified those statements to be about MY region. You are being dishonest in your statements by applying my point of view to national talents that were never referenced or factored in my point of view (and why would they?). This whole thread has been about solo artistry in local venues. Making comparisons between a local players and national acts, and then applying my statements to them is disingenuous and it takes any honest debate out of the equation. 1- I would argue tht you made it perfectly clear you were only talking about local talent and only about your region at that. I will admit, however, that I started paying less attention to the specific words you used when it became absolutely apparent that you were regurgitating the same spiel verbatim about tracks that one will see from any/everybody else wo has a closed-mind and is generally uneducated/poorly informed about how they can be used. Especially when you were making blanket statement after blanket statement about them. 2- I'm not being dishonest about crap. I'm pointing out the complete and utter ridiculousness of some of the statements of fact you've been making about the use of tracks. At BEST they are your opinions only, but I would suspect that in this case, your opinions are based on false-understanding of what you've experienced, because... 3-...it is almost a certainty, one I would wager on if that was possible, that what you've seen and experienced at the local band level, in your specific region, were not, in fact, bands playing with tracks badly, but rather, bad bands playing with tracks. There's a difference there.What you experienced is very likely bands that would be just as bad without tracks. In other words, tracks, which are an inanimate thing, don't make a band bad. A band makes itself bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sillypeoples Posted July 18, 2012 Members Share Posted July 18, 2012 Another 20,000 posts or so, and you'll be good at it too..... Certainly you have a developed skill set to say so much in such an efficient manner, no doubt developed in an effort to rack up an impressive post count whilst pandering to a forum membership skimming for Sig worthy sound bites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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