"Live Music" Entertainment

[WalMan]

Bands are just dinosaurs really arent they?

Get yourself some backing tracks of varying levels from rough midi, up and a powered monitor and it seems you´re away, at least that´s all I´ve seen as "live music" so far on hols. Perhaps it´s just the place

[KevB]

I was talking to a bloke on my recent holiday in Skiathos who was appearing as a duo. Even the 'full band' is only ever a trio at full strength. Basically the sort of money they get in these holiday resorts means that anything more than a trio and you might as well be playing for nothing.

[WalMan]

Aye, I suppose it's probably the way of things now.

The only actual all live music show we saw (not counting the backing track maestros) was the flamenco act.

Did get recommended a bar via rec my vocalist got from a rep at the resort he was at (he & his missus flew out to the same island on the same day and five minutes before MrsW & me but to a different resort and we met up one evening for a meal & some G&T's). Looked like a good place with a band on the following night, but MrsW had sunstroke (at least that's what we suspect just a 24 hour bug thing) so we never made it there

Last night there the hotel had a guy who put on better than average show, enhanced (for most) by a large back projection screen that included him singing a duet with a female on the screen in his role as Pavarotti, and spoilt by the drunken English tw@t at the back ([i]don't it make you so proud sometimes[/i] ). Good, but the only thing that irked me, as an alleged muso, was the fact that when he was "being" George Michael or Freddie Mercury, the video clips of Wham or Queen doing the same songs were all slightly faster than his backing track was running, and when his Pav did Nessun Dorma the orchestra on the screen was pretty obviously actually playing Bolero (bit like the silent keyboard round on My Music for those long enough in the tooth to remember that ). Difficult to sync completely I sure, and I'm just a picky b@st@rd

[Bilbo]

I just think people who visit a bar where there is a singer with backing tapes should leave but, before doing so, tell the staff that that is why you are going. The deal will then be, do more people stay to watch or do more people go to find something better? Persoanlly, I woudl never watch anyone singing to backing tapes. I am better than that, even if they aren't.

{ducks for cover]

[shizznit]

A local club situated close to where I live have these types of acts on the weekends all the time. I wouldn't be bothered about that normally, but the daughter of one of our family friends is the bar manager there and naturally I asked if there was a possibility of booking one of my bands for an evening.

She told me that the punters prefer 'one man and his CD' type acts and not live bands, which is fair enough. She then asked how much our flat fee was and was quite surprised. I assumed that her response was due to the fee being high, but she then replied "Gosh...we pay more than that normally". So I politely asked how much they normally pay for entertainment on the weekend and she said around £500-600, depending on the reputation and popularity of the artist.

I guess I am dong this music thing all wrong. Considering the expense that a band goes through to be able to get out there and earn a few measly quid compared to a singer that can do a gig with a small cheap PA, cheap microphone and a CD player and get paid more than a 7-piece band...it does make me wonder sometimes why I bother.

[charic]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1348483827' post='1814028']
I just think people who visit a bar where there is a singer with backing tapes should leave but, before doing so, tell the staff that that is why you are going. The deal will then be, do more people stay to watch or do more people go to find something better? Persoanlly, I woudl never watch anyone singing to backing tapes. I am better than that, even if they aren't.

{ducks for cover]
[/quote]

What about a band with pre-programmed drums and synths, running from ableton live
With Midi triggered vocal effects
With Midi triggered guitar effects and channel switching

[Raymondo]

I have experienced both sides of this...I lived in Tenerife for a few years (in the quieter part...Los Gigantes) and made a living playing my bass for the only time ever in my life ...But only because I played in three acts that used backing tracks.

The Five piece band we had could only get one or two gigs a month at best and we only ever got 50 euros each maximum.
We all much prefered the full band but had to pay the rent ,so we split into different trios and duos and gigged all over the place .

Some of the best nights of fun and awesomeness occured when playing to tracks...,,

A gorgeouse little girl of no more than three years of age came up to me after one song ,opened her little purse,and gave me a ten cent coin as a thank you for the music...I still have it!

A ten year old girl sat at the back of one gig drawing all night ...then at the end she came up to us and she had drawn the duo!

many people on holiday joined in with us ...at band gigs and BT gigs ...one of the best....A Norwegian guy that played fabulous guitar and harmonica ....his band was supporting Kris kristofferson when he went back home....that was a BT gig as a trio.


All in all it taught me to more tolerant of BTs and kareoke etc because (1) people make a living and (2) the audience have a ball!


The venues could not afford to put live (full band) acts on every night ...all inclusive holidays have killed many a resort....but people want some entertainment so the BT acts get the work , I wish it were not so but that's the way of life in holiday land (well in Tenerife anyway!!!)


P.S We got a gig as the full five piece band at one of the all inclusive hotels ...every Thursday night 60 euros each ...nice stage etc etc .....after two weeks we were cancelled .....the night was too busy and the bar staff complained it was too much work....true story!

[LiamPodmore]

Last year my uncle did 6 months out in Corfu, playing weekly at 4 different clubs. Just him, his guitars and his backing tracks. Made a killing and everybody loved it. He has since done another 4 months there with a Bon Jovi tribute band and is planning on another 3 next year. The people out there seem to love what he was doing on his own, but he also had guitar, not just his backing tracks (Which 1 guitar was always removed from IIRC). Another guy i saw at a local pub, Billy Idol tribute called Rebel Yell. Packed out the place and put on a hell of a show (Aided by the whopping PA and 24 channel board for a mic and backing track?!?!).

Liam

[Bilbo]

Hurrah!

