Why is it acceptable to have drummers not play the same as the recording on a music video...

What if I told you that the orignal drummer could not play it again the exact way it was first played. The reasons: The recording studios will alter the tracks, add, delete, filter sounds, so the music may sound better and its hard to play it identically as you first heard it. When the band is playing you are playing in the moment and the energy of the band at that time. So the next time you and the band are playing the same song, its a different moment and energy, sometimes its a different sound, it may sound better, more creative or some one may be off a little. Human beings are dynamic and live and these sensabilities are felt in the music being played at that moment. Machines play mechanically, people should not play mechanically. So If I played the same every night, I would be bored. Some nights you can be on top of your game and some nights trying to just keeping it together. You are not a robot, a drummer is a musical artist using whatever creativity you can bring to your drumming always complmenting the music and thats why its ok not to sound the same as any other drummer or try and play exactly as the original song sounds, you may get close to the original song. You are unique, different than anyone else, put yourself in your music.

My response to this is the intricacies do not matter. What matters is when I hear the drummer playing the ride, I wan to see him play the ride at that time and not the hi hat if the camera is on him. Also, when I hear a crash I expect to see the drummer hit the crash when the camera is on him. I also expect the drummer not to hit the crash when there are are no crash sounds.

Basically, if I see a drummer in a music video playing the drums, I expect him to be hitting the parts of the drums that are making the sounds I am hearing. I really don't see how hard it is to sync that.
 
My response to this is the intricacies do not matter. What matters is when I hear the drummer playing the ride, I wan to see him play the ride at that time and not the hi hat if the camera is on him. Also, when I hear a crash I expect to see the drummer hit the crash when the camera is on him. I also expect the drummer not to hit the crash when there are are no crash sounds.

Basically, if I see a drummer in a music video playing the drums, I expect him to be hitting the parts of the drums that are making the sounds I am hearing. I really don't see how hard it is to sync that.

It would be better but does it much matter? After all, everyone knows it's miming. As far as I'm concerned it's either real or it's not. If not, I don't care about those details if the clip is entertaining.

If it's real then I want it in synch. Many live shows on YouTube are out of synch and you can tell there's less margin for error with drums than with strings, keys and wind instruments, where the scale of movement is so small you need to closeup for out of synch to look bad. Meanwhile, an out of synch shot of the drummer from metres away will still look off.

And let's face it, in pop, rock and hip hop vids it's usually all about the vocals and lyrics. Sometimes you never see a drummer at all or you'll have someone miming over a programmed track. It's just fluff.
 
Drummers usually get next to no shots in the final cuts either, even if your playing something amazing, eye-catching or the part that the whole groove is based on you find a sub-standard shot of the guitarist chugging away just playing rhythl or the vocalist getting ready to sing, not even singing!

This really bothers me in concert films, where they only cut to the drummer once per song. It's really, irrationally irritating when they do that, 'cause they have a camera on the drummer recording the whole thing, you know, and I would do so much for the original full length video from that camera.
 
I see your point. The drummer should of made a better attempt at faking it.

How can he do that? How does he know before the fact what edited footage the director will use?

After all, everyone knows it's miming. As far as I'm concerned it's either real or it's not. If not, I don't care about those details if the clip is entertaining.

One of my favourite mimes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHbsL53isE .....well clearly not the vox, they're live. But they're no less antagonistic.
 
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Let's face it dear friends... As drummers, we're always kinda' the hidden hero behind the music. I mean yeah, some drummers get praise, and at live gigs you always have fellow musicians who appreciate us. But when a neighbor plays guitar or bass loud, it's just loud music. But when a neighbor plays drums, it's noise and the police are called.

There are a lot of videos of the Rolling Stones making sync appearances on old talk shows, and you can clearly hear crashes and tom rolls, but you see Watts just playing a nice 4/4 rock beat the whole time... never changing anything. And you're right it is irritating, but it'll probably always be that way.... Sad.
 
My opinion, we as drummers of course notice this but to the average viewer I don't think it's that much of a concern.
Bingo. Music video's are made, not for drummers, but for the 99.9% of the viewing public who are not drummers.​
Of course the Daft Punk video is not live. I think the guitar guy is even wearing motorcycle gloves. Time is money, and lots of producers ain't gonna spend extra cash to make sure all the little bits line up.​
 
One of my favourite mimes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHbsL53isE .....well clearly not the vox, they're live. But they're no less antagonistic.

Now there's a band that gets it. If you're going to pretend, why pretend that you're not pretending when everyone except the kiddies knows? Might as well make it fun and put on a spectacle. Loved Dave's "look Ma, no hands" move :)

As for those who want to play the game, I expect Harry nailed it - why spend extra money lining up a bit player? (ie. drummer). Maybe a few drummers will be bothered, not too many others.
 
Dave Mustain is also a lot more AR than most people. And, good chance it's his money being spent, to make it all work.​
 
Dave Mustain is also a lot more AR than most people. And, good chance it's his money being spent, to make it all work.​

My friend sitting sitting next to me who is a massive Megadeth fan says that Roadrunner Records pays for the videos not Dave.
 
I see your point. The drummer should of made a better attempt at faking it.

It has nothing to do with the drummer and everything to do with the director and video editor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOnKCcjP8Qs

Megadeth seems to be able to sync their drummers fine.

Again, It has nothing to do with the drummer (or the band) and everything to do with the director and video editor.

Some videos are just better made than others.

My friend sitting sitting next to me who is a massive Megadeth fan says that Roadrunner Records pays for the videos not Dave.

Then he should know at the time, Megadeth was signed to Capitol records, not Roadrunner. LOL (sorry, jut had to point that out).

But it is true, bands almost never pay for their videos directly, the record company always fronts the money. However, the band always pays for the video in the end, because the record company then charges the band for the cost by taking out it out the bands royalties. So Harry still has a point.
 
One of my favourite mimes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHbsL53isE .....well clearly not the vox, they're live. But they're no less antagonistic.

Haha... loved it, if you gonna mime the music, let's make it entertaining, then you want to watch it again.

What about Bermuda's performance?, Jon's pretty much in synch with the music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FklUAoZ6KxY&feature=artistob&playnext=1&list=TL4yAukaB5IT8, it's pure entertaining, I bet he had fun doing this video :)
 
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