Gigging to backing tracks

[danthevan]

What's the general feeling on using backing tracks for live gigs?
5 piece band (lazy, part timers, gig when we fancy it........ drummer, 2 gits, bass and singer) and a couple of the songs we want to do have keyboard / horns or something on the original, and just sound wrong either trying to get one of the gits to play the part, or leaving it out all together.
We only really do pub gigs,so is it allowed to have a keyboard player that is actually an ipad?!

Thoughts / comments / etc etc please!

[lojo]

You can do what you like , it's all art

Done it twice, once I played acoustic guitar (with click track in ear during an intro) and once as a bass player (over a few gigs) , only advice is make sure you can hear it well , cause obviously you have to stay in time with it.

edit
Just read you've 2 guitars , can't one of them do something with any keys parts, or are you trying to recreate songs exactly ?

Edited April 25, 2013 by lojo

[danthevan]

Well, the other benefit is keeping the drummer in time! He does have trouble at times, even after 50 years behind a kit!

[chrismuzz]

If you're gigging with the drums on a backing track, it can ruin the feel of the gig... But plenty of bands use vocal or synth backing tracks to great effect. Devin Townsend is one fine example! Just make sure the drummer (or possibly the whole band) play to a click track

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuouRrjhPCQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuouRrjhPCQ[/url]

[bonzodog]

I have played bass in a duo along to backing tracks and also in a previous life sang around the clubs to full backing tracks and hated both. The main problem is you are tied into the backing tracks layout and therefore can't add an extra chorus for example, I you fee like it. Plus I would imagine it would be a nightmare for your drummer. I have only worked with backing tracks containing drums, but to have to keep in time with a backing would be hard for a drummer. You also have to think about what format you use. In a large room MP3 quality sounds pretty naff in my opinion. I would be inclined to leave the keyboard bits out unless you take on a full time player. I played bass in a Jam covers band once and we didn't bother with the keyboards, just bass/drums and guitar and it sounded fine.

[TomWIC]

This is something that we'll be pursuing soon (finding a synth player for a metal band round these parts is harder than finding a drummer). Nothing wrong with it at all, plenty of bands have their synths on backing track; Architects, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost, Marilyn Manson (as well as second guitar parts),Rob Zombie, to name but a few.

Not sure how we're going to do it exactly, but we'll worry about that when the album is finished!

[Lynottfan]

I woulds say leave them out, saw a band have major issues with a backing track once, which was funny, for the audience, but as a fellow player I felt bad for them. But they might work for you, good luck.

Edited April 25, 2013 by Lynottfan

[Dad3353]

Good afternoon, Dan...

Depending on the song, one doesn't have to have a complete click for the whole length. The drummer could trigger a sample with the required passage, lasting only as long as the key/horn part. This frees up the whole arrangement (doesn't have to be fixed from end to end...). We've done this in the past, and it works well.
On the other hand, for 'Beds are Burning', for instance, our singer does the trombones vocally..! It's become a 'feature', now, and we wouldn't want to go back to samples for that.
Hope this helps..

PS: if your drummer isn't good at keeping time alone, he's going to suffer with a click, I'm certain...

[danthevan]

The main one we want to try is Dreadlock Holiday. Got the track from Karaoke-version.co.uk a pulled out all the drums, vocals, guitar and bass and just left with percussion (basically a click through most of the song + some bongo / toms thing going on) , organ, synthesiser and doesn't sound too bad.
Hoping that the click will keep it all together.
we'll see................... lol

[danthevan]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1366889820' post='2058562']

PS: if your drummer isn't good at keeping time alone, he's going to suffer with a click, I'm certain...
[/quote]

We did have a metronome for him which he could play along to nicely. Hard bit was getting him to set the tempo on the new fandangled digital magical box.
His biggest problem is putting in stupid drum rolls or double snare hits where they don't fit, which buggers me up no end.
Past 2 gigs I have moved next to the lead guitarist and tend to follow him rather than the drums. Not ideal, but seems to work!!
I WANT MY OLD BAND BACK! Damn wives and kids screwing everything up lol

[BigRedX]

For only a a few tracks in a set of covers IMO it's not really worth it. I would try working out arrangements with the instrumentation you have first.

I'm played in bands that have used some form of non-human component (tapes, sequencers etc.) nearly all my gigging life. The amount of extra hassle you need to go through to create the parts and make sure that you can play along with them properly is fine if it's part of your bands overall sound and you use it on every song. But for a handful of covers, I'd be very reluctant.

And judging by the song you mention in your last post, I doubt whether anyone in the audience would actually notice if those parts were missing - I certainly can't recall them doing anything extra special.

[danthevan]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1366890704' post='2058583']
And judging by the song you mention in your last post, I doubt whether anyone in the audience would actually notice if those parts were missing - I certainly can't recall them doing anything extra special.
[/quote]

That got me thinking, so went back and took everything we would have used out of the track. Does sound completely different believe it or not!