[Big_Stu]

While I wouldn't walk out deliberately I wouldn't stick around too long either to a show which was for a large part on tape.

As said in a reply on another thread, there's an old bloke "busks" in Market St Manchester every weekend, playing late 50s early 60s stuff. He has the works, PA, CDs for sale etc. But watching him one time I swear most of his "talent" is on the tapes, even the vocals sometimes on the rare song that has them. It's entertaining enough if that's your bag, but it's stretching it to call it "live".

[lojo]

A singer I sometimes gig with works most Fridays and Saturday's doing a pa gig with a laptop

She gets the whole fee to herself , so although she will admit she loves gigging with the band better than on her own, she rarely earns the same.

Plenty of weddings/function arrangers don't believe they need a full band

[BottomE]

Put quite simply i think you get what you pay for. It is a business for venues, they aint in it for love so they will always look at the profit margin - naturally.

Personally, i detest backing tracks or triggered samplers or anything thats not being played by a person but i completely understand why there is a market for it.

[Westie9]

I can't abide backing tracks, but I'd rather listen to a live vocalist with a bank of pre-programmed nonsense than a disco!

[cheddatom]

For me it's just slightly above the guy in the street with panpipes and a backing track

[Bilbo]

No its not. Its exactly the same but indoors.

[razze06]

Another reason BT acts are often preferred to full bands is just sheer levels of noise. The moment you mention drumkit, you can see their eyes glaze over, and you know you're out. That's way we often use electric drumkit, and it got us enough gigs to makes us put up with the reduced quality of the sound.

Ultimately, most venues will not mind too much who's on stage, as long as they pay them the same, and they get the same amount of money behind the bar...

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1348567679' post='1815190']
No its not. Its exactly the same but indoors.
[/quote]

Yeh, where it's warmer and they serve beer - point proven

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1348483827' post='1814028'] I just think people who visit a bar where there is a singer with backing tapes should leave but, before doing so, tell the staff that that is why you are going. The deal will then be, do more people stay to watch or do more people go to find something better? Persoanlly, I woudl never watch anyone singing to backing tapes. I am better than that, even if they aren't. {ducks for cover] [/quote]

Hmmm, tricky one. Our Motown band goes out as a full band or just the girls with backing tracks. Half the cost, the venue is not likely to sell more food/beer etc just because they have a full band as the girls go down a storm either way. It's a commercial decision which I fully understand, even if frustrated with as they get way more gigs that way than with the band.

With live music opportunities seemingly on the down and rates not changing in the last couple of years I'll be glad when we're out of this imposed recession.

[Bilbo]

What gets me is that, if you make the observation that the food at, say, a Hungry Horse pub is nowhere near the standard of the stuff you get at a good restaraunt, no-one struggles with the idea but, where music is concerned, people will swallow any old s*** and be grateful I guess its a case of give them the cheapest muck you can get away with. For those who recognise when they are being fed yesterdays leftovers, its a real bummer.

[cheddatom]

I don't know Bilbo, what proportion of people would never order food at a hungry horse? Compare that to the proportion of people not prepared to listen to a backing track. It's probably similar

[BottomE]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1348568847' post='1815214']
What gets me is that, if you make the observation that the food at, say, a Hungry Horse pub is nowhere near the standard of the stuff you get at a good restaraunt, no-one struggles with the idea but, where music is concerned, people will swallow any old s*** and be grateful I guess its a case of give them the cheapest muck you can get away with. For those who recognise when they are being fed yesterdays leftovers, its a real bummer.
[/quote]

But thats why there is an obesity epidemic. People are quite happy consuming sh*t.

[JTUK]

Live is Live and CD, tapes and everything else is...er... not

[tonyf]

Had a couple of weeks in Lanzarote at the end of last month and the hotel entertainment varied from animal acts early evening for the kids to ABBA tributes and duos later on for the adults (and kids who were still up).

Some very good acts, some not so good, but TBH, all went down a storm. As a musician, it was interesting to be on the other side of the mic, as a paying punter. Yeah, I could simply dismiss it as bored jobbing musicians going through the motions playing to backing tracks but to be honest, NOBODY gave a flying fig, everyone was having too much fun. NOBODY noticed the backing tracks, it was all about the show and the singers. Why would they? We're all used to seeing X-Factor now where people sing to backing tracks, most "punters" care little about whats going on the background behind the pretty face with the microphone.

What did impress me immensely though is the professionalism and efficiency of all of these acts. A couple of trips with a small flat bed trolly through the hotel with the whole PA and setup whilst the bingo or kids show was going on. No soundcheck, straight on, no messing. Made me think about the time and effort it takes my covers band to setup.

T

[KevB]

After one of my old bands broke up two of the members (who were a couple) started downloading midi backing tracks and adding in extra layers themselves and went out as a guitar/vocal duo. Absolutely swamped with work, far more gigs than the full band could ever get. Part of it was they could undercut full bands but also they could physically fit into such a smaller playing area it opened up lots of potential venues that were too small for the full band to fit in. Not really for me though I must admit. I did do a duo to backing tracks for a jubilee street party earlier this year and I have to say it was an extra level of discipline to make sure I got the timing/cues correct, no kind of flexibility with backing tracks, no nodding to the drummer for another go around or anything.

[cheddatom]

when I was young, about 14 I think, we went to Lake Garda in Italy as a family. I saw 2 or 3 really amasing jazz bands and couldn't stop watching the bassist. It re-affirmed my love for bass and made me actually buy one to begin the switch from guitar.

It would be a horrible shame if today's 14 year olds are not getting the same experience, but I suspect the "problem" is less rife than the thread implies.