Backing tracks in live performance

[Pat Seaman]

I was interested to read about people getting up to dance at the last minute. This was a phenomenon that my band used to suffer from and we thought it was something that we were doing wrong.
It also used to happen that hardly anyone would get up and dance until near the end of the evening and then they would want us to keep on going, well past our finishing time.
The other weird thing that happened was that some people complained that the band was too loud, but when the disco started at ear splitting levels, nobody said a word.
Perhaps they couldn't because of the noise!
Rant over, Pat.

[cockroach]

Yes Pat- audiences are funny creatures- you never know how they're gong to react or behave...a bit like kids!

BTW, what do people do if they use backing racks for live work, and they suddenly have a complete electronic breakdown/crash of a PC, CD player etc?

I presume they have some sort of backup devices, such as a spare CD player, CD disc or hard drive..???

We always carry spare guitars, and with our backline amps and PA with multi channel mixer and DI boxes we can usually get by ...

Also, what happens if a solo performer becomes ill during a gig?

We actually experienced this a few weeks ago at our last gig- our drummer felt ill early on, but by the second set, he had to stop (extremely bad gastro enteritis)

So we covered for him and played on as a trio- two guitars, bass and vocals....we carried it off OK, thank goodness..

[ecca]

We had a gig in a marquee when the bass player was consumed by a sudden mystery illness ( drunk ) and consequently slid flat on his back with his head out of the marquee but the rest of him still inside.
Miraculously he carried on playing on his back, never skipped a beat.

[noelford]

Must be something about bass players. When out band was playing the American military bases in France, we went out, one day, with a bunch of GI's, and spent the whole afternoon on the banks of the Seine in the village of Heresy, drinking Old Grandad bourbon. We got back to our digs in something of a state, with a five hour gig ahead of us that night at the Enlisted Men's Club at the Fontainebleau army base. We all managed to get ourselves back together apart from our bass player, who we dumped in a cold shower, fully dressed, until he could at least stand up. At the gig, we sat him on his amp, directly beneath the crash cymbal, which our drummer whacked every time he started to fall to one side. But he did play, reasonably well, right through the gig.

[alanbakewell]

Here's my view from a different perspective.

Some twelve years ago my interest in playing guitar, and in particular, Shadows music
was re-awakened by a number of things.

Charlie Hall's echo patches for various units.
In my case the RFX 2000, ( I happily used this unit for some ten years or so until changing
to a Zoom G3X with Ross Hall's patches ).

A new Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster.

The availability of backing tracks on CD.

Of all these, the backing tracks made the most difference to me.

Why? I'm fortunate in that I can leave my gear set up and not have to lug it all downstairs
or out of the broom closet or anywhere else for that matter. I like the spontaneity of just turning the kit on
and playing for as long, or as short a time as I fancy. The backing tracks are easily accessible. A drummer, rhythm player
bass guitarist keyboard player and 30 piece orchestra are not.
I've used backing tracks to play along with such guitar greats as Eric Thacker and Ian Plant. ( Oh yes I have !! ). To a very appreciative
audience.
I'm now going to go and play my guitar in my conservatory for a while.

Hang on, there's a coach just pulled up outside. There's a bloke with a keyboard, a fella with a set of drums, some people with violins, cellos,
trombones. There's also a good looking bloke with silver hair and a red Stratocaster. No.....it can't be.....Sorry folks I have to go now.
Bruce.......Bruce......over this way...BRUCE......

[jimuc]

[Tab]

Well said, Alan.

I'm sure that it was backing tracks that have made the biggest difference for most of us. They certainly inspired me to re-learn stuff I hadn't played for donkey's years! And to learn it properly!

[BrianD]

A very interesting thread. I confess I have always been a bit anti for live use but have certainly seen them used very effectively in pubs, open mics and, of course, various Shad Club meetings. I certainly enjoy using them at home and find them a great tool for practicing to, however, what to do when you want to create your own arrangements but can only play the guitar??? Several years ago I was recommended "BAND IN A BOX" by Jim Sullivan and find this a very useful and effective tool. I am sure there are a number of you out there who are already familiar with this software, and make use of it, but for those who haven't come across it take a look at http://www.pgmusic.com

[MeBHank]

Well said, Alan.

I'm sure that it was backing tracks that have made the biggest difference for most of us. They certainly inspired me to re-learn stuff I hadn't played for donkey's years! And to learn it properly!

Absolutely. As we're starting to share anecdotes, here's my contribution:

I'd seen each Hank Marvin tour since 1995. I'd nicked my dad's old horm-rimmed glasses and I used to learn Shadows tunes and play along to the CD. I used to dream of having Hank's or The Shadows' music without the lead guitar. I even perform at parties, school fêtes or talent shows, playing along to Hank on the original CDs.

I was unable to attend Bruce Welch's Shadows' show at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil in 2001 because of a family engagement, but we got there in time to catch the end of the show. I didn't have a ticket, of course, so we listened to the muffled music from the lobby. It was there I met John and Pat from Leo's Den for the first time. I browsed through their wares and discovered... backing tracks! I can still remember my excitement, and then, after the purchase, my pride as I clutched my red UBHank CD (the cover of which featured nothing less than a Hank Marvin 40th Anniversary Signature Strat!). I'd never known of this world of Shadows fans. I never knew there were people like me who wanted to play The Shadows' music.

For those wondering, a few minutes after buying the CD I did sneak through the stalls door and along the corridor, into the theatre. I crept up the steps until I could see the band and stood at the side of the theatre, hidden, for the final few minutes of the show. It was magical to see Bruce and Alan for the first time (Cliff was out of sight beyond the angle of the stage proscenium), and of course that Strat! I was nervous because I noticed Bruce had seen me - I thought he would stop the show at any minute to tell me off for standing there! He later signed my beloved Fender catalogue in the lobby.

It sounds ridiculous, but discovering backing tracks was one of the most important moments of my life. It allowed me to put my own stamp on the music if I wanted to, to understand where my guitar sound was lacking (echo!) and helped me develop confidence on stage knowing that I was legitimately performing in my own right without having the backup of the original lead guitar. A few weeks later I turned up at my GCSE mock solo performance exam armed with my backing track CD, and I proudly played to UBHank's Atlantis, achieving a mark of 27/30.

Backing tracks have been massively important in my life. Maybe that's sad, maybe it's not, but it helped me fly at heights I neither imagined nor considered myself worthy of.

That night I also discovered the phenomenon of the Shadows family, and life would never quite be the same again.

J

[Gatwick1946]

I agree with you Justin.

I was at that Yeovil concert in 2001, and again on 26th Nov 2002 (anniversary of my birthday). I bought the first Vibratoes CD.

I got my UB Hank CD at Guitar Magazine convention. Bruce was there and having told him how much I had enjoyed the Yeovil concerts, I asked if he would be doing any recordings - he said he doubted if anyone would buy them.

Live or backing tracks? I think it can only be a matter of personal preference. Sometimes the drum and bass sounds on backing tracks sound a bit too harsh or techno to my old ears.

But what of the future? Due to technical advances we can almost enjoy a live Elvis or Frank on the West End stage. Could there evolve a hologram, which we could play at home and step in into and play along side our idols?

Kindest regards
Christopher