Does your band play with backing tracks? What's your opinion on them?

[Chris Whitten]

I think the bands care way more about it than the audiences.

Sure. If I'm playing a couple of shows a week shouldn't it matter what I care about? It's the same argument about using specific gear, like expensive snare drums - "the audience doesn't care". Yes, but I care and I'm playing the 2 hour show. If it makes it more fun to trigger samples and play to a couple of backing tracks then I am allowed to do it, whether it makes a difference to the audience or not. I think overall it DOES make a difference. Take a band that sounds as good as their records, versus a band that doesn't sound quite as good - the audience absolutely knows which is which.

 

[Benthedrummer]

I was using backing tracks in my last cover band.

We got the original drumless keys for Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" and for Bon Jovis' "Living on a prayer.

They sounded absolutely amazing and I really, really loved the experience playing with them.

 

[JimmyM]

Maybe.... my personal opinion is it is simple and easy to incorporate extra sounds in the show (usually sequenced into a sample pad, or triggered by me), and I find it makes the show more enjoyable and fun for me.
I joined a band in 2017. They were just playing what they could with the musicians they had. I brought in a Roland SPD-SX, I had sampled a bunch of sounds off the albums, I also recreated some sequenced bits off the albums in my own studio.
After a couple of gigs the band felt my extra bits were fantastic and now essential.
The band have gone from strength to strength, playing small theatres in 2017, now playing 2000 to 3000 capacity arenas. I'm not doing it anymore, but they asked if they could keep my samples and now require every new drummer to trigger the samples from the band's own SPD-SX.
No one is 'cheating'. It actually demands more of the drummer. I found it made the show more fun to play and more complete for the audience.

Ya, like I said, I don’t object to it. And having fun is always a noble goal. I just disagree about how necessary it is. I think that while, yes, the audience can tell the difference, I think they enjoy those differences as long as the performance is solid. Not the same as “The audience can’t tell between my custom crash ride and this Zildjian ZBT so I’ll use a ZBT.” Blech!

 

[Juniper]

I’ve played with a band using backing tracks and it was great.

The BT’s were synchs and percussion, with some choir parts and it worked really well. No issues with playing with them at all, as it layers the band playing the main instruments.

My current band don’t use any, but I’d have no issues them being suggested.

 

[2 hit wonder]

Saw a tight band last night using them. Mostly keyboard add-ins that the guitar player was synching in with his pedal board. Journey, etc..
Glad I saw them. It was a guitar player I sat in on bass with a week ago. Glad that I met him, too. If you stay in the scene long enough you get to meet some quality musicians and you get to develop the ability to witness and absorb some of their their knowledge. .

 

[2 hit wonder]

Wow, I remember making that comment but now struggle to rememeber who it was I saw and jammed with on bass prior to....can still see him activate the track.

Anyway, I did an audition on drums today with click & backing tracks then remembered this thread. I can see how tracks could squelch some of the energy from performing. And you're also gaining something that was missing. We're doing a show with tracks soon.

 

[Chevron]

I used to play in a band that used backing tracks on a few songs only.

Personally I quite enjoyed the fact that, at least for those songs, everyone had to focus up a little bit more to make sure the whole thing came together nicely.

I think they have to be used tactfully otherwise the whole thing can come across sounding like a one man covers band in a pub somewhere (which is also fine if that's your thing).

It does root out those that haven't practiced in-between rehearsals pretty quick too

 

[AudioWonderland]

I'm curious because here in the Sacramento area most of classic rock cover bands don't use tracks and have strong opinions against using them for the most part. Bands that play more current music use them for some songs. The modern country band I'm in uses them for every song. The alt rock band I'm in uses them as needed for synth parts and pads that the keyboard player can't cover. The Johnny Cash tribute band I'm in doesn't use them at all. I'm of the opinion that using backing tracks is OK if you're covering a part that can't be covered by one of the band members. How do you all feel?

My last band was a singer, 2 gtrs and kbd. Bass, drums, and anything else we could not physically play was on the tracks. We sounded good and could play a lot venues that would not have been possible otherwise.

I was the lead gtr player in that group.

As long as the players on stage are PLAYING, augmentation is fine. Players miming their parts is not.

 

[ravenson]

My last band was a singer, 2 gtrs and kbd. Bass, drums, and anything else we could not physically play was on the tracks. We sounded good and could play a lot venues that would not have been possible otherwise.

I was the lead gtr player in that group.

As long as the players on stage are PLAYING, augmentation is fine. Players miming their parts is not.

" augmentation " .... heh heh that's a good one

 

[Paul Blood]

I play at a church that uses tracks, and also a Latin band too. I'm fine with it, but as a listener, I'd rather hear a group do what they can do with what they have. It takes some creativity and arranging skills to be able to adapt a song originally recorded with a large ensemble and make work as a small group. A scaled down arrangement can be very effective too.

 

[2 hit wonder]

It took me until today to remember the band I saw using tracks. All the while thinking of the only band I've seen that used them. Just damn. Lol.

I've got a gig slated with a group that'll use them. Their longer term goal is to fill spots with an actual player.

