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Covers bands with backing tracks?

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not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
edited February 2018 in Live
Anyone in a covers band use backing tracks?

In one of my bands (single guitar, bass, drums and vocals) we've been discussing using keyboard backing tracks for a few 80s songs were learning. I was initially Ok with that but now there's talk of loads of over ones where the main riffs would be pre-recorded, sax and keyboard riffs that sort of thing.

I don't really want to be doing a band version of karaoke, but does anyone have this approach for gigs, and does it go down well? (do the punters even notice?)
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    edited February 2018
    Plenty of touring bands do it - Periphery have been using a bass backing track live as their bassist left.

    https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/periphery_for_how_long_we_intend_to_use_backing_bass_tracks_during_live_shows.html

    Plenty of bands without full time keys players will trigger synth etc.

    The big question to ask is are you reliably tight enough to all play to a click for all the samples to line up correctly. 
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  • The big question to ask is are you reliably tight enough to all play to a click for all the samples to line up correctly. 
    That does worry me. The drummer's idea is that he'll be listening to the click and playing to that and we'll all play to him as we don't use IEMs...so I can see it has potential to go horribly wrong.
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  • We do exactly that in my covers band. It opens up a whole new world to the kind of material you can cover. It works amazingly well and actually allows me as a guitarist to be a lot more subjective as to what I play. I don’t have to cover keyboard/brass lines etc. 

    It also sounds massive out front with the tracks.

    The drummer is the only one that hears the click and we all play to him, although all members of the band get a mix of the backing track (minus click) in their IEM’s. So your drummer really is the most important person in this kind of setup. He has to be confident and tight playing to a click, and he has to know the tracks inside and out, as does everyone else.


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  • The big question to ask is are you reliably tight enough to all play to a click for all the samples to line up correctly. 
    That does worry me. The drummer's idea is that he'll be listening to the click and playing to that and we'll all play to him as we don't use IEMs...so I can see it has potential to go horribly wrong.
    Explain to him that they’ll work best when synced by MIDI to a drum machine...
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    "Sound reinforcement" has been routinely used for a long time now.  No, the audience do not notice, nor I suspect do they care. 

    In the digital age it's hard to resist.

    I was having this very discussion with a young friend of mine who plays violin and piano in a theatre orchestra, and he says it's fast getting to the stage where they might end up being slimmed down with backing tracks making up the missing instruments, cost being a significant factor.    
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  • We'e been doing it for 10 years, it really helpful for being more authentic and fills things out well. We are all on in ears except bassist. The click track also has cues for verses and choruses to make sure we don't mess up where to change sections where it is not obvious eg times like these mid 8 
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  • DominicDominic Frets: 16012
    I was skeptical til I saw a very well sorted band doing it at The Horn in St Albans,a well known venue......as a punter the difference was amazing .......a proper show that sounded like the records and they had such a diverse and interesting repertoire that sounded so big and produced.
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  • TrudeTrude Frets: 914
    My take - I think it's cheating, and would never consider it.  I don't mind the odd sample-pad for specific sound effects, but I don't want any of the music to be not played live.  If I see it happening as a punter I feel cheated, and if I did it myself I'd feel like a fraud.

    Each to their own though...
    Some of the gear, some idea

    Trading feedback here
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Trude said:
    My take - I think it's cheating, and would never consider it.  I don't mind the odd sample-pad for specific sound effects, but I don't want any of the music to be not played live.  If I see it happening as a punter I feel cheated, and if I did it myself I'd feel like a fraud.

    Each to their own though...
    Me too. One of the best wedding/function bands where I live is a guy on a nylon string electro, a bass player and a drummer. They all sing and play fantastically, make a big, danceable sound and can cover pretty well any song you throw at them, with power and dynamics. 

    At what point do you phase out every instrument until it's karaoke? Or finally phase out the voice until you just have a DJ? 

    My argument is that if the audience don't care if you cheat, then they won't care if you don't. 

    Have a little pride.  
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  • Pro bands have been doing it for almost two decades, it seems logical that pub and function bands should follow by now. It’s not my thing but I can certainly see the benefits and possibilities.
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  • There are plenty of solo guys using the trio+ 

    Is that any different? It still takes a good amount if effort and practice to get what you want to be

    My Trading Feedback    |    You Bring The Band

    Just because you're paranoid, don't mean they're not after you
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  • I don’t agree that it’s cheating. There is still plenty of skill involved in this kind of setup, both in what you play and how well you pull it off. 

