Backing tracks in live performance

Information about availability of backing tracks

Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby MeBHank » 05 Jan 2016, 04:44

There's a vast difference between playing with a scratch band who collectively bluff their way through a basic tune because not everyone's familiar with it, and with your own established band whose members all know the material you want to cover.

Playing with the Shadowers is an absolute pleasure, and I'm extremely lucky to be part of such a talented and enthusiastic group. We love playing less-well-known or more challenging pieces; pieces which you don't often hear groups performing. The hits are still fun to play, and it's important to include them in our show, but our favourite moments are when we can get our teeth into something a bit different, likely something we've chosen so as to provide more variety and/or atmosphere and/or power in the set.

That said, I could just play the 1960-63 Shadows standards with the Shadowers and still be grinning from ear-to-ear, enjoying every minute of the experience. Those same tunes would have less impact when played to backing tracks. Let's say I'm playing to a crowd who only want to hear instrumentals. I could play my way through the entire UBHank1 CD and the quality of the show would be good enough, but the lack of a band would make my music selection seem less dynamic to the crowd. Larger production numbers with more varied instrumentation are needed more frequently in my solo sets than when playing with my band. For example, playing the 1961 arrangement of Sleepwalk to the UBHank track is pleasant but holds little value as a stand-out "feature" of the set. Include it in a Shadowers show, though, and it immediately becomes more delicate and emotive.

Last but not least: as a musician, keeping your own interest at a maximum is vital, too.

J
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby Tab » 05 Jan 2016, 07:38

As with anything in life, if you want to give a good performance, surround yourself with the best - in this case the best players available or the best backing tracks.

More often than not, playing with other players unrehearsed can sound awful, is certainly not entertaining and you don't come out covered in glory. If good players and rehearsal time is not an option then backing tracks are reliable, vastly superior and allow you to give of your best.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby Iain Purdon » 05 Jan 2016, 12:09

Interesting thread. Many good points made. No argument from me with any of it.

There's another dimension though. What if your chosen instrument is the rhythm guitar, the drum kit or, as mainly for me, the bass? Here your options are very different. There are very few tracks around for you and, in any case, there's little audience delight to be had just watching you add the missing bit. If you play these instruments you are totally reliant on other players forming a scratch band with you. They may not know the number as you know it but at least they're putting themselves on the line for you. Sometimes the results feel great, sometimes they're a mess. The enjoyment is in doing it, not in reproducing a recording somebody else once made, because you almost certainly won't.

To me, making music is fun and involves collaboration with other players. At a club, I thank anyone who gets up to play along with me.

If I want to give better musical performances I am lucky enough to be in two bands, one regular, one occasional. Here we work together, always compromising so that the whole is at least as good as the sum of its parts.

If there's an audience to be entertained, that is a different proposition again. Here it is not about simply making good music, there is an essential interaction which you usually don't see, and don't have to see, in the Shads clubs. Working your audience requires other entertainment skills. Here, backing tracks can be part of the mix if you like, providing elements you can't reproduce on stage. But, live band, BTs or both, the show is nothing unless what you do captivates the audience. This will be not just your playing but all the other elements too.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby noelford » 05 Jan 2016, 12:30

Yes, I agree, Iain, audience interaction is vital to an entertaining performance. It's the reason I dislike high stages because I feel it creates a sort of barrier between you and your audience and I would rather play on the floor.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby cockroach » 06 Jan 2016, 03:43

I'd like to thank Iain P for bringing up that point!

It's all very well for we folk who can play lead guitar to argue about use of BTs or a band, but what about all the other folk who play drums, bass, rhythm, keyboards etc?

Where do they get an opportunity to play their beloved music, if not with other players in a band?

Let's not let vocalists and lead guitarists dominate the discussion please!

Do I detect a case of our egos working overtime a bit here?! ;-)
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby noelford » 06 Jan 2016, 08:58

I do sympathise with Iain about the problems for bass players and drummers, but surely this particular discussion is about the use of BTs in solo performances of instrumental numbers and surely the majority, if not all, of players who do this are, indeed, lead guitarists, with or without egos! Do any bass players or drummers on this forum go out playing solo with BTs, playing instrumentals? If not, then the arguments being aired here don't actually apply to them, do they?
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby cockroach » 07 Jan 2016, 01:01

Noel

I suppose it's a matter of having some sympathy and empathy for those Shads and instrumental fans who are drummers, bass players and rhythm players- and even a couple of keyboard players, who would also love to play their music.

I can and have played rhythm and bass as well as lead, and have got together with such like minded people to play for both pleasure and paid gigs.

As we all know, when it comes to instrumental music fans, there are many many lead players, but fewer rhythm, bass and drummers..

Sorry if you feel I have spoiled this thread.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby Iain Purdon » 07 Jan 2016, 01:40

You haven't spoiled the thread, John. There are no rules about the course a thread should take! As I said earlier, I have no problem with anything that's been said and I still don't. I just added a range of different, tangential thoughts of my own. We all come to Shadows music with our own perspectives and it's interesting to read how others see it.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby noelford » 07 Jan 2016, 09:28

John, it was the bit about egos that I found odd. You can't really blame lead guitarists for responding to a thread which was originally posted about playing lead guitar to BTs!

However, the point that has now been raised would be a really interesting one to talk about in it's own right because I can't recall it being discussed in depth here before. Perhaps Iain (or any bass player or drummer or rhythm guitarists here) could start a topic in the general section about how they deal with the problems of going out to play gigs - a problem that BTs have solved, to a degree, for lead players.
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Re: Backing tracks in live performance

Postby RUSSET » 07 Jan 2016, 10:29

Good interesting thread. I have a close friend who plays in a trio (Guitar, Keyboard, Lead Vocalist) who get the rest of their backing from 'backing tracks'. It's not for me & my band, but it suits them, & they get work. They can go out for £150 & get £50 each for a gig. For the same fee, we would only get £30 each. I personally don't play for the money, but for my own enjoyment, but I don't like playing cheaply, for the customer to be taking advantage & profiting off us from our generosity. It does cost us to run a band, travel costs, time, outfits, equipment etc. Charity gigs are fine.

As for Egos, I guess we must all have a good amount of ego to want to get up there on stage, anyway. I notice that many Lead guitarists & particularly Vocalists have substantial egos, & drummers, well they are in a class of their own :o
Egos play their part in giving a good confident performance. Shy people will find it difficult to get up & do it. That's the way of this business. I'll wait for the flak !

Tony.
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