 

[Spreggy]

Before this discussion goes to "pretty soon the whole band will be on a track and it will be a karaoke gig", I will say that I doubt that can happen, certainly not in front of a crowd who has paid to see a 'band'. The audience knows better and has the final say as to what works and what doesn't.

My feeling is, if there's supposed to be a band, there's a reasonable expectation of more than one live person doing the performing. At a minimum, that would be bass, drums, and a lead instrument. I think it would be a bit disingenuous for a singer to use a track for those instruments.

I agree, I have seen bands that are overly committed to the sequence, and they sound like ass.

 

[Spreggy]

Where I think it is very useful from experience, is in playing in a wedding/event band that has a huge roster of players. I was in one that had maybe 75 players who would get plugged into the schedule based on availibility. So on Friday you're working with 7 other people, and Saturday under that same band name you're playing with 7 completely different people. So they needed a unifying force to prevent all the on-the-fly edits that singers some people are prone to, and give a structure that was dependable. It was just the bass, and added keys, horns, and poorly done percussion. Stress the word "added", there were three live horns, two or three singers, and a keyboard player live.

It really is a good system they had. No rehearsals once you're past the newbie stage, and you learned new songs by 1) having the sequence emailed to you to practice with, and 2) a chopped up version of the song cut together exactly how they were going to do it. You'd get a Frankenstein-ed mp3 with chunks of three different bands playing the song, but it would match the sequence perfectly. Way ahead of its time (80s), I thought. After about twenty years the set list was unstoppable, everybody danced their heads off, the band always sounded good enough that people came up afterwards sayng how awesome we were, and in 300+ gigs I remember only one dud.
So yeah, sequences can be done right. They're also great for your time and teach you how to play to a click, which is a valuable skill.

 

[Introvert Holiday]

I'm curious because here in the Sacramento area most of classic rock cover bands don't use tracks and have strong opinions against using them for the most part. Bands that play more current music use them for some songs. The modern country band I'm in uses them for every song. The alt rock band I'm in uses them as needed for synth parts and pads that the keyboard player can't cover. The Johnny Cash tribute band I'm in doesn't use them at all. I'm of the opinion that using backing tracks is OK if you're covering a part that can't be covered by one of the band members. How do you all feel?

Fellow Sacramento drummer here!

I've never been against backing tracks, but I had never played in any bands that utilized them. I had an opportunity to support an R&B artist earlier this year, and he made extensive use of backing tracks for his show. Honestly, I had a blast. It was nice having those additional instruments enhancing the performance. In order to do the songs justice, the artist would need 5 or 6 more people, which isn't feasible for him right now. Backing tracks are a great way to allow the artist to continue to play shows and gain experience.

 

[xopherhills]

Fellow Sacramento drummer here!

I've never been against backing tracks, but I had never played in any bands that utilized them. I had an opportunity to support an R&B artist earlier this year, and he made extensive use of backing tracks for his show. Honestly, I had a blast. It was nice having those additional instruments enhancing the performance. In order to do the songs justice, the artist would need 5 or 6 more people, which isn't feasible for him right now. Backing tracks are a great way to allow the artist to continue to play shows and gain experience.

Hi fellow Sacramento drummer. Let me know where you're playing and I'll come check you out. My next local show will be at Goldfield's Roseville on Thanksgiving eve. I'm in 7 Summers, a just-formed Morgan Wallen tribute band.

 

[TMe]

The line between being a DJ and being a musician keeps getting blurrier.
That's a big upgrade for DJ's, and a major downgrade for "live music".

 

[Sausagetoad]

I've done it with and without tracks. There are pluses and minuses to both. It's nice having all the parts there, but the downside is playing to a click is confining. But the upside is, no one can complain about the tempo being too fast or slow.

 

[bermuda]

" augmentation " .... heh heh that's a good one

I think that's an appropriate description for a band that uses some tracks to cover parts that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive to feature live players on those instruments. Horns, strings, large group vocals, percussion, and in my case, SFX also fit in that category.

Back in the day, when a band could no longer perform their recording somewhat faithfully on stage, rather than hire extra people they'd simply quit touring. (coughcoughTheBeatlescoughcough) I'm not sure there was even a reliable playback system if they had wanted to use pre-recorded parts, let alone being able to play well with those parts in the absence of in-ears and even monitors.

Anyway, as long as I get to play the drums, and my playing is heard in the house, I don't really care what else might be on tape. But the minute I have to start miming my parts on stage... I'm going to ask for a raise. Being an actor pays way better than being a drummer!

 

[green glass drum]

"Are you the drummer at "Silencio?".........

 

[rollthedice]

more and more of these major bands being found out playing MAJOR backtracks. (MAJOR: main- vocals, guitars, drums, bass- anything that should be played live) not cool. a piano, synth, 3 person chorus vocals in studio that can't be replicated onstage w/out a major effort- completely acceptable. anything more- not legit. they all know this, yet, now it's a subject and all kinds of bands being found out to playing MAJOR backing tracks. screw them. ask for your money back. etc.