Page 15 - shapemag

The Big Question

me nicely to my next positive. Backing lot of dosh for a lot of work.
tracks are available with instruments
missing meaning the artist can still be a Right, positive time. Firstly and at the
true musician. Personally, I do not like top of the list, you cannot beat a well
pure Karaoke tracks, they are a little void oiled band in top form strutting their
of life but I am a fan of proper profession- stuff. When it all drops into place, there
ally made tracks which gives an artist the is nothing like it. Unlike backing tracks,
chance to show of musical skills. bands are not restricted by the time of
tracks, if they want to throw in solo’s or
Live Instruments extra verses then so be it. There is no
Let’s get away from the dreaded track and question of the versatility advantages
talk about live instruments. As before lets of bands and live musical performers.
start of with the downside. Two issues When it right, it’s brilliant. That to me
to note, firstly, volume. Let’s not kid is the winner of the arguments. A well
ourselves here, a band in a pub with a set rehearsed, well equipped band or artist is,
of drums is loud. Not so much of an issue and always will be the big crowd puller.
for large venues but can be an issue when
you need to say something to someone So let’s summarise. In short, both have
and you’re not too hot at lip reading. Sec- advantages and disadvantages on the
ondly, the human factor can be a little bit live scene. Bands are the age old way of
of a gremlin. Mistakes can happen in all bringing live music to venues but just
sorts of ways, timing, instrument mal- because someone is using tracks it doesn’t
function (breaking strings in particular), mean they are being lazy. They are just
the dreaded mind-blank. Of course most trying to get heard.
of this can be avoided by strong rehearsals
and solid preparation. But you can never As the editor of this mag, I will be em-
counter sods law. The final downside is bracing all artist regardless of what they
the pay. Not a lot of money split from use or how they do it. Let’s live and let
anything from 3 - 8 members means not a live and just enjoy our music.

“The hardest thing about being in
this business is just being able to
be yourself. People act like there’s

this one set of rules to follow to be a
musician and I think, ‘Well, you say
I’m a musician, so maybe that’s not
true.”
Kelly Clarkson

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