    Ive played in conventional 4 and 5 piece bands for about 20 years now and have to say I enjoy playing with tracks as much, if not more. The feedback we have received has always been positive.
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    There must be hundreds of guitar players up and down the country working the pubs and clubs solo using backing tracks.  I've seen loads of these guys (for they are almost always men) some of them are barely competent some are outstanding musicians, but I've never considered any of them to be "cheating". 

    Cheating is when you pretend to be singing or playing when the music is coming from a recorded source, ie miming.  There have been accusations of certain singers doing just this, or using sound reinforcement to help them out with the high notes.



     
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  • merlinmerlin Frets: 6597
    edited February 2018
    I prefer this kind of setup when I go and hear a live band. At least it guarantees they'll play all the right notes.... 






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  • PlectrumPlectrum Frets: 494
    There are plenty of solo guys using the trio+ 

    Is that any different? It still takes a good amount if effort and practice to get what you want to be

    Guilty as charged ;) Only for a few songs though, such as Wonderful Tonight, which have some single-string lead that is an essential part of the song. Sometimes at open mikes I can dragoon a friend into playing rhythm on an acoustic guitar and forego the backing track. I much prefer that to be honest but people have lives, family and work commitments and aren't always able to come out the play.
    One day I'm going to make a guitar out of butter to experience just how well it actually plays.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31368
    Ok, I guess calling it cheating is a little harsh. 

    I know exactly how much work and effort is involved in putting your own backing together, I did a lot of it for other people in my studio years ago. 

    I also like watching acts using loopers live, constructing arrangements in front of your eyes. 

    But singing/playing over downloaded tracks is a living death to me, I'd rather do overtime in my day job and I won't pay to see anyone else do it. 
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  • Neill said:
    There must be hundreds of guitar players up and down the country working the pubs and clubs solo using backing tracks.  I've seen loads of these guys (for they are almost always men) some of them are barely competent some are outstanding musicians, but I've never considered any of them to be "cheating". 

    Cheating is when you pretend to be singing or playing when the music is coming from a recorded source, ie miming.  There have been accusations of certain singers doing just this, or using sound reinforcement to help them out with the high notes.



     
    I’d agree with all this. Some blurred lines too with things like loopers and pre-recorded loops. 

    However, if I go to see live music I do go to see live music. One of my great disappointments was going to see Queen and the vocal section of BoRap was a backing tape. To be fair they weren’t pretending it was anything other than pre recorded and four people couldn’t really reproduce it either. For me they should have knocked it on the head and done it in a different way, although maybe I’d have been very much in a minority. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • We'e been doing it for 10 years, it really helpful for being more authentic and fills things out well. We are all on in ears except bassist. The click track also has cues for verses and choruses to make sure we don't mess up where to change sections where it is not obvious eg times like these mid 8 
    Just to clarify we only do it for instruments not in the band like synth and strings etc. Very occassionally rhythm guitar to support solo. The trick is to make it a seamless augmentation not doing any heavy lifting so no-one would notice as the live playing is 95% of sound 
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I trigger all kinds of stuff but from a Roland SPD pad rather than play along to a click. Using this technique you can add in brass stabs, lush keyboard pads, string chords etc. 
    Actual full on backing and playing along with a click to me is like jamming along with a record, it has to be the exact tempo, it has to be the same exact structure all the time, you can't add in another chorus when it's going down a storm etc

    The real answer really is to get a keyboard player, it then just opens up everything song choice wise. Easier said than done though I know
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    p90fool said:
    Ok, I guess calling it cheating is a little harsh. 
    I know exactly how much work and effort is involved in putting your own backing together, I did a lot of it for other people in my studio years ago. 
    I also like watching acts using loopers live, constructing arrangements in front of your eyes. 
    But singing/playing over downloaded tracks is a living death to me, I'd rather do overtime in my day job and I won't pay to see anyone else do it. 
    Yes I agree downloading tracks is at best blurring the edges but I personally would consider that cheating.  I have never done it and all the musicians I know that use backing don't either.   





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