[Toddy]

Tis now fairly standard to play along side a click track and have at least some arrangement, even if its basic harmonies, keys going to front of house. it is really easy to do these days, especially if the drummer has a sample pad and just fires off the track,, with a very basic set up he can keep the click and send the track to the desk, and personally find that it can really add to the song...

[JTUK]

First, you have to be able to play to click...and most drummers who think they can, can't.
It isn't the hardest thing to do but it is a discipline you need to practice.
So, if you have a guy who struggles in regular situations, this will be beyond him, I expect.
Secondly.... I'd laugh at bands who flew in 'help'...tbh. be that BV's or a sequence

It isn't really a big thing, but bands tend to get the help as they CAN'T do it, rather than can't afford it.
I think bands should be able to come up wioth a solution better than this... ie, play the track that works
in context.

As I say, no big thing but I don't like these 'cheats' usually..

[iconic]

Good enough for depeche mode....and thompson twins if ya old enough to remember!?!

Edited April 26, 2013 by iconic

[danthevan]

[quote name='iconic' timestamp='1366918638' post='2059112']
Good enough for depeche mode....and thompson twin if ya old enough to remember!?!
[/quote]
Unfotunately I am !

[Roger2611]

I think audiences will hear missing parts of songs in their heads just because they remember the original version, we toyed with Madness Baggy Trousers for a while, we have no brass section, the guitarist played all the brass parts, after one gig a punter came up and acused us of playing to a backing track because he had heard the brass parts when we clearly didn't have a brass section...he totally refused to believe that the guitar played the right notes so he just heard it as the original brass parts.

And konw he wasn;t completely pished!

[lefrash]

As others have said it certainly can work. Alot of bands use them. I will say though, I've seen 4 bands in the past year that have used BT's and each of them at some point they've gone wrong in some shape or form. From the wrong song starting, to the drummer not hearing it right,

Again, as others have said, its something that would need to be practiced as much as any other part of playing live, and if it goes wrong live, you cant wing it, you need to do exactly what the backing track says.

Personally, if its only for a few numbers I'd just play a few different tunes!

[charic]

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1366889534' post='2058556']
This is something that we'll be pursuing soon (finding a synth player for a metal band round these parts is harder than finding a drummer). Nothing wrong with it at all, plenty of bands have their synths on backing track; Architects, Lacuna Coil, Paradise Lost, Marilyn Manson (as well as second guitar parts),Rob Zombie, to name but a few.

Not sure how we're going to do it exactly, but we'll worry about that when the album is finished!
[/quote]

Shame you're not closer, I might have given this a go

[TomWIC]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1366962207' post='2059406']
Shame you're not closer, I might have given this a go
[/quote]

You tease!

[charic]

[quote name='TomWIC' timestamp='1366963340' post='2059424']
You tease!
[/quote]

Being quite genuine actually, not played with a band since I got this keyboard

[iconic]

One of the biggest draws at our local are the 'plastic paddies' as I call them, I won't name them, but they have a really large following up 'ere in Norfolk, always sell outs. I love their music (although it seems there are only a few irish licks) but hate the visuals as do my kids.

....one guys bangs on a tea chest, another tamely strums a guitar and the singer is the star of the show, playing a mean fiddle and sings too, blindingly well indeed to be fair....but [i]every[/i] song has a backing track driven by a laptop.

It was bit strange when I 1st saw them, such a big sound for a 3 piece....I'd had a few cyders too! I thought "tight bass player" but couldn't see a bass player but "where is he hiding?"... then thought where is the drummer and where are the keyboards etc.

I looked round and honestly I think if the band removed their strings and sat on their tea chest the crowd wouldn't notice after 20 mins!

As I said they are THE biggest draw with the punters, everyones up and dancing, and bums on seats for those who don't, pricey tickets, got to hand it them it seems to work very well for them & pays, but I can put 50p in the jukebox if I want to hear recorded music...seems a bit moody to me?

[KevB]

I don't know how complex the keys parts are for the tracks the OP wants to cover but if they are relatively simple then the other alternative would be midi pedals and a decent sound module to emulate the synth or brass sounds. No click track required and all played live, albeit with feet. Some of the older sound modules are fairly chaep s/h these days and a set of Roland PK5's can probably be picked up for £100 or so on eBay. Of course it is more work to learn to use them but then so was learning bass in the first place.

[danthevan]

Thanks for all the feedback!
At the moment it's 1, possibly 2 songs out of a 30 set list, so will go with the ipad and see what the response is like from them!

[the boy]

Its very difficult getting 5 people all to keep time with a backing track. It requires a lot if practice. Invariably the gits will follow the drums and if the drums lose the backing track then it all gets a bit messy. Give it a go though its all